Advice/help needed for antennas for a mobile home

[kny2xb]

1st: if this is in the wrong forum, I apologize.

I will be purchasing a mobile home/trailer towards the end of June.

Due to finances, I will be skipping cable TV and using my Zenith digital converters for over-the-air TV reception.

I'm planning to make a 48"- 50" height DIY coat hanger antenna to mount outside.
I have previously used a 20" height indoor version successfully, so that's why I'm going to go this route.

I also plan to make a quarter wave scanner antenna using wire and an SO-239 connector.

My questions are:

1] Should I use a metal mast, or PVC?

2] Can I use a long mast so that I can mount the scanner antenna above the TV antenna? Or should I make the antennas two separate installations/mounts?

3] I want to feed two tv's with the single TV antenna. Where would the best place to mount a two-output splitter?

Thank You in advance for your advice, help, suggestions, etc.

 

[gewecke]

Well, I don't know your limitations but this is what I do;

A 35' steel telescoping mast is mounted outside of trailer with 3 steel eaves mounts, and grounded to a 8' copper grnd rod. On top is a dual band diamond X50A which is 5'6" high. Below that is a channel master DTV antenna on rg6 quad shield cable. Lmr 400 is on my diamond antenna. I can turn the mast by hand to change the direction of the DTV antenna when I use it. ( also have comcast) At times I will use the diamond on one of 3 other scanners.
Also have 3 magnetic antennas inside on a steel baking pan, on top of a 7' high book case. 1 each for vhf, uhf, and 800mhz. trunking.

...and that's only in the front of my mobile home!

73,
n9zas

 

[kny2xb]

My main limitation is money. That's why I'm going to home-build my antennas. Plus, I've had good experience with the homemade TV antenna. I'm going to double the size and get it outside and up a bit.

I haven't tested what my TV reception is going to be like inside a mobile home. My local towers [except for one] are 35 miles away in the next county and a mobile home is sort of a big metal box. I'm presuming the TV reception at my location on an indoor antenna or rabbit ears isn't going to be so hot.

Scanning wise, I'm going to monitor the marine frequencies, civil-air, mil-air, and I'm just starting to monitor railroad frequencies. So my target reception will be 118-162 & 225-380 MHz VHF.

Thank you for your input. It sounds like you have a neat set-up

 

[gewecke]

As far as DTV is concerned you must remember that whatever you build must be fed with decent coaxial cable to receive as many channels as you can. I use rg6 quad shield direct from my DTV antenna to my Lg HDTV in the front room and a older tv with a DTV converter in the bedroom. at 30' up I routinely get 15-25 HDTV channels. This is handy when comcast pukes on occasion.

Do you have any steel on the outside of your mobile home? Central air covers and vents work well. So do steel shed roofs! My point being, that magnetic mount antennas can be cut for any frequency range you wish and can be stuck outside anywhere!
I haven't done this yet, but single pane windows will allow you to use mobile on-glass antennas.

Let me know what works for you! I'm always dinking with new ideas,lol!

73,
n9zas

 

[kny2xb]

I've already decided to use quad-shield, that was a given

I'll have to give the trailer a closer once over from a scannist point of view

No central air, but I will have three window mount a/c's
I'll have to see how magnet friendly those are
The same for the carport roof

I close on the 22nd but I'll swing over there tomorrow after work