OTA Mounts, Towers, Rigging Hardware

[stampeder]

Originally Posted by gmark2000

I just want to know how one aims "exactly at 170 degrees using magnetic North". My compass ain't that precise.

I see what you mean now. When it comes down to the last steps of "peaking" an antenna for the sweet spot I do it the old fashioned way: one person turns the antenna while another watches the TV down below. In your case in Oakville where you'd want the best compromise between Buffalo and Toronto stations that process could take all day!

[gmark2000]

Sorry if this is dumb, but can a mast structure be:

• A long pole?
• A wooden fence post?
• A 10' steel electrical conduit?
• A green metal (chainlink) fence railing?

[Jeffnoone]

Have a ChannleMaster 4228, that I am going to experiment with


Where is the best place in the Lower Mainland to buy a mast?
What should I ask for?
May need to try stacked arrangement (would need 2nd antenna also) as I am on North Shore but at at 420' elevation with clear view to Seattle

Are there other types of metal poles I can use? e.g. Home Depot sell some metal fence poles that can be slipped one into another to give lots of height

Probably need about 20' to get above a nearby hedge
Anything else I should buy e.g. some cables to steady, brackets etc.
Any suggestions appreciated

[stampeder]

Originally Posted by Jeffnoone

Where is the best place in the Lower Mainland to buy a mast?... ...Are there other types of metal poles I can use?

Long time no hear, Jeffnoone! Check in The Source thread for links to their antenna gear web pages. You can order online and have the stuff shipped to your nearest The Source store at no charge. Their mounting apparatus, masts, and related gear are of good quality.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=41074

Regarding masts from other places, there is Wade-Delhi and other distributors here on the west coast.

Home Depot carries galvanized EMT pipe in several diameters and lengths so you would want to use that rather than fence posts. The only issue is that it is probably too heavy for a rotor, but it'll last forever if fixed in place. If you want to use a rotor you'll need to go with something much lighter so you should stick to the real OTA stuff.

[Jaygeetee]

Originally Posted by Jeffnoone

Are there other types of metal poles I can use?

I have picked up 10' 1 1/2" od galvinized pipe from Rona app. $24...works well. So if you get two and put a rotor in the middle you'll have your 20'. However 10' above the rotor might be a little heavy so you may have to cut it down a bit.

[stampeder]

Another option is a steel pipe monopole. Call some of the consumer-steel shops that sell 22-foot long 3 inch diameter steel pipe that people use for clotheslines in their backyards. It's cheap and you would need to cement about 3 feet of it in the ground, then you could bolt your existing antenna mast onto it for a good size tower of about 30 feet. The steel pipe will rust over time, but all in all it would be very solid and not require any guy wires or grounding.

One big problem with monopoles is that you don't have an easy way to climb up top if something goes wrong unless you weld or bolt on some steps or have the whole thing mounted on a hinged base with a counterweight, like a railway crossing bar. This is done in the HAM radio world so that it just gets tipped down for service, then raised and locked upwards when ready.

[Yaamon]

Originally Posted by Jaygeetee

I have picked up 10' 1 1/2" od galvinized pipe from Rona app. $24...works well. So if you get two and put a rotor in the middle you'll have your 20'. However 10' above the rotor might be a little heavy so you may have to cut it down a bit.

Hi jaygeetee a tip the channel master rotors is not really designed to support a pole more than 3-4' with the antenna attached. My guess depends on where you live if you do not have strong winds its possible to use a bit taller pole on the rotor.

With a antenna like a 4228 there would be too much stress and wind load that will end up putting stress on the bearings and maybe even your mounts.

Its best to have a strong main pole and then mount the rotor to that.

There was a board member that did that in the Toronto gta and under heavy winter winds the pole ended being bent.

He replaced it in time with a full tower.

[fooit]

Is there a step by step instructions of how to install a CM4228 or similar antenna on a roof? What h/w needed?

I am thinking to install a CM4228 on a tripod on the roof. I need a CM4228, a tripod, a mast, enough quad-shielded RG6 to run into the house... Is there anything else that I've missed?

Tripod - what kind of a tripod do I need?

Skywalker Signature Series 3ft Dish Tripod - will this do the job?

Mast - is 28" mast long enough for the install?

Thanks in advance!

[026163]

Originally Posted by fooit

Is there a step by step instructions of how to install a CM4228 or similar antenna on a roof? What h/w needed?

check out this thread

Originally Posted by fooit

... Is there anything else that I've missed?

don't forget all the grounding materials

Originally Posted by fooit

Mast - is 28" mast long enough for the install?

i believe basically the rule of thumb is, the higher the antenna, the higher the gain

[rlongfield]

hey all,

I am so very new to OTA and I have been doing some reading well a lot of reading and I am now at the point where I need to decide on how to mount my antenna. I do not yet own a HD TV and with the imminent arrival of a new baby I don't expect to be getting an HD TV anytime soon. So I'll be using an antenna like the CM-3671.

So my question is do I get a tripod or do I get a tower and put that up next to my house? Some things I think are important are, the antenna will need a rotor, I have some taller houses, trees and hydro lines behind my house in the direction of all the US stations . Also directly south and maybe 2km away is an airport (I'm not worried about height but interference).

Also I'd like to keep costs down until I can prove the quality to my skeptical wife

Thanks,
Rob

[stampeder]

If you go with a tripod for a huge antenna like your CM-3671 you'll need to ensure that the lag bolts through the tripod's feet are directly sunk into the roof joists nice and deep or else the wind load could loosen the shingles' underlying plywood sheeting over time, or in the case of a sudden, very powerful wind storm maybe even rip out that plywood!

For the above reasons, most installers will recommend a tower instead, and I agree. Even if you're on a flight path, a tower that is 10' to 20' above your roofline will not be of any concern to airport authorities unless you are at the very end of the runway.

[rlongfield]

Thanks stampeder that is exactly the advice I was looking for. I was leaning towards a tower but I didn't know if I needed to go that far or not. Now that I know the question is do I go ask a neighbour for their unused tower and move it or get one installed.

As for the airport... if a plane is going to hit my 10-20 foot tower I've got bigger problems than loosing my antenna

[timbo]

The mast will sit in that centrally located seat. On my tripod it is 18 inches from the seat to the top bracket of the tripod.
The 4228 is 34 inches from the bottom to the top U-bolt. 18 + 34 = 52 inches of mast to mount the 4228 on my tripod.
I don't think 28" of mast will get the job done.

[fooit]

Thanks! I'll get one of this 10' 1.25" poles from Home Depot and get it cut in halves.

[roger1818]

Why cut it in half? Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I seem to remember reading that the mast can be up to 10' long without using guy-wires or a tower.