Polar Mast Overview

Polar Mast

Back to comparison table	Mount Commonly Used	Stability	Cost	Install Time	Labor	Substrate	Site Impact
	Included in mast	med-high	$500	1hr	1	BR	low

The ’polar’ mast consists of a lightweight aluminum mast fitted with a custom antenna mount. The mast is bolted with four expansion bolts onto bedrock or cement. Height may vary; shown here is a 1-meter mast, but 0.5-meter and 2-meter masts (e.g. for deep snow or populated areas) have also been produced. This style of mast has been  used by the TAMDEF project in Antarctica, the POLENET project in Greenland and Antarctica, and other remote CGPS sites including Mauna Loa, Hawaii.

Pros

• Materials are lightweight and portable

• Can be installed with a battery-powered drill

• Small footprint, low-profile

• Short installation time (<1 hr)

• Can be installed on a rooftop or other stone or cement structure

Cons

• Can only be installed in solid material

Design and Construction

A custom jig is used for drilling the bolt holes.

Documents

• Installation instructions (.pdf)

Installation Photos

Eric Kendrick of Ohio State University works to install a mast using the custom jig on Moody Nunatak, Antarctica, as part of the WAGN network.

Article ID: 326
Created: February 19, 2010
Last Updated: July 28, 2021
Author: Beth Bartel

Online URL: https://kb.unavco.org/article/polar-mast-overview-326.html