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Step 8Connecting your antenna array
Please remember that all connection instructions are your responsibility. If you feel uncomfortable on a roof doing this or with grounding properly for lightning then have it done professionally. Basically this means that I absolve myself all responsibility in this area.
Antenna mast
How you mount your antenna is your business. There are several mounting masts available. I'm mounting mine to my chimney. Using a set of stainless straps that wrap around the chimney for just this purpose. My chimney isn't being used. If yours is, especially for wood or coal I suggest another spot. Your antenna will be soon covered with soot if you use the chimney. Two things are important.
One is that if you can get higher, the higher the better. Mine will be 10 feet above the roof. Remember though that anything much over that should have guy wires to steady it.
Secondly, if the stations are not all in one location, like a city, then you'll need an antenna rotor to turn the antenna the desired direction to the station. See the last chapter of this instructable to find out where your stations are located.
Connecting the antenna
If you just made one antenna then you'll only need the balun, lightning arrestor and coaxial cables. Connect the two leads of the balun to the too center loops of the antenna phase line. Connect with screw, nut and washers keep it loose or drill and bolt it to the standout board if you want. connect the other end to a short coaxial cable. Screw a lightning arrestor to the pipe and connect the other end of the coax to it. The other terminal on the arrestor goes to the TV or DTV converter box.
If you've got two antenna's like I do then you'll have to use to balun's and a splitter (or in this case a splitter acting as a combiner) mounted between the antennas. the diagram should explain this.
I recommend that all connections either be wrapped nicely with electrical tape, or coated with silicon II that hardens (outdoor silicon caulking is fine) or use coax with weatherproof boots on the connections.
Grounding your mast
It is very important that you ground the antenna and mast. You'll need to get a ground rod and connector made for this and a length of aluminum grounding wire. Attach the ground wire to the antenna mast with a screw or clamp and run it to the ground rod that has been driven into the ground. Securely attach it to the ground rod with a screw clamp made for this.
Antenna mast
How you mount your antenna is your business. There are several mounting masts available. I'm mounting mine to my chimney. Using a set of stainless straps that wrap around the chimney for just this purpose. My chimney isn't being used. If yours is, especially for wood or coal I suggest another spot. Your antenna will be soon covered with soot if you use the chimney. Two things are important.
One is that if you can get higher, the higher the better. Mine will be 10 feet above the roof. Remember though that anything much over that should have guy wires to steady it.
Secondly, if the stations are not all in one location, like a city, then you'll need an antenna rotor to turn the antenna the desired direction to the station. See the last chapter of this instructable to find out where your stations are located.
Connecting the antenna
If you just made one antenna then you'll only need the balun, lightning arrestor and coaxial cables. Connect the two leads of the balun to the too center loops of the antenna phase line. Connect with screw, nut and washers keep it loose or drill and bolt it to the standout board if you want. connect the other end to a short coaxial cable. Screw a lightning arrestor to the pipe and connect the other end of the coax to it. The other terminal on the arrestor goes to the TV or DTV converter box.
If you've got two antenna's like I do then you'll have to use to balun's and a splitter (or in this case a splitter acting as a combiner) mounted between the antennas. the diagram should explain this.
I recommend that all connections either be wrapped nicely with electrical tape, or coated with silicon II that hardens (outdoor silicon caulking is fine) or use coax with weatherproof boots on the connections.
Grounding your mast
It is very important that you ground the antenna and mast. You'll need to get a ground rod and connector made for this and a length of aluminum grounding wire. Attach the ground wire to the antenna mast with a screw or clamp and run it to the ground rod that has been driven into the ground. Securely attach it to the ground rod with a screw clamp made for this.
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