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Off Air Audio
Topic: Hurricane Irene ibn Oz in Boston

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Posted by glaesemann on 02-21-2008
Roman, do you pick-up strong FM from the TU-X1's antenna or have you installed an outdoor dipole antenna via coax?

Posted by Romy the Cat on 02-21-2008


Posted by Romy the Cat on 07-14-2009
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"…the most technologically advanced FM antennas on the market today. info@antennaperformance now accepting pre-orders for the APS-13 for another production run. Once 25 have been ordered, we will ship 6-8 weeks later after production has been completed"

http://www.antennaperformance.com/products2.asp?ProductID=38&CategoryID=1

http://www.antennaperformance.com

The Cat

Posted by montepilot on 07-14-2009
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Romy,

How do you have the antenna anchored to the building?

Posted by Romy the Cat on 12-09-2009
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In context the new 99.5FM lower power and further distance and since I am deep in fringe I was wondering if I can do something with antenna. I run Winegard HD6055 that is optimized for 98Meg. Looking for narrower directivity I come across to two great links about antennas:

http://ham-radio.com/k6sti/

This site has directivity patterns.  I really like the Peter Körner’s anntas, pays how short the tail on the back - perfect for me to live city and to point antenna to far suburbs. I do not know if I would do anything right now as I do not know where I get my house and the most important when. Still this is an excellent link.

The Cat

Posted by Romy the Cat on 02-01-2010
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Among many wet dreams that such weirdo like me have was a notion of having my own high antenna tower. While I was looking at the house that I am pursuing now I made sure that it is in a good reception aria. It is and the antennas of all my major stations are in direct path, not sheltered by local hills.

Still, since it will be my own house and since I have no neighbors I thought that I would erect 130-170 feet antenna tower. I it truly not so expensive, I can do it under 500, but as I begin to check the housing authority of the town my idealistic wet dreams got leas illusionary:

"Town Zoning Code: DIMENSIONAL REGULATIONS

 Dimensional Requirements for Wireless Communications Links:
Any wireless communications link shall comply with the dimensional requirements
applicable to structures for the district in which it is located, provided, however, that the
following additional height and dimensional limitations for wireless communications
links involving monopoles, satellite dishes and antennae shall be as follows:

 a. No monopole shall exceed the height required to effectively transmit and receive its
wireless communications system requirements. Monopoles and associated
structures shall comply with the structural setback requirements for the zoning
districts upon which they are located. Except that a monopole shall not be setback
closer than the height relative to any abutting residential lot line.

b. Wireless communications links installed on the exterior of roof tops shall not
exceed fifteen (15) feet above the roof line, exclusive of the roof parapet. Any
antenna or satellite dish shall have a fifteen (15) foot setback from all sides of the
building.

c. The height of antennae and dishes located on residential buildings or in the yards
of residential structures shall not exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height measured
from the average ground elevation of the residential structure or the average
ground elevation of the antenna and/or dish base. These link items shall also
comply with structural setback requirements for their respective residential districts."

That sucks, 15 feet - it was not what I had in my mind. I think if I get the house I will need to get an authority and fight for variance on regulation. BTW, is anyone known what kind people install antennal on the buildings? If I want to put up my large rotatable antenna on the roof and strap it to chimney for instance, then what kind contractor would do it? Electricians, chimney professionals, satellite antenna professionals? I spoke with all of them and not of them do this job.

Romy the Cat

Posted by Paul S on 02-01-2010
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The Ham Radio and DX people are clan-ish and there is a deep pool of shared knowledge among the older guys.  It is likely that there is a knowledgable antenna guy living within striking range, or you might get specs from such a guy and have a normal antenna guy, commercial electrician, or even a sign guy put up the mast.

FYI, some of those old eastern townships are about as inflexible as a nature preserve with respect to zoning variances.  You might want to review codes, procedures and fee schedules before you get into a pissing contest with your local overlords.  And along those lines, a local, "civic-minded" alderman who happens to put up ham radio towers could expedite the process, as opposed to using the Irish Traveler who offered the lowest bid, insisting, "You don't need a permit."

Best regards,
Paul S

Posted by miab on 02-02-2010
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That is 15 feet above roof line, so say 30 feet altogether if placed away from home in backyard. At 30 feet you could have a nice retractable type almost like the old car pull up telescopic antennae where they are sections within each other.

http://www.tamico.com.tw/eng_11.htm

In the evening and weekends when the city workers don't care what you do and no one's looking, put it up. And when Bylaw comes by, pull the measuring tape and show them the 30m feet your allowedSmile


Posted by miab on 02-02-2010
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I meant to say it would start at 30 feet and then extend to whatever the maximum length the unit you choose extends to. After use you can retract and make city and neighbors happy.


Posted by Romy the Cat on 02-02-2010
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Believe me or not but it took for me for a while to find people who know antenna and who do antenna service. Those people are going away and being relapsed by cellular morons who blink at you and ask: “What the heck FM is?”. Anyhow for the local New England folks here is a cool company from New Hampshire

http://www.newenglandantenna.com/

They do any antenna custom works.

Romy the Cat

Posted by Romy the Cat on 04-29-2010
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It might sound idiotic but it is what it is. Today I ( with a good help) erected my antenna and I felt that this home become truly my home. It will take more efforts to make this home feel as I would like it to be but my antenna is very important to me.  The antenna is not too high 35- feet but have VERY good reception of needed me station, primary due to the right positing and elevation of the house (220 feet above sea level). Now my home feels much better…

NewHome_Antenna_1.jpg

NewHome_Antenna_2.JPG

NewHome_Antenna_3.JPG

The Cat

Posted by tuga on 04-30-2010
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Romy,

This might be a silly question but since you are living out in the open shouldn't you take precautions against lightning?
Is there a lightning rod nearby?

Cheers,
Ric

Posted by Romy the Cat on 11-18-2010
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I am looking for a new taller tower for my FM antenna but I wonder how high I can go without a need to set up the balancing weirs. My antenna is big, 11 section yagi and combined with ice it might be a lot of weight. I live in eastern Massachusetts, so we have no hurricanes, still we might have 90mh wind.  I found a guy that looks like sell fine and not terribly expensive towers:

http://shop.ebay.com/oldtowerguy/m.html

Will 40” or 50” be able to stay without the strapping? Does anybody has any experience with it?

The Cat

Posted by AOK_Farmer on 12-01-2010
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Is the way to secure that tower.

http://www.ham-radio.com/k6sti/korn193.htm

Did you see the latest from Korner?


Steve

Posted by Romy the Cat on 03-31-2011
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Ok, I have something to sleep tonight with – my dream came through and I got today my 60+ feet Rohn 25G antenna tower. With this elevation I will be able to get even Worchester local stations. I just need to get a variance from my town to erect it.  If I ass my rotator and single poll then it will be 75 feet mast. If lightening will not burn my radio and will not barbecue my Cat then I will have great reception.  I might connect to the antenna on demand and tune it off during the thunderstorms… Well, I am sure what I will be erecting it the neighbors will have a lot of fun. I am planning to put on the first section the radioactive sign… 
  
The Cat

Posted by Romy the Cat on 04-01-2011
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For anybody who is screwing with tall FM antenna there is great site that a lot of useful information about antenna and legal issues in your town. The site owner is Fred Hopengarten – out local Massachusetts telecommunication lawyer who specialized on the subject.

http://www.antennazoning.com/

His book about the erecting antenna is available to preview here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=vTKheSVP3-kC&pg=PA12#v=onepage&q&f=true

The Cat

Posted by scooter on 04-01-2011
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Given the elements and related difficult access what are you planning to use for rotation purposes? Commercial solution?

Posted by Romy the Cat on 04-01-2011
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 scooter wrote:
Given the elements and related difficult access what are you planning to use for rotation purposes? Commercial solution?

I am not sure why you feel it is a problem.  The Rohn 25G has a mount for rotor and a standard rotor would do perfectly fine. The standard commercial rotors do not have any precisions of tuning but I do not rotate to a fixed location buy to an appropriate direction + lower current noise. I also like the poll mount for rotor instead of mast mount. Not if I will be able to find a rotor that would do not just do the rotation but also angle-tilting the antenna then I would go for mast-mount. The biggest problem that I see is not antenna but town compliance. When I talk with them they so much remind me bureaucrats in Russia… I left Russia in order do not see them and here they are again….

The Cat

Posted by scooter on 04-01-2011
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Federal regulations on zoning of TV antennas might trump any local rules or boards to your advantage:
http://www.kyes.com/antenna/regulation.html

Posted by Romy the Cat on 08-10-2011
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Ok, I am redoing my antenna solution and if everything will be fine then I will have tomorrow my 55’ new antenna. The FM reception from my new house is a very interesting subject. I will post some observations, the solution that I went over and what I am trying now.  The new antenna is in way my old wet dream, let see how it works.

Posted by Paul S on 08-11-2011
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Well, so far installing the tower has played out about like one might have expected.  Like I mentioned up the thread, you might find a local contractor or "project-related" service provider who is somehow "connected" to the local council, etc., who might as part of his paid "services"  mysteriously facilitate matters in your favor.  I wonder why people think things work differently here than in other 3rd world countries?  It's just more expensive...

Let's hope no one comes forward to protest during the "waiting period" for your variance..

Best reagards,
Paul S

Posted by Romy the Cat on 08-11-2011
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 Romy the Cat wrote:
Ok, I am redoing my antenna solution and if everything will be fine then I will have tomorrow my 55’ new antenna. The FM reception from my new house is a very interesting subject. I will post some observations, the solution that I went over and what I am trying now.  The new antenna is in way my old wet dream, let see how it works.



Posted by Romy the Cat on 08-15-2011
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I was wondering anybody could come up with a creative way to deal with my antenna cable. I have 20” extendable antenna and when the inner-mast goes down then I have extra 20 feet cable. So, I would like to have some kind of devise, like some kind of spring dram, that will be able to absorb the free cable and in the same time when antenna foes up then it will be able to release the cable with minimum resistance.

The caT

Posted by Paul S on 08-15-2011
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There is a sort of "spool" or "drum" for cable "slack" that used to be run by a fool-proof rack-and-pinion gear, along with the mast; but, times being what they are, it is probably a very foolish "digitally controlled" separate motor assembly now.  Surely your old "antenna guy" knows about this stuff, and certainly the Ham guys do, with their love of "stealth" operations.  Be very sure to get the correct cable for this, too, since most fail fast from this stress.

And what happened to the variance?  Did you get "them" pissed off?

Best regards,
Paul

Posted by jessie.dazzle on 08-18-2011
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These might spark an idea (cable insulation must be of a quality that will remain flexible over time):

http://www.countryliving.com/cm/countryliving/images/Kitchen11_Lamp_LowRes-de-37581708.jpg

http://media.restorationhardware.com/is/image/rhis/prod1676234_av2?$PD$

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Oberleitung_Radspanner_IMG10010.jpg

jd*

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