Help with installing a mast and securing to roof?

[squale]

Okay this is basically what my roof looks like...

this picture shows the RIDGE vent on the top of my roof:

This picture shows what the edge of my roof looks like with the overhang:

I am trying to figure out what's the BEST and most SECURE way to mount a mast say 10-20 foot long to hold a Diamond Discone or Scantenna at the top of it. I see all types of mounts, but don't know which one works best and will hold up to the most wind. It gets very windy at my house since I live at the top of a mountain.

I really didn't want to have to put screw holes in my shingles because I am afraid of getting water leaks through the screw holes, but if that's the best way to mount this thing, than I am up to it, I just need to know how to seal the holes to prevent rain water from getting into my attic?

Thanks

 

[twolf816]

u got a chimney? if u do the chimney mount would be the best if ur not wanting to put holes in ur roof

 

[Dubbin]

This should help http://tinyurl.com/bdedd

 

[squale]

no chimney, and I don't think that mount will work because the pitch of my roof isn't that steep. I have a standard bi-level with sorta a shallow pitched roof

 

[Dubbin]

Then why not just get a 30ft mast, tie it into the house with the top portion of the mount I linked you to and maybe a couple guy wires to help secure it? I do know someone that has a 30ft mast tied off to a cloths line poll that has been up for many years in high winds and has never came down (without guy wires).

 

[squale]

hmmm I was thinking of maybe mounting like a tripod thing on the roof, but then I would have to screw threw my shingles, don't know if this is a good idea.. what do you think?

btw, where do you get a 20-30ft mast, I only saw 10 foot ones at radio shack and home depot

 

[Dubbin]

I got mine from Radio Shack but I have also seen them at Lowes.

 

[squale]

so Dubbin, you really like the 246T huh? that might be the handheld I will go with. it looks like it might just be the BEST handheld non-digital out there huh?

I just wish it did military band and also did FM radio stations, that would be cool.

 

[K2KOH]

I know I'm going to take my lumps for this but I notice you're also on liveATC, and you seem really into aircraft monitoring. I have three radios specifically dedicated to aircraft...an Icom R7100, an R10 and an R20. The R10 is 299 bucks new, and has something very important to aircraft monitoring...Automatic Noise Limiting, which most scanners do not have. Trust me, when listening to and decoding ACARS, the ANL makes a big difference. In addition, with the right antenna, you CAN monitor HF MWARA with the R10.

Think about the R10, Squale...

 

[squale]

what is: ACARS

and what is: HF MWARA

I have heard other handhelds picking up airtraffic and it sounds fine to me really..

 

[K2KOH]

ACARS are the digital transmissions airliners use to transmit engine status, flight status, position reports, etc. A couple of frequencies are 130.425 130.025 131.550. If you listen to these frequencies you'll hear quick bursts of data...those are the airliners sending info.

MWARA stands for Major World Aircraft Routing Areas. These are the HF frequencies used by aircraft crossing the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...makes for interesting listening at times.

 

[TechTwo]

If you use a Radio Shack 5ft tripod and are careful of the placement, you can mount the feet over the rafters and run the lag screws into the rafters. ( 2x 10's on my house ) If you coat the bottom of the feet with roof cement and dip the screws into it as well you can get a really good seal. Also coat the top of the feet and screw heads with more roof cement. I've had one on my roof for years with no leaks.

The masts come in both 5 and 10 foot sections and fit together. I used one of each, I drilled a small hole in the overlapping sections and ran a stainless steel sheet metal screw through both masts and then grounded the whole thing.

Maybe time for me to take down the old ratty TV antenna and put up a Scantenna?

Regards

Michael

 

[kb2vxa]

Hi guys,

Tech Two has a perfectly good idea, I put up several antennas that way and one was a 50' guyed monster TV antenna. The moment it was secured it got the acid test, a storm came across the bay, wind howled and for a few minutes I sheltered in my car from the biting sand storm. Then came the rain, well, you get the picture but there it stood through about 20 more years of our famous coastal storms. That looks like a modern roof, shingles over plywood so 1/4 X 3" lag screws should do it for the tripod and if you guy the mast 1/4 X 3" eye bolts are in order. Do I need remind you of turnbuckles and cable clamps? Don't forget the tar, pigeons will supply the feathers when your wife runs you out of town on a rail. (;->)

Alternately that corner of the roof is ideal for a peak roof mount, choose a strong one and heavy wall aluminium EMT from an electrical supply house makes a very durable mast. 10' sections thread together with coupling sleeves but you have to guy at each coupling so it's only practical to use a single section. Otherwise that Rat Shack steel TV antenna mast works well but it tends to rust. Hanyhoo, that's what we used for the monster but it was guyed top and center.

Oh, lest I forget, heavywall EMT follows no logical size specifications so bring a ruler and measure the diameter before you start pulling sections from the rack.

 

[Al42]

u got a chimney? if u do the chimney mount would be the best if ur not wanting to put holes in ur roof

The sulphur coming out of a chimney produces very dilute suphuric acid (since there's very little sulphur in natural gas or heating oil) above the chimney. Unless the antenna is about 50 feet above the top of the chimney, and there's always a wind blowing, a chimney mount is an easy way to rot your coax and antenna in a short time.

If it's a fireplace chimney, and you actually use the fireplace, it's even worse.