Cheapskate's Gin Pole

Okay, I’ll admit that I am a bit of a tightwad sometimes. I like to build things that work well, and do it with as little expense as possible, but still safe to use. Take that tower you want to hold up your favorite antenna, for instance. You have to erect it somehow, but have you priced commercial gin poles lately?

I needed a gin pole to erect some ROHN 25, and could have borrowed one from another amateur friend, except I live a long way from his place in town. Then there is the fact that the poles I have used in the past were about as heavy as a single section of tower and a bit clumsy to operate. Somehow it didn’t seem to be too reasonable to haul a 40-pound (18 kilos) gin pole to the top of a tower to then pull up a 40-pound tower section. Then again, new gin poles are a bit pricey, and I would rather buy more tower or antennas.

So, being a “Cheapskate”, I designed and built my own. My goal was to make an inexpensive, light and safe gin pole from commonly available materials. Other interested Amateurs could readily duplicate it if they wished. Lefties could reverse the positions of the parts and have a left -handed Cheapskate’s Gin Pole.

Single purpose tools tend to be less complex than general purpose ones, and I would only be dealing with ROHN 25. If I limited it to raising one section at a time, I could save cost and weight. I also could have a design with no sliding parts, which appealed to me.

Since I live in a remote place, a one-man operation would be a plus allowing me to erect my tower without assistance of a ground crew if necessary. Please remember that a ground crew or safetyman is always a good idea, but situations arise where they may not be available. Safety MUST always be of primary concern. Remember, even an untrained observer can serve as a safetyman even if not as a ground crew-just in case something goes wrong.

I purchased an 11-foot length (click for metrics chart) of 1.5 x 1.5 x 1/8-inch angle iron and a 4-inch pulley with a guard, intended for use on a garage door. I added a 2-foot length of 1/4-inch cold rolled iron rod. Then came two 3.5-inch stout hinges, with 1/4-inch pins. Two 5/16ths-inch bolts, 3 inches long (or 5/16 inch all-thread), two fender washers about 1-1/4 inch diameter, and two large wing nuts completed my list. Total was about $25 USD.

Using an abrasive cutting wheel, cut a 12-inch piece of the angle iron which fits nicely between the braces of the ROHN 25. Also cut off two 1-inch wide pieces to make the spacers. Now cut off a 1-1/2 inch piece, which will form the slotted plates. Cut another piece to 105 inches long. This is the main boom of your gin pole. Use the abrasive wheel to trim the excess metal from the outer corner of the spacers so they fit snuggly before welding them to the main boom at the indicated spots.

For each of the following steps, ensure that the parts are properly positioned. The more precisely the parts are set at right angles where designed, the better the final result.

Now weld one half of the hinges at their proper locations on the main boom. Do not remove the hinge pins before welding-leave the hinge halves connected. When you weld them, do not overheat the pin area and stop a bit short of the pin. Be certain to weld them so that their hinge pins are positioned up when the gin pole is in use. Double-check this with each hinge before you weld. Use a lot of heat to get good penetration, as this is a critical safety area. If the hinges bind a bit, remove the pins and drill through the hinge holes with the appropriate drill bit so they free up again. Remove as little metal as possible.

Now to assemble the 12-inch piece. This forms the clamp that fits around the ROHN 25 tower leg. The tower leg is about 1.25 inches in diameter, so you must be certain that the clamp will clamp tightly to that diameter size of tube. The best thing to use for determining fit is a section of the ROHN 25. You may need to grind away some metal from the sides of the clamp to insure proper clamping action. As a margin to ensure this, aim for a 1/8-inch gap between the clamp and the main boom of the gin pole when fitted around the tower leg.

Weld the 12-inch clamping section to the other half hinges, making certain it is properly positioned (welds are not easy to undo!) This is critical for proper function.

At this point, re-check the clamping action. If it is necessary to obtain the proper clamping action, drive out the hinge pins and grind away more metal. I had to grind metal away to provide clearance for the spacers on the main boom, and you may find this necessary too.

Reassemble the clamp, when you are satisfied, by reinserting the hinge pins. Place in position the 5/16-inch bolts as shown and weld them to the clamp. Once again, use a lot of heat to insure good penetration.

Take the 1-1/2 long section of the angle iron and cut slots to pass the 5/16-inch bolts. Cut a slot in each side, since we are making two plates at the same time. The slots should be about 7/8ths of an inch long. Cut the angle where it bends, and weld these into position on the main boom.

Look at the diagram and note the location of the cleat/handle. It is on the same face as the slotted plates. For reference, call this surface the cleat face. We want to drill the hole for the 4-inch guarded pulley on the non-cleat face. Hey! There are only two faces here, and I think we can get it right! Drill the hole for the pulley, and weld the guard in position. This is not a critical weld for purposes of safety, so all you need is a serviceable weld. Note that the guard extends slightly beyond the main boom. (This is an area that I intend to modify by adding more guards to reduce the chance of the rope dislodging in use.)

Mount the pulley with the supplied bolt. (I welded the nut to the inner face of the angle.) Tighten the pulley bolt and then back it out until the pulley no longer binds. As a finishing touch here, I decided to lightly weld the bolt inside the nut to help prevent the assembly from trying to come apart under use.

Now, back to the cleat/handle. Find the balanced point of your gin pole. It should be very similar the location on the diagram, but not necessarily the same. Mount the cleat/handle at balance point where determined on your project. Form the 1/4-inch cold rolled steel into a closed loop as shown. This can be done cold, but you will need a lot of strength. I did it by tack welding one end to the main boom, then using brute force and a large hammer to get the size and shape I wanted. After pounding it into shape, I welded it securely. This is a hazardous area for your hands, so carefully file or grind away any rough welds. Make the angle where the cleat meets the main boom shallow so you can properly wedge in a rope tightly.

This completes the construction phase of the “Cheapskate’s Gin Pole”. Mine weighs only 14.5 pounds (6.5 kilos). I suspect its use is fairly obvious, but I’ll add few pointers anyhow.

Take the Gin Pole to the top of the tower. To make it easier, I climb up with the rope first. I tie one end of a rope through the pulley and tie the other end to the back of my climbing belt. Safety demands that you MUST always use a climbing belt. PERIOD! Once you and the rope are secured near the top of the tower, pull up the Gin Pole. Pass the rope through the pulley and retain both ends. Clamp the Gin pole to the highest position on the tower possible.

Drop the outside end of the rope back down to the ground and secure your end to the tower. If you have a helper, have the helper tie the rope to the new section leg just barely ABOVE the balance point of the section. If you don’t have a helper, you have no choice but climb back down and do it yourself. Then climb back up.

From the top of the tower, pull the section up until the bottom of the section is just a little below the top of the tower. Secure the rope around the cleat. Pull on the rope above the cleat. This will cause the new section to rise a little, clearing the top of the tower.

With your free hand, swing the new section into position. Reduce the pressure on the rope and the section will drop into position. Install all of the bolts and repeat as necessary.

Remember that this is a lightweight Gin Pole. It is suitable for handling ONE ROHN section at a time or an antenna of similar weight. Please use it responsibly, and avoid the possibility of injury to yourself or others caused by misuse.

Originally posted on the AntennaX Online Magazine by Ed Lawrence, WA5SWD

Last Updated : 22nd May 2024