[TowerTalk] rooftop mount advice needed

[Alex Malyava]

'funnel' sounds like a good idea :)

On Tue, Sep 9, 2008 at 8:57 PM, jimlux <jimlux at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Alex Malyava wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I am going to put a pair of 40m/20m inverted vee's on top of my two family
>> house and I need an advice regarding support mast and mount.
>>
>> The house itself is big enough for 40m Inv V and the peak of the roof is
>> about 30' above the ground.
>> I think I can put 6..8' long plastic mast in center to get more or less
>> acceptable diagram ( at least MMANA model says so :) )
>> Since that is two family house I need to convince my neighbors (pretty
>> good
>> people) that i would not damage the roof...
>> Well, how do I secure the bottom of the mast without any nails/screws? I
>> think I've seen some roof mounts in HROs/QSTs, but I could not find any.
>> The
>> only one ad I found is for flat surface, not for vaulted roof.
>> What do I use for a mast? Is it enough to use some random 3/4" extension
>> from painter's department in home depot or I better use those 2" military
>> 4'
>> long masts?
>>
>
>
>
> We've been talking about this at work.. I have a concrete tile roof, so
> have a similar problem. First: Silicone RTV is your friend.  You can use it
> to stick something to the roof and it's pretty durable.
>
> Rummaging through the local hardware store, it looks getting some big
> plastic funnels is the thing you want. You can carve them easily to fit
> whatever shape you need (e.g. in my case, round cutouts to match the roof
> tiles), then glue it down with silicone along the edges.
>
> Then, you stick plastic pipe into the funnel and glue it too, both where it
> touches the roof, and where it goes through the funnel (you have to cut the
> funnel back so that the hole diameter matches.
>
> For holding up a fairly inconspicuous wire, 3/4" plastic pipe works. (I use
> the pink UV inhibited kind.. grey electrical conduit might work, but I have
> some that's been outside for a few years, and it's turned almost black, so
> I'm leery..  Maybe paint is the real answer)
>
> If I have to remove it, it will be time for some razor blade work on the
> silicone.
>
> I fully expect the silicone to degrade, as well as the plastic funnel and
> the pipe.  It's not a 20 year solution.
>
> Jim, W6RMK
>
>