Calculations

Big antennas and masts in permanent or temporary locations are part of the essential equipment for successful amateur radio stations. Their construction and installation needs a lot of time, effort and investment. Such installations are frequently exposed to many unfavorable conditions – static pressure and dynamic mechanical tensions, changes of temperature, humidity etc. These conditions, as well as the construction of the installation itself, can constitute a serious constructional problem in terms of working life, reliability, safety and avoidance of potential accidents. A rigorous technical solution to all the design questions connected with the construction, securing & installation of such masts & antennas is complex. In order to calculate the answers, it is necessary to put material engineering, statics and dynamics of stressed constructions together. Radio amateurs frequently choose the most suitable solution according to their personal experience. Now in many cases, thanks to their common sense, all is well, but, nevertheless, they often start with incomplete knowledge of the parameters of materials and components being used which can lead to unnecessarily expensive “overenginneered” designs, or even inadequte design. The Mastrant calculators help answer these questions and remove much of the guesswork. No two mast/antenna installations are identical, and the Mastrant calculators can make specific calculations for your individual installation’s guying requirements. After you fill in all the essential parameters, the Mastrant calculator will calculate the important numbers for you, and guide you as to which guying materials to choose so that the installed mast/antenna has guying which is both reliable and safe and is neither over or under engineered. Unfortunately the calculators cannot provide you with answers to every possible combination of mast/antenna. However, they can be used as guidance for any normal situation. The calculators will provide you with accurate & reliable results, but please remember “garbage in = garbage out”, so we suggest you carefully double check all your inputs. You can choose the requested calculation from the menu on the left. (If you are not overly familiar with Newtons, please remember 1 decca Newton [daN] is the same as 1 Kg.)