New anemometer mast install into a tidal marsh

[tsharac]

Hi all,

I'm hoping to get some advice about installing a new Davis Vantage Pro2 into a tidal marsh. I've read the CWOP manual and a bunch of posts from previous mast installs. This met station is new to me, I'm very much a novice with this. My only experience involves installing a cheap anemometer up on a 3/4" black iron plumbing pipe approximately 40' up to see the wind speeds at our cottage just before Hurricane Irene in August 2011 - which registered a whopping 38 mph max gust (certainly our location on the forest/marsh border was a bad location). Our cottage is on the eastern shore of Virginia, most of our property is a tidal marsh, the remainder is covered with 70'+ tall pine trees. I want to install a 33' mast out in the open tidal marsh, but I'm unsure about my proposed plan:

Pound in a pressure-treated 4x4 as deep as possible, then cut the 4x4 approximately two feet from the top and install a door hinge on one end and a clasp on the other side so I can tip over the mast when needed. The mast will consist of 30 feet of 2" conduit PVC, before tapering into a 1 1/2" OD pipe for the anemometer install. The mast will be secured with guy wires attached to the largest, deepest mud augers I can find.

Here's the landscape I'm working with and a pic of our cheap anemometer temporary install:
https://picasaweb.google.com/timothysharac/MetStationSetup?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJz82P-AubKXmgE&feat=directlink

Any tips, advice about this proposed location and mast install setup?

Thank you!

[Bushman]

PVC is not a good choice - too flexible and adds to static buildup.

[tsharac]

PVC is not a good choice - too flexible and adds to static buildup.

Would a better choice be to stick with the 3/4" black iron pipes for the anemometer mast?

[Bushman]

3/4 is pretty small for 30 feet.  Frankly, I would use 2" taper to 1.5 to maybe 2/4 for the top 10 feet.  And use galvanized pipe - it will stand up better to the salt.

[Scalphunter]

 Why not get sch. 80 or sch. 160 black iron or alumium pipe or for that if you can afford it stainless steel piping. That way you will get the rigid support that you need. It has always worked for me.  Any pipe or welding shop should have it.

[miraculon]

A while back there was a discussion on using telescoping flag poles..

http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=13630.0

You might want to look at some "Ham Radio" antenna masts/towers as well.

This thread: http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=7725.0

Mentions this site:http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/tower/rohn25.html


Greg

[tsharac]

Thanks for all of your ideas. Not sure which way I'll go, that telescoping pole looks like a great way to go, especially since it's aluminum - which is great for a saltwater marsh. Sch 80 looks like it'd be quite a bit cheaper, it'll rust, but surface rust shouldn't affect the structural integrity of the pole for quite a while. 

[Scalphunter]

Can of cold galvinize spray will coat it just nicely and no rust. Used it on lot of black iron piping and fittings aboard ships where exposure to the salt water deem some  sort of protection.

[Bushman]

In freshwater that galv spray is marginal at best IME.  And forget about coating the inside of the pipe with a spray bomb.  WOM for this application