[time-nuts] Installing GPS Antenna

Pete Lancashire pete at petelancashire.com
Sat Feb 18 07:33:10 EST 2017


I pretty much agree on the fittings, only ones designed for outdoor
and contact with copper. Stainless steel, bronze etc.

I disagree about guy wires, Are you in a area that gets winds and
gusts > 30 mph  ? Then I would guy it no matter what, it may even be
code.

Ever get below freezing where you are, that pipe could end up easily
having 10 lbs of ice per foot, thats 200 lbs and then a 5x increase in
wind resistance.

=pete

On Fri, Feb 17, 2017 at 11:41 PM, Chris Albertson
<albertson.chris at gmail.com> wrote:
> Copper?  What an expensive material to use.   Galvanized iron pipe is
> cheaper and very strong.   But even the thinner "type M" copper pipe
> is strong enough if it is 1 1/4" diameter.
>
> You should not need guy wires on such a short mast.   You will need
> likely the proper threaded adaptor to fit the antenna mount.   Run the
> coax antenna lead down the center of the pipe.  Also be sure and
> ground the pipe to a ground rod.   The ground wire needs to be (from
> memory) #8 or larger.   You don't want a 20 foot tall ungrounded
> lightening rod up on the roof.  Electric code requires the ground.
>
> One thing, because you used copper pipe use either copper wire for the
> ground or if using aluminum wire use the special fittings/clamps
> designed for connecting aluminum to copper.
>
> I assume this is an unused chimney?
>
> On Fri, Feb 17, 2017 at 9:57 PM,  <timenut at metachaos.net> wrote:
>> I have finally ordered a GPSDO (probably get here in April). In the meantime,
>> I have the GPS antenna (Luctel, 26Db). I picked up a 20' solid section of 1 1/4"
>> copper pipe at the plumbing store with the intention of mounting it to my
>> chimney.
>>
>> My question is about the stability of that mounting. I expect that 16 or 17
>> feet of the pipe will be above the chimney. The weight of the GPS antenna is
>> trivial. The effective cross section area of the pipe is very small as well,
>> so I would think that wind effects would be pretty small even for a good
>> breeze.
>>
>> Will that be sufficiently stable, or will I need to include guy wires? If so,
>> are there any recommendations in that area. I don't really have any experience
>> putting up antennas. I know that TV antennas are much heavier and, even though
>> not mounted as high, still 10' or so is common without guy wires.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Michael
>>
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>
>
> --
>
> Chris Albertson
> Redondo Beach, California
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