Mounting antenna mast to a garage

[VETCOMMS]

I'm wondering if any of you would be willing to share how you mount your antenna mast to your shack or garage.  Are there books or resources where I can learn how to do this properly?

For example, I'm thinking of using chain link fence top rail mounted against the side of my garage using a metal band that curves around the mast and screws into the wall of the garage.

Or is it better to get a gable mount?

 

Any ideas, pictures, or sharing successes and failures along these lines is welcomed.

[nokones]

The mount is the same mount that is used to mount a satellite dish TV antenna with an additional brace.

[KAF6045]

https://mfjenterprises.com/products/eve-48

Also get a decent mast -- don't try electrical conduit...

 

[wrci350]

I installed a gable mount about 2 1/2 years ago with a six foot top rail as a mast.  Originally it had a Diamond X50NA dual-band ham antenna on it (about 5.5') and now I have a Comet CX-333 tri-band ham antenna on it, which is about 10' long.

This is the one I used:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UVMDT6E/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[VETCOMMS]

34 minutes ago, KAF6045 said:

https://mfjenterprises.com/products/eve-48

Also get a decent mast -- don't try electrical conduit...

 

I see people on the YouTubes talking about using EMT conduit.  Not sure if that's the same thing?

[VETCOMMS]

35 minutes ago, wrci350 said:

I installed a gable mount about 2 1/2 years ago with a six foot top rail as a mast.  Originally it had a Diamond X50NA dual-band ham antenna on it (about 5.5') and now I have a Comet CX-333 tri-band ham antenna on it, which is about 10' long.

This is the one I used:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UVMDT6E/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Thanks for the info.  Any issues in the wind with this?

[VETCOMMS]

I'm also curious about how others grounded their systems.  I read that the ground rod near the antenna should be bonded to the home electrical ground near the service meter.  From my garage to that ground rod it's about 50 yards away.  Am I supposed to run 6 gauge bare copper wire 50 yards from the ground rod near the antenna on the garage over to the ground rod next to the house service meter?

[SteveShannon]

8 hours ago, WRTZ750 said:

I'm also curious about how others grounded their systems.  I read that the ground rod near the antenna should be bonded to the home electrical ground near the service meter.  From my garage to that ground rod it's about 50 yards away.  Am I supposed to run 6 gauge bare copper wire 50 yards from the ground rod near the antenna on the garage over to the ground rod next to the house service meter?

Yes, and if you want to improve it even more you sink an 8 foot rod every 16 feet along the way.  But you might be allowed bare #8. I’ll go check.

According to this you’re allowed to go as small as #10 copper:

The bonding conductor or grounding electrode conductor may be installed either inside or outside the building [par. 810.21(G)]. The conductors must not be smaller than 10 AWG copper, 8 AWG aluminum or 17 AWG copper-clad steel or bronze [par. 810.21(H)]. It is not necessary to use a separate bonding conductor or grounding electrode conductor for operational and protective purposes – one conductor can serve both purposes [par. 810.21(I)].
 

See page 9 of this document:

https://reeve.com/Documents/Articles Papers/Reeve_AntennaSystemGroundingRequirements.pdf

[VETCOMMS]

20 minutes ago, Sshannon said:

Yes, and if you want to improve it even more you sink an 8 foot rod every 16 feet along the way.  But you might be allowed bare #8. I’ll go check.

According to this you’re allowed to go as small as #10 copper:

The bonding conductor or grounding electrode conductor may be installed either inside or outside the building [par. 810.21(G)]. The conductors must not be smaller than 10 AWG copper, 8 AWG aluminum or 17 AWG copper-clad steel or bronze [par. 810.21(H)]. It is not necessary to use a separate bonding conductor or grounding electrode conductor for operational and protective purposes – one conductor can serve both purposes [par. 810.21(I)].
 

See page 9 of this document:

https://reeve.com/Documents/Articles Papers/Reeve_AntennaSystemGroundingRequirements.pdf

Thanks for the info, I'll look at that link shortly.  If I understood that last sentence then I can run bare copper ground wire buried underground from the antenna/mast to the grounding rod next to my house at the service panel.  I shouldn't need a second ground rod at the antenna/mast located on the garage.  I just have to make sure it's underground since I have a propensity to hit things with my mower.

[SteveShannon]

19 minutes ago, WRTZ750 said:

Thanks for the info, I'll look at that link shortly.  If I understood that last sentence then I can run bare copper ground wire buried underground from the antenna/mast to the grounding rod next to my house at the service panel.  I shouldn't need a second ground rod at the antenna/mast located on the garage.  I just have to make sure it's underground since I have a propensity to hit things with my mower.

Page 10 might be a better fit for your case.  It depicts a separate tower and does indicate #6 wire, but notice the additional ground rod.  Yes, the bonding conductor should be buried.:

 

[wrci350]

9 hours ago, WRTZ750 said:

Thanks for the info.  Any issues in the wind with this?

Not so far (knock on wood), and we've had some pretty good wind storms including one with gusts up near 70.

[JohnE]

a little lite reading on grounding

https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/Lands_ROW_Motorola_R56_2005_manual.pdf

as to mast- while I agree EMT is a poor choice I have used 1" aluminum for many yrs on lightweight antennas (sub 6 lbs and <8') pretty much anything that has a bending moment of less than 75 ft/lbs. Most of the antennas that are made for our purposes fit that description.

[SteveShannon]

2 hours ago, JohnE said:

a little lite reading on grounding

https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/Lands_ROW_Motorola_R56_2005_manual.pdf

That’s really a definitive work on lightning protection and grounding of radio installations and I usually mention it, but one thing it doesn’t discuss is bonding to an existing residential service.  It’s absolutely the best though for someone designing a repeater installation up on a mountain.

[nokones]

Here is my setup with a lightning arrestor and grounded to earth ground at the electrical panel.

[kerstuff]

49 minutes ago, nokones said:

Here is my setup with a lightning arrestor and grounded to earth ground at the electrical panel.

What mount did you use? I was looking at some at DX Engineering & HRO. I want to make sure it clears my metal roof yet be strong enough for our high winds in the mountain.

Thanks,

Kerwin WROV316

 

 

 

 

[kerstuff]

Thanks

[Sab02r]

I initially fabricated a mount, but when I saw this adjustable roof mount available locally at Home Depot for a reasonable price I decided it looked a little nicer:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Winegard-J-Pipe-Antenna-Mount-DS-3000/204701091

[VETCOMMS]

Do you think adding a 10 foot section of chain link fence top rail to a direct TV mount at the peak of my roof and mounting an Ed Fong GMRS antenna would result in too much sway/instability in the wind?

Also, where do people like to get pre-made LMR 400 or Messi & Paoloni hyperflex coax to use for base station or repeater setup with this antenna?

[SteveShannon]

15 minutes ago, WRTZ750 said:

Do you think adding a 10 foot section of chain link fence top rail to a direct TV mount at the peak of my roof and mounting an Ed Fong GMRS antenna would result in too much sway/instability in the wind?

Also, where do people like to get pre-made LMR 400 or Messi & Paoloni hyperflex coax to use for base station or repeater setup with this antenna?

I think that would result in more torque on the mount than it’s intended to withstand.  An additional brace would probably help with that. 
Here’s what I would suggest:

https://www.solidsignal.com/easy-up-heavy-duty-y-type-antenna-mast-wall-mount-12in-standoff-ez30-12?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=EZ30-12&gclid=CjwKCAiA3pugBhAwEiwAWFzwdY3qda-oqw_61X7TGKwQCM9Jm1N6tpqQHhbTkktLu-QhkUMi76GtphoCZO4QAvD_BwE

but that’s a lightweight mount. DXEngineering has similar mounting brackets for heavy masts. 

I order cables from DXEngineering, Gigaparts, or Ham Radio Outlet. DXEngineering will build to suit. 

[wrci350]

18 minutes ago, WRTZ750 said:

Also, where do people like to get pre-made LMR 400 or Messi & Paoloni hyperflex coax to use for base station or repeater setup with this antenna?

My preferred vendor is The Antenna Farm (theantennafarm.com).  They will sell you standard lengths or you can custom-order the exact length you need.

[VETCOMMS]

Thank you for the help.  I think I've read that in general, once I go more than 10 feet above the top of the roofline, or maybe a more specific point is once I go more than 10 feet above the top attachment point on the garage, then I need to guy the mast.  And every 10 feet above that should have guy wires.   Is this correct?

Edited March 7, 2023 by WRTZ750
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