Opinion question...antenna and antenna placement.

[TheJerk]

I have been off the air too long, finally just put up my little telescopic antenna just to get real local stuff. I live in an area that typically receives several snow/sleet/ice storms every winter.

Here are my options (roof mounting is not an option):

Install a short tower to about 20 feet...either install my ST2 (which most likely won't last long here between wind/ice) or install a single stainless steel whip. This will require significant grounding (as discussed in other threads) and a significant run of coax (about 100 feet) to do it correctly.

Install the ST2 in the 3rd floor walk-in attic (very easy to do) with about 25 feet of RG8U. I could also do a simple/custom wire dipole (up to 50 feet long) in this location, if it would offer me anything better. (on a side note, how would I ground this antenna? Would tying into the house ground be sufficient?)

While the antenna would be inside, it would be physically higher than any tower I would install. However, we get snow here quite a bit, and I'm not sure how that would affect reception with a snow covered roof.

Thoughts? I'm leaning toward installing in the attic, and forgetting about the tower.

 

[TheJerk]

No suggestions?

 

[killmoles]

I'll vote for the ST2 in the attic.

As far as grounding goes, where is your radio located and what do you have available for a good ground near there? I've done similar setups myself and the way I did it was to place a coaxial surge protector near the radio and ground that.

 

[TheJerk]

As far as grounding goes, where is your radio located and what do you have available for a good ground near there? I've done similar setups myself and the way I did it was to place a coaxial surge protector near the radio and ground that.

Still contemplating location...

The radio is currently on the second floor, directly above my outside ground rod. The available ground would be at a receptacle (short running a dedicated ground wire to the second/third floor along the exterior wall). I was thinking of grounding the antenna to the receptacle located in the attic, and placing a ground lug for the coax near the radio (also grounded to a receptacle). This would be easy enough to do with a three prong plug, and simply utilize only the ground prong.

If I place the radio on the first floor, I would most likely run the coax outside, down an exterior wall near the ground rod, and bond the coax to the ground rod, then return into the house to the radio. It would mean more coax obviously, but probably no more than 10 or so extra feet.

On a side note, how does radio equipment actually ground to house wiring?? Being the power supply is through a transformer (wall wart), there isn't a real direct connection to the house wiring is there?? They don't have a dedicated ground prong...what am I missing?

 

[Monster75]

i also say attic install.... i have my antenna int eh attic and it works great its in my walk in attic on the 3rd floor... and i must say reception is great no need to worry about weather and the antenna also if i ever wanna switch antennas its easy walk in the attic and work there.... i dont have the antenna or radio grounded... i just have the radio plugged into one of them surge protectors for like ten bucks at wall mart... plugged my radio in and thats it. i also have the lmr cable running inside the house.... i have drilled a hole in the attic floor in the corner of the room, then ran cable threw that. then drilled another hole in that rooms floor to run cable threw that and down to first floor... that way all connections are in side....

 

[gmclam]

When it comes to antenna location, altitude is everything EXCEPT ...

- If the higher location is somehow blocked, such as by a large building or mountain toward where you want to receive from.

- If you have to run so much more downlead that the extra signal strength you get from the higher antenna is lost through the coax anyway.

Regarding putting the antenna in the attic; I would say the signal could be adversely affected depending on the bands/frequencies you are trying to receive. If you have a metal roof or siding, that would not be good. If by being in the attic, your signal path is also blocked because of a mountain/etc whereas it wouldn't on the tower; that should be considered.

 

[gmclam]

On a side note, how does radio equipment actually ground to house wiring??

It doesn't.

Being the power supply is through a transformer (wall wart), there isn't a real direct connection to the house wiring is there?? They don't have a dedicated ground prong...what am I missing?

Don't confuse the ground of the antenna with a need for Earth ground. A base antenna typically has ground radials that are the ground portion of the antenna. The biggest reason people connect an antenna's ground (coax shield) to Earth ground is for lightning protection. If lightning was to strike your antenna, it will find the "shortest" (least resistive) path to ground. You don't want that to be through your radio equipment (or you).

I might question the need for a ground on an antenna in the attic. If I was going to do it though, I'd find the closest cold water pipe (there are plenty of those in my attic). If installing an outside antenna on a tower, you have a nice direct ground to the bottom of the tower as long as the tower is not sitting on an insulating surface.

 

[TheJerk]

It doesn't.

Don't confuse the ground of the antenna with a need for Earth ground. A base antenna typically has ground radials that are the ground portion of the antenna. The biggest reason people connect an antenna's ground (coax shield) to Earth ground is for lightning protection. If lightning was to strike your antenna, it will find the "shortest" (least resistive) path to ground. You don't want that to be through your radio equipment (or you).

I might question the need for a ground on an antenna in the attic. If I was going to do it though, I'd find the closest cold water pipe (there are plenty of those in my attic). If installing an outside antenna on a tower, you have a nice direct ground to the bottom of the tower as long as the tower is not sitting on an insulating surface.

I'm not confusing rf grounding with electrical grounding...that's my intent, electrically ground the system.

I can now see why RF equipment won't bleed off static, if there is no connection to ground. And that's the reason for the grounding required by NEC. I was trying to following NEC grounding requirements, even though the system is inside...it is still isolated and elevated.

Thanks