Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

I want to install an outdoor antenna for HDTV reception. I live in a
one story home and I am in Santa Clara, CA. Most of the stations are
in SF which is about 40 miles away.

In general, how tall should outdoor antenna be? Can it be just as high
as the peek of the roof? Or does it need to be 5 feet or more above
the roof? Does home depot sells pole/masts that long?

Thanks.

Raymond
  #6   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,500
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

On Oct 25, 6:56 pm, Phisherman wrote:
On Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:27:43 +0000 (UTC), wrote:
I want to install an outdoor antenna for HDTV reception. I live in a
one story home and I am in Santa Clara, CA. Most of the stations are
in SF which is about 40 miles away.


In general, how tall should outdoor antenna be? Can it be just as high
as the peek of the roof? Or does it need to be 5 feet or more above
the roof? Does home depot sells pole/masts that long?


Thanks.


Raymond


Experiment. That's what I did. I found the best attic location for
my HDTV power antenna--no poles, ladders, and completely out-of-sight.
I had to install a convenient electrical outlet for the DC
transformer. Picks up several stations, but PBS is all I watch.



Also check antennaweb.org

  #7   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

Phisherman wrote:

I had to install a convenient electrical outlet for the DC
transformer. Picks up several stations, but PBS is all I watch.


Interesting. I can get (just) PBS with indoor antenna. I want to
install an antenna to get more channels.

Raymond
  #10   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,199
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

On Oct 25, 9:05?pm, "DonC" wrote:
"CJT" wrote in message

...

wrote:


Phisherman wrote:


I had to install a convenient electrical outlet for the DC
transformer. Picks up several stations, but PBS is all I watch.


Interesting. I can get (just) PBS with indoor antenna. I want to
install an antenna to get more channels.


Raymond


I wouldn't spend too much time optimizing for analog.


It's not an analog vs. digital issue. It's more accurately VHF vs. UHF but
that's not even totally true as some broadcasters apparently will still be
assigned slots in the VHF band after the 2009 analog shutdown.


After all these years with cable and satellite TV it will be
interesting to see how many homes sprout antennas again.

Most folks I know are dead set against them thinking any antenna even
a dish somehow makes their home ugly....

I kinda doubt the masses will go antenna...........



  #11   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 82
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?


wrote in message
ups.com...
On Oct 25, 9:05?pm, "DonC" wrote:
"CJT" wrote in message

...

wrote:


Phisherman wrote:


I had to install a convenient electrical outlet for the DC
transformer. Picks up several stations, but PBS is all I watch.


Interesting. I can get (just) PBS with indoor antenna. I want to
install an antenna to get more channels.


Raymond


I wouldn't spend too much time optimizing for analog.


It's not an analog vs. digital issue. It's more accurately VHF vs. UHF
but
that's not even totally true as some broadcasters apparently will still
be
assigned slots in the VHF band after the 2009 analog shutdown.


After all these years with cable and satellite TV it will be
interesting to see how many homes sprout antennas again.

Most folks I know are dead set against them thinking any antenna even
a dish somehow makes their home ugly....

I kinda doubt the masses will go antenna...........


The "masses" get their channels over cable or satellite so you are certainly
correct. IIRC the cable/satellite crowd is well over 80%.

That said, I have DISH network but still get my locals over a relatively
small directional antenna as DISH doesn't yet offer locals digitally. That
small antenna pulls all my local from 44 miles south of the Tucson
xmitters -- and I get all my sub-channels which I doubt Dish (or Cox) will
carry anytime soon.

When visitors see that what I'm pulling over the air is far better than the
Cox cable feeds, their interest in antennas peaks -- and it's FREE!


  #12   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,963
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

On Fri, 26 Oct 2007 07:02:59 -0700, "
wrote:

On Oct 25, 9:05?pm, "DonC" wrote:
"CJT" wrote in message

...

wrote:


Phisherman wrote:


I had to install a convenient electrical outlet for the DC
transformer. Picks up several stations, but PBS is all I watch.


Interesting. I can get (just) PBS with indoor antenna. I want to
install an antenna to get more channels.


Raymond


I wouldn't spend too much time optimizing for analog.


It's not an analog vs. digital issue. It's more accurately VHF vs. UHF but
that's not even totally true as some broadcasters apparently will still be
assigned slots in the VHF band after the 2009 analog shutdown.


After all these years with cable and satellite TV it will be
interesting to see how many homes sprout antennas again.

Most folks I know are dead set against them thinking any antenna even
a dish somehow makes their home ugly....


Some people have very strange ideas.

I kinda doubt the masses will go antenna...........

--
60 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Unlike biological evolution. 'intelligent design' is
not a genuine scientific theory and, therefore, has
no place in the curriculum of our nation's public
school classes." -- Ted Kennedy
  #13   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 41
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

Generally speaking, the higher the better.

For example, our local "cable company" picks up the big city stations with
antenna arrays that look to be about 40' above street level. That part of
the county is about 50' above sea level.

I have a neighbor who at one time put a 40' tower next to her house.
That's definitely not DIY work so I'm sure the cost was in the $thousands.

For myself, I put up a "tripod" base on my roof ridge with a 6' mast and
rotator on top with another 6' mast. Because of overlap,etc. the antanna
(a middle of the road Radio Shack) is about 10' above my roof.

It's a good idea (even if not the law where you live) to run a ground wire
from the antanna mast to you house ground where the power comes in. For
myself, I did that and also drove in extra rods. I ran grounding cable to
both ends of the house.

Get good antanna cable. "Quad Shield" RG-6 is pretty good.


wrote in message
...
I want to install an outdoor antenna for HDTV reception. I live in a
one story home and I am in Santa Clara, CA. Most of the stations are
in SF which is about 40 miles away.


It just doesn't cost that much to install an antenna like I have. (Less
than $500.) It will surely get more stations than you get now and you can
then decide for yourself whether it's worth the cost to go higher.

At 40 miles, I don't think a "high gain" antenna will buy you much.

You might get lucky and find you can get marginal signals because of special
circumstances with your location.
In our case, the Potomac river seems give us better than expected reception:
I have picked up Philadelphia and Harrisburg (PA) early the the mornings.
If I really,really wanted to "get" these stations I might try getting a
larger antenna.


  #14   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,199
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?


You might get lucky and find you can get marginal signals because of special
circumstances with your location.
In our case, the Potomac river seems give us better than expected reception:
I have picked up Philadelphia and Harrisburg (PA) early the the mornings.
If I really,really wanted to "get" these stations I might try getting a
larger antenna.


other than news and some local shows most stations are network, and
offer the exact same programming much of the day, heck even syndicated
shows aree all the same, since they are distribuited by satellite to
your local station.

might look nice to get 50 stations but most programs will be the same:
(


  #15   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 301
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?


wrote:

I want to install an outdoor antenna for HDTV reception. I live in a
one story home and I am in Santa Clara, CA. Most of the stations are
in SF which is about 40 miles away.

In general, how tall should outdoor antenna be? Can it be just as high
as the peek of the roof? Or does it need to be 5 feet or more above
the roof? Does home depot sells pole/masts that long?


Higher the better, and if you're going to the trouble of mounting one
on the roof, you may as well place it at least 5-8' above the peak..
You want an antenna with a fairly big UHF section (thing at the front
with the short horizontal rods), meaing it should have a reflector
(short horizontal rods that extend above and below the boom). Outdoor
mounting can help a lot, especially for UHF.. Also be sure to
electrically ground the antenna, mast, and antenna cable shield to
your home's ground rod (near the circuit breaker box),. Also install
a spark arrester inline with the cable, and let the cable droop about
a foot where it enters the building so that rain will drip off rather
than run inside. About every TV and video recorder includes basic
instructions about this in the first few pages of the manual, for
safety reasons.

I'd use RG-6QS (QS = quad shield) cable because it doesn't cost that
much more but blocks interference the best. You need special RG-6QS
connectors for it, but you don't need bother with gold plated or
weatherproof stuff. You can make connections watertight with black
vinyl electrical tape (the last few wraps must not be stretched).
Also clamp the cable to the mast so it doesn't tug at its connector.

Buy a reputable brand, like Radio Shack, AntennaCraft, Winegard,
Jerrold, and don't bother with that overpriced Terk junk. Fry's and
radio-tv supply houses have antennas, and some Radio Shack stores may
still have in stock (I bought their second-largest outdoor antenna for
just $5 on close-out). If you have to order by mail, try MCM
Electronics, Dalbani, Premium Parts. I think that San Fransisco uses
a central antenna for almost all the TV stations, so get a directional
antenna, not a unidirectional one. Also a big antenna can alleviate
the need for a distribution amplifier.



  #18   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 24
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

larry moe 'n curly wrote:

Higher the better, and if you're going to the trouble of mounting one
on the roof, you may as well place it at least 5-8' above the peak..
You want an antenna with a fairly big UHF section (thing at the front
with the short horizontal rods), meaing it should have a reflector
(short horizontal rods that extend above and below the boom). Outdoor
mounting can help a lot, especially for UHF.. Also be sure to
electrically ground the antenna, mast, and antenna cable shield to
your home's ground rod (near the circuit breaker box),. Also install
a spark arrester inline with the cable, and let the cable droop about
a foot where it enters the building so that rain will drip off rather
than run inside. About every TV and video recorder includes basic
instructions about this in the first few pages of the manual, for
safety reasons.


Thank you for all the info.

My "grand plan" is to put up a strong pole from the ground right next
to the house (so the pole leans against the house). This way, I can
put up the Antenna, plus any potential future dish that I may want to
get. I can dug a hole and pour concrete to secure the pole in place.

But do they sell Pole that long? I am in a one-story house, ceiling is
8', so I imagine the peek of the roof is probably 20'? Can I get a
pole this long? (even if I do, how the hell do I get it home?)

Perhaps I can interconnect shorter ones to make a long one, if so, is
it still stable enough for a dish?

Thanks!

Raymond

  #20   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,199
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

there is NO advatage to putting a satellite dish higher, it has no
effect on reception unless you dont have line of site at a lower
elevation.

my dish lives lag bolted to my deck, which makes service and snow
removal very easy.

you willn find it near impossible to aim a satellite dish on a pole
and the wind turns the dish into a wing causing movement which will
effect reception.

satellite tv dishes look at a fixed satellite at about 22,300 miles, a
few feet means nothing.

if your looking at satellite tv get a DVR digital video recorder it
will change how you look at tv forever



  #21   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,500
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

On Nov 1, 11:51 pm, " wrote:
there is NO advatage to putting a satellite dish higher, it has no
effect on reception unless you dont have line of site at a lower
elevation.

my dish lives lag bolted to my deck, which makes service and snow
removal very easy.

you willn find it near impossible to aim a satellite dish on a pole
and the wind turns the dish into a wing causing movement which will
effect reception.

satellite tv dishes look at a fixed satellite at about 22,300 miles, a
few feet means nothing.

if your looking at satellite tv get a DVR digital video recorder it
will change how you look at tv forever


You can get a DVR regardless of whether you have sat, cable, or OTA,
which is what the OP apparently uses. And I agree, it;'s highly
recommended and does totally change the way you use your TV. I've had
a Tivo for a long time now and love it.

  #22   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,963
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

On Thu, 01 Nov 2007 20:51:08 -0700, "
wrote:

there is NO advatage to putting a satellite dish higher, it has no
effect on reception unless you dont have line of site at a lower
elevation.


Yes. The wavelength at satellite frequencies is just an inch or so.
The disk isn't an antenna but a reflector. The antenna itself is
located at the focal point and will already be far enough from things.

my dish lives lag bolted to my deck, which makes service and snow
removal very easy.

you willn find it near impossible to aim a satellite dish on a pole
and the wind turns the dish into a wing causing movement which will
effect reception.

satellite tv dishes look at a fixed satellite at about 22,300 miles,


Specifically 22,300 miles directly above the equator. Considering the
Earth's rotation and axial tilt, this is the only location where a
satellite can stay in one place relative to the ground without
constant thrust.

a
few feet means nothing.

if your looking at satellite tv get a DVR digital video recorder it
will change how you look at tv forever


Yes, DVRs do make a lot of difference. Once you use one, it'll be hard
to live without it. I generally find ReplayTV DVRs to be the best, but
there are a couple of problems:

1. They're not being made anymore so you'd have to get a used one.
3. They don't support HD.
--
53 days until the winter solstice celebration

Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"All your western theologies, the whole mythology of them,
are based on the concept of God as a senile delinquent."
-- Tennessee Williams
  #23   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 301
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?


wrote:

My "grand plan" is to put up a strong pole from the ground right next
to the house (so the pole leans against the house). This way, I can
put up the Antenna, plus any potential future dish that I may want to
get. I can dug a hole and pour concrete to secure the pole in place.

But do they sell Pole that long? I am in a one-story house, ceiling is
8', so I imagine the peek of the roof is probably 20'? Can I get a
pole this long? (even if I do, how the hell do I get it home?)


They're available. Wrap it in a blanket and tie it to the roof of
your car, and have a friend keep a hand on it to feel it shift
around. Without a hand kept on it, there's a good chance cargo can
fly off undetected, judging by the number of brand new mattresses I've
seen next to the road.


Perhaps I can interconnect shorter ones to make a long one, if so, is
it still stable enough for a dish?


Radio Shack at least used to sell lots of antenna mounting hardwa

Eaves mount: http://tinyurl.com/245cqo

Wall mount: http://tinyurl.com/yslz32

They also had roof mounts (flat and tripod), chimney mounts, and even
telescoping masts up to 36' long. Fry's Electronics and amateur radio
(HAM) stores should also have antennas and mounting hardware.

I'd be worried about attaching two shorter masts to make a single long
one, unless they overlapped a lot and were secured to each other with
screws.

  #24   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5,149
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

larry moe 'n curly wrote:
wrote:

My "grand plan" is to put up a strong pole from the ground right next
to the house (so the pole leans against the house). This way, I can
put up the Antenna, plus any potential future dish that I may want to
get. I can dug a hole and pour concrete to secure the pole in place.

But do they sell Pole that long? I am in a one-story house, ceiling is
8', so I imagine the peek of the roof is probably 20'? Can I get a
pole this long? (even if I do, how the hell do I get it home?)


They're available. Wrap it in a blanket and tie it to the roof of
your car, and have a friend keep a hand on it to feel it shift
around. Without a hand kept on it, there's a good chance cargo can
fly off undetected, judging by the number of brand new mattresses I've
seen next to the road.

Perhaps I can interconnect shorter ones to make a long one, if so, is
it still stable enough for a dish?


Radio Shack at least used to sell lots of antenna mounting hardwa

Eaves mount: http://tinyurl.com/245cqo

Wall mount: http://tinyurl.com/yslz32

They also had roof mounts (flat and tripod), chimney mounts, and even
telescoping masts up to 36' long. Fry's Electronics and amateur radio
(HAM) stores should also have antennas and mounting hardware.

I'd be worried about attaching two shorter masts to make a single long
one, unless they overlapped a lot and were secured to each other with
screws.

Most non-commercial, non-military, non-telescoping antenna masts are
sold in sections, maybe 8-10 feet long (whatever the longest length
trucking companies will carry as standard parcels.) One end is necked
down (or flared) to fit into(over) the section above (below) it, and
they are usually predrilled for bolts or retaining pins. Overlap is
maybe 8-10 inches or so? In the old days, using sticks of 2" galvanized
water pipe, sometimes linked end-to-end with a union coupling, was not
unknown. Those had a bad habit of rusting off where the cut threads
broke through the zinc layer. They would also rust from inside, since
people seldom remembered to cap the top, and put bottom end right in the
dirt.

For a typical residential TV antenna, that only weighs 20 pounds or so
and has a small sail area, it simply isn't that critical what you make
mast out of, as long as it holds it up there and won't blow away in
first stiff wind. The grounding and signal cable is what matters. My
antenna (backup for satt dish local channel service), is a little
L-shaped piece of **** on a 4-foot mast lag-bolted to the wooden chimney
chase for my fake woodburning fireplace. I had to remount on a long
scrap 2x4 screwed through the siding into chimney stack framework,
because idiot installer had simply screwed it on to cedar corner trim.
Under wind load, it pulled right out.

aem sends...
  #25   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,199
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

On Nov 2, 9:05?pm, aemeijers wrote:
larry moe 'n curly wrote:



wrote:


My "grand plan" is to put up a strong pole from the ground right next
to the house (so the pole leans against the house). This way, I can
put up the Antenna, plus any potential future dish that I may want to
get. I can dug a hole and pour concrete to secure the pole in place.


But do they sell Pole that long? I am in a one-story house, ceiling is
8', so I imagine the peek of the roof is probably 20'? Can I get a
pole this long? (even if I do, how the hell do I get it home?)


They're available. Wrap it in a blanket and tie it to the roof of
your car, and have a friend keep a hand on it to feel it shift
around. Without a hand kept on it, there's a good chance cargo can
fly off undetected, judging by the number of brand new mattresses I've
seen next to the road.


Perhaps I can interconnect shorter ones to make a long one, if so, is
it still stable enough for a dish?


Radio Shack at least used to sell lots of antenna mounting hardwa


Eaves mount: http://tinyurl.com/245cqo


Wall mount: http://tinyurl.com/yslz32


They also had roof mounts (flat and tripod), chimney mounts, and even
telescoping masts up to 36' long. Fry's Electronics and amateur radio
(HAM) stores should also have antennas and mounting hardware.


I'd be worried about attaching two shorter masts to make a single long
one, unless they overlapped a lot and were secured to each other with
screws.


Most non-commercial, non-military, non-telescoping antenna masts are
sold in sections, maybe 8-10 feet long (whatever the longest length
trucking companies will carry as standard parcels.) One end is necked
down (or flared) to fit into(over) the section above (below) it, and
they are usually predrilled for bolts or retaining pins. Overlap is
maybe 8-10 inches or so? In the old days, using sticks of 2" galvanized
water pipe, sometimes linked end-to-end with a union coupling, was not
unknown. Those had a bad habit of rusting off where the cut threads
broke through the zinc layer. They would also rust from inside, since
people seldom remembered to cap the top, and put bottom end right in the
dirt.

For a typical residential TV antenna, that only weighs 20 pounds or so
and has a small sail area, it simply isn't that critical what you make
mast out of, as long as it holds it up there and won't blow away in
first stiff wind. The grounding and signal cable is what matters. My
antenna (backup for satt dish local channel service), is a little
L-shaped piece of **** on a 4-foot mast lag-bolted to the wooden chimney
chase for my fake woodburning fireplace. I had to remount on a long
scrap 2x4 screwed through the siding into chimney stack framework,
because idiot installer had simply screwed it on to cedar corner trim.
Under wind load, it pulled right out.

aem sends...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


whatever you do insure a lose pole cant contact in any way a powerline
in a storm...

theres a large danger of electrocution in varying ways.

pole falls over in wind, contacts power line, turns everything
connected to lethal voltages, pole antenna and anything connected to
antenna, like tv vcr etc etc



  #26   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,500
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

On Nov 2, 10:50 pm, " wrote:
On Nov 2, 9:05?pm, aemeijers wrote:





larry moe 'n curly wrote:


wrote:


My "grand plan" is to put up a strong pole from the ground right next
to the house (so the pole leans against the house). This way, I can
put up the Antenna, plus any potential future dish that I may want to
get. I can dug a hole and pour concrete to secure the pole in place.


But do they sell Pole that long? I am in a one-story house, ceiling is
8', so I imagine the peek of the roof is probably 20'? Can I get a
pole this long? (even if I do, how the hell do I get it home?)


They're available. Wrap it in a blanket and tie it to the roof of
your car, and have a friend keep a hand on it to feel it shift
around. Without a hand kept on it, there's a good chance cargo can
fly off undetected, judging by the number of brand new mattresses I've
seen next to the road.


Perhaps I can interconnect shorter ones to make a long one, if so, is
it still stable enough for a dish?


Radio Shack at least used to sell lots of antenna mounting hardwa


Eaves mount: http://tinyurl.com/245cqo


Wall mount: http://tinyurl.com/yslz32


They also had roof mounts (flat and tripod), chimney mounts, and even
telescoping masts up to 36' long. Fry's Electronics and amateur radio
(HAM) stores should also have antennas and mounting hardware.


I'd be worried about attaching two shorter masts to make a single long
one, unless they overlapped a lot and were secured to each other with
screws.


Most non-commercial, non-military, non-telescoping antenna masts are
sold in sections, maybe 8-10 feet long (whatever the longest length
trucking companies will carry as standard parcels.) One end is necked
down (or flared) to fit into(over) the section above (below) it, and
they are usually predrilled for bolts or retaining pins. Overlap is
maybe 8-10 inches or so? In the old days, using sticks of 2" galvanized
water pipe, sometimes linked end-to-end with a union coupling, was not
unknown. Those had a bad habit of rusting off where the cut threads
broke through the zinc layer. They would also rust from inside, since
people seldom remembered to cap the top, and put bottom end right in the
dirt.


For a typical residential TV antenna, that only weighs 20 pounds or so
and has a small sail area, it simply isn't that critical what you make
mast out of, as long as it holds it up there and won't blow away in
first stiff wind. The grounding and signal cable is what matters. My
antenna (backup for satt dish local channel service), is a little
L-shaped piece of **** on a 4-foot mast lag-bolted to the wooden chimney
chase for my fake woodburning fireplace. I had to remount on a long
scrap 2x4 screwed through the siding into chimney stack framework,
because idiot installer had simply screwed it on to cedar corner trim.
Under wind load, it pulled right out.


aem sends...- Hide quoted text -


- Show quoted text -


whatever you do insure a lose pole cant contact in any way a powerline
in a storm...

theres a large danger of electrocution in varying ways.

pole falls over in wind, contacts power line, turns everything
connected to lethal voltages, pole antenna and anything connected to
antenna, like tv vcr etc etc- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -



With the typical antenna mast stock, I don't think having it set it
concrete, start from the ground and go all the way up the side of the
house buys you anything in the way of support. For that to be
effective, the mast would have to be of sufficicent gauge metal so
that the bottom part is going to be doing anything to help carry the
load. In other words, a typical 8ft mast attached to a chimney
would be just as effective as a 32ft long one set into concrete and
then attached to the side of the house. If it fails because of
stress from high wind, both are likely fail by bending/breaking,
coming loose in the same place, which is in the area of where the
last clamp is placed, whether on the chimney or the side of the house.

If you're going to start from the ground up, you'd need a mast like 2"
steel pipe. And I doubt it really buys you anything, or else you'd
see it commonly done. I've never seen one attached to a house that
started from the ground up.

  #27   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,199
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

On Nov 3, 8:50?am, wrote:
On Nov 2, 10:50 pm, " wrote:





On Nov 2, 9:05?pm, aemeijers wrote:


larry moe 'n curly wrote:


wrote:


My "grand plan" is to put up a strong pole from the ground right next
to the house (so the pole leans against the house). This way, I can
put up the Antenna, plus any potential future dish that I may want to
get. I can dug a hole and pour concrete to secure the pole in place.


But do they sell Pole that long? I am in a one-story house, ceiling is
8', so I imagine the peek of the roof is probably 20'? Can I get a
pole this long? (even if I do, how the hell do I get it home?)


They're available. Wrap it in a blanket and tie it to the roof of
your car, and have a friend keep a hand on it to feel it shift
around. Without a hand kept on it, there's a good chance cargo can
fly off undetected, judging by the number of brand new mattresses I've
seen next to the road.


Perhaps I can interconnect shorter ones to make a long one, if so, is
it still stable enough for a dish?


Radio Shack at least used to sell lots of antenna mounting hardwa


Eaves mount: http://tinyurl.com/245cqo


Wall mount: http://tinyurl.com/yslz32


They also had roof mounts (flat and tripod), chimney mounts, and even
telescoping masts up to 36' long. Fry's Electronics and amateur radio
(HAM) stores should also have antennas and mounting hardware.


I'd be worried about attaching two shorter masts to make a single long
one, unless they overlapped a lot and were secured to each other with
screws.


Most non-commercial, non-military, non-telescoping antenna masts are
sold in sections, maybe 8-10 feet long (whatever the longest length
trucking companies will carry as standard parcels.) One end is necked
down (or flared) to fit into(over) the section above (below) it, and
they are usually predrilled for bolts or retaining pins. Overlap is
maybe 8-10 inches or so? In the old days, using sticks of 2" galvanized
water pipe, sometimes linked end-to-end with a union coupling, was not
unknown. Those had a bad habit of rusting off where the cut threads
broke through the zinc layer. They would also rust from inside, since
people seldom remembered to cap the top, and put bottom end right in the
dirt.


For a typical residential TV antenna, that only weighs 20 pounds or so
and has a small sail area, it simply isn't that critical what you make
mast out of, as long as it holds it up there and won't blow away in
first stiff wind. The grounding and signal cable is what matters. My
antenna (backup for satt dish local channel service), is a little
L-shaped piece of **** on a 4-foot mast lag-bolted to the wooden chimney
chase for my fake woodburning fireplace. I had to remount on a long
scrap 2x4 screwed through the siding into chimney stack framework,
because idiot installer had simply screwed it on to cedar corner trim.
Under wind load, it pulled right out.


aem sends...- Hide quoted text -


- Show quoted text -


whatever you do insure a lose pole cant contact in any way a powerline
in a storm...


theres a large danger of electrocution in varying ways.


pole falls over in wind, contacts power line, turns everything
connected to lethal voltages, pole antenna and anything connected to
antenna, like tv vcr etc etc- Hide quoted text -


- Show quoted text -


With the typical antenna mast stock, I don't think having it set it
concrete, start from the ground and go all the way up the side of the
house buys you anything in the way of support. For that to be
effective, the mast would have to be of sufficicent gauge metal so
that the bottom part is going to be doing anything to help carry the
load. In other words, a typical 8ft mast attached to a chimney
would be just as effective as a 32ft long one set into concrete and
then attached to the side of the house. If it fails because of
stress from high wind, both are likely fail by bending/breaking,
coming loose in the same place, which is in the area of where the
last clamp is placed, whether on the chimney or the side of the house.

If you're going to start from the ground up, you'd need a mast like 2"
steel pipe. And I doubt it really buys you anything, or else you'd
see it commonly done. I've never seen one attached to a house that
started from the ground up.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


to do this RIGHT google antenna tower, very pricey but effective. in
any case your limited to about 50 miles because of the curvature of
the earth. unless you live on the very top of a hill.

its really easier to get satellite or cable tv, all channels on a
single intergrated guide, add DVR and your all set.

with no outside antenna to maintain.

the OP is looking at 300 to a thousand bucks for OTA channels, plus
will still need satellite or cable.

the reason most people dont have OTA antennas in rural areas? its not
cosat effective..

  #28   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
dpb dpb is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 12,595
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

wrote:
....
the reason most people dont have OTA antennas in rural areas? its not
cosat effective..


BS.

--


  #29   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 82
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?


On Nov 2, 10:50 pm, " wrote:




the reason most people dont have OTA antennas in rural areas? its not

cosat effective..


And/or their satellite provider doesn't offer their locals in Hi-Def -- such
as DISH network for Tucson. By the time they *do* offer them, it will be
too late. My inexpensive directional roof-top antenna pulls them all in
crystal clear -- including all of the subchannels. BTW, my antenna is less
than 3 feet above the roof.


  #31   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,199
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

On Nov 3, 2:42?pm, dpb wrote:
wrote:

...

the reason most people dont have OTA antennas in rural areas? its not
cosat effective..


BS.

--


if your going to spend 500 to a thousand bucks for JUST the OTA
channels and still spend money for cable like channels its just not
cost effective. remember were talking about a rural area.

and how many really have high def sets? if you do congrats and
obviously costs arent one of your big concerns.

now go get a digital video recorder, live with it a month, its way
more important that high def..

  #32   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 196
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

the reason most people dont have OTA
antennas in rural areas? its not cosat
effective..


I have a large roof mounted antenna which is only a few feet above the
roof. I can pull in TV and FM from 70 miles away. I have rotator but
never use it. Most of my viewing is with a satellite dish because there
are no NBC or FOX stations that I can receive.


---MIKE---
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')


  #34   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,199
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

On Nov 3, 10:24?pm, dpb wrote:
wrote:
On Nov 3, 2:42?pm, dpb wrote:
wrote:


...


the reason most people dont have OTA antennas in rural areas? its not
cosat effective..
BS.


--


if your going to spend 500 to a thousand bucks for JUST the OTA
channels and still spend money for cable like channels its just not
cost effective. remember were talking about a rural area.


and how many really have high def sets? if you do congrats and
obviously costs arent one of your big concerns.


now go get a digital video recorder, live with it a month, its way
more important that high def..


I _AM_ in a rural area (more so than OP by far) and certainly don't
spend anything at all like that...

--- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


well OP began by deciding for a large high mounted on pole antenna
which indicates high costs.

  #36   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,199
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

On Nov 4, 11:03?am, dpb wrote:
wrote:
On Nov 3, 10:24?pm, dpb wrote:
wrote:
On Nov 3, 2:42?pm, dpb wrote:
wrote:
...
the reason most people dont have OTA antennas in rural areas? its not
cosat effective..
BS.
--
if your going to spend 500 to a thousand bucks for JUST the OTA
channels and still spend money for cable like channels its just not
cost effective. remember were talking about a rural area.
and how many really have high def sets? if you do congrats and
obviously costs arent one of your big concerns.
now go get a digital video recorder, live with it a month, its way
more important that high def..
I _AM_ in a rural area (more so than OP by far) and certainly don't
spend anything at all like that...


--- Hide quoted text -


- Show quoted text -


well OP began by deciding for a large high mounted on pole antenna
which indicates high costs.


40-ft of well-tubing and an antenna ain't much...

--- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


a premium high gain antenna like a channelmaster can easily be a a few
hundred with antenna and rotor, now add pipe, mounts to home and
hardware......

I had a friend do a install in a poor OTA area he had near a grand
tied up, and reception was marginal

incidently marginal analog reception gets you a fuzzy or ghosty or
noisey picture.

with digital its perfect...... or pixeled blocky looking or blank
screen.

remember the OP said this was for a rural area

  #39   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
dpb dpb is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 12,595
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

Tony Hwang wrote:
dpb wrote:

....

Will last for years, no additional fees/cost. Antenna may suffer
damage and need replacement from weather--how frequent depends on
severity of local conditions. We're in a very high wind area subject
to lots of hail, extreme t-storms, etc., but still antenna typically
will last 10 years or more. The tower has been bent over once in 30
years by a combination blizzard/ice, but a torch and it was
straightened up at no additional outlay.

Want pictures? Anybody who can't/won't put something like that
together isn't much of a candidate for "rural" living...

.....

Any precautionary thing for lightning strike?


I'd ground it separately if it were mounted on the house, but this is
set directly into the ground so nothing other than the arrestor on the
antenna leadin. I still on occasion will disconnect the input to the
set if there's a real heavy lightning storm real close, just as
precaution. It's been in place since mid-70s and no problems to date.

--
  #40   Report Post  
Posted to alt.home.repair
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,199
Default How tall should outdoor antenna be?

On Nov 4, 5:09?pm, dpb wrote:
Tony Hwang wrote:
dpb wrote:


...

Will last for years, no additional fees/cost. Antenna may suffer
damage and need replacement from weather--how frequent depends on
severity of local conditions. We're in a very high wind area subject
to lots of hail, extreme t-storms, etc., but still antenna typically
will last 10 years or more. The tower has been bent over once in 30
years by a combination blizzard/ice, but a torch and it was
straightened up at no additional outlay.


Want pictures? Anybody who can't/won't put something like that
together isn't much of a candidate for "rural" living...


....

Any precautionary thing for lightning strike?


I'd ground it separately if it were mounted on the house, but this is
set directly into the ground so nothing other than the arrestor on the
antenna leadin. I still on occasion will disconnect the input to the
set if there's a real heavy lightning storm real close, just as
precaution. It's been in place since mid-70s and no problems to date.

--


ALL GROUNDS MUST BE UNIFIED!!! all tied together preferably with a
driven ground rod at the pole.

Otherwise grounds may not be equal and touching a VCR say, or TV could
give you a nasty or lethal shock.

NOT COMMON BUT CAN HAPPEN!

Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Running outdoor Christmas lights without an outdoor outlet PM Home Repair 5 December 17th 06 05:12 AM
Running outdoor Christmas lights without an outdoor outlet PM Home Ownership 2 December 17th 06 12:56 AM
TALL BOOKCASE J T Woodworking 0 March 11th 06 02:16 AM
Centronics outdoor antenna motors [email protected] Electronics Repair 1 February 4th 06 06:43 AM
How tall a ladder? Walter R. Home Repair 6 September 10th 05 11:42 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 06:08 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 DIYbanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about DIY & home improvement"