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Old 22-Oct-2015, 12:20 PM   #1
NthrnNYker
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Mast Mounting help ?

Well, I am about to install the giant HD8200 antenna (as per the expert recommendations of rabbit73. ADTech, and Tower Guy) at the gable end of my house, and in attempting to plan the mounting procedure -- I find I'm a bit out of my depth, believe it or not

What I have to work with --

10' x 1 1/4" tower mast (to be cut in two pieces)
2x twelve inch wall mast mounting stand-offs.

and finally, the antennacraft rotator system

Firstly -- given the enormous size of this antenna -- will guide wires be a necessity ? ( I don't really want to poke holes through the shingles if I can avoid it -- but will if the experts feel I must ) I am not in a particularly high-wind area -- but the occasional thunderstorm in the summer might generate winds of 30-40 MPH. That said, I feel the antenna needs to be mounted at least 5 feet above the roof-line given the occasional snow accumulations upon the roof during winter storms up here in the wilds of Northern NY of 2-3 feet...accumulations that, given the brutal cold of the Northern NY winters -- will sometimes last through to spring.


Second -- how far apart vertically should the two wall mount brackets be mounted to the wall in order to provide the most stable platform for the antenna ? (if necessary, I can get another piece of mast pipe for the section above the rotor)


Third -- mounting the rotator -- given the enormous size of this antenna and the height above the roof-line --- will the installation of a thrust bearing along with the rotor be a necessity ? (although, from all my research -- these thrust bearings are exceedingly difficult to find nowadays) -- should I leave a section of the bottom pipe above the rotor for future installation of this thrust bearing when and if I can find one ?

And finally -- and I know this sounds inane --- should the pre-amp be mounted above or below the antenna rotor ?

Thanks in advance -- once again -- for all of your help.

Karl
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Old 22-Oct-2015, 12:42 PM   #2
Jake V
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Link to earlier thread: http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=15777
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Old 22-Oct-2015, 2:42 PM   #3
ADTech
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You're going to need a whole lot more "beef" than that, all three items.
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Old 22-Oct-2015, 6:20 PM   #4
NthrnNYker
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ADTech View Post
You're going to need a whole lot more "beef" than that, all three items.
Ah, I was wrong -- I have 1 1/2" galvanized plumbing pipe -- the really, really thick-walled stuff -- scavenged it off my dad's house when he converted to copper water lines ---- not 1 1/4" as I initially said.

Now, I just ran a thick 3" wide angle-iron strap across the top 3' of my eaves where it comes to a peak and I will also u-clamp the support mast to that angle iron as well (and strap the support mast to the very peak as well). With these four points on the support mast fixed securely to the house....I'm thinking cutting 2' off the 10' pipe (the 2' section to be used to mount the boom of the antenna to the rotor) and then mounting the lower 12" standoff wall mount at a point along the wall so that 2 feet of the 8' portion of the support mast protrudes over the peak of the roof -- about 5 feet down along the gable end of the house..... then mount the other standoff mid-point from the lower standoff and the angle iron strap at the peak.

I don't really see what else I can do to secure and support that mast, other than run that mast the entire 25' length to the ground and set it in a concrete slab..... and at that point, might as well walk away from this endeavor as something fit only for an structural engineer...I'll pay that $12 a month to cable for that much trouble.

Now, as for the antenna thrust bearing for the antenna rotor -- for the life of me, I cannot locate one of these anywhere -- not on the internet, not locally. I'm thinking that I might devise one of my own using a couple readily available 1 1/2" pillow block using my welding skills to make it work -- not a perfect solution, but better than nothing -- unless one of you guys have any ideas ? Or will this impediment preclude the use of the rotor at all ?

Karl

Last edited by NthrnNYker; 22-Oct-2015 at 6:47 PM.
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Old 22-Oct-2015, 6:51 PM   #5
ADTech
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That pipe and mount sounds a whole lot better!

The rotor is the remaining issue. Most likely, an inexpensive rotor won't last very long with a very large antenna like that on it. There's enough mass to it that the rotor's motor and brakes likely won't survive long and that's even if you install a thrust bearing. If the budget permits it, using an entry-level amateur radio rotor will make your life a lot easier in the future.
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Old 22-Oct-2015, 7:10 PM   #6
NthrnNYker
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ADTech View Post
That pipe and mount sounds a whole lot better!

The rotor is the remaining issue. Most likely, an inexpensive rotor won't last very long with a very large antenna like that on it. There's enough mass to it that the rotor's motor and brakes likely won't survive long and that's even if you install a thrust bearing. If the budget permits it, using an entry-level amateur radio rotor will make your life a lot easier in the future.
WHEW ! I thought this last ditch effort to salvage my endeavor wasn't going to be sufficient ... again, WHEW !

As far as the rotor goes -- indeed, it is a budget AntennaCraft rotor that I just purchased for $29 clearance from Radio Shack........that said -- as evidenced from my TVFool report -- channels 6 (WRGB-CBS),7(WXXA-FOX),10(WTEN-ABC),13(WNYT-NBC) (and a couple others) are all in a direct line at 191 degrees.... there is a couple more distant stations at angles that deviate from that 191 degrees by 15 degrees or so in either direction...so, needless to say--- the rotor is not likely to get much use -- a few times a year, and only a few degrees change at a time.....there is pretty much nothing else in any other direction. I probably would have been quite satisfied to go without a rotor, but given the deal I managed to get -- I thought I would add one. Believe me, if I had to pay the full $129 cost for this rotor, I would have given it a pass. I had the impression tho, from towerguy--- that the flexing of the antenna would completely snap the rotor mast mount because the rotor was not built solidly enough.

God I'm so glad it will now work ..I'm so relieved ! ! !

Thank you, ADTech.

Karl

Last edited by NthrnNYker; 22-Oct-2015 at 7:22 PM.
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Old 22-Oct-2015, 8:23 PM   #7
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I'm not a TV rotator expert but I'd guess that the short mast in the rotator elimibates the need for a thrust bearing. I also agree that the antenna is likely to be aimed at the Helderbergs most of the time.

I'd mount the preamp below the rotator. That way the RG-6 jumper can be replaced if it wears out or is damaged.
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Old 22-Oct-2015, 11:22 PM   #8
No static at all
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Keep the mast above the rotor as short as possible. I suggest no more than 1-1.5 feet total.
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Old 26-Oct-2015, 10:33 PM   #9
NthrnNYker
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Well, got the mast, antenna, rotor, & pre-amp mounted on the roof -- and here is the results (oh, and I ended up mounting the pre-amp above the rotor -- I mistakenly picked up the wrong length of patch cable from the balun to the pre-amp )

http://forum.tvfool.com/attachment.p...1&d=1445898662

Now have to run the coax and the rotor control wire, and the ground block & wire ---- and it's goodbye cable box !

I'm getting to old to crawl on roofs -- my legs are STILL shaking
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