Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael-60
Summit includes 50 feet of coax.
|
I believe the free coax they give away is RG59, which is not very good cable (poorly shielded and twice as much loss per foot compared to RG6). If you need more cable, you should make sure you get RG6 instead.
Quote:
|
Any experience with Summit?
|
They seem to have a decent reputation if you know what you're looking for. SolidSignal.com is another reputable source. WarrenElectronics.com is yet another.
From a signal standpoint, you can't get too big of an antenna. The signals are not strong enough to make me worry about getting too much signal (overloading). More antenna should give you more margin for error (signal-wise) so that your signals are very reliable and have very few instances of pixellation or drop-out.
Big antennas can get a little difficult to handle / install. I recommend having a friend or two over to help with the installation when the antennas get big. The HD7697P is about 11 feet long and 4.5 feet wide, and it weighs about 13 pounds (can you hold 10 pounds over your head with one hand for 5 minutes?).
As the antennas get bigger, you need to be more mindful of the strength of your mount. High winds and bird landings will stress the mount if not installed well. Best thing to do is to keep the mast as short as possible. The antenna should be about 4-5 feet above the roof. No need to make the mast any taller than that. Make sure nuts and screws are snug to minimize antenna movement / rotation in the wind. Strap down loose coax (without crushing the cable) to prevent unnecessary blowing / fatigue / tugging in bad weather.
And while we're on the subject of installation hints/tips... Also be sure to weather-proof any exposed connectors. If any moisture gets into the connectors or coax, it can create water droplets inside that will interfere with the signal.
A few simple precautionary measures can make the system last a very long time.