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diy solar

Trouble finding metal pole for ground mount

I got 3x 24 feet 3 in galvanized pipes certified for Ironridge ground mount for less than $600 shipped from usw.com. Give them a call and ask for the galvanized pipes for Ironridge and they will know which one you need.
 
I got all my pipe from of all places, a fence company. standard lengths were 21" and I believe they have longer in stock. These are schedule 40 tubing, not pipe. They work great with Ironridge ground mount hardware.IMG_1790.jpg
 
Prosolar said:
I got all my pipe from of all places, a fence company. standard lengths were 21" and I believe they have longer in stock. These are schedule 40 tubing, not pipe. They work great with Ironridge ground mount hardware.
Click to expand...

The shorter front pipes are short, but still a couple feet tall.
I suggest you add diagonals from bottom of tall tube to top of short tube. That triangle will make it orders of magnitude stronger, better able to resist pressure from wind - which would otherwise generate thousands of foot-pounds bending moment at the tube base.
 
Hedges said:
The shorter front pipes are short, but still a couple feet tall.
I suggest you add diagonals from bottom of tall tube to top of short tube. That triangle will make it orders of magnitude stronger, better able to resist pressure from wind - which would otherwise generate thousands of foot-pounds bending moment at the tube base.
Click to expand...
the design came from ironridge using their online ground mount calculator. It is designed for 100+ mph winds with a 23psf snow load. No diagonals are needed nor required. It passed with flying colors from the county engineers. The triangle would make it stronger, but there is simply no need to throw more money at it. The holes are 5 foot deep and 24" in diameter. Yards of concrete was used. As the old saying goes, 'it's not going anywhere.'
 
Call a couple of mechanical/plumbing contractors, they may have something from a tear out that you could use. They’d probably give it to you for scrap pricing!
 
3" sch 80 steel pipe, 1500 watts on the first 2, 3rd rack 2000 watts. I fabricated the racks using alot of angle iron and strap.
I have been told on another forum that I should have used 4" but these racks have been up for 19 years and no problems. George
IMG_20180427_151735.jpg
 
jwu_cc said:
I got 3x 24 feet 3 in galvanized pipes certified for Ironridge ground mount for less than $600 shipped from usw.com. Give them a call and ask for the galvanized pipes for Ironridge and they will know which one you need.
Click to expand...
I just got off the phone with Matt at USW. $397 apiece. Thats with me picking it up :-(
 
The Dish Doc said:
Looks like I'm making the trip from Florida to Louisiana to get some oilfield pipe. It's the cheapest option I can find. $78 for a 30' piece of 2 7/8.
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Are you still planning to do this? I can meet you at I-10 in Crestview, DeFuniak Springs, or Chipley and buy a few sticks from you if you don't mind.
 
justgary said:
Are you still planning to do this? I can meet you at I-10 in Crestview, DeFuniak Springs, or Chipley and buy a few sticks from you if you don't mind.
Click to expand...
OK. I managed to score some 2" pipe for cheap ($20 for eleven 12' sticks of 2") at my local junkyard but it's not exactly what I want since it's only Schedule 10. It will put the panels in the air but won't survive a hurricane. I'll most likely end up going over to get some drill stem at some point in the near future. I don't have a trailer; I'm going on my pickup truck. I have a hitch extender I use to carry my 17' canoe that I'll be taking. I've hauled a 21' piece of 4" Schedule 40 with it before. I'll take a chop saw and cut them into manageable 10' - 12' lengths for transport. If you want to go that would be great since it is a long ride and I could use help with the driving. I'll let you know when I'm headed over that way. I may have to go to Texas since I want some 3 1/2 stem. It's $109 for a 32' stick. I can't come anywhere close to that price locally.
 

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Consider making yourself a rack that has supports over front bumper as well as over the bed.
I have one, originally clamped to the rain gutters of a microbus. I put it on my Bronco II, with support from bumper. Now split in two sections for K2500, one from cab to front bumper, other over rear to pockets of bed. Great for long stuff.

2" pipe as truss structure should withstand anything (tension/compression, no torsion load). Only horizontals with distributed panels should need to have larger dimensions, or be a truss themselves.
 
Hedges said:
Consider making yourself a rack that has supports over front bumper as well as over the bed.
I have one, originally clamped to the rain gutters of a microbus. I put it on my Bronco II, with support from bumper. Now split in two sections for K2500, one from cab to front bumper, other over rear to pockets of bed. Great for long stuff.

2" pipe as truss structure should withstand anything (tension/compression, no torsion load). Only horizontals with distributed panels should need to have larger dimensions, or be a truss themselves.
Click to expand...
I used to have a ladder rack on that truck I miss dearly. "Once you go rack, you never go back" :)
 
The Dish Doc said:
OK. I managed to score some 2" pipe for cheap ($20 for eleven 12' sticks of 2") at my local junkyard but it's not exactly what I want since it's only Schedule 10. It will put the panels in the air but won't survive a hurricane. I'll most likely end up going over to get some drill stem at some point in the near future. I don't have a trailer; I'm going on my pickup truck. I have a hitch extender I use to carry my 17' canoe that I'll be taking. I've hauled a 21' piece of 4" Schedule 40 with it before. I'll take a chop saw and cut them into manageable 10' - 12' lengths for transport. If you want to go that would be great since it is a long ride and I could use help with the driving. I'll let you know when I'm headed over that way. I may have to go to Texas since I want some 3 1/2 stem. It's $109 for a 32' stick. I can't come anywhere close to that price locally.
Click to expand...
In a punch, I have strapped pipe under my truck for transport...
 
The thought has crossed my mind.
I have wondered what I might be neglecting. Suspension travel? High spots and rising sections of the road?

At least with my rack and a flag, it is highly visible. And 21' pipe doesn't extend much beyond 16' or 17' vehicle at each end, and is above most other vehicles.

Weight and CG do concern me a bit. Haven't carried much weight on latest setup yet.
One problem I ran into was limited height of forklift at truck depo. On flat ground, it came up a couple inches short, had to hand slide in from the end (bundle of SolarMount rails.) If I could parallel park at the loading dock, that would be easy.
 
I guess I am lucky to have a salvage yard not far from me and they get sometimes new stuff from the John Deere plant. But that place will soon be shut down as builders are eyeing it right now for new townhouses.
 
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