Antenna inside attic vs. outside roof

[krokus]

Wish I could go on roof with mine, my HOA prevents any kind of outside antennas, scanner, ham radio, TV.
So I am moving mine into the attic.

They cannot prohibit TV antennas. (In the US.)

 

[Tech792]

I've always had excellent results with attic mounted antennas over the years. In fact I'm using one now in a 2 .5 story condo.

 

[prcguy]

If you own the home federal rules allow you to put up a TV antenna and a satellite dish up to 1m in size, doesn't matter what the HOA says. If you are renting you have limitations.

Wish I could go on roof with mine, my HOA prevents any kind of outside antennas, scanner, ham radio, TV.
So I am moving mine into the attic.

 

[jimbrogers]

Sorry, misfired on that. Can do satellite dish, just cannot erect scanner, ham radio antennas.
Still have to go into attic when I can get my buddy over to help me. Somewhat handicapped and get up a ladder.

 

[prcguy]

You can get creative and disguise a satellite antenna as a scanner antenna. Use the dish and mount as a ground plane for a thin vertical whip or stick a ground plane at the top of the J mount or hide an antenna inside a fake PVC pipe mount for the dish, etc. There are lots of ways to take advantage of the federal laws and get a scanner or VHF/UHF ham antenna up without the HOA knowing.

Sorry, misfired on that. Can do satellite dish, just cannot erect scanner, ham radio antennas.
Still have to go into attic when I can get my buddy over to help me. Somewhat handicapped and get up a ladder.

 

[rapidcharger]

Wish I could go on roof with mine, my HOA prevents any kind of outside antennas, scanner, ham radio, TV.
So I am moving mine into the attic.

Typically HOA rules are enforced by a management company and they find out about violations two ways. Either someone complains to them or they notice it while driving (not walking) through the neighborhood.
If it's a single family home with a back yard, you could most likely put an antenna outside concealed by a fence or landscaping and it wouldn't be visible from neighbors who might complain or from the management company who is only writing people up for what they can see from their car. They're not peering over your fence or entering your yard. You can put a base station or mobile antenna on a base station adaptor (adds ground radials) outside without it catching too much attention. If it is a townhouse without a backyard, a mobile antenna mag mount on an air conditioner will do in a pinch.

The secret to successfully living and eventually moving out of a deed restricted community is to be a ghost.
That means do not attract attention by using antennas that people will notice, even if there is a federal law that is supposed to overrule deed restrictions. That said you can be pretty stealthy with antennas most of the time. I also wouldn't go letting anyone in the neighborhood in on your secret antenna or your hobby either.

 

[Ravenkeeper]

Typically HOA rules are enforced by a management company and they find out about violations two ways. Either someone complains to them or they notice it while driving (not walking) through the neighborhood.
If it's a single family home with a back yard, you could most likely put an antenna outside concealed by a fence or landscaping and it wouldn't be visible from neighbors who might complain or from the management company who is only writing people up for what they can see from their car. They're not peering over your fence or entering your yard. You can put a base station or mobile antenna on a base station adaptor (adds ground radials) outside without it catching too much attention. If it is a townhouse without a backyard, a mobile antenna mag mount on an air conditioner will do in a pinch.

The secret to successfully living and eventually moving out of a deed restricted community is to be a ghost.
That means do not attract attention by using antennas that people will notice, even if there is a federal law that is supposed to overrule deed restrictions. That said you can be pretty stealthy with antennas most of the time. I also wouldn't go letting anyone in the neighborhood in on your secret antenna or your hobby either.

My 6th grade teacher had an antenna hidden up inside his flag pole. His trailer park, excuse me, mobile home park HOA never knew about it, they allowed flag poles, but would not let him put up an antenna.

 

[mmckenna]

My 6th grade teacher had an antenna hidden up inside his flag pole. His trailer park, excuse me, mobile home park HOA never knew about it, they allowed flag poles, but would not let him put up an antenna.

Yep, I had a co-worker do the exact same thing. Harbor Freight flagpole, with an insulated base he built for it. Military surplus remote antenna tuner at the base inside a planter box. He used the trailer frame as part of the ground, along with a bunch of random lengths of wire run out in different directions from the base, some unofficially extending along a fence line that wasn't his. He used to work a lot of 80 meter AM with it. No one ever knew. And no one in the states would require a flag to be removed.

 

[rapidcharger]

My 6th grade teacher had an antenna hidden up inside his flag pole. His trailer park, excuse me, mobile home park HOA never knew about it, they allowed flag poles, but would not let him put up an antenna.

I wouldn't notice it either come to think of it!
It wouldn't cross my mind that a flag pole is someone's ham radio antenna.

 

[rapidcharger]

And no one in the states would require a flag to be removed.

You'd be surprised to find out that it happens all the time. Google "hoa demands flag pole removed" and you'll see many prominent cases.

 

[Indie]

If I get a discone, can I spray paint it to weather proof it?

 

[doctordialtone]

If I get a discone, can I spray paint it to weather proof it?

It doesn't need to be weatherproofed.

 

[jonwienke]

Some discones are more weatherproof than others.

And paint's perfomance impact is negligible, unless you use conductive paint on the insulator between the hat and the cone.

 

[Indie]

So if I paint it, then the performance will not be diminished?

 

[jonwienke]

So if I paint it, then the performance will not be diminished?

As long as the paint isn't conductive AND applied to the insulator, the effect will be negligible.

 

[Indie]

Do you own or rent?

I only ask because it sounds like you are not sure what is installed on your residence...

Own.

 

[a417]

Own.

In that case, I'd get up there as safely as you can and pull down that prior-owner added hardware and evaluate the current mounting brackets and get your own hardware up. If it's up above your roof line, like most anemometers are...you're already in good shape.

 

[a417]

And no one in the states would require a flag to be removed.

There's a church a mile from my house that has approx has a 100 foot tall monopole with a flag on it, and I can name atleast 6 different police departments that I know in various states with MONSTER flag poles in front of the buildings. Abnormally large diameter, too! I can bet you nearly every one correlates to a dismisssed FCC ASR application.

 

[Indie]

In that case, I'd get up there as safely as you can and pull down that prior-owner added hardware and evaluate the current mounting brackets and get your own hardware up. If it's up above your roof line, like most anemometers are...you're already in good shape.

Yes it is up past the roof. It's about the same height as the cap in the chimney pipe. Its a really old anemometer up there. I cant find anything on the internet that looks like it. The place was built in 97 and I bet that equipment was put up then. I just moved in last year. Eventually I'll get a discone up there. Even though I hate how they stand out.

 

[Indie]

This what a have going on. The top of the mast is over 30 feet up. Any suggestions as to how to get up there and work on it?