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So if I understand correctly, grounding block/rods at the base of the tree, where the coax enters the house, and messenger cable if I use it.
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Probably no grounding block for the coax shield at the base of the tree, but grounding of the mast is a good idea at the hilltop because it is an elevated exposed area.
Some information on grounding on this forum:
General Technical & Safety Information
http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=901
Grounding Question
http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=14748
And since your antenna will be at the top of the hill, here is a good reference:
Amateur Radio Station Grounding and Lightning Protection
http://www.bwcelectronics.com/articles/WP30A190.pdf
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1. The guy at Lowes said a piece of rebar would work just fine as a ground rod. Is he an idiot?
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It will work if the connection is good. Electricians use an 8 ft grounding rod to meet NEC specs; a 4 ft rod is too short.
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2. Where/how is the best place to mount the antenna(s) on the tree? Trunk? Horizontal branch and using what hardware?
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If the branches are high, then on the trunk. You don't have to use a tree; you could use a metal mast. It is difficult for me to visualize your area at the top of the hill. You will need to use your own creativity.
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3. The instructions for the preamp state the indoor power supply cant be more than 150' away, yet mine will greatly exceed that. Is that ok, or is that why I'm going with the solid copper core?
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The rule-of-thumb is that the solid copper core gives you twice the distance as copper coated steel. What it boils down to is this: is there enough voltage at the preamp for proper operation? Many of the new preamps use more current (300 mA, meaning more voltage drop) than the older preamps, like the original CM7777 (125 mA). My original CM7777 is very tolerant of reduced voltage. Pete Higgins has made some tests of his RCA preamps for current and voltage, attachment #4. He has a thread on this forum about it:
RCA TVPRAMP1R Amplifier
http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=13530
To give you an accurate answer, I would need to make measurements at your location.
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4. If I want to split the signal 3 or 4 ways (2, possibly 3 tv's and FM tuner), will I need an additional drop amplifier at the end of a 300-400' coax run to distribute it effectively, or is the preamp by the antenna enough?
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A drop amp will probably be needed, like the CM341x series. Try without a drop amp with just one TV. Do you have a TV that has a signal strength indicator to give you an idea of how weak the signal can be just before dropout? If the run is 300-400 ft, then you have now graduated to RG11 coax or even 75 ohm hardline that cable companies use for long runs. Calaveras (AA6G) of avsforum.com uses hardline for his long run; 480 ft of 1/2 inch hardline. See attachment #1.
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5. On the note of FM, I read that if I join two antennas together pointed in different directions, I should turn the FM switch off of the preamp to avoid reduced performance. How would I go about incorporating FM reception into my set-up in light of that?
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That's not a good idea for your situation. Keep the FM separate for simplicity. However, Calaveras made it work as you can see in his diagram, but he is a lot smarter than I am. Attachment #2 is your FM signals down the hill; attachment #3 is your FM signals up the hill. KSHA, 104.3, is very strong.