Topic: Locking together Chain Link Fence Top Rail and WS-1400 5-inch pipe

[boldblue737]

Basic question: I have decided to use the Home Depot Chain Link Top Rail 10.5 ft galvanized as my pole, with 2.5 feet underground in Quikrete. The top rail has a pinched end that slides exactly into the 1 3/8 in. wide, 5 in. pole that comes with the Ambient Weather station. What is the best way to lock these together after I set the weather station for due south? Some kind of drilled bolt or something?

[SpringHillWeather]

I used a U-Clamp from Home Depot since it was available and easy at the time. 

However drilling a hole and using a bolt is a much more cleaner approach.  I may try that on next maintenance.

[boldblue737]

I get the U-clamps but I agree, I would rather have a cleaner looking install, its one of the big reasons I'm electing to use the chain link top rail at 1 3/8 for the exact fit. Not to further demonstrate my lack of basic DIY skills but basically I would be joining the pipes together, carefully lining up the station for direction, then drilling a hole all the way through both pipes (both sides too?) so a bolt could go all the way through the entire two pipes and then have a nut placed on the other side?

[boldblue737]

for anyone interested it was fairly easy to do when i finally tried... i put a piece of painters tape around the WS-1400 included pipe and made a small dent with a nail set. i then drove a drill bit through one side of the pipe. I then fit the pipe over the pinched end of the chain rail post (direct fit if you use the one i am talking about) and since the first of the 4 inline holes was made it was a simple matter of being certain i was pointed due south, putting a bit more tape around the seems of the two pipes to avoid rotation and then setting the drill bit in the hole i already made. the bit made quick work of passing through both sides of chain link post and then out the other side of the WS-1400 included pipe. i then put a stainless bolt through both posts and finished off with a stainless locking nut.

[boldblue737]

another with the full station setup:

[SpringHillWeather]

Nice setup and thanks for sharing. 
Looks like the bolt you put on worked well.

[cospringswx]

Nice set up. Jealous of the green grass. Mine is just starting to turn.

[Bushman]

Why not just bolt to the existing fence?  Or a post cap?

[boldblue737]

My very first thought was bolting to the fence but there were significant issues with that...

1. The fence is hollow vinyl that was put in place 10 years ago when our house was first built. Due to settling the fence is no longer perfectly plum and there is significant frost heave on many posts. I'm sure I could get a mount to correct the issue but the fence may yet shift more. You can see how uneven the fence line is now and when installed it was totally level.

2. The fence itself flexes and moves a bit in high winds and that movement would also be transferred to the weather station.

3. Since the posts are hollow the vinyl compresses quite a bit. I would have to use all kinds of metal brackets to brace the vinyl before I screwed in a mast mount or in time the posts would deform from stress from the mast.

Obviously the way I went is less attractive but I placed it along a side fence that isn't seen from the backyard facing windows and the cost was beyond reasonable... the pole cost me under $15 and was a direct fit for the WS-1400. It allowed me to perfectly plum the pole and it is absolutely perfect for now (hoping I went deep enough to avoid frost heave, we will see.) There is a bit of motion in 20+ mph winds but nearly imperceptible and nothing that has caused rain sensor issues.

If I want to change it / fix it up in the future the cost was just $15 and the effort to pull up 60 lbs of concrete from the post hole.

[Bushman]

Makes sense.  Thanks for the explanation.

[DoctorKnow]

Looks good to me. The best compromise for the situation.