New Method to Hold GPS Antenna

Hi Everyone,

I have been working with Doug Allen to make a better antenna mount for GPS antennas. Doug is a professional timber cruiser with many years of field experience. He uses ArcPad on a Nomad Pocket PC, with an SXBlue II GPS unit providing the sub meter GPS positions. Doug and I have been talking about how to set up an antenna mast in the best possible position, to make it easily accessable for raising and lowering the antenna. Most people put the antenna mast in a narrow pocket on the back of their vest. This makes it hard to reach and the antenna mast catches on everything in the woods.

Doug has been setting up his new vest, an army surplus model. I suggested that the antenna mast be positioned in the front of the vest, making it easier to adjust for height. That's what Doug did, and it works perfect.

The mast can be raised with a simple tug on the top of the mast. It does not have to be locked into any one position, as friction will hold it up in the air. The antenna cable is just twirled around the mast so it goes up an down with ease.

When Doug bends over to go under a branch or some brush, the antenna is below his head and he goes right through. With an antenna mast on your back, you invariably get it caught up on something; not this one!

All for tonight. Let me know what you think of this design for an antenna mast.

By the way, the antenna mast is a Seco mast which extends from 16 inches to 36 inches. The actual antenna mounts on a 1/2 inch thick piece of plastic that I made. The plastic is totally indestructible and it is drilled and tapped for the 5/8 x 11 thread mount on the end of the antenna mast.

trivia question: Who invented Basketball? Hint, it wasn't the US.

Jon Aschenbach 503-521-0888