Topic: Telescoping Flagpole vs Aluminum tube/pipe ?

[Snowda]

Back to my wx project after a few too many interruptions...  This will be mounted on the side of a boat lift on the end of a dock. Primary purpose is wind speeds and water temps on the lake for sailing. I'll have two xmitters on the pole; one for the anemometer (and maybe ISS) and one for 3 temp sensors.

Telescoping Flagpole 2.75" base : $329
https://tele-pole.com/20Superior1-Telescoping-Flagpole
10ga 7000-T8 aluminum. I'm assuming 0.1" wall thickness?
Telescoping could make setup and take down (up each spring, down each fall before lake freezes over) easier.

Telescoping Flagpole 3.5" base : $484
https://tele-pole.com/20Superior2-Telescoping-Flagpole
10ga 7000-T8 aluminum. I'm assuming 0.1" wall thickness?

6061-T6 Alum Tube: Lots of options for OD & wall thickness. 2.5" x 0.250" x 24' is $221
https://www.coremarkmetals.com/6061-t6-aluminum-round-tube.
I'm assuming this would be stronger and more stable than the telescoping flagpole?  Any greater chance of shearing?
This could be trickier to setup though I could perhaps mount the anemometer, tilt it in to place and then mount the xmitters and ISS from a ladder.

Thoughts on these?

More about this project: https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=42028.0

Thanks,

[box]

Back to my wx project after a few too many interruptions...  This will be mounted on the side of a boat lift on the end of a dock. Primary purpose is wind speeds and water temps on the lake for sailing. I'll have two xmitters on the pole; one for the anemometer (and maybe ISS) and one for 3 temp sensors.

Telescoping Flagpole 2.75" base : $329
https://tele-pole.com/20Superior1-Telescoping-Flagpole
10ga 7000-T8 aluminum. I'm assuming 0.1" wall thickness?
Telescoping could make setup and take down (up each spring, down each fall before lake freezes over) easier.

Telescoping Flagpole 3.5" base : $484
https://tele-pole.com/20Superior2-Telescoping-Flagpole
10ga 7000-T8 aluminum. I'm assuming 0.1" wall thickness?

6061-T6 Alum Tube: Lots of options for OD & wall thickness. 2.5" x 0.250" x 24' is $221
https://www.coremarkmetals.com/6061-t6-aluminum-round-tube.
I'm assuming this would be stronger and more stable than the telescoping flagpole?  Any greater chance of shearing?
This could be trickier to setup though I could perhaps mount the anemometer, tilt it in to place and then mount the xmitters and ISS from a ladder.

Thoughts on these?

More about this project: https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=42028.0

Thanks,

I have an easier site but mulled over the same problem

As you are near water I would have thought aluminium a better bet unless you have high confidence in the quality of galvanized steel

I went for a sectional radio/TV mounting pole in the end. It comes in 5ft swaged lengths and you just slot it together. Note that although the joints are tight it can rotate so you need to stop the sections rotating, initially I used duct tape

The advantage is you can make it as tall as you want and all the fitting you need are readily available from the TV/radio mast industry

I mounted it to two blocks of 3x3 treated wood , one for the base of the mast and one concreted into the ground which are then bolted together. I use the bottom bolt as a hinge to swing everything down and get at the top of the pole

I have a fairly windy site near the coast so didn't anticipate the amount of movement at the top of the pole (I only have an anemometer/solar panel) so with an ISS I expect more movement in your case. A guying kit sorted that out, and stopped the rotation!
Good luck!

[Snowda]

Thanks. We're on an inland lake, not salty, so galvanized is fine. All of our dock posts are galvanized and some are 30 or more years old and have spent about 6 months of every year half submerged in the lake.

Antenna mast is a good idea. Most appear to be 18ga though which seems on the thin/flimsy side. Guy wires would be difficult to impossible for this so really needs to be freestanding.

Tri-tower could work but I'd have to put it on the opposite side of the lift from the dock which would mean doing everything from about 4' of water. Not impossible but not optimal.

I'll keep exploring this.