Condo owners will of course also need to consult their Strata Councils before putting one up.

For those who don't live in BC, a Strata Council is a what they call the the organization that manages the condo out west. Not sure if they have a generic term for this outside of BC.

Oh, and tar doesn't crack, huh? Good luck with your roof roger1818.

Roofing tar works excellently for tripod mounts and other such rooftop rigs. I will continue to recommend it as I have here for several years. I do not recommend caulking for such tasks. Stick with roofing tar (excuse the pun) and/or the other adhesives found in the Waterproofing thread (see Post #858). :)

Stampeder, roofing tar is nothing more than an emulsion of bitumen, an oil derivative, which is used for many things but mostly asphalt which most definitely cracks. Heck asphalt even cracks with gravel in it - gravel being the strong component and bitumen the binder. When roads crack, full strength bitumen is used as a crack filler, which also cracks further. An emulsion of bitumen is weaker (less resistant to cracking) than full strength bitumen which is blended that way so it is thinner so that it can be applied cold.

If I were placing anything like an antenna on my roof, I'd prefer a 35 year silicone caulk product (like the stuff that is typically used on roof flashing) to roof tar any day. But like I posted before, regardless of sealant used, I wouldn't place anything on my roof that doesn't need to be there - that includes antennae of any sort. That remains my recommendation to anyone that wants to help prevent roof leaks. When I had my roof leaks, I had used both tar and caulking, both cracked and leaked rain water to the plywood sheathing underneath!

BTW, if you're re-doing your roof it's also a great idea to have all flashing done with a rubberized membrane underneath and the conventional aluminum flashing on top of that, both silicone caulked around the edges, around all things sticking out of the roof. This is done by the best roofers only. Once you've had that done, I doubt you'd want to poke through your roof for an antenna installation!

stampeder, and roger1818,

curious about your thinking on the tripod roof mount vs wall braced tower...here in Montreal I can tell you, if your lucky enough to find an installer to climb the tower (something i'm not to anxious to do myself) and install gear he'll charge an arm and a leg, (no pun intended) understandably...easily upwards of 100 each intervention...

In light of this is not easier, safer, cheaper, more "doable", to go with the roof mount instead, once the mount is installed, I could use a x-ladder to go up and add/change gear each time myself.....

I guess it comes down to whether one is more comfortable with climbing a ladder onto/off the roof safely....

I have two levels of roof, the lower one being extended out past the upper one....which causes a requirement for a very long x-ladder to go from the ground to upper roof...have you ever seen/known anyone to use any type of shorter ladder to go from the lower roof to the upper roof...i know safe ladder practice never recommend this manoeuvre, but I also know roofers use all kinds of newly designed adaptable ladder safety gear depending on the situation...

As you said it's in the same location, I would first check the connector at the antenna.

If you have your antenna grounded you should not have any problems with static build up, hope you grounded the antenna.

Good luck.
hmm.. I rechecked all the connectors and ensured everything was tightened. I didn't have it grounded cuz it's only on the side of my house, low risk of lightning hitting it. I guess I should ground it anyway. Just kinda weird that I lost signal strength after changing the mast. Gonna try putting back the PVC tube and see.

I guess I should ground it anyway.Absolutely yes. :) Grounding is a way of eliminating any buildup of electrical charges that may hinder or harm electronic devices. See here for how to ground antennas:

Grounding Info & Standards: OTA/Dish/CATV/Telecom (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=62265)

Hi, I'm in a brand new home with a roof that is very steep and high. It is about 10' high. I would like to install using a wall mount with a pole. Can anybody tell me if it's possible to install a mast that is atleast 15' long? 20' preferrable to ensure roof clearance.

banger, for lengths of 2 to 5 feet a wall mount will suffice, but for something as tall as what you're asking about I would use a 20' tower section that brackets to a roof joist.

The problem with a wall mount for such a tall pole is that even if you sink beefy lag bolts right into wall studs the strain in the wind would be quite hard on the wall. Another consideration is your municipality's building code bylaws that may prohibit something like that, so you would need to check on that in the first place.

Go with a tower and be happy and safer that you did. Also could you post a picture of the roof and wall in question?

Sorry, not sure I understand what you meant by "20' tower section that brackets to a roof joist". Are you referring to those Antenna Towers that attach to the side of the house?

Yes, you'll find lots of info on them in this thread.

Ok but I think I rather climb the roof that installing one of those. Well, I guess I have no choice but to do a roof install. Thanx anyway.

curious about your thinking on the tripod roof mount vs wall braced tower...

I would lean towards a good quality bracketed tower over a tripod roof mount as it will be much more stable. Also, if you are wanting a rotor, good quality towers (such as the Delhi DMX towers) have a rotor plate to allow the rotor to be placed inside the tower with an optional bearing for the top plate. This is by far the most secure way to install a rotor.

here in Montreal I can tell you, if your lucky enough to find an installer to climb the tower (something i'm not to anxious to do myself) and install gear he'll charge an arm and a leg, (no pun intended) understandably...easily upwards of 100 each intervention...

I used to know a jack of all trades in NDG who just might be crazy enough to climb the tower. He isn't an antenna installer, but if you told him exactly what to do, he could probably manage it and I don't think he would charge much. Not sure if the phone number I have for him is still correct, but if you are interested, send me a PM.

I have two levels of roof, the lower one being extended out past the upper one....which causes a requirement for a very long x-ladder to go from the ground to upper roof...have you ever seen/known anyone to use any type of shorter ladder to go from the lower roof to the upper roof...i know safe ladder practice never recommend this manoeuvre, but I also know roofers use all kinds of newly designed adaptable ladder safety gear depending on the situation...

I would definitely not recommend this maneuver. Not only is it dangerous, but the ladder would likely damage the lower roof. I would recommend you rent a long ladder instead.

roger1818,

thanks for the reply, i'm not receiving my notifications, so I keep having to check back here each day....

I agree about the tower, but since it's not affordable to get someone each time to climb to make a change, and I dont want to do it, i was thinking maybe its easier, safer for me to go up a ladder to the roof each time instead...is that just as dangerous as if I was climbing a tower...do you think?

thanks

For me, I have all of the safety equipment necessary for a tower climb. So it's really not a big deal. If you take all of the precautions and plan your activities, everything moves smoothly.

People pay big bucks to be freaked out by heights (roller coasters, bungee jumping, etc), so I consider climbing my tower a free ride. ;)

Jase88,

good for you!


as for me, a rock climber I know said to me if you aint comfortble doing it, dont do it! i guess i'll have to follow that thinking!

I am looking at some way to have an inconspicuous mount on my roof for my CM4228HD. I don't need a lot of height but will need a rotator on the setup. I
found the Commdeck on the web but not sure if it would be sturdy enough to hold the antenna with a rotor.

http://www.rstcenterprises.com/

If anyone has installed any antenna with a Commdeck or similar attachment, please let me know how it is working out. They sure look slick with no wires outside. )

Thanks,

Larry

I am thinking about mounting a 4221 in front of the window on my attic dormer. If I were to use a channel master 9032 6" wall mount kit can I just clamp the main bar (backbone) of the antenna directly to the two wall mount clamps? What is the diameter of the main "backbone" for the antenna?

This will hopefully allow me to place one of the wall mount clamps above the window and one below then clamp the 4221 directly to the wall mounts instead of having to use any sort of mast.

I will be erecting a 40 foot tower, with a 10 foot mast- thus the top antenna would be about 45 feet high, a 4228HD. I'm Hamilton mountain, antenna peaked for Buffalo. One channel has been a bugger- WUTV 29 (14.1), and I'm hoping the higher height and well separated antennas (second antenna will be 3 feet below- 4221HD) will help, should be a good 20 feet higher than what I currently have. I know WUTV's transmission pattern (to the south).

At 45 feet, the antenna is well above my roof or any house/obstruction in my area.

I know that there is a 64 foot tower that needs a cement pad, and it is moocho $$$ more.

The 45 foot tower will stick out, but 64 feet? I'm afraid of lightning, birds, collapsing, and neighbors complaining.

I know higher is always better, but how much better would performance be at 64 feet over 45 feet?

I know "higher is better" for mounting antennas, but is there a general estimation of antenna height and performance, when all other factors are equal (e.g., no obstructions, clear line of sight, no mountains, no large buildings, etc.)?

Something like a height by antenna gain table?

Panamark, re this post in the Pimp My Gear thread: http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showpost.php?p=936867&postcount=362

nice tripod, you did that yourself, how did you climb onto and up the roof safely... i'm thinking of installing a tripod on my roof, peak is 29 ft a/g...
is that the CM tripod, how solid is it, assuming a lot of torque given your high gear.... I dont see the lag bolts, how did you get them in rafters, and seal them...

BTW, did you tell your neighbor adjacent he has what appears to me to be missing shingles!

thanks