[Cameron_Y]

After trying a variety of indoor solutions for HD reception I decided to mount a UHF outdoor antenna to my roof. My problem was always interference from traffic as I live on busy corner. Now I wish I had done it sooner as everything is coming in rock solid. My neighbors may think I'm a little crazy for regressing to an antenna and putting it up at 9PM, but that's the price you pay for HD!

 

[bierboy]

It's the "new" status symbol - an outdoor antenna!

 

[Cameron_Y]

I suppose I could just invite them over for Monday Night Football and then I wouldn't have the stigma of being the antenna dude.

 

[Diver]

What antenna did you use?

 

[Gregoire]

It pays for some of us to be procrastinators........my spousal unit wanted me to tear down the antenna when we got our "country cable" (satellite). I refrained at the time, so that we could still get the analogue "locals". I'm very glad I had the foresight (laziness) to leave it up.

 

[Cameron_Y]

I used a 21.99 UHF from Radio Shack. Antennaweb showed I only needed a yellow class antenna seeing that the transmission towers aren't more than 10 miles away. Picking up the stations was never an issue, just interference from passing cars.


As it turns out, the installation wound up being a little more work with the need to ground the antenna and my satellite dish properly. I just pounded in an eight foot ground rod and ran an eight gauge wire to it. Of course I bought a painted mast (seeing that I seem to like more work for myself), which required scraping off the paint to get good contact with the ground. So I think I'm finally done now, feeling everything's been done up right and proper. Now I just have to wait for my NBC affiliate to actually send something in 1080i!

 

[greywolf]

Make sure that rod is also bonded to the main building ground. It's a safety issue as well as a ground loop prevention issue.

 

[Cameron_Y]

I located the house's ground. Is there any issue with the distance? I'd say it's about 75 feet away.

 

[greywolf]

The code says:


A bonding jumper not smaller than No. 6 copper or equivalent shall be connected between the radio and television equipment grounding electrode and the power grounding electrode system at the building or structure where separate electrodes are used.


There is no mention of maximum length of run. To see the whole applicable section of the National Electrical Code go to http://forums.nfpa.org:8081/necfaq/necsrch.htm

and search for "dish". The grounding info applies to dishes and antennas.