Hex Base

The antenna base is built from 1/2" plywood with an additional layer of plywood added to the center for reinforcement. The main hex shape is 18" from one flat side across.

The mast is supported by three L brackets. Originally the brackets supported the center PVC mast directly, but I found my attachment points were a bit low, so I added a short section of wooden dowel (actually a closet rod) at the bottom. The brackets now screw into the wood, and the dowel extends about 6" up into the mast.

The bottom of the spreaders are pushed into short sections of 1" plastic tubing to help spread out the clamping forces. The four bolts going down through the center disk bolt directly onto the rotor.

The wood was painted with two coats of exterior latex, then once everything was assembled it was sprayed with a few coats of light blue. I added some bits of darker blue to break up the silhouette.

This is what the antenna base looks like after everything is painted:

The antenna is bolted directly on top of an Alliance rotor. While I could get a little more height using a short mast, it elinates some weight and two more brackets.