TV antenna tools, mast and hardware" Provided by Channel Master and published years ago. This TV antenna tools, mast and hardware guide is still very useful today. With Instructables you can share what you make with the world, and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts. How it Works » New Instructable ». Tired of spending too much money on your Satellite TV bill? Well for around $50 you can purchase and easily install an HDTV Antenna that will give you quality HD TV.
How to build a antenna pole or (mast) - Wireless Users Chat. I ran across this via google.
Call your local . The conduit comes with threaded couplings that allow two or more pieces to be joined together. Two more ten- foot lengths are partially buried in the ground and are used to serve as the mounting base for the mast. To begin the installation I used a post- hole digger to dig a four- foot deep hole. Prior to setting the pipes in the ground, I drilled two holes in each of them at a point that would be about three inches above ground level once the pipes were set in the ground.
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These holes, as well as 2 holes in the bottom of the 2. I then put two ten- foot lengths of the conduit in the hole with 6 feet of each pipe protruding above ground level.
These two pipes were set in the ground side by side with about two inches of space between them to allow for the 2. They serve as the base that holds up the 2. After carefully checking the pipes to make sure they were perfectly plumb (i. This gives the mast a very solid base. Once the concrete has set, the mast was ready to be erected. I inserted an 8- inch long by . I also drilled two holes in each ground- mounted pipe at a point about three inches from the top of each pipe.
TV antenna installation guidelines for better TV reception. TV antenna preamplifier, mount, rotor, cabling, grounding and much more including TV antenna installation. SEARCH About Hamuniverse Antenna Design Ask an Elmer About Batteries Code Practice. The initial guy wire tension on guyed antenna towers is very important. There are fancy (and expensive) tensiometers available to accurately measure this tension but. Tune Around! SEARCH CQ-Calling All Hams! About Hamuniverse Antenna Design Antenna Safety! Ask Elmer About Batteries Code Practice Computer Help. 1.0 Background The OE-254/GRC is a biconical antenna that uses a Balun (BALanced to UNbalanced transformer) to match the 50 Ohm coax line and radio to the 200.
I then drilled two holes in the 2. I inserted another 8 inch long by . Even the very top of the mast where the 5 foot section of pipe is, I had that threaded at the hardware store so I could screw a cap on it to keep the weather out. To mount the Alpha Delta Sloper antenna itself to the mast, I drilled two holes at a point about three inches from the top of the mast and inserted a stainless steel eye bolt so I would have something to hook the antenna to. All bolts, nuts, and washers are galvanized and/or stainless steel to ensure long life without rusting.
I also used clear silicone sealant at all points where holes were drilled to seal out the weather. All that was needed to secure the coax cable as it traveled from the antenna down the mast was some plastic, UV resistant, cable ties that are available at Radio Shack. These cable ties made it a very neat looking installation. I wrapped a cable tie about every 1. One could use electrical tape to wrap around the mast to secure the coax cable as it travels down the mast but the tape would eventually come loose and start flapping in the wind. Now when I want to tilt the mast down to work on the antenna all I have to do is remove the top bolt that is at the approximate 6 foot level, and walk the mast down to the ground.
Simple and safe! I would recommend that you use only a lighter- weight wire type antenna on this mast because the antenna will exert a pulling force on the mast in only one direction since there are no guy wires pulling in the opposing direction. Too much of a pulling force (weight) could cause the couplings that connect the 1. A home made end fed long wire antenna or dipole antenna should not be too heavy as long as the antenna is not extremely long and not made out of too heavy a gauge of wire. You could even erect 2 of these masts, one at each end of the antenna. The Alpha Delta Sloper is a somewhat heavier antenna than a plain long wire or dipole because it has large coils in it so I am a bit more concerned about the mast than I would be with a lighter weight plain end fed wire or dipole antenna mounted on it. So far my mast with the Alpha Delta Sloper on it has been subjected to 5. MPH winds and held up fine.
I suppose that since the Alpha Delta Sloper has held up fine that an Eavesdropper Sloper and other similar antennas would also work well. I bought all the necessary parts for this project at the local Menards Home Center and Radio Shack. The total cost was just under $1. That might seem like a bit much for a 2. It looks so much neater too, especially since there are no guy wires. It is also much cheaper than a commercially available 2. A sketch of the mast is available by sending me an e- mail message requesting it.
I will send you a jpeg format file with the detailed sketch. Here is the parts list: 5 - 1.
Steps to Fix That Pesky Car Radio Antenna. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below.
Electric- powered, self- extending antenna masts used to be a telltale sign of a fancy, feature- laden car. As is the case with many electromechanical parts, however, power antennas usually end up requiring repair. Run through a carwash with one extended and you'll have what looks like a bent hanger sticking out of the fender. Today, power antenna masts have been replaced with fixed antennas or wires embedded in windshields, but there are still plenty of cars out there with these telescoping menaces. Broken antennas get stuck all the way up, all the way down, or often somewhere in between. The shabby appearance of, and stunted radio reception on, an otherwise perfectly good car means that replacing or repairing an antenna is a worthwhile fix.
It's almost too bad these have gone out of style; they are actually pretty elegant in a Rube Goldberg kind of way. An electric motor hidden below the fender turns nylon gears that eventually mesh with a toothed nylon rope matching the gears. That rope extends all the way through the hollow antenna sections and mounts to the tip. As the motor turns the gears, the rigid rope is pushed or pulled and the mast advances or retracts, stopping based on either a digital counter or timer or on a measured spike in voltage when the motor can't turn anymore. As you might imagine, there are several ways these antennas malfunction. The most prevalent is a bent mast—even slight tweaks to the tight- fitting telescoping tubes can cause havoc.
The nylon bits are a problem, too; teeth from the gears or rope break off from wear or cold or the rope snaps along the length. Sometimes the antenna fails when the components just plain get dirty—rain and dust infiltrate the mechanism, and things grind to a halt.
Below we're going to walk through the general steps of removing the whole assembly, taking it apart, then cleaning and replacing the problem parts. Step 1: Extract the Problem Part. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. First, you'll need to get to the mechanism. If the antenna is rear- fender- mounted, remove the trunk trim panels to gain access. Front- fender units may be inside the engine bay or behind the inner fender.
You'll likely need a few screwdrivers and wrenches. The mechanism is usually easy to remove—loosen any bolts and disconnect the ground strap, antenna signal wire, and motor- control wires. Be careful with the connectors because they will be reused.
Remove the assembly by pulling the antenna mast down through the fender. Step 2: Dissect and Diagnose. Uncover the device's guts by extracting the cover screws. Carefully remove the housing and gear cover, as the nylon cord within might spring out and fling smaller parts. Inside, you'll see how the motor, gears, and nylon rope work together. If the teeth on the rope or gears are stripped, you'll need to remove all the broken pieces.
There will undoubtedly be old, dirty grease that may or may not be the problem but should be cleaned out. Inspect everything else for signs of damage; if a major part such as the housing or motor is broken, replace the whole assembly.
Step 3: Fix the Bits. If the telescoping mast is the problem, remove it by taking off the bushing at the top of the guide tube; it keeps the mast in place. With a firm grip, pull the mast out along with the nylon rope; pliers may be needed. Clean everything, including the gears, with a mild cleaner like dish detergent. Lubricate the clean gears and housing with white lithium grease; it works well even at low temperatures. Step 4: Reinstall the Unit. If new gears are called for, assemble them as before; most of the time they just drop into place.
Compress the mast completely and run the nylon rope down the tube, then seat the base into the housing. You may need to gently tap it home with a hammer. Fully extend the antenna, then mesh the end of the nylon cord back into the gear drive and reassemble the cover and housing. With the mechanism still loose, plug in the electrical connections, then turn the radio on and off. This should cause the gears to pull on the nylon rope and retract the mast. If the mast doesn't go down, the gears of the nylon rope may not be properly aligned, so you'll have to try again. Reinstall the assembly and bolt the mast bushing back in place.
Now enjoy one less annoyance, at least until you forget to turn off the radio in a carwash again.