Antenna Installation Pointers

ItsNannerpuss

New Member
Original poster
Oct 27, 2010
3
0
USA
I'm scheduled to have a new HDTV antenna installed on my home next week. I've never had an antenna before, nor have I worked with these installers. What should I watch for while they work? How do I know they're doing the job correctly, or alternatively, what might be signs that they're inexperienced or taking shortcuts? Any tips?
 
The question comes up as to how they are going to mount the antenna. Some have it strapped to a chimney. Some have the pole bolted to the side of the house. I would not want it on a tripod with roof penetrations. Also consider how they get the coax into the house. Does it go through a grounding block?

It is essentially the same as installing a DBS dish. Many of the same considerations.
 
The question comes up as to how they are going to mount the antenna. Some have it strapped to a chimney. Some have the pole bolted to the side of the house. I would not want it on a tripod with roof penetrations. Also consider how they get the coax into the house. Does it go through a grounding block?

It is essentially the same as installing a DBS dish. Many of the same considerations.

If a chimney mount, is it a brick chimney? Bricks are held by concrete and that has poor strength when being stretched. Ive seen several chimneys come down in high winds when a big antenna was attached.

Make sure the antenna is grounded to its own ground rod with reasonable gauge wire. preferably woven ground strapping. A grounding block for the coax is necessary, but not sufficient. You are basically putting a lightning rod on your roof, and you need to make sure it works properly. If not, it is a fire hazard.
 
Well, my antenna has been installed. It's working even better than I expected, and overall I'm very happy with the results. The installers were very friendly and professional, and seemed to know what they were doing.

I do have one or two concerns, however. They did use the existing ground block for the coax run, so that's good, but there was no additional ground cabling run. I know jayn_j recommended a separate ground, and I've seen that mentioned elsewhere as well. Some people insist on it, while others say that no cabling is going to be full protection from a lightning strike, so the best you can do is draw out static electricity to make the antenna a less likely target. Should I complain about this?

Also, my installation is tripod style. It's not their fault at all; it's really the only option given the style of my house/roof. But, I'm still mildly concerned about anything that has to penetrate the roof. I plan on checking in the attic for signs of leakage occasionally, but are there any other precautions I should take?
 
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