1) What material is the BlueSky Mast made of?

All BlueSky Masts are made entirely of non-corrosive materials to ensure failsafe performance in the field no matter what the terrain or conditions.

The mast is made of an aerospace quality aluminum alloy formulated for its exceptional weight-to-strength ratio, rigidity and dent resistance. 

All hardware and fasteners are stainless steel, blackened to eliminate glare.
 
Non-metal parts are made from advanced plastics such as Delrin and Spectra. Turn knobs, compression rings and guy handles are Delrin, chosen for its self lubricating and extreme temperature resistance. Guy cords are Spectra, a knot-resistance woven plastic fiber with a strength-to-weight ratio 10 times that of common commercial steel cable.

2) What heights are available?

Minimum height is 2 meters (7.5 feet) and each mast is deployed in 1-meter increments to a maximum height of 15 meters (46.5 feet).

Masts are priced by height to any size specified between 2 and 15 meters in 1 meter increments.

3) What is the outside diameter (OD) of the mast?

The outside diameter (OD) is 2 inches for all BlueSky Mast System.

All Standard BlueSky Mast come with an 18 Inch Mounting Pole, also 2 Inch OD, that can be used to pre-mount devices to prior to field deployment.

4) Do the BlueSky Mast require guying?

For maximum safety and limitation of legal liability, all masts should always be guyed regardless of height.

For all BlueSky Masts 7 Meters and above, guying is recommended and primary guy kits are included as a part of the basic system.

For all Blue Sky Masts 11 Meters and above, guying is mandatory and secondary guying may be required. All masts 11 Meters and above include a primary guy kit as well as a secondary guy kit as part of the basic system.

5) What is wind loading? And what can the BlueSky Mast support?

Picture a sail or kite. Wind loading refers to a calculation of mast stability based on wind speed, weight of the load and the volume of surface area resisting that wind. All BlueSky Masts are rated for 70 MPH winds up to their maximum load with 1 square foot of wind surface deflection area.This is greatly increased with the use of the optional secondary guy kits available for all masts.

6) Does my BlueSky mast include everything I need?

Yes.  Each BlueSky system is designed to be completely self contained with everything needed to erect the mast itself - such as stakes, hammer and guys - included in a mil-spec rugged wheeled transport bag.

Which mast accessories might be needed depends upon the application.

Examples:  A mast deployed in sand or snow might require the optional extra wide guy stakes or if grounding is required, then optional grounding accessories may be required.

7) Can it be mounted on a roof?

BlueSky systems are designed with the assumption the Tripod legs will be securely staked to the ground. Where staking is not possible, such as on a roof on in a paved parking lot, an Urban Base Plate Kit provides oversized leg base plates that provide extra surface contact and are large enough to be secured with sandbags or other weights.

8) Can it be mounted on a vehicle?

Our mast was designed to be independent of vehicles and this is one of its greatest attributes, self supporting.

We truly shine by the ability to break down into a rugged wheeling carry bag, which is why we are getting more and more entrenched in the latest programs coming out of the top 5 defense integrators.  Everyone wants a small, light, flyaway solution that can land anywhere in the world in the first 72 hours while the big iron comes later, mounted on a vehicle, if it can get there...

What our self supporting mast does for the solution in effect is give them a fully portable system that mounts onto a single mast without the need for a trailer ($$$) + the system can now be transported by ANY vehicle/helicopter/plane to the required locations. 

Also, as the design changes over time and devices are upgraded and swapped out, the same mast can be reused over and over....

For those instances when a client prefers a support structure or vehicle mounting, BlueSky cooperates to facilitate the mounting but the diversity of vehicles and their requirements often prevents off-the-shelf support and requires custom fitting depending upon the vehicle and the application.

9) Can it be grounded?

Yes. BlueSky offers several different grounding options based on the individual application. Please see our grounding options for more specific information.

10) What is the maximum load that can be elevated?

Load limits vary from 10 to 100 pounds, depending upon the mast model, height and guying. Please see the individual models for specifications.

11) Can it support more than 1 device?

Absolutely. Multi-purpose function and simultaneous deployment of multiple devices is a primary function of BlueSky's unique modular design.

In theory, with proper load balancing, there is no limit to the number of devices that can be simultaneously deployed using dual, tri and quad accessory mounts and extender bars to provide any required vertical and horizontal minimum separation.

12) How many people does it take to deploy the AL1 Standard Mast?

One.  When exceeding heights of 10 Meters, it is highly recommended that additional personnel be used to help with the guying of the mast while during deployment.

13) How long does it take to deploy the mast?

Typical deployment time to 10 meters by 1 person basically familiar with the steps involved - 15 to 20 minutes.
Deployment time is greatly affected by guying the mast and the persons familiarity with the process of guying.

14) How much does it cost?

Prices range from $1,695 to $5,500 based on the model, height and typical accessories.

Please telephone 877-411-6278 or contact us through our www.blueskymast.com web site for a quote based on application and configuration information.

15) Where can I buy one?

BlueSky Mast currently sells direct. Please telephone 877-411-6278 or contact us via our contact page on the website.

16) What is the purchase lead time?

Standard systems typically ship within 3 to 5 days of purchase.

Custom accessories or modification of off-the-shelf stock depends on quantity and configuration complexity.

17) Do you have dealers or distributors?

No. BlueSky Mast is currently the sole supplier of BlueSky Mast systems.

18) Do you have a GSA contract?

Yes. Our products are available under GSA Contract Number GS-07F-5916R.

19) Can it be rotated for direction control when deployed?

Yes. Our interlocking mast sections and free-spinning guy rings permit the erected mast to be rotated by hand 360 degrees at the Tripod base for directional control even when guyed. A built-in Tripod compass assists with directional orienting.

An optional manual tilt pan mounting also allows adjustment of angle-to-horizon solutions without lowering the mast. 

20)  Are the masts capable of being pneumatically controlled? 

NO. All of our systems are manual by design.  This eliminates any field maintenance and ensures that the mast will always deploy.  Specifically designed for the military, reliability was a key design guide.

21) What is your Warranty on masts?

One Year Manufactures Warranty - But we have always supported our mast and if it ever was a BlueSky problem we took care of it.  We can afford to as we rarely ever see them back for repairs of any kind.