Mounting Setup

[Grimers]

Hi guys,

Recently, I've increased the height of my Davis Vantage Vue up to 8 m by connecting 5 1.5 m interconnecting aluminum poles together, however even though the unit is level (with the help of guy wires) the other poles aren't quite straight and there's a curve visible in the structure from the certain directions. I want to make this straight for when I replace the unit with a Davis Vantage Pro2 on Friday.

Is there any way I can make sure that the poles are completely straight from bottom to top?

Thanks,

William

Edited October 25, 2016 by Grimers

[4wd]

Change it for a single aluminium scaffold pole?
There will be some effect on rain tip buckets if it's not level, and any movement in the wind can cause additional early tips.
Won't matter so much if it's only the VP2 anemometer going on it soon.

Guy wires are always kind of clumsy solution and best avoided for a long term installation if possible.
Here we had some second hand telephone poles and I set one in which is about ten feet tall - then strapped a scaffold pole to that no guy wires needed.
 

Edited October 25, 2016 by 4wd

[Grimers]

Hi 4wd,

Thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately, I can't change the setup now as it's all in place and a scaffold pole wasn't going to work with the installation as it's rather expensive and heavy. Also, we need guy wires to hold the poles in place. I need the height for the anemometer and wind vane.

I don't agree with "Guy wires are always kind of clumsy", what do you think holds the TV masts in place? Guy wires. Also, they offer better stability in longer term.

Thanks!

Edited October 25, 2016 by Grimers

[trebor]

you made me smile, you can afford a vp2 and think scaffold pole is expensive!

any sort of permanent tower will almost certainly need planning permission so other than better poles I'm not sure there is anything else, maybe look at some ham radio towers/masts

 

Edited October 25, 2016 by trebor

[Grimers]

Scaffold pole is expensive and they're not cut at the right length.

Edited October 25, 2016 by Grimers

[4wd]

You can get single lengths of scaffold pole as long as you have now, it's not as if it had to be an exact length anyway.
In a garden guy wires are something you might trip over or cut somehow,  after several years something will get tired and break which could result in expensive stuff breaking. 

[Grimers]

I understand, but we are all well aware of the guy wires and stakes to hold them in place, we have had guy wires break before but that's because they were old, the ones I've installed recently are much stronger and are 3 mm thick.

Edited October 25, 2016 by Grimers

[4wd]

On the other hand even with guy wires it's not vertical.
I know which I'd rather have.

[trebor]

not as long as you would like but with a little searching how about 5 or 6 inch steel that should make it straight and ridged

https://www.themetalstore.co.uk/products/6-metre-length-10swg-mild-steel-tube

Anyway the height you want is going to give problems of one sort or another so you need to decide what your compromise is

cost, bendy, problems erecting, etc there will be an answer but finding it may take a while.