Hi Steve
When I was a kid in central Alberta in 1956 I used a galavanizeed 4 inch
well pipe about 30 feet long to support a 10 element channnel 2 yagi so I
could get a 100 microvolt signal from 100 miles away. It was lashed to my
shack and I could turn it with a pipe wrench to get US TV during the summer
sunspot cycle. The end was about 3 feet in the ground resting on a piece of
wood. That fall the pipe filled with water that froze and it split (must
have been poor ERW) but still worked fine. I used to shinny up it to
replace the twin lead.
If you don't want to guy the pipe lash three together and I'll bet you can
go well over 30 or 40 feet with no guys and much higher with guys. Drill a
small hole in each near the ground level to let them drain!..In common soil
the ultility companies bury 10% plus 2 feet for 50 foot poes but I don't
think you'll have that much load so unless a fall will cause other damage
you could probably get by with 10% well tamped.
73
hank wd5jfr

"Steven Swift" wrote in message
...
It turns out that I don't have any decent supports for a good long wire
antenna on my property. I do have access to lots of old iron water pipe.

I was thinking that I could build a support by screwing together 10ft
lengths of this galvanized iron pipe. Start with 1-1/2inch on the
ground, use reducing couplers until I am down to 1/2inch at the top.
Seems pretty strong and stiff. The wire load would be pretty minimal
(we don't get ice storms very often). I could get 30-50ft really easily.

Has anyone done this?

TIA,

Steve
--
Steven D. Swift, , http://www.novatech-instr.com
NOVATECH INSTRUMENTS, INC. P.O. Box 55997
206.301.8986, fax 206.363.4367 Seattle, Washington 98155 USA