Flag Poles?

Don Muerto · Post by **Don Muerto** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 10:14 am

I would like to have one that is tall enough to be a landmark, but doesn't require too much in the way of bracing and guying.

Any ideas on what I could get away with at about 25' with a small, electronic load and small banner at the top?

Blenderhead · Post by **Blenderhead** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 10:30 am

Hey Don,

I've been looking at the flagpole issue a bit myself (mostly for use as a camp marker)... the easiest solution seems to be to take a big piece of rebar, pound it into the ground a bit, then slip a long piece of pvc over the top, and there you have a flagpole.

That being said, I've seen some interesting pics on a few websites of what a high wind does to flexible pipes sticking straight up in the air, like bending them over almost to the ground.

Bob?

Don Muerto · Post by **Don Muerto** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 10:38 am

I had those same thoughts, but figured that with the height I want, I would have to get some serious PVC size to make it rigid enough, and even then I worry about it whipping around in the wind and breaking.

I wonder if a PVC sleeved either inside or outside of half of the flagpole height would help. Maybe something like 1" x 20' with an outside sleeve of 1" inner diameter x 10' would be strong enough.

I might just have to mock this up and bring it down to Ocean Beach on a shitty day and see who gets killed.

Bob?

Blenderhead · Post by **Blenderhead** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 10:47 am

Let me know when you hit beta stage; I'd love to come down and check it out! There's more than a fair share of shitty days at OB.

The whipping issue is my primary concern. I think that this can be solved with your basic triangle of guy lines, attached about a third to halfway up the pole via bolts driven through the pole. Don't need any javelins flying around in a dust storm.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 11:34 am

Or- Nest 4 pcs. of rigid conduit, 11/4",1",3/4" and 1/2", with a 3-4' overlap for strength and bolted together....slide over a pc. of rebar and either guy or use three scrap pcs. of conduit as a tripod. (staked down, of course!) Sorta like an old-style roofmounted TV antenna....You could even run the wiring (if there is any) to your electronics up thru the EMT, if there's room around the bolts....

Skyhawk · Post by **Skyhawk** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 11:53 pm

or build a scaled model of the eiffel tower out of conduit, rebar and duct tape.. or go ahead and go for the full size one.. I seem to remember "plans" for the eiffel tower (based on old building plans and diagrams) floating around in this soup called the internet. all you need to add is steel... and more steel..

who knows, you could have the first flag pole ever to be occupied by german forces

or.. um.. yeah.. just use some pvc..

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 12:35 am

Sailboard mast mounted on 10' section of aluminum or galv. pipe, slipped over heavy duty T-stake or pair of auto axle shafts bolted together, guys added at half-height as needed.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 1:14 am

Or trolley aerial poles. Fiberglass, wrapped around short steel pipe at the base. Got a couple about 22 ft long. I find the weirdest things in junkyards.

Smudge · Post by **Smudge** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 8:08 pm

I had the same idea for a tall tower with a wind sock on it as a landmark and then thought about the idea of a wind generator as there is lots of wind there. My opinion on the matter would be that it would take at least fifty feet of tower to make a good marker for the community and yourself. I've been surfing information on wind generators for a few years and know that towers are a somewhat big issue. Winds are something like 70% stronger 60 feet up and another 70% stronger 100 feet from the ground (my guess numbers). Guy wiring is VERY important for a tower that isn't connected to a large buried hunk of concrete. Wind generator towers are a bit expensive. They reccomend you budget 150% to 200% as much for a wind generator tower as you would for the wind generator itself. (read $1k-2k for either). I did see some kits where you could use steel fence pipes and use the fittings and guy wires from the kit to stabilize your tower. A tower can be done for fairly cheap but safety is a BIG issue with making tall things.

I liked the idea of a long gausy wind sock that flutters a lot in the wind with el wire in it so it appears to dance a bit more.
altenergystore.com had the guywire kit for a few hundred dollars and I don't know how much you'd have to pay for the pipe to put said windsock or flag upon. I think it's a great idea but a short tower is only good for the neighbors to see and a long tower can kill someone if it falls.

smudge

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sun Oct 12, 2003 8:06 am

> ...it would take at least fifty feet of tower to make a good marker for the community and yourself...

Fifty feet?

The cafe structure in Center Camp is only 20 feet tall.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 5:14 am

Of course, you need a shorter tower if it's mounted on a structure....I added a 6' cone to the top of our doubledeckerdome that made the whole thing about 25' tall, and it was quite visible at a distance without being dangerous. It could easily have been MUCH taller, being a five-sided cone that was bolted directly to the top pentagon and mostly open to the wind....

Skyhawk · Post by **Skyhawk** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 11:53 am

http://www.picoturbine.com/projectlist.htm

if your building a tower, why not get something more from it? or think of a large scale savionus rotor made of plastice water barrels? from my own testing (on the scale of the projects here) these little buggers seem fairly stable, even more stable if enclosed in a simple frame. the wind drag and various forces might be too much for mounting on top of a Very long tower, but even a fairly low height should be free of must turbulence And lessen the number of people losing fingers 'cause they poked "the spinning thing"

ok, so perhaps its drifting a little.. its still fun.. try a google search on Savonius rotor plans, or something similar

as for My post the other day.. its scary what caffiene deprivation will do to someone.. I considered editing.. but whats the point, right?

Don Muerto · Post by **Don Muerto** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 12:40 pm

Skyhawk wrote:as for My post the other day.. its scary what caffiene deprivation will do to someone.. I considered editing.. but whats the point, right?

*stares dejectedly at 4,327 1:50 scale steel girders and one set of Eiffel Tower plans*

I *knew* I wouldn't have any help with this...

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Mon Oct 13, 2003 3:27 pm

> .... lessen the number of people losing fingers 'cause they poked "the spinning thing" ....

Isn't that half the fun?

<img src="http://www.sonic.net/~bullnose/BM97_W3.JPG">

Plans available -- send a SASE and two-fifty.

Biff the Paperboy · Post by **Biff the Paperboy** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 1:01 pm

A couple of observations...
Wind generators are noisy as hell.
All that spinning stuff.
Whining all night long.

A flag pole is a very easy matter.
I pound about 10" of a 4' rebar into the ground.
I slip a piece of pvc over the rebar as a cushion.
I have a 24' telescopic fiberglass pole that fits over the pvc.

I favor the X-HD model with the swivel arm on the top.
Keeps the windsock always downwind of the pole - no wraps.

No guy wires.
Total 3 minute of set-up.

I tape the joints on the pole for added security.
I've used this method on the playa maybe 30-40 weekends a year for the past 3 years - No failures.

A variety of windsock poles can be found at www.windpowersports.com/windsocks/windsock-poles.html

Tell them you burn for 10% off.

biff the paperboy

griffen · Post by **griffen** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 11:52 am

[quote="Biff the Paperboy"]
A flag pole is a very easy matter.
I pound about 10" of a 4' rebar into the ground.
I slip a piece of pvc over the rebar as a cushion.
I have a 24' telescopic fiberglass pole that fits over the pvc.
[/quote]

so the whole pole is help up by 10" of rebar in the ground 38" above and connected to the PVC and the 24' pole?... confirming only 10" in the ground? I know nothing but i'm surprised by this...

griffen · Post by **griffen** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 11:52 am

[quote="Biff the Paperboy"]
A flag pole is a very easy matter.
I pound about 10" of a 4' rebar into the ground.
I slip a piece of pvc over the rebar as a cushion.
I have a 24' telescopic fiberglass pole that fits over the pvc.
[/quote]

so the whole pole is help up by 10" of rebar in the ground 38" above and connected to the PVC and the 24' pole?... confirming only 10" in the ground? I know nothing but i'm surprised by this...

peachandpapa · Post by **peachandpapa** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 12:03 pm

Biff nailed it... I spent five years making and tearing down our homemade flag poles until I got wise and spent a few bucks. I have a 25' telescoping Wonder Pole. wonderpole.com I attach the pole to a T-fence stake. It's easy and fast to set up and has been working for 4 years and counting. We put two 3'x5' flags on it.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 1:28 pm

Thanks for affirming, peachesandpapa. Biff is not a name I remember, and this thread is 6 years old.

phil · Post by **phil** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 3:07 pm

Bob wrote:> .... lessen the number of people losing fingers 'cause they poked "the spinning thing" ....

Isn't that half the fun?

<img src="http://www.sonic.net/~bullnose/BM97_W3.JPG">

Plans available -- send a SASE and two-fifty.

Sonic.net wrote:
404 - File Not Found

Referer URL: (none)
Requested URL: /~bullnose/BM97_W3.JPG

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 5:59 pm

phil wrote:
Bob wrote:> .... lessen the number of people losing fingers 'cause they poked "the spinning thing" ....

Isn't that half the fun?

<img>

Plans available -- send a SASE and two-fifty.

Sonic.net wrote:
404 - File Not Found

Referer URL: (none)
Requested URL: /~bullnose/BM97_W3.JPG

Considering that Bob wrote that in 2003...
Not the same internet anymore--hardly surprising that the links don't work.

Trishntek · Post by **Trishntek** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 8:53 pm

http://www.wonderpole.com/antennapole.html

I was just looking into old threads about flag poles and thought maybe somebody gives a rat's ass.

phil · Post by **phil** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:43 am

Trishntek wrote:http://www.wonderpole.com/antennapole.html

I was just looking into old threads about flag poles and thought maybe somebody gives a rat's ass.

Wonder Pole reviews at
http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/6870

The Hustler · Post by **The Hustler** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 10:49 am

Trishntek wrote:http://www.wonderpole.com/antennapole.html

I was just looking into old threads about flag poles and thought maybe somebody gives a rat's ass.

Their telescoping lawn pole looks pretty awesome. It collapses down to 48" but extends to 10 feet.

Flag Poles?

Flag Poles?

...and see who salutes

towers