Setting / installing outdoor antenna tower

[inane2]

Good evening GJ,

Latest CL haul, got three sections of 10’ antenna tower in pretty good shape. Actually came out of a local trailer park that is being demolished. Looks like the previous owner may have had several radios. Sections were already down and disassembled when I got there.

Remember having one of these growing up, behind dad’s garage. Super convenient way to get on the garage roof. I don’t remember much about it, maybe one mount to the soffit area of the garage. Whatever concrete dad put in was all underground, nothing visible above ground.

Plan to mount mine in a corner where my front shop meets the rear shop. Going to mount an OTA tv antenna and an antenna for my stereo receiver.

My question is about setting the tower. Researched online but ran across radio operators with some serious antennas, 1-2 yards of concrete and guy wires. I plan on a concrete pier and maybe a few mounts coming off the tower and connecting to both of the shop sidewalls. The bottom section of tower actually had a 16” piece attached to it. Should I make this the sacrificial piece and set it in the concrete? What size pier would you guys recommend for something like this? Also, I assume this thing should have its own ground rod?

Thanks guys!








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[cvairwerks]

Spend the money for one of these books first:

Up the tower
or Towers for ham radio.

Last tower I put up used over 85 yards of concrete and was less than 60’ high. Was designed for 12, 15’ dish antennas.

 

[matt_i]

The base just needs enough concrete for it not to sink into the ground, which is a pretty low bar.....this is based on 2 structural links to your shop's sidewalls. Were you to pour a cookie 6" deep you'd be fine in my estimation. Its not like the cantilever is free-standing....and i believe it would be a mistake to make it so by adding more concrete, the metal base's structure couldn't handle the overturning moment.

We don't know your location since its not in your profile.

But some consideration should be given to freezing, etc. You might be better off digging a mostly round hole that goes deeper down to get stability thru the winter.

And yes I would definitely drive a ground rod. Give a path of low resistance. Research Ufer Grounds just a bit and you can use the concrete to your advantage as well.

 

[Bretny]

This is really a question for the ham radio guys. Im sure they have all kinds of easy to follow specs.

16in may not be enough to sink into concrete. You can most likely find new parts for that antenna too. Since you have 16in of one piece left i would think thats whats left of one section they didnt remove from the ground.

 

[HenryAZ]

Neighbor put up a 30 ft Rohn tower. Per Rohn specs, to make it free standing with no guy wires and be able to sustain high wind loads, it is embedded underground in a 6ft cube of concrete.

 

[Higgins]

When we installed our 30 ft tower, we used a ROUND 15" form and went down 60". Also had a horizontal support to the side of the house at the peak. That was 35 yrs ago, tower still standing !!

 

[inane2]

Thanks guys, alot of good advice here. Added my location to my profile. I'm in a good spot to get several TV channels. My current antenna is a piece of coax stripped back and hanging near a window. Picks up 4 channels.

 

[nmk_61802]

Thanks guys, alot of good advice here. Added my location to my profile. I'm in a good spot to get several TV channels. My current antenna is a piece of coax stripped back and hanging near a window. Picks up 4 channels.

Not quite an answer to your question, but if you have good reception with that, I would abandon the whole tower/ outside antenna and get one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SVNKT86/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Antennas have come a long way. I have one of these mounted in my attic and pull channels from 60 miles way in one direction, and 40 on the backside.

No need for the tower as it is about the size of a small DTV dish.

 

[Bretny]

OP. Have you tryed just attaching the coax cable from the telephone pole to the back of your TV? We dont have cable either but get all the nyc news channels. Nyc is about 2.5hrs drive away and we get nothing over the air.

 

[58Yeoman]

I set up my 40' tower about 8 years ago. I sunk about a 4' section in concrete just a bit more round than the tower. A friend of mine welded a steel plate to the top with hinges. We had the tower lying flat with the antenna already on it, tied a rope to the top and through a pulley in a 40' tall pine tree next to where the tower is. We hooked the rope to the truck and pulled it up straight, then bolted the tower base. It hasn't moved an inch in all the weather we've had.

I wish I'd left the rope attached, as now my antenna needs to be changed, and the rungs are too far apart for my older legs to climb. If I do get to change the antenna, it'll be like nmk shows above.

 

[inane2]

Nmk and bretny- thanks for for the suggestions. When I had the TV sitting on a desk near the window (before I wall mounted it), I’d get around 8 channels. Maybe I should explore a simpler option on an antenna like the one you mentioned.

58Yeoman - awesome idea. Having that tower hinge like that is convenient. I see a lot of purple Martin enthusiasts around here that have their martin box poles with a hinge setup.

 

[nmk_61802]

Nmk and bretny- thanks for for the suggestions. When I had the TV sitting on a desk near the window (before I wall mounted it), I’d get around 8 channels. Maybe I should explore a simpler option on an antenna like the one you mentioned.

58Yeoman - awesome idea. Having that tower hinge like that is convenient. I see a lot of purple Martin enthusiasts around here that have their martin box poles with a hinge setup.

Either way you go, I used this as a resource for both selecting my antenna, and aiming it:

https://antennaweb.org/

 

[Captain Spaulding]

Consider putting an antenna in the attic. Can’t turn the antenna, but reception is good, no wind or weathering issues and it is much cheaper and easier to install. Mine has been there for more than 20 years.

 

[ford33]

I have a large TV antenna in my attic. Works fine and gets 30+ channels outside the Chicago area.