discone on roof or in attic?

[mparker]

i am going to get a discone for my scanner (bct15) soon and i am not sure if i should put it on the roof attached to the vent pipe on in the attic possibly attached to the same vent pipe...

the problem is the pitch of my roof is insane... and its really high too... so if i could avoid getting on the roof that would make my wife happy, but if placing the antenna in the attic gets me the same results that would be good... the attic is A LOT easier to get to then the roof...

but if i am going to spend the time and money i want to get the best resaults...


also what kind of cabling should i run, i am planning on buying a 100' run...

 

[hfxChris]

There should be little to no effect on signal depending on whether it's under the roof or on top of the roof - what matters is height. If at the end of the day mounting it to the vent pipe on the exterior, it would be approximately the same height as mounting it up in the peak of your attic, you probably won't notice much of a difference.
Also, keep in mind if it's on your roof, you've got to think about lightning protection.

 

[mparker]

ok, thanks... sounds like attic it is....

is a discone the best choice for attic placement?

 

[digitalanalog]

Regardless of lightening factors, your antenna will work better out in the open sky.

If the pitch is to radical, consider other mounting sources.

several pieces of pipe or maybe even a some PVC,attached to the house or even free standing with the help of some guy wires.

Attic antenna's do work, but outside OPEN air antennas will
always work better, even if they are not as high.

These are just my suggestions, and i am sure others will disagree.

Under the layers of shingles if NEVER better then the open sky...............

Good luck on your decision and your reception.

 

[mparker]

several pieces of pipe or maybe even a some PVC,attached to the house or even free standing with the help of some guy wires.

hahaha the wife would never go for that...

i guess i do have a spot on the south side of my house near my satellite dish thats about 6'x 4' and i could probably go up 10' or so...

i would still think attic would be best...

 

[digitalanalog]

oh, o.k., i see, one of those (your not going to *(^&&(%^%#$%$#%&%&(^&*()& situations)
Sorry about your luck.

hahaha the wife would never go for that...

 

[digitalanalog]

You should be asking her where to put the antenna instead of us.

 

[mparker]

oh, o.k., i see, one of those

one of what, a husband that respects his wife's opinion?

You should be asking her where to put the antenna instead of us.

i didnt know you could give marital advice too... thanks..


attic or roof.. thats my options...

 

[digitalanalog]

oooohhhhh, o.k., now i understand............
i guess the difference would be, i respect my wife and she respects me.

She does what she wants and i do what i want.........

Mount it in the attic then and your done.

one of what, a husband that respects his wife's opinion?


i didnt know you could give marital advice too... thanks..


attic or roof.. thats my options...

 

[mparker]

oooohhhhh, o.k., now i understand............
i guess the difference would be, i respect my wife and she respects me.

She does what she wants and i do what i want.........

Mount it in the attic then and your done.

attic it is... thanks.. to be honest.. if i lived somewhere with some land i would already have a tower of some sorts... but unfortunately i am in the city and can spit on my neighbors house from my bedroom window... and i am sure the HOA has something against exterior antennas... it would be easier to get away with a small discone on a vent pipe than a full blown mast...

 

[digitalanalog]

Good luck, i hope it works out for you.

 

[N2JDS]

After you get your wifes approval, I'd use RG8X, about $0.40/ft. Outside would be my preference at or above roof line. But remember, SAFETY first. Maybe get some help installing, ham clubs or other scanner enthusiasts. If outside, a ground is a great idea with an inline lightning arrestor grounded. If you don't already know how, you may want to learn how to solder or crimp your own connectors, and make your coax runs customized to reduce the runs. Maybe before it gets terribly hot, you can experiment with antenna just in attic, and see how well you recieve. I've actually done well with a 1/4 mag mount in my basement window sill picking up vhf and 800's on a simple vhf 1/4 wave antenna.. But that is in a semi urban area. Best of luck on whatever you come up with. Also there appears to quite a few online scanners for your area, you can use them to tell if you are missing transmissions from online scanners at Franklin County, Ohio Live Police, Fire, and EMS Scanners

 

[mparker]

Also there appears to quite a few online scanners for your area, you can use them to tell if you are missing transmissions from online scanners at Franklin County, Ohio Live Police, Fire, and EMS Scanners

is there a way to contact the people that host these online scans? maybe find out what equipment they are using... turns out i am missing a lot.... :-(

 

[gewecke]

I did the "static attic" gig several years ago. Worked great for receiving at 40 or so feet,but sucked for transmitting depending on the band,due to the metal heating ducts up there.
It was pretty convenient too. I used belden 9913 flex coaxial on three different ant.up there.
N9ZAS.

 

[mrkelso]

I have one in the attic and one outside about a foot higher, they both do the same job with no problems at all. I am going to bring the outside one inside and place it in the south end of my attic so that i have none outside. Very Nosy Neighbors around these parts.

 

[N2JDS]

is there a way to contact the people that host these online scans? maybe find out what equipment they are using... turns out i am missing a lot.... :-(

See if this gets you started where you need to contact. Franklin County, Ohio Live Police, Fire, and EMS Scanners