Cable clamp question

[schillin]

Hello

I'm planning to mount a Diamond discone to the side of my house using an eave mount

http://www.tvantenna.com/products/tvreception/mounting/eavemounts.html

I'll be running LMR 400 cable vertically from the ground to the eave mount. I'm doing the same with #6 wire for a lightning ground. Can you recommend the best clamps to attach these cables to the side of the house? The house has vinyl siding.

The house is white. I'm trying to make this this look nice without the wife complaining. One option is to run the mast from ground level, up 28 feet to the top of the eave, and then run the cables down the middle of the mast. Anybody tried this?

Thanks

Chris Schilling

Midland MI

 

[kb2vxa]

Since the house is white some white PVC tubing will disguise the wiring nicely and look neat too. It can be held in place with conduit clamps and screws available at the hardware store. A bit of Rustoleum sprayed front and back before installing them turns them white and offers good protection from those nasty brown rust stains.

 

[Taloniilm]

Here's how I did my setup. I found white plastic cable clamps @ Lowes, they worked out to be just the right size for the LMR 400. To avoid corrosion, I used stainless steel #10 screws. You can also see in the pic that I ran the feedline inside my mast. I just got some longer stainless screws and drilled the mast to accomodate the connector at the bottom of the antenna. I used dialectic grease on all connections and wrapped them all with "F-4" tape...Hope this helps you with your project

 

[OceanaRadio]

I've been maintaining a similar antenna mast configuration as pictured above for about 15 years now, and find it safer to lay down on the edge of the roof-ridge than to service the mast from a ladder, and my peak happens to be 28' also. It's a one-man job in failrly still air and a balancing act, but you have a much safer position with a lot of leverage laying down looking over the edge. If a freak wind kicked up and takes the antenna and mast away from you, just let it go. Unlike the perch at the top of a very tall ladder, you will be in no danger laying down along the roof peak. For the lightning grounds only, I recommend either conductive copper grease or nothing at all, as dielectric is an insulator and should not be used in mechanical connections for lightning grounds. The clamp to attach the copper wire to the ground rod are also sold at Lowe's and HD. Make sure you allow enough ground wire length to U-bolt/clamp it securely to the mast in a spot you can easily access when you need to disconnect it for servicing the mast or antenna.

Jack

 

[schillin]

Thanks everyone, for your very helpful suggestions.

This forum is great because of exactly this type of help.

Great idea, kb2vxa, regarding the white PVC and rustoleum. I never would have thought of this.


Taloniilm, I really appreciate your picture. I had a question.....when I zoom in on the photo, I see what looks like it could be a second wire coming out of the bottom of the mast and stretching over to the house wall, where it looks like it goes through the siding and into the house. Is this your lightning ground? Where does the other end of the wire go?

Also, I can't tell from the photo whether the black antenna cable goes through the siding into the house or if it is tucked under the trim between the eave and the wall. How did you route the antenna wire?

Also, Taloniilm, great idea about the plastic cable clamps and stainless screws.

What is f4 tape?

OceanaRadio, great idea about laying down on the peak of the roof. Frankly, I'm not too crazy about attaching the mast to the eave while standing way up on a ladder. But here's the problem, my roof is steep. It's kind of like the picture that Taloniilm shows, pretty steep. I'm not sure footed and I worry about slipping and falling. Here's dumb question.....I have no problem getting on a ladder that runs up to the gutter at the bottom of the roofline. I need to figure out some way of getting from the bottom of the roofline to the peak of the roof. Once I'm there, I have no problem laying down and doing the work you suggest. Is there a way to lay a ladder down flat on the roof surface while hooking it over the eave?

Thanks

 

[Dubbin]

Get a couple big hunks of foam (old cushions) and scoot your way up the roof on that. They work great and will keep you from sliding back down. That or a ladder that will reach the peak.

 

[kb2vxa]

Hi again,

Re: Ray H, (KI4WBT)

That looks very much like my old house only it was a CB antenna. Before PVC I ran RG-8U inside thin wall steel EMT just like an electrical service entrance, cobra cap, entrance ell through the wall and all. I painted it with brown Rustoleum to match the siding and not only was it aesthetically pleasing but kept pins out of the coax as well. CBers are like that you know, they even have midnight antenna parties so one must take precautions.

"Get a couple big hunks of foam (old cushions) and scoot your way up the roof on that."

Laurel and Hardy did that with pillows.

"They work great and will keep you from sliding back down."

That's what they thought.

"That or a ladder that will reach the peak."

Do like roofers do, put those big hooks on the end of a section of extension ladder and hook them over the peak, you'll be glad you did. Just to be on the safe side bribe the expendable baby brother to go up there, then remove the ladder until he finishes the job.

 

[Dubbin]

"Get a couple big hunks of foam (old cushions) and scoot your way up the roof on that."

Laurel and Hardy did that with pillows.

"They work great and will keep you from sliding back down."

That's what they thought.

Well the cushions must work better then a pillow then. Back in the day when I was a roofer thats what we used. They really do work great at keeping you from sliding off the roof.

 

[schillin]

Cushions or ladder hooks

I'm wondering about the cushion / pillow thing.

Do you just carry one up on the roof and scoot on it? Or do you strap it on to your waist somehow?

Regarding the big hooks on the end of the extension ladder....the ones that hook over the peak of the roof.......where I can I get some of these?

Thanks

 

[Dubbin]

I'm wondering about the cushion / pillow thing.

Do you just carry one up on the roof and scoot on it? Or do you strap it on to your waist somehow?

Regarding the big hooks on the end of the extension ladder....the ones that hook over the peak of the roof.......where I can I get some of these?

Thanks

The best way to do it is to have two cushions. While sitting on one place the other one in front of you, move on to that then repeat. I guarantee that you can not scoot up the roof with one strapped to your butt.

I'm sure you can find the hooks at Lowes.

 

[hoser147]

Just ask them for Roof ladder hooks. They may try and sell ya a new ladder but that shouldnt be necessary........Hoser

 

[schillin]

THANKS a million, everybody!!

 

[Taloniilm]

Sorry about the delay in responding to your questions Shillen... Been a busy the past couple of days trying to get a 1967 International Scout project completed and delivered to the owner, (2 years total time of the build). To answer your questions... the LMR400 is tucked inside the trim. The other wire which is also tucked under the trim is braided copper that sreves as my ground, terminating to a 4 ft copper ground rod , ( I know probably not the smartest thing to do but I wanted to hide as much of the wiring as possible). F4 tape is a soft rubber type tape that when wrapped tightly creates a water proof seal,,,great stuff. Total height AGL, (Above Ground Level) is about 30ft. You can also see that I drilled a hole in the lower bracket for the feedline to pass through. It's protected from chaffing by a rubber gromet. I seem to have lost the pics of the feedline routing and entry to the house. I'll take some tomorrow and post. My ground set up is pretty basic, I attached the braded copper wire to one the mast attachment u-bolts with a simple crimp on eye connector that I soldered on. same at the ground rod.
BTW here's a shot of my "North End configuration"

 

[Taloniilm]

As promised here's a few more pics depicting my feedline routing, hope this gives you some ideas...

 

[schillin]

Nice pictures Taloniilm.

Thanks a bunch.

I notice you have a Davis weather station. How do you like it? Is it connected to the internet by one of those programs like wunderground.com?

Also, it looks like 2 radio shack discones. They look nice on the tower. What are these connected to?

 

[Grog]

Also, it looks like 2 radio shack discones. They look nice on the tower. What are these connected to?

Slight correction, I think those are the RS VHF 1/4 wave scanner antennas that had the little stubs for higher frequencies. A discone usually has many more radials.

 

[Taloniilm]

Thanks for the comments... I really have gotten alot of use from the weather station, (Davis 6152). so far I really like it. Those are RS, (20-174) "Sputniks" on the North end mast. I have the West antenna hooked up to a BCT-15 while the one on the East end is connected to a RS-2006. I'm using Phillips RG6 quad shield, (Walmart) as feedline. Same grounding setup as the Diamond/ LMR 400/ BCD 996T, on the south end of my house. The wire strung between masts is for shortwave. I haven't put the WX station online yet but hope to in the near future... My "antenna farm" is something I've had in my head for along time and as always is a work in progress