"Gordon" wrote in message
...
Pardon the interruption, but what are you doing for a radar pole?
Gordon

I'm building my own.
I found a 10 foot length of 2 1/2" diameter aluminum tube in a scrap yard
for $10. They sell scrap aluminum for $1 per pound. A new length would
have cost me $100 from a chandler plus shipping. 2 1/2 inch is not that
easy to find. I could have easily used 2 inch but a friend recommended 2
1/2 as he thought there would be less vibration.
Garhauer makes nice stainless support brackets for 2 or 2 1/2 inch pipe,
only $29 I think. I bought three of these and scrounged up some 1" OD
stainless tubing for arms. To connect the arms to the brackets on the pole
and stern railing I'm going to use the end caps they put on tubing for
dodgers. Just going to bolt the ends caps together.
Got to get a platform welded on the pole. I was originally going to buy a
Waltz RLS but discovered they had gone out of business. Questus was just
too much money for me so I was just about to order a Garhauer pole when I
came across a Waltz platform on eBay for $300. I'm going to bolt this onto
my welded-on platform. I should end up with a self levelling radar pole for
about $500US.