I don't want to open the mast box just yet in case I want to return it. I'm really just concerned with the durability of the mast over a long period of time, and the wind too. I know all steel masts will bend eventually. Just want to make sure mine doesn't for a long time. Will be going to Home Depot soon to get my 100 foot coax cable and some bigger nuts/bolts and better washers, etc. so I guess I'll take one of those small mount pieces along to see what chain-link pipes fit into it. The other thing I've been thinking about is the mast size. The antenna will be mounted pretty high up, so as long as it clears the roof, can I cut the mast down to, say, 3 feet in order to put less strain on the fascia board? Or will it not make a difference either way?
Antenna Suggestions
- Thread starter Robertoo
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Obviously, the bigger the antenna, the more surface resistance for wind it has. Even with a big antenna it takes a pretty strong wind to bend a mast over, especially if it's not overly long past the last support bracket. You can cut off what you don't need or guy wire it if you will be needing the extra height. Many people find higher isn't always better though and have to lower the antenna so be sure to try the antenna clamp at different heights to find the best spot before cutting the mast.
Okay, I'll try different height levels before doing anything, but say my reception is fine using just 3 feet of mast. Will cutting off the rest help put less strain on the fascia board, or should I not even bother?
Note the word "appearance" if you have 2 feet of mast above the antenna it is not part of the lever. It might not look as pretty but if you want/need to move the antenna it is still there. This is still a rental that you may not be staying the rest of your life at.You can cut off whatever isn't used for better appearance.
I think I have to take all of it down, mount included, when/if I move. Then seal the holes in the wood. I don't think they want the antenna mount left up after I leave.
I was thinking about this last night, trying to figure out how I could avoid having to run coaxial cable the 100 foot run to my cable box/main split. You guys are saying that antenna signals don't work very well "sideways", as in from off a branch and then up through splitters (any particular reason for this?). But since my MoCA adapters seem to do this just fine, what if I bought this Tablo DVR box along with an external hard drive (and Lifetime subscription if I want the programming guide)? Take a look at this picture. I could put the box in an upstairs room right next to the antenna (a much shorter run) then use a MoCA adapter hooked up to its ethernet port to push the signal out to all my Rokus (also using MoCA adapters) over the house coax. Just a thought, but are there any blaring oversights in this plan that would make it not work? It obviously would be a lot more expensive, but I was planning to get a good off-air DVR anyway.
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Stop worrying, the length of the antenna element and that it isn't shorting out by contacting another element are the important points. Eventually after exposure to the elements you may have more bent elements, and it is easy to break the elements.
MoCA uses a high-powered signal that overcomes this branch-to-branch loss that we're warning you about.
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