Antenna Mounting New Home/PReamp?

[GADGET71]

I am looking for the easiest method for mounting a small outdoor antenna, I picked it up at Menards, I believe it's a Phillips brand.  It's pretty light but I tried the single pole to the roof peak from the ground and then mounted at the edge of the peak.  I found I needed to raise it another 10 feet after my initial mount.  Now the single pole seems flimsy going from the ground up with only one mounting point at the peak.  It's a new home so I'm hesitant to do the tripod mount on the roof.  Any suggestions?
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Avalanche

[GADGET71]

I realized I forgot to mention my preamp question in my earlier post. Any suggestions on which brand/type to buy. I would like to boost my signal as I am slighly closer to Madison than Milwaukee but not close enough to get incredible signal strength.  I can achieve a signal strenth of between 40 to 70% for most networks except NBC in Madison, which is about 20%.  Any help would be appreciated.
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how to roll a blunt

[drgingras]

I'm a little confused - why are you going from the ground up? This type of distance would require much more than a single mounting point to provide stability.
Most gable-end installs I've seen have included something like this:

Radio Shack

I hate to even suggest this at this time of year, but do you have a chimney? If so, that would be another mounting area to consider if you need height but don't want to use a tripod.

As far as pre-amps, I like the Channelmaster stuff. You'd want to consider a model that has adjustable gain. Hopefully, Gregg will see this post and chime in. He's got some good knowledge on pre-amps.

Dave

[mhz40]

Originally posted by GADGET71
I realized I forgot to mention my preamp question in my earlier post. Any suggestions on which brand/type to buy. I would like to boost my signal as I am slighly closer to Madison than Milwaukee but not close enough to get incredible signal strength.  I can achieve a signal strenth of between 40 to 70% for most networks except NBC in Madison, which is about 20%.  Any help would be appreciated.

The lower the noise figure spec of the amp, generally the better performance you'll get.  Try to find a two-piece amp---with the amp mounting right on the antenna fed power via the antenna lead and indoor power supply.  Don't go hog-wild on spending money for higher-gain in the amp than you need.  Try to size the amp to make up for the cable loss (which is about 7db/100' @UHF frequencies using RG59).  An amp spec'd for 10db of gain @ UHF frequencies should be good for antenna runs as long as 125' or so.  (After a certain point, stronger signals do not equate to better pictures...)
DO NOT SKIP THE GROUNDING PORTION OF YOUR ANTENNA INSTALL!
Good luck!

[Talos4]

Doing a DIY antenna install this time of year is treacherous.  It also tends to put a chill(sorry!)  on the enthusiasm for tweaking once it's up.

If it were my choice, a tripod with a rotor would be mine, ease of installation, and very adaptable.  

Some type of Gable end installation would be my next choice.


Chimmney mounts are more difficult to manage esp in the cold.

Lets face it everything is more difficult in the cold!

:drink:

[Dan the Man]

As far as amps go, the channelmaster products are very good. I had one but found it provided too much gain (I live too close to the city). Try the 7775 for UHF only, or the 7777 for VHF/UHF. Most DTV signals are UHF.

For a decent antenna, try the channlemaster 4228 with a rotor as this antenna is directional. You will do well with this.

As far as the mounting, chimney mount is the easiest, but I agree, it is to dangerous to try it DIY until the snow leaves us and it warms up. Better sfe than sorry.

[GADGET71]

Ok I found out the pitch on my roof is not steep enough to allow for Radio Shacks gable end mounting hardward.   My thought now is to leave things alone until spring when it warms up, as most of you have pointed out the cold is definitely a factor.  However I am thinking of two options, 1. Doing the tripod mount on the roof.   2.  Getting an antenna tower.

Option 1  -  My question/concern about this is drilling into my roof and sealing it properly so the roof won't leak, Any instructions for this?

Option 2 - Towers run about $100 every 10 foot section NEW, and I am not willing to pay that much, any suggestions as to where to buy a used one.  I nearly got one for a 30 pack of MGD through a buddy, but found out that it was already taken:(  

Any help would be appreciated.
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X-Coupe

[Gregg Lengling]

If you buy a good quality roof tripod mount they come with self-sealing pads that are below the mounting feet between the tripod and the roof.  As you drill and lag-bolt into the roof they seal the screw hole.  Be advised that you have to find the center of the rafters to drill and screw directly into them, mounting only into the roofing and decking is not secure enough.  Good quality mounts are designed to match the rafter spacing perfectly, so if you find one rafter and level the whole thing out the other two will match up.