Post A Picture of the Setup for Your Weather Station

[JaxWeather]

Attaching one piece of 2 X 4 to another, end to end, would not be advisable in my opinion as it would not be anywhere near as strong as a single piece of 2 X 4 would be.  I would suggest obtaining a single 2 X 4 in the length you want and attaching that to your deck...

-Bob

[aifan27]

Attaching one piece of 2 X 4 to another, end to end, would not be advisable in my opinion as it would not be anywhere near as strong as a single piece of 2 X 4 would be.  I would suggest obtaining a single 2 X 4 in the length you want and attaching that to your deck...

-Bob

Yes, I am going to have to agree with you on this one...About an hour ago, I went to RadioShack to check out the 5' antenna masts they have.  I seems pretty good to me, and I will probably end up using it (although I didn't buy it today).  The only problem/concern I have is that it is metal (I thought it was aluminum) and it will obviously attract lightning, especially if it is 10' above ground (the height that it will be if I use it).  Please tell me if using this will be a good idea or not.  Thanks for your help.

[JaxWeather]

As far as I know we are all mostly using either Aluminum or Galvanized steel poles for the Anemometers, mine is 12 foot galvanized.

There is always a chance for a lightning hit but so far I haven't experienced any problems (watch now next storm and Bzzzzzzzzztttt) LOL

Even if you used fiberglass (which would not be near as rigid) there is a possibility of lightning hitting it... I have a number of very tall pine trees in my yard so they are far more likely to get the direct hit than my pole, at least that is what I tell myself  LOL

-Bob

[aifan27]

As far as I know we are all mostly using either Aluminum or Galvanized steel poles for the Anemometers, mine is 12 foot galvanized.

There is always a chance for a lightning hit but so far I haven't experienced any problems (watch now next storm and Bzzzzzzzzztttt) LOL

Even if you used fiberglass (which would not be near as rigid) there is a possibility of lightning hitting it... I have a number of very tall pine trees in my yard so they are far more likely to get the direct hit than my pole, at least that is what I tell myself  LOL

-Bob

LOL ::crosses fingers::  .  So do you think that I would be alright using the metal pole?  Thanks.

[iww]

To quote the Boltek installation manual:-

"If you mount anything on a ten foot pole on the highest point on your roof, with no trees or television tower nearby, you are asking for lightning to strike."

Turning this around though, if you do mount a pole high up, then why not make it into a lightning conductor tied to an earth electrode in the ground, and mount your equipment on it?

[aifan27]

To quote the Boltek installation manual:-

"If you mount anything on a ten foot pole on the highest point on your roof, with no trees or television tower nearby, you are asking for lightning to strike."

Turning this around though, if you do mount a pole high up, then why not make it into a lightning conductor tied to an earth electrode in the ground, and mount your equipment on it?

Well here's the thing:  I am mounting the 5' metal pole to a wooden post that is nailed to the fence.  The pole will be about 3' 6" above the wooden post (10' off the ground in total).  There are taller trees around my house (15-20 ft.+), so I would think that it shouldn't attract lightning.  If anyone else could help, that would be great.  Thanks.

[aardvark]

to attract lightining,  that is a random possibility.    Unless of course you are going to run it to your laboratory for Igor to do his work...

In reality,  if you are worried about that then you probably need something , such as a lightining rod on a dedicated mast that is higher and further from your anenometer mast.     However, as said elsewhere a strike is going to be such that it will fry your equipment anyway.    I would do this,  make the decision on how necessary is it that your mast be that tall,  Is there any structure higher than your mast .  IF so figure any lightining probably will hit that first.  Second,   IF you are still worried,  Attach a ground wire down your mast.  However,  if lightining strikes it, the unit is going to have problems.

Are you in an area that is prone to strikes?  Again, you might want to re think on the  heighth of your tower.    You can use PVC pipe but it has sway in the wind and will break in time .   IF you do go with the  Radioshack mast, I suggest that you buy one of their mast clamps, even though the pieces of mast interlock together, as a precaution.   You might want to look at my site where you can see how I put my unit together.  I admit I have a few extra toys but if I were really nuts I would run a boltek to the mast as well, but I really don't know why I would want a boltek at this time.   ( not that there is anything wrong with one, but I really don't know how I would use it for anything I am doing now)

http://home.mchsi.com/~dsmweather/stationinfo.htm

IF you are going to ground your mast, then use one of the grounding stakes that Radioshack sells, thick bare copper wire and grounding clamps.  Be sure that you remove the paint from the mast where the ground clamps fasten the copper wire for good conduction.    

The anenometer mast does touch the ground, more for stability than for grounding, but if there were a direct strike, no matter how much of a lightining rod I put there, the unit would be toast ( toasted plastic that is)

[aifan27]

to attract lightining,  that is a random possibility.    Unless of course you are going to run it to your laboratory for Igor to do his work...

In reality,  if you are worried about that then you probably need something , such as a lightining rod on a dedicated mast that is higher and further from your anenometer mast.     However, as said elsewhere a strike is going to be such that it will fry your equipment anyway.    I would do this,  make the decision on how necessary is it that your mast be that tall,  Is there any structure higher than your mast .  IF so figure any lightining probably will hit that first.  Second,   IF you are still worried,  Attach a ground wire down your mast.  However,  if lightining strikes it, the unit is going to have problems.

Are you in an area that is prone to strikes?  Again, you might want to re think on the  heighth of your tower.    You can use PVC pipe but it has sway in the wind and will break in time .   IF you do go with the  Radioshack mast, I suggest that you buy one of their mast clamps, even though the pieces of mast interlock together, as a precaution.   You might want to look at my site where you can see how I put my unit together.  I admit I have a few extra toys but if I were really nuts I would run a boltek to the mast as well, but I really don't know why I would want a boltek at this time.   ( not that there is anything wrong with one, but I really don't know how I would use it for anything I am doing now)

http://home.mchsi.com/~dsmweather/stationinfo.htm

IF you are going to ground your mast, then use one of the grounding stakes that Radioshack sells, thick bare copper wire and grounding clamps.  Be sure that you remove the paint from the mast where the ground clamps fasten the copper wire for good conduction.    

The anenometer mast does touch the ground, more for stability than for grounding, but if there were a direct strike, no matter how much of a lightining rod I put there, the unit would be toast ( toasted plastic that is)

Thanks VERY much for the help aardvark.  Since there are trees around my house that are taller then my antenna mast will be, then it probably WON'T get struck by lightning.  Yes, I do live in an area where we get a fairly good amount of thunderstorms during the spring/summer (Eastern Pennsylvania).  I don't think I will ground it, but now that I know that there is a very slim chance that the antenna mast will get struck by lightning, then I will probably go with that (and especially since I am not putting it on my roof).  Thanks for everyone's help.

[iww]

The chance of being hit by lightning is small, but it is still a chance. If you have other high things around you, the chance is greatly reduced.

Last year, I was sat indoors watching the Nexstorm Screen on my PC, and we recorded a strike right on the centre cross.

About five minutes later, the fire engines and ambulance came past our place, on their way to a house about 1 mile from us as the crow flies, which did get hit!

[aifan27]

The chance of being hit by lightning is small, but it is still a chance. If you have other high things around you, the chance is greatly reduced.

Last year, I was sat indoors watching the Nexstorm Screen on my PC, and we recorded a strike right on the centre cross.

About five minutes later, the fire engines and ambulance came past our place, on their way to a house about 1 mile from us as the crow flies, which did get hit!

Wow, thats pretty scary.  Anyways, last night around me, we were supposed to get a few thunderstorms, but they ended up dying down.  Instead we just got some moderate to heavy rain.  Also, if anyone else has had experiences with the RadioShack antenna masts, then please share with me how you like them.  Thanks!

[aardvark]

The masts are not bad.  They are tapered at the top and they have an interlocking tab on the large end where the small end fits.  It snaps in place quickly and unless you are ready to connect masts together  ( like I wasn't at the moment.. had to go to plan B)  something to consider.   They are gray and heavy.   As I said I put a mast clamp  (radio shack part Model: 15-826 runs about 4 bucks or ducks)  just in case the flange would be bad.   ( the worry factor x 10).

the pipe is about 1 1/4 inches in diameter and is easy to use.   I  also used guy wires and cable clamps to reduce the sway.  I found that there is sway and that the wires do stretch a bit, so the clamps were nice to use for cinching up the wire as needed.    I used plastic cable ties ( kind of like what the cops use on their clients) to fasten the  anenomter and other cables  to the mast and all in all not a bad project.   I used some pvc pipe to run wires where I thought they might be food supplies for various critters near the ground and to bury cables ( you can see from my setup.

I did find that some of the mounting supplies from Radio Shack were a bit more expensive that Home Depot or Menards or the local hardware store.    Plus when someone asked me what I was doing with the stuff, it was nice to baffle them.     

One big concern  I have to put here.  When you are putting up your mast, be careful of electrical power lines , you don't want to get electrocuted if the mast would shift while you are near by and hit a power line.   It will kill you real quick.   Also, something to consider the worst case that if the mast would come down in a storm where is it going to fall ( generally Murphy's law  hits about here .. where it will do the most damage).

Have fun.

[aifan27]

The masts are not bad.  They are tapered at the top and they have an interlocking tab on the large end where the small end fits.  It snaps in place quickly and unless you are ready to connect masts together  ( like I wasn't at the moment.. had to go to plan B)  something to consider.   They are gray and heavy.   As I said I put a mast clamp  (radio shack part Model: 15-826 runs about 4 bucks or ducks)  just in case the flange would be bad.   ( the worry factor x 10).

the pipe is about 1 1/4 inches in diameter and is easy to use.   I  also used guy wires and cable clamps to reduce the sway.  I found that there is sway and that the wires do stretch a bit, so the clamps were nice to use for cinching up the wire as needed.    I used plastic cable ties ( kind of like what the cops use on their clients) to fasten the  anenomter and other cables  to the mast and all in all not a bad project.   I used some pvc pipe to run wires where I thought they might be food supplies for various critters near the ground and to bury cables ( you can see from my setup.

I did find that some of the mounting supplies from Radio Shack were a bit more expensive that Home Depot or Menards or the local hardware store.    Plus when someone asked me what I was doing with the stuff, it was nice to baffle them.     

One big concern  I have to put here.  When you are putting up your mast, be careful of electrical power lines , you don't want to get electrocuted if the mast would shift while you are near by and hit a power line.   It will kill you real quick.   Also, something to consider the worst case that if the mast would come down in a storm where is it going to fall ( generally Murphy's law  hits about here .. where it will do the most damage).

Have fun.

Thanks very much aardvark AGAIN.  Since I have a WMR968, I will be using U-Bolts to hold the anemometer to the antenna mast.  Also, the wooden post that I am using (the one that the antenna mast will be attached to) is approx. 1' 6".  The wooden post is attached to a wooden platform, which in turn is attached to my fence by nails (it is VERY sturdy).  The wooden post is attached to the platform by a triangular-shaped piece of wood by glue (I know, it doesn't sound very sturdy, but it is, as I have tested it).  Don't forget that this is attached onto my fence and the platform is about 5' off the ground and the anemometer will be about 10' off the ground once I am done.  Also, I just want to make sure (yes, I know, I am worrying about this a little too much  ) that the 1' 6" of wooden post can support the 5' antenna mast.  Thanks for everyone's help, it is greatly appreciated.

[administrator]

The only problem/concern I have is that it is metal (I thought it was aluminum)

Maybe I'm reading that wrong, but aluminium (to use it's British name) is metal. It will conduct lightning just as well as steel, iron, etc.

[aifan27]

Hmmm well in America aluminum and metal are different...but do they really both attract lightning?  Thanks.

[aifan27]

Hmmm well in America aluminum and metal are different...but do they really both attract lightning?  Thanks.

Whoops, nevermind, I was confused with what you are saying and I thought that you meant in Britain that aluminum is called metal...