Semi-portable Dipole

[KD3Y]

I found this cool gadget at Habitat for Humanity.  It was a heavy powder coated steel stand that was designed for baseball practice.  It came with a bungee type attachment with a baseball on it.  The idea was you practice hitting the baseball and the bungee brings the ball back to you.  When I saw it I thought, "That would make a great portable mast base for an E-coms J-pole".  I bought it for $40 bucks and when I looked it up I saw Dicks Sporting Goods sells it for $199.  After I took off the baseball part, it did make a great mast base. 

The first time I put it up for practice in the backyard, the day was sunny and clear.  About 30 minutes later a dark cloud came up from the west.  I decided to take it down so all my connections wouldn't get wet.  I was disassembling it and had the 16 foot aluminum mast with the copper J-pole on top of it in my hand when I heard a loud BOOM and felt a little tingle.  Lightning struck a pine tree about 50 feet away, blew pieces of pine tree all over the yard, and set the tree on fire.  I grabbed my cell phone and called the FD.  They were out in about 9 minutes and put the tree out. 

LUCKY ME!  I'm glad the lightning thought the tree was a better ground than me!

https://rumble.com/v1kv6ut-31-emergency-coms-setup.html

 

[K3MRI]

OMG! Wow that was close!! Curious, is the part where the baseball sits flexible? If it is, then it must be amazing in the wind with that j-pole. I actually think that’s an amazing find. I’m going to look it up on Dicks right now.

Is this what you’re talking about? If so, it’s really a genius find!!

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/jugs-pro-style-batting-tee-16jugujgsprstyltxtra/16jugujgsprstyltxtra

[KD3Y]

No its this one.  Solid steel.  Doesnt sway at all. I dont see it on Dicks anymore.  Maybe they discontinued it.

 

https://sklz.com/hit-a-way-portable-training-station.html

 

[K3MRI]

The link to the overall series of tees is here: https://sklz.com/baseball/baseball-tees.html

Honestly, what a great idea. It’s literally the item that was missing in my field dipole setup. Definitely going to look into this further.

[KD3Y]

This is what the one I bought is like.  The legs fold out to make it stable.  I made the insulated bushing from PVC.  The jpole sits in the bushing so it wont flop around.

[K3MRI]

I am truly a dunce. For years I tried to look for something like this without thinking of a batting tee. I am seriously grateful for the idea. If someone asks me what it's called, I'll tell them it's a KD3Y Mobile Antenna Base. 🤩

[KD3Y]

Hey I never thought of it either.  It just hit me when I saw it at Habitat for Humanity.

Some things you just have to see in your mind when you see it in person.  I didn't even know they built such a thing.  I had to google it from the info on the label to know what it was.  The manager at Habitat didn't know what it was either.  He asked me what it was when I brought it up to the checkout.  If he knew what it was I suspect it woulda been more than $40.

[W3TDH]

On 11/18/2022 at 1:30 PM, KD3Y said:

I found this cool gadget at Habitat for Humanity.  It was a heavy powder coated steel stand that was designed for baseball practice.  It came with a bungee type attachment with a baseball on it.  The idea was you practice hitting the baseball and the bungee brings the ball back to you.  When I saw it I thought, "That would make a great portable mast base for an E-coms J-pole".  I bought it for $40 bucks and when I looked it up I saw Dicks Sporting Goods sells it for $199.  After I took off the baseball part, it did make a great mast base. 

The first time I put it up for practice in the backyard, the day was sunny and clear.  About 30 minutes later a dark cloud came up from the west.  I decided to take it down so all my connections wouldn't get wet.  I was disassembling it and had the 16 foot aluminum mast with the copper J-pole on top of it in my hand when I heard a loud BOOM and felt a little tingle.  Lightning struck a pine tree about 50 feet away, blew pieces of pine tree all over the yard, and set the tree on fire.  I grabbed my cell phone and called the FD.  They were out in about 9 minutes and put the tree out. 

LUCKY ME!  I'm glad the lightning thought the tree was a better ground than me!

https://rumble.com/v1kv6ut-31-emergency-coms-setup.html

 

That's too dam close. I'm glad that you were not hurt.

Tom W3TDH

[KD3Y]

12 hours ago, W3TDH said:

That's too dam close. I'm glad that you were not hurt.

Tom W3TDH

Thanks Tom.
You know what they say about the Lord looking after fools and drunks.  I don't drink so that narrows it down a bit.  😁