Aluminum vs. Carbon Fiber Poles

One of the most important components of an end zone camera system is the tower pole on which the camera is mounted. This piece of equipment supports not only the camera, but the rest of the system. So, the construction of these towers is massively important. Many producers choose steel or carbon fiber materials to build their towers. Today we’ll show you why these materials are not optimal and why aluminum towers are the right way to go.

Aluminum is Heavier

The end zone camera manufacturers, such as Hi Rise Camera, that use carbon fiber materials in their tower poles do so because of its high strength to weight ratio. We will touch on the irrelevance of the weight ratio later. First, we will discuss the issues of using lightweight materials.

All the benefits of lightweight materials in end zone camera towers can be simplified to one attribute: lightweight materials make the poles lighter to transport. Beyond this trait, there are no advantages to an extremely lightweight tower pole. Lightweight telescoping towers will allow for more bending in the wind and is far more likely to blow over than a heavier tower. Heavier options include aluminum which makes for a far sturdier pole without being difficult to transport.

Carbon Fiber Can Crack

Though it is well known for its high strength properties, carbon fiber is still susceptible to cracks. The amount of pressure and the direction of that pressure on carbon fiber has a massive impact on its durability. It is common knowledge that carbon fiber stands up to scratches and bends decently well, but cave under high shock or large amounts of compression.

Over tightened clamps on a telescoping carbon fiber pole put owners at risk of cracking their poles and, therefore, compromising their entire end zone camera system. Accidental drops can also negatively impact the integrity of carbon fiber products. However, if an aluminum telescoping pole is dropped, owners only risk a small, unimpressive dent in the tower, but the show can go on!

Aluminum Variety

Many people think of soda cans when they hear the word “aluminum”. Manufacturers such as Hi Rise Camera expose this misconception when advertising the pound-for-pound strength of carbon fiber and their utilization of carbon fiber in their products. However, just because aluminum towers are technically made from the same material as soda cans does not mean they are fragile or unreliable.

Aluminum, however, can be made very strong and stiff. While carbon fiber may provide higher levels of strength per square inch, that in no way implies that aluminum towers cannot be stronger. In fact, we would argue that, as a whole, the aluminum towers are stronger and more dependable supports for your end zone camera.