Recommendations (especially antenna installers)

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  • 11 September 2026 at 11:50 #36690
    M7VSX
    Participant

      Hi Essex Ham fam.

      I am personally looking for a company in the leigh-on-sea area who will add a white stick antenna to my chimney.

      But while looking through the forums, and the whole website, I cannot find anywhere that mentions recommendations.
      Is that by design?

      Either way, I really need to get talking to someone who installs antennas. All of the ‘TV arial fitters’ have said no so far.

      Any help would be greatly appreciated.
      SF
      M7VSX

      28 September 2026 at 00:12 #36759
      Peter M0PWX (2E0PWX)
      Participant

        any reasonable TV antenna erector should be able to install a whitestick on the chimney for you

        BUT

        bare in mind if the whitestick has a SO239 connector they are not waterproof, so i would cover the connector and an inch or so up the coax with self amalgamating tape to waterproof the connection and mount it to the pole and give it to the antenna guy ready to mount

        the other thing is the coax, have a look at online coax loss calculators, and if you can afford it use something like RG213 for the main coax and if needed a metre or two of RG58 for flexibility in the shack if required

        RG58 you lose about 30% of signal at 144mhz and just over 50% at 432mhz on a 10m run
        RG213 you lose about 15% of signal at 144mhz and just over 30% at 432mhz on a 10m run

        RG58 you lose about 65% of signal at 144mhz and just over 85% at 432mhz on a 25m run
        RG213 you lose about 45% of signal at 144mhz and just over 60% at 432mhz on a 25m run

        at 144mhz RG58 is not too bad for less than 10m length, but once you get to 430mhz the losses of RG58 are much greater on 10m+ lengths so even putting the antenna on the chimney you can lose a lot of signal in the coax (remember coax losses are in both directions you lose signal in so stations can be an S point or 2 down, and your TX power will not all get to antenna and be radiated)

        the other option is a pair of T & K brackets on the wall just below the gutter/eaves nearer the shack room which will probably take 5m+ off the cable run and be easier for maintenance

        Peter M0PWX (not Pete M0PSX who runs this site)

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