Explorer mast vs Carbon 6 mast qrp antenna

let's compare 2 really good mast for pota sota activations. What will be your favorite.
Carbon 6 mast
www.dxengineering.com/parts/s...
Explorer Pota20 ZXP-POTA20
www.gigaparts.com/explorer-po...

[@bruceweight7319]

Great vid. Bring it on. May look at getting one.

[@thuff3207]

Nice idea on the spike and thank you for the video.

[@kb9jqu]

Mike this is a useful video. I have the Carbon 6, used it today in fact. But I did not know it was originally a fishing pole. Glad we have another option that is purpose built for ham radio.

[@mikeroberge5488]

RR Its a fishing pole that makes a dam good mast. I am on my second one. I have over 500 activations with my first C6

[@kb9jqu]

@@mikeroberge5488 I'm still on my first C6 which I've only used a handful of times. But you know me, I have a second one in case the first one breaks because two is one, one is none.

[@davidg5308]

Thanks for the info and detailed review. Will keep on chugging with the C6 until the crazy new interest waves subside. That shank sure looks interesting though. Cheers and 73!

[@mikeroberge5488]

You cant go wrong with the C6. I am on my second one. real good mast.

[@user-xz2ec6oc7q]

Thanks Mike.

[@mikeroberge5488]

Your welcome

[@ChrisBeiting]

Dang I love the ground spike hack. Just ordered my Explorer mast, sadly it's backordered until Sept -- but can't wait to use it and use the ground spike.

[@mikeroberge5488]

Will be worth the wait.

[@ChrisBeiting]

I already ordered the spike too!

[@ae4xo]

Hey thats great!

[@OttoDestruct]

Thanks for this. I have been using a 17' whip on a ground spike but you're really selling me on the ideal of a lightweight, compact mast with a wire. Could you link directly to the source (or eventual source) for the ground spike, and the guy-line ring? I'd definitely pick those up at the same time.

[@mikeroberge5488]

The spike will be available through ke8pzn. You can email on qrz

[@PortableRadio]

I also like to use ground spikes! Your solution looks like a good design, I just hope that the part that goes into the mast doesn't crack the mast under tension. But I guess you tested that in the field extensively.

[@mikeroberge5488]

Not to say that can't happen but it's not likely. I had a large gust hit it one time. The spike bent. So I would say the aluminum spike is the shear pin.

[@PortableRadio]

@@mikeroberge5488 Thanks, good to know. I really like this minimalistic design, perfect for SOTA as well!

[@dangerwillrobinson23]

Thank you for posting. Could the Explorer mast be used to support a center-fed linked dipole, like the Bandhopper III?

[@mikeroberge5488]

I would say yes as long as the coax is 316 and the wire is 26 gage.

[@w1rcp]

I'll wait until closer to Christmas, and I will exclaim EXCALIBUR when stabbing the ground and pulling out!

[@dl2sba]

Where can I find the STL-files for the ground-spike?

[@mikeroberge5488]

Ke8pzn will be selling them. Contact him on QRZ.

[@MentalWhiplash]

New mast....."Orders placed after 5/31/24 have an expected ship date of September". Some day ham distributors will find suppliers that can at least meet 25% of demand...

[@WC9Beau]

I know you said comparable but can you give us the actual weight of the POTA20 ?

[@mikeroberge5488]

Explorer is 11.2 oz

[@WilliamParmley]

It appears that the end caps are reverse threaded.

[@mikeroberge5488]

LOL No they are lefty lose. My phone reversed the vid. Some day I will get a real vid camera. Let me know if you know how I can flip it in the future. Thanks for the comment.

[@WilliamParmley]

@@mikeroberge5488 Well, the video quality was excellent! There must be a setting somewhere to un-reverse it.

[@patring620]

@@mikeroberge5488 I wondered why the Ron Jon t-shirt logo was backward.

[@mikeroberge5488]

@@patring620 Vid was shot with a phone. When using front facing camera the vid gets rev. I do no post editing.

[@POTA-QRP]

Hmmmm…. Never mind….

[@tamistone2632]

Please, next time write a script. You’ve repeated yourself over and over again. Most everyone here is a ham and are fairly technically competent. Just make your point and move on, we grasp the objective information without all the belabour the points. Good video, good information but all could’ve been said in less than 5 minutes. 👍

[@KeithS_WA6QXA]

He did fine. Why are you being so critical? He isn’t paid to do this, most likely, so cut some slack. Thanks for the very informative video!