Jon from Johnsburg just put in this special flagpole for his daddy Eric as a Father's Day gift. We were lucky enough to help him with picking out just the right flagpole. The previous flagpole had broken off at about the 4' mark from ground level. They previously had a sectional flag pole for years and they had quit trying to fix it again when it was clear that the wind loads in the area were just to much for it. What Jon from Johnsburg got was an ECS20 20 ft. Satin Aluminum Finish Flagpole.
This flagpole does the trick because it is a bit larger in diameter at the base. don't get penny wise and pound foolish and substitute something smaller. The flagpole has some upgrades, it comes standard with a stationary truck (meaning the pulley at the top stays fixed in one position). In Jon's area there is a steady wind. So we recommended he upgrade his flagpole to have a revolving truck. The best way to do this is to go with the RTC Flagpole truck model. This truck fits over the top of the shaft and is tightened onto the flagpole with set screws. If you find the flagpole you like, check the top diameter and then look up the RTC appropriate size for that shaft.The final upgrade Jon from Johnsburg put together for his father was a lighting system to light the flag at night. It is standard www.intermatic lighting.com (electrical section at your local hardware outlet - 12 volt) he didn't want to take the American flag down at night, or light the flag through the night, it has a timer. Lighting the flagpole is always interesting. The best answer is to use traditional garden lighting or to have a light secured off a nearby wall or roof. Jon used intermatic 12v lighting. you can install it with a simple spade. It looks great at night!
You can see Jon & Eric did a good job and the flag looks great display displayed at night. We are not fond of the solar lights yet, they have problems later and often they are just dim and not spectacular to look at, reminds me of a grave yard. You have a lot of options when it comes to putting up a flagpole. It can be really fun to install it yourself, really you only need a few basic tools, you can find most any direction on the website. It will be a fun bonding family or community experience. The memories will last and the flag will be enjoyed for years and years to come.
