Rooftop mount on old TV tripod

[KangMudDuck]

Greetings all,

I have been trying to find more information on this subject, most searches point to this forum. I spent time going through old threads about this, couldn't find much on the topic, apologies if I missed this has been covered in the past.

I bought a new house and am planning a base station. There is a tripod on the roof with an old TV antenna. My plan is to remove the existing antenna, put a bit more mast up and attach a vertical. I am going to remove the TV coax and install correct coax for radio.

My questions are mainly focused on grounding. Is it possible to get into the old TV grounding box and use the same existing ground from the TV antenna, or should I beef up the ground. I imagine I will need to switch out the coax ground in the box to accommodate the radio coax. Is this going to be safe and work or should I just run a ground straight off the mast to a new ground rod?

Thanks in advance for any insights.

 

[undertaker]

Run off mast to a ground rod..buried in the ground..

 

[Heywood]

I used a five gallon plastic bucket filed with concrete. I put a mast in the center and plumbed it. Just about when it cured, I removed the mast.

Now, when you want to put a mast in, or have a place to test a new antenna, you have a great foundation to utilize.

Place it just under the grass-line so you don't hit it with the mower.

 

[Handy Andy]

Hmm, using an old tripod to begin with is like buying a used car from the teenagers down the street, after they fixed it up from the latest wreck...

A old tripod, is that car, waiting for the next wreck. You're only borrowing time before it gets pulled over by the wind leaving you with a sunroof, but not as an option.

There are some things your just don't know what the previous owner did, used or otherwise worked with, on that roof, and I'm not just talking about the Tripod, Shingles, sheathing, beams - rafter and any mounting points let alone how many times it may have been struck by lighting before.

There's a thing they call insurance - sometimes it's a policy, sometimes it's taking chances, sometimes it's an exercise in following common sense and replacing it all with new equipment - not knowing what you're up against versus knowing what you did, in putting it all together.

You can prove one, nature will offer Proof of the other.

It sure pretty to look at,
but you don't want to be the one it's looking for.​

Grounding applies too, best to use new, don't want to see a place burn to the ground because a week later after the antennas' put up - Nature strikes...

 

[KangMudDuck]

Yah, I'm nervous that the existing tripod wouldn't be able to accommodate a 20+ foot antenna up there, strong wind may rip it off. When I get some $$$ I would put up a proper tripod, the existing TV coax goes straight into the house, I want to use less coax for the radio going into the house. I think my option at this point is sinking a mast into a five gallon pail of concrete like @Heywood suggests, bury that and attach the mast to a 1st floor eave. Won't be up as high and will need to run much more coax from that spot, but I don't want a new sunroof, lol.