Mast and Pole Mounting

Mast options

• J-pipe mounts: Common TV antenna hardware. Good for moderate antennas on walls or chimneys.
• Galvanized conduit: 1-1.5" Schedule 40 steel conduit. Strong, affordable, easy to work with. Good for masts up to 4-5 meters.
• Telescoping push-up masts: Aluminum sections. Easy to deploy. Common for temporary or semi-permanent installs.
• Non-penetrating roof base: A weighted base (50+ lbs of paving blocks) holds a mast on a flat roof without drilling.

Guy wires

Masts over 3-4 meters free-standing need guy wires at 120 degree intervals. Use stainless cable or UV-resistant rope. Guy at 2/3 height and near the top.

Grounding and lightning protection

Ground the mast base with a #8 AWG copper conductor to a driven ground rod. Install a coaxial lightning arrestor rated for 915 MHz at the building entry point and bond to building ground.

Key rules

• Mount antenna as high as practical, clear of obstructions
• Keep the coax run short by mounting the radio enclosure close to the antenna
• Use stainless steel hardware outdoors to prevent galvanic corrosion
• Never power on the radio without an antenna connected - transmitting into an open port can permanently damage the PA