| Author |
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Boxcar
| | Posted on Monday, December 29, 2003 - 4:13 pm: | 
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Okay guys, I need a little input on wanting to put up an imax 2000 antenna that should be on its way soon from copper. I had a 35 foot tower before but had new siding put up on the house so I can't throw the tower back up since I had it bolted to the eve of the house and dug down into the dirt about 2 1/2 feet. I just want some ideas on installing this antenna without connecting it to the house(gutters). I thought about pouring some concrete in a 3 foot hole and setting a 1 3/4 (very thick 16 footer) pipe down into it and just clamp the antenna on from there but I still would have to connect it to the house somehow so it wouldn't lean much. I'm just trying to figure out a way to connect it to the gutter without it scratching the new gutters. I thought about just taking a 10 foot section off the tower and set that in concrete but was curious also how much and how deep. Any idea's would help because I've been without a radio for about 4 months and I'm getting the shakes because the skip around nebraska has been getting better. Thanks for any input!!! |
Ca346
| | Posted on Monday, December 29, 2003 - 6:04 pm: |
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OPTION 1:
I have my COPPER IMAX 2000 bolted to the top 1ft of a metal radio shack extendable mast. [Apparently LOWES hardware sells a 40footer for $40 from other posts here on the Forum.] I do have my mast bolted to the peak of the garage roof and real wire guy wires at 35 feet (the bottom of the IMAX). I found the guy wires act as the ground plane. They are angled down at 45 degrees to standoff eyelet screws above the gutter line on the facia board. I don't have gutters, but they are in the planning stage.
I used a swivel hinge TV antenna roof mount at the bottom on the ground, bolted to a concrete base. This way I can swing it down by myself.
I think you MUST guy the antenna at the bottom of the IMAX, even with non-conducting philistran because the IMAX is 24 feet high. UNLESS you use OPTION 2...
OPTION 2:
Get a tripod on the roof and add a single mast to it (10 ft or 20 ft). If you have read the antenna comparison review on the IMAX and others you will see 30 ft is a threshold point for the tip of the antenna.
Just my opinions...
PS: I have raised and lowered my 60ft of antenna and mast by MYSELF with NO PROBLEM. It looks like a horseshoe going up, but straightens out nicely...
CA346 |
Buck
| | Posted on Monday, December 29, 2003 - 6:05 pm: |
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Personally I would dig a big hole, Dump atleast a yyard of concrete in it and bolt the tower to it....If you get enough concrete in there you wont need any guys
buck |
Foxracing
| | Posted on Monday, December 29, 2003 - 6:23 pm: |
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Well you can do what I did, put it up in a tree. I have my A-99 up in the top of a 40ft maple tree. Although I had to use a lot of pipe to make sure it would stick another 25ft out the top of the tree.With a total from the bottom of the tree to the top of the antanna 65ft. With some pipe and some flat brackets welded and holes drilled in the flat steel for lag bolts.
Hope this helps,
FOX |
mikefromms
| | Posted on Monday, December 29, 2003 - 6:48 pm: |
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Have it put in a nearby tree. Run a ground wire from the base of the antenna to a ground rod. Use the best coax. You're in business.
mikefromms |
Bigbob
| | Posted on Monday, December 29, 2003 - 6:55 pm: |
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Boxcar just hold off for a while,pretty soon those eves will be no problem,seriously dig a 5 foot hole,tie some good quality polyester rope to the tower,lay in some screw anchors 25 feet from hole,attach antenna to tower,get some friends and place tower in hole and top off with concrete,use guy ropes only when you have to climb tower,otherwise it should free stand allright with a stick.Bigbob P.S.mark anchors so you don't mow them,makes a lot of racket. |
Boxcar
| | Posted on Monday, December 29, 2003 - 9:54 pm: |
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Appreciate all the info guys. I'll keep this post open and accept all opinions. Trees might not be an option because the closest ones are too close to power lines. Buuzzz!! And that's all she wrote for Boxcar!!  |
Marlboro_Man
| | Posted on Monday, December 29, 2003 - 11:43 pm: |
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I Have 35 ft of tower, 10 ft of mast and my a-99 mounted in a 3.5ft deep hole with about 6 80lb. bags of quickcrete cement. I have 3 guide wires attached to the top of the tower (not the mast). The only rerason I attached these was to hold the tower stedy while the concrete dried. I would be worried one bit to pull the guides off of it now and we sometimes have 60 mph winds!!
Marlboro_Man |
Boxcar
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2003 - 4:31 pm: |
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Ca346,
I think using a swivel hinge at the base could work out pretty well. I know where you get the "horseshoe" crack because I seen someone putting up their imax 2000 that way and it did straighten out just fine also. This may sound corny but it might work but I thought about just running a 16 foot(thick pipe) straight up out of the ground, bolt it to the antenna and connect it vertically to the eve and possibly wrap the pipe with something like a thin piece of cloth, or a thin sponge in between the pipe and the gutter so it doesn't get damaged, scratched or bent. |
Hornet168ky
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2003 - 6:31 pm: |
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"thin cloth" or a "sponge" probably won't last very long. But you could go and get a piece of rubber hose like say a radiator hose and split it to go around the piece of pipe and fasten it on with hose clamp. |
Boxcar
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2003 - 7:39 pm: |
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That's another good idea Hornet! I appreciate all the input guys!! Just got the email saying my antenna is on its way so I'll be expecting it anytime soon. I've really heard a lot of good comments about that imax 2000 in this forum and that's what persuaded me into buying this antenna from copper!! Thanks again!!!!!!
BoXCaR |
Ca346
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 12:16 am: |
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I used an electrical grade metal pipe for my 20 foot mast on the top of my tower. Actually two 10 footers threaded together. VERY STRONG! VERY CHEAP! Bought it at HOMEDEPOT, a local hardware and home supply store. You could use two 20 footers and have it way up there. The pipe is the thick wall commercial stuff, NOT thin wall.
Just a thought. Hope to talk with you someday!
CA346/CEF197 |
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