Is your homeowners association pressuring you about antennas

cmslick3

SatelliteGuys Family
Original poster
Apr 9, 2004
98
0
Chicago area
If you live in a new subdivision and your homeowners association is try to deny you the right to mount a dish and OTA antenna print out this link and take it to them. Then go home and watch some TV.

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html

NO local H.O.A. has the authority to deny you the ability to receive broadcast TV of any kind. The only governmental body that has the jurisdiction to regulate antenna use is the FCC. Let's all work hard to keep it that way, in the intrest of all americans!!! If they start taking away your ability to receive TV soon enough there will be no broadcats and the prices will skyrocket for SAT, CABLE, etc... Not to mention public safety and information in an emergency.

Stand up for your rights and let the H.O.A. worry about the parks and grass not your home entertainment.

This is a public service message from your friendly ham radio operator KC9BZQ and fellow HDTV and VOOM enthusiast!!
 
My HOA is pretty strict and requires that you notify them when you put up a satellite dish. They won't deny you the dish so long as you tell them about it and it is no larger in diameter than what is cited in the FCC rules (I believe 1 meter). They are silent on antennas. I am guessing that is because the FCC language does not specify any dimensions for antennas.
 
The FCC does specify size for antenna's or what you mean to say is Off Air Antenna's. The FCC regulates 1 meter in diameter or diaginal. So if the ordinance or association wanted to they could restrict Off air antenna's over 1 meter (diaginal).

Yes, I realize that restricts a crap load of antenna's and no idea why they made this so restrictive but there it is.
 
Our HOA just tried to do this crap in May.
They sent out their "meeting minutes" and in it it said "Effective May 1, you are allowed one satellite dish per house and it must be on the deck or edge of roof. Those who have more than one are grandfathered in". First off, its funny because he has Dish Network (as do most of us) and Mpls locals REQUIRE 2 dishes (there's a PBS on the side).

I was working on one dish (reaiming the LNBF) the other day (I have 5) and the HOA guy was out and asked if I was taking one down. Told him "nope..and I'll probably be putting another one up soon". I was told I couldn't. I went into the house and got the "get you HOA off your ass card" (the above link) and showed it to him. He was "going to look into it". I explained that all their rules were moot points
-I own my townhouse, but the roof is the part of the assoc. Since my deck is on the North side, the only way for me to get a signal is to put it on the edge of the roof. You cant see it from the road.
-the limit of dishes...As long as they're less than a meter (39.xx inches), I'm OK

Its funny how he doesnt say nothing about the radio Shack VU210 antenna I have on a 10' pole on a tripod thats bolted to the floor of my deck. (I think this bugger is somewhere around 16' long)
 
Vreesar said:
The FCC does specify size for antenna's or what you mean to say is Off Air Antenna's. The FCC regulates 1 meter in diameter or diaginal. So if the ordinance or association wanted to they could restrict Off air antenna's over 1 meter (diaginal).

Yes, I realize that restricts a crap load of antenna's and no idea why they made this so restrictive but there it is.

no they can't..not for OTA antenna's. The only thing they can restrict is how high it is.

An antenna that is designed to receive local television broadcast signals. Masts higher than 12 feet above the roofline may be subject to local permitting requirements.

In addition, antennas covered by the rule may be mounted on "masts" to reach the height needed to receive or transmit an acceptable quality signal (e.g. maintain line-of-sight contact with the transmitter or view the satellite). Masts higher than 12 feet above the roofline may be subject to local permitting requirements for safety purposes. Further, masts that extend beyond an exclusive use area may not be covered by this rule.
 
I was looking at the below Quote. Guess I "assumed" it was 1 meter LOL. It doesn't state a size now that I looked at it again.

Q: What types of antennas are covered by the rule?

A: The rule applies to the following types of video antennas:

(1) A "dish" antenna that is one meter (39.37") or less in diameter (or any size dish if located in Alaska) and is designed to receive direct broadcast satellite service, including direct-to-home satellite service, or to receive or transmit fixed wireless signals via satellite.

(2) An antenna that is one meter or less in diameter or diagonal measurement and is designed to receive video programming services via MMDS (wireless cable) or to receive or transmit fixed wireless signals other than via satellite.

(3) An antenna that is designed to receive local television broadcast signals. Masts higher than 12 feet above the roofline may be subject to local permitting requirements.
 
Iceberg said:
Our HOA just tried to do this crap in May.
They sent out their "meeting minutes" and in it it said "Effective May 1, you are allowed one satellite dish per house and it must be on the deck or edge of roof. Those who have more than one are grandfathered in". First off, its funny because he has Dish Network (as do most of us) and Mpls locals REQUIRE 2 dishes (there's a PBS on the side).

I was working on one dish (reaiming the LNBF) the other day (I have 5) and the HOA guy was out and asked if I was taking one down. Told him "nope..and I'll probably be putting another one up soon". I was told I couldn't. I went into the house and got the "get you HOA off your ass card" (the above link) and showed it to him. He was "going to look into it". I explained that all their rules were moot points
-I own my townhouse, but the roof is the part of the assoc. Since my deck is on the North side, the only way for me to get a signal is to put it on the edge of the roof. You cant see it from the road.
-the limit of dishes...As long as they're less than a meter (39.xx inches), I'm OK

Its funny how he doesnt say nothing about the radio Shack VU210 antenna I have on a 10' pole on a tripod thats bolted to the floor of my deck. (I think this bugger is somewhere around 16' long)

I think there may be two problems with this HOA rule:

1. The limit of one dish would prevent one from receiving say, Voom and D*. Wouldn't this go against the spirit of the FCC rules?

2. From what I understand, HOA rules are ok so long as they are reasonable and not applied selectively. I would think there is a problem with allowing certain people in the HOA to have multiple dishes (the "grandfathered" ones) while preventing others from having more than one.
 
andy6468 said:
I think there may be two problems with this HOA rule:

1. The limit of one dish would prevent one from receiving say, Voom and D*. Wouldn't this go against the spirit of the FCC rules?

Thats the point of the FCC rule. There is no limit on how many dishes you can put up. I have 2 for Dish, 2 FTA, and one for ExpressVu

2. From what I understand, HOA rules are ok so long as they are reasonable and not applied selectively. I would think there is a problem with allowing certain people in the HOA to have multiple dishes (the "grandfathered" ones) while preventing others from having more than one.

There are 32 townhouses that are part of our HOA...guess how many people have more than one dish.....yep...just the ol Iceberg :)

Most of the people that have dishes have Dish Network, so there's the other problem. to get ALL the Mpls locals, you need 2 dishes. (the head of our HOA has Dish too)..Grandfathering rules are OK, because the rules changed. What sucks is they we got the info on 4/29 and supposedly took effect May 1. I would have been pissed if they didnt have the Grandfathered rule in.
 
The FCC rules allow as many dishes as you want, as they are written to allow you to receive the programming that you want, not what the HOA wants you to see. HOAs don't like'em but we have 2 DISH dishes (D500 and D300 for 61.5) and 1 FTA (One meter dish). I was nice enough to put a rotor on my FTA dish to receive multiple sats, instead of putting up 2 FTA dishes for the 2 satellites we usually use! ;)
 
I was reading my HOA rules and they state that dishes are limited to 18 inches. They cant see mine at all from the street. It can only be seen from my back yard. I have a wooded lot so they have no business back there. I just hate that VOOM is going to bigger antennas. I'm not worried about the HOA but I dont want a huge dish on my roof. Here is the HOA rule for my community.

Section 11. Radio and Television Antennas. No free standing radio or television transmission or reception towers, antennas, dishes or disks shall be erected on any lot. Only radio and television antennas not exceeding five (5) feet in height above the roof line of the residence and only dishes or disks not exceeding eighteen (18) inches in diameter and not visible from the street in front of the residence shall be permitted.
 
iceshark said:
Guess you guys will be really pissed when the new bigger over the fcc limit Voom dish is disalloweed by those stupid rules.!

The new Voom Dish is suppose to qualify (Isnt it suupose to be 36 x 24)
 
nupe009 said:
I was reading my HOA rules and they state that dishes are limited to 18 inches. They cant see mine at all from the street. It can only be seen from my back yard. I have a wooded lot so they have no business back there. I just hate that VOOM is going to bigger antennas. I'm not worried about the HOA but I dont want a huge dish on my roof. Here is the HOA rule for my community.

Section 11. Radio and Television Antennas. No free standing radio or television transmission or reception towers, antennas, dishes or disks shall be erected on any lot. Only radio and television antennas not exceeding five (5) feet in height above the roof line of the residence and only dishes or disks not exceeding eighteen (18) inches in diameter and not visible from the street in front of the residence shall be permitted.
That rule is illegal, and they can't legally enforce it. My HOA tried to run the okey-doke on me, also, telling me that I had 14 days to remove my antenna. I calmly wrote them back, referencing the said Telecommunications Act, and told them to let me know if they had any questions. I haven't heard from them since, and it's been about two years now. :)
 
I agree with Brainiac. Many HOAs will attempt to intimidate and mislead the homeowner into taking down their antenna - mine did the same thing. These HOAs know full well what they are doing.

Tactfully tell them to go @$#& themselves via a well written letter: quote the law, advise your HOA its bylaws violate Federal Law, and enclose a copy of the OTARD; show them you Are Not Going To Be Bullied Nor Threatened.

My HOA never changed their rule prohibiting broadcast antennas, but their Architectural Control Committee didn't say diddy when I installed my 2nd antenna :)
 
I would think that the eliptical dish voom is going with should be able to be replaced with two 18"ers, if your association gets cranky about it. The only reason the dish is bigger is to catch two birds with one dish...
 
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