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masts (for putting an antenna indoors)
- Thread starter Rob
- Start date
Why would you mount an outdoor antenna indoors on a mast? Just unfold it and set it on a non-metallic support (like sawhorses or cinder blocks etc.). Optionally, you could also sink some wallboard screws in the ceiling and suspend it.
Don't know what you mean by "how do they ship" but large outdoor antennas usually come folded up in a cardboard box 6 or 8 inches on a side. I would think any shipping company (UPS, FedEx etc.) would accept them for shipment. Check Frys.com.
Another option.....if the space above your "other room" ceiling is open enough and has access you might consider placing the antenna in that space (or any other convenient open space) and running the coax down to your receiver.
Don't know what you mean by "how do they ship" but large outdoor antennas usually come folded up in a cardboard box 6 or 8 inches on a side. I would think any shipping company (UPS, FedEx etc.) would accept them for shipment. Check Frys.com.
Another option.....if the space above your "other room" ceiling is open enough and has access you might consider placing the antenna in that space (or any other convenient open space) and running the coax down to your receiver.
You mean it is usually outside but you want to bring it inside when there's a storm?
In that case I'd suggest mounting it on a short (5') aluminum mast and when you bring it inside place the mast in a large Christmas tree stand (with long legs for tip-proof support).
I'd think that folding/unfolding the elements would eventually destroy that relatively soft aluminum though. Not to mention knocking your wife's family pictures off the hall wall on the way inside. ;D
In that case I'd suggest mounting it on a short (5') aluminum mast and when you bring it inside place the mast in a large Christmas tree stand (with long legs for tip-proof support).
I'd think that folding/unfolding the elements would eventually destroy that relatively soft aluminum though. Not to mention knocking your wife's family pictures off the hall wall on the way inside. ;D
Don't bother putting it inside. I had an antenna at my house and another one at my office. They were on mast about 10 feet above the eve with only one bracket supporting them. I think they are both 8 feet long, one might be 6 feet. Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis didn't move them at all.
You could also take one up into your attic collapsed and then open the elements and mount it. I've seen several in this area, they work under asphalt shingle roofs and since all the TV stations are in the same direction you don't need a rotor on it.
A few years back I set up an antenna at my cabin near Tallahassee after dark. I just opened the elements and sat it on top of a picnic table. It worked fine. When I put it up on a 20 foot mast the next day it didn't improve my reception of local channels very much but it did help with out of market reception.
You could also take one up into your attic collapsed and then open the elements and mount it. I've seen several in this area, they work under asphalt shingle roofs and since all the TV stations are in the same direction you don't need a rotor on it.
A few years back I set up an antenna at my cabin near Tallahassee after dark. I just opened the elements and sat it on top of a picnic table. It worked fine. When I put it up on a 20 foot mast the next day it didn't improve my reception of local channels very much but it did help with out of market reception.
Start out inside as you are talking about. Look for a Christmas tree stand for a large tree. That will hold the mast just like it would the end of either a )used to be) live tree or an artificial tree. [If the instructions say put water in the stand to keep the tree from drying out, don't worry. The antenna is self-hydrating.]
This will make it very easy to turn the antenna in various directions as needed.
If it turns out that you do not get the reception you were hoping for, then take a look at the suggestions you have received that would have you mount the antenna on the outside. From your description of winds I assume you live in hurricane country. What do you get..... two hurricanes every five years? If you mount it outside use mounting brackets that make it possible to take in down and bring it in during hurricanes. I live in tornado areas and that's what we do with the umbrella over the table out on the deck.
Don't over complicate life.
This will make it very easy to turn the antenna in various directions as needed.
If it turns out that you do not get the reception you were hoping for, then take a look at the suggestions you have received that would have you mount the antenna on the outside. From your description of winds I assume you live in hurricane country. What do you get..... two hurricanes every five years? If you mount it outside use mounting brackets that make it possible to take in down and bring it in during hurricanes. I live in tornado areas and that's what we do with the umbrella over the table out on the deck.
Don't over complicate life.
K
kenglish
Guest
By the time you move an antenna inside, you've lost about 95% of the signal that you would have had (considering the better signal up high and in the clear, as well as the de-tuning caused by indoor building materials, and the indoor interference generated by all the modern-day "stuff" in a house.
But, if you HAVE to go in an attic.....
Try a pair of those "M"-shaped standoff mounts, and a standard piece of 1-1/4-inch antenna mast. Cut the mast to fit in the middle of the attic, and put one bracket at the roof trusses, and one on the ceiling joists (line them up plumb with a string and a small weight). You might have to cut a piece of 2x8 to go across the joists.
That way, you can raise or lower the antenna to the best location. Usually, higher is better.
As an alternative, use a long (about 32" version) J-mount, similar to the ones DBS dishes go on. Screw it down to a piece of 2x6 or 2x8 across the joists (or, hang it down from the roof trusses). When you find the best spot, use some nails or dry-wall screws to anchor the board in place.
Be sure to ground the antenna and brackets, just like outside installations. Lightning just travelled thousands of feet through non-conductive air. It could care less about that inch and a half of roofing material...it wants your TV set!
But, if you HAVE to go in an attic.....
Try a pair of those "M"-shaped standoff mounts, and a standard piece of 1-1/4-inch antenna mast. Cut the mast to fit in the middle of the attic, and put one bracket at the roof trusses, and one on the ceiling joists (line them up plumb with a string and a small weight). You might have to cut a piece of 2x8 to go across the joists.
That way, you can raise or lower the antenna to the best location. Usually, higher is better.
As an alternative, use a long (about 32" version) J-mount, similar to the ones DBS dishes go on. Screw it down to a piece of 2x6 or 2x8 across the joists (or, hang it down from the roof trusses). When you find the best spot, use some nails or dry-wall screws to anchor the board in place.
Be sure to ground the antenna and brackets, just like outside installations. Lightning just travelled thousands of feet through non-conductive air. It could care less about that inch and a half of roofing material...it wants your TV set!
For solid HD TV you'll probably need an attic mounted or rooftop yagi. If your trying to get good reception of radio from Panama City, Dothan or Biloxi, I wouldn't waste any money trying an indoor or attic mounted antenna. I'd go with a rooftop with a good new cable that is as short as possible. Most Mobile, Panama City, and Biloxi stations are grouped close enough together so you could point the antenna in one direction and get good reception. Dothan's stations are kinda scattered around, so you'd need to have a way to rotate your antenna if you're looking for more than a few stations. I just leave the mounting bracket a little loose so I can turn the antenna by hand. After a while you kinda know which direction the stations are in if you can't see the TV or hear the radio while outside turning your antenna. I've never used a high grade amplifier, but I've never gotten anything useful out of a standard radio shack antenna amp.robfwb said:
From Gulf Breeze, at about 30 feet above sea level, I can pick up all the local HD TV stations including WEIQ. I can't get a usable TV signal from any adjacent market without tropo. I can pick up good signals from most of the 50kw or stronger FMs from Biloxi, Panama City, and Dothan. I can also get some of the smaller stations scattered around south Alabama and a couple of Montgomery and Hattiesburg stations. The only FM station I use my rooftop antenna for is 92 ZEW. WFFY makes it impossible to pick up WZEW in Florida without a rooftop directional antenna. I doubt you could get it down your way though.
i'll tell you this: i can see my neighbour's roofs from the room here. this house is about the highest here. with a cheap antenna, i got some DX as well as 3, 5, 8 (mobile NBC WPMI),9 (pensacola - PBS) TBN, CTN, and channel 15 out of gulf breeze, the CW affi. (with break up)
there was 0 VHF coverage though. but UHF in my bedroom (no computer QRM) was solid! i even saw APT as well as a station from orlando on 9.1 and 9.2!
Here's panama: i think this is UHF:
http://www.cband.info/photos/DX/WMBB-DT-(weak-signal).jpg
http://www.cband.info/photos/DX/WTVY-Weak-Sig.jpg
-Rob
there was 0 VHF coverage though. but UHF in my bedroom (no computer QRM) was solid! i even saw APT as well as a station from orlando on 9.1 and 9.2!
Here's panama: i think this is UHF:
http://www.cband.info/photos/DX/WMBB-DT-(weak-signal).jpg
http://www.cband.info/photos/DX/WTVY-Weak-Sig.jpg
-Rob
If it's DTV you're looking for then you want a big UHF rooftop yagi antenna. All the stations are close enough together that you shouldn't have to turn the antenna to tune an individual station. The only VHF DTV stations we have around here are WALA Fox 10 and WBQP-LP channel 7. WBQP-LP runs 4 dtv channels from a transmitter in the "car city" area of Pensacola. I only get about 45% signal strength on WBQP here in Gulf Breeze, so you probably won't get it WALA-DT is running on channel 9 which should come in at 60-70% on a UHF tuned antenna but having a UHF antenna should get you around 90% signal strength on everything else except WEIQ, which has much lower power (and height) than the other stations. I don't know if Panama City stations are going to be UHF or VHF next year, but I assume they'll still be trying to put a strong signal into the Destin area, so you might be able to get them.
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