- Joined
- Mar 22, 2018
- Messages
- 181
Hello all,
After 4 years of sitting in my closet disassembled, my Tram 1411 Discone is going to be installed on top of my building, and I am looking for some advice to do it right so I don't have to go back up on that sketchy roof after it's done.
First some info:
Let me know if you need any more info.
Thanks!
After 4 years of sitting in my closet disassembled, my Tram 1411 Discone is going to be installed on top of my building, and I am looking for some advice to do it right so I don't have to go back up on that sketchy roof after it's done.
First some info:
- I already have 50 ft of RG-8X from when I got the antenna originally
- Depending on how I run the cable, the final length from antenna to equipment will be anywhere from 30-50ft
- This building has a prominent gambrel roof that covers the entire 2nd level, which means I can either tap a hole in my roof and lead the cable directly down the wall by my desk totaling 30ft, or I would have to run the cable down the roof to the 1st level and back up into the living space on level 2, adding almost 15-20ft of cable (45-50ft total).
- This will be a largely Rx only system, with a small possibility of some very light 2m/70cm Tx-ing in the distant future.
- Equipment connected will almost exclusively consist of Uniden SDS200 scanner and/or an SDR (Only 1 device will be connected at a time currently, because I don't want to pay for a multi-coupler at this time)
- Fortunately my location is pretty advantageous; I live on top of a hill, and the building is 23ft tall; the antenna will sit atop a 10ft steel conduit strapped to a 3ft J-Pole, mounted near the roof's peak. (If you can recommend a better mounting solution, please do.)
- I wish to explore the spectrum as much as I can between 30 and 900 Mhz with the SDR, as well as scan public safety with the Uniden (CHP, Local Agencies on VHF, plus the Sacramento 800Mhz P25 System [Whose nearest site is about 10 miles away]) {Also, being able to receive some HF would be cool too, but I understand that it is not likely}
- Is this even the proper antenna for my wants/needs? Are there others I should consider?
- If this antenna is a good one, should I use the top aerial or leave it off?
- Would it be worth it to punch through the roof for the shorter run? If so, how would I seal the opening?
- Is my current RG-8X sufficient for either length? Should I get better cable?
- Would getting a preamp be a good idea?
- How should I implement a lightning arrester?
Let me know if you need any more info.
Thanks!