• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

Antenna Mast Height

Status
Not open for further replies.

Williamb

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 12, 2008
Messages
53
Location
Norwalk, CT
I really appreciate all the help that has been provided. This weekend I will be installing a Ferret antenna using two of Radio Shacks's 4" side building mounts. The antenna itself weighs about 4lbs and appears as a single rod 8 ft in length and approximately 1 1/4" in diameter (looks like a grey broom handle). I had planned on using two 10 ft Channel masters steel masts which would give me a 20 ft mast. A friend advised that this mast would suffer too much torque in very high wind for the attachment points to the building and would eventually loosen. Another friend suggested that the antenna profile would create little wind resistance and the set-up would be okay. My objective is to get height.

Do you think that a 20 foot mast only supported by the wall brackets will be okay or do you think I should go with a 10 foot mast. The brackets will be about 2 1/2 feet apart and lag bolted through the exterior siding into the plywood sheathing. All but 3 or 4 feet will be above the roof peak and guide wires are not an option.

Thanks -

William
 

n8emr

Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Messages
498
Since y guy wires are out. Without guy wires I wouldnt want more than 10ft of the mast above the roof line. To properly mount the mast to the house you need 5ft or more between house brackets so much of your lower mast will already be used up. The small whip antenna is going to below around but with only 10ft of mast you should be ok.
 
Last edited:

Don_Burke

Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2007
Messages
1,184
Location
Southeastern Virginia
I would not rely on the sheathing.

Strongbacks will let you put the strain on the studs instead of the sheathing.

I go along with the five feet on the brackets and ten feet for the mast. With that set up, you will end up with about eleven feet of mast/antenna above the top support, which is one heck of a lever. Twenty one feet would be asking for trouble.
 

key2_altfire

Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
Messages
189
Personally I think the Radio Shack building mounts are too light duty, but then we get gusting Santa Ana winds where I live. Channel Masters make some excellent, heavy-duty building mounts and they yellow zinc-washed for corrosion resistance. (Come to think of it, I never had an R.S. mount rust, but the yellow zinc is a bit more "pro.")
 

n8emr

Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Messages
498
There are several radio shack mounts, light duty and heavy, I would go with the heavy. Same with the mast, RS has some nice gray mask now that is pretty strong, Much better than the golden stuff they once had.

If you can get into the attic/crawspace then I would want to see the lag bolts go to a backerboard inside the house and not just into the sheathing.
 

Williamb

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 12, 2008
Messages
53
Location
Norwalk, CT
Thanks for all the suggestions. I intend to use the backer board, The RS mounts that I have from RS appear heavy duty. My mast is a channel master heavy duty. I will only be using a 10 ft mast know. I think I am all set. Hope the weather is mild tomorrow.
 

kb1awi

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Messages
26
Location
FN-31
Williamb said:
Thanks for all the suggestions. I intend to use the backer board, The RS mounts that I have from RS appear heavy duty. My mast is a channel master heavy duty. I will only be using a 10 ft mast know. I think I am all set. Hope the weather is mild tomorrow.

I too would only suggest the 10' height. If you were to use guy wires, I would suggest the 20 foot range. I have a Ringo out back on 15' of tube steel and that has held up ok. My main mast is 40' off the ground but I am using guy wires.

REMEMBER TO GROUND YOUR MAST!!! USE HEAVY GROUND WIRE AND AT LEAST AN EIGHT (8') FOOT GROUNDING ROD (available at most "full service" RS's.

73,
Gary
 

Williamb

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 12, 2008
Messages
53
Location
Norwalk, CT
Thanks I have the mast grounding down but I also asked a question about coaxial grounding on another thread. That question really started a lot of posts. I am still thinking about how I will ground the coaxial.
 

kb1awi

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Messages
26
Location
FN-31
Williamb said:
Thanks I have the mast grounding down but I also asked a question about coaxial grounding on another thread. That question really started a lot of posts. I am still thinking about how I will ground the coaxial.

You can get a coaxial lightning arrestor that has a grounding lug on it. You can pick them up at any Ham outlet (Lentini's has them in Newington). If your radio has a good ground, this will be a good ground also for RX.
 
Last edited:

Williamb

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 12, 2008
Messages
53
Location
Norwalk, CT
I bought all my equipment from Bill at Lentini's. I was discussing with him polyphasers (sp).

Thanks,
 

N1BHH

Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2007
Messages
1,845
Location
Jackson Square, East Weymouth, MA.
The guy's from Lentini's can help you out. You should go with more rugged brackets that the Radio Shack 4 inch mounts. Those wouldn't hold up well with New England weather. Good sturdy chimney mounts work, but you shouldn't use the ratchet type, because they loosen up.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top