Aerial mast needs replacing!!!

[2cvbloke]

Ok, I was looking at the aerial mast during the week wondering if I could pop a WiFi Cantenna onto it, when I noticed the base of the mast, it's ready for collapse...

So, what diameter mast do I need to get to replace it (assuming I brave climbing up onto the roof through the skylight!!!)?

I do have a pic of the aerial and mast but it's not clear enough to see the rusted end of the mast, which is a few millimetres below one of the U-bolts....

 

[gameboy]

Can you not go up and measure the diameter?

As all the supporting U bolts etc will still fit.

 

[rolfw]

You'll probably find that the U bolts and brackets are pretty much unusable if the mast is that bad, but surely that is the responsibility of the landlord?

PS. climbing on pitched rooves withought any safety equipment like a cat ladder or at the very least a rope and harness can be very dodgy.

 

[2cvbloke]

Here's a couple of pics, one is of my aerial's base, and as you can see, all U-bolts are now too rusted for any re-use, and the base of the mast is nearly rusted away...

The second is of an aerial 2 doors up, that looks like a recent installation, which I guess was a crap install and got knocked over by those strong winds a few months back, and is what my aerial could do soon...

As for the responsibility, yes it is the landlord's, but I'm one of those who'd rather do it themselves (I'll get the LL to get the new bits, then I take the aerial off the old mast, then cut the U-bolts off the mast, pop the new U-Bolts on, add the new mast, fit the aerial onto it, align it back onto Pendle Forest, and if I have one made up, pop a WiFi cantenna on the top of the mast!!! ) assuming I can overcome my fear of heights....

 

[Yeshi]

TBVH mate you might aswell put a new lashing kit up there to hold the mast.. the current is very poor.

 

[2cvbloke]

TBVH mate you might aswell put a new lashing kit up there to hold the mast.. the current is very poor.

Looks serviceable to me, bit of surface rust on the plates, or am I missing something?

 

[aba]

just get a couple of new u bolts cut about 6 to 12 inch of the mast and stick it back in the bracket

 

[Yeshi]

Looks serviceable to me, bit of surface rust on the plates, or am I missing something?

Fair enough, i dont use them lashin kits anymore.. but up to you.. new ones only cost a couple of quid.

 

[2cvbloke]

just get a couple of new u bolts cut about 6 to 12 inch of the mast and stick it back in the bracket

If I did that the I might aswell sit the aerial ontop of the chimney stack!!!

 

[2cvbloke]

Fair enough, i dont use them lashin kits anymore.. but up to you.. new ones only cost a couple of quid.

Lashing kits are completely foreign to me, I've gotten so used to T & K's and tripod dish mounts...

 

[rolfw]

If you are going to do it, you might as well do it properly and put up a new cradle mount and mast, the aerial will probably be knackered as well.

Again, putting up a mast on a roof is potentially dangerous without a cat ladder, is the roof tiled or slated and if tiled, what size tiles? I do this for a living and will not step on a pitched tiled roof without a cat ladder.

Below is a picture of a cradle mount lashed to a chimney.

 

[2cvbloke]

If you are going to do it, you might as well do it properly and put up a new cradle mount and mast, the aerial will probably be knackered as well.

Again, putting up a mast on a roof is potentially dangerous without a cat ladder, is the roof tiled or slated and if tiled, what size tiles? I do this for a living and will not step on a pitched tiled roof without a cat ladder.

Below is a picture of a cradle mount lashed to a chimney.

Well, if that much work needs doing, then I'll get the landlord to sort it out with a local installer...

 

[Yeshi]

If you are going to do it, you might as well do it properly and put up a new cradle mount and mast, the aerial will probably be knackered as well.

Again, putting up a mast on a roof is potentially dangerous without a cat ladder, is the roof tiled or slated and if tiled, what size tiles? I do this for a living and will not step on a pitched tiled roof without a cat ladder.

Below is a picture of a cradle mount lashed to a chimney.

Tast was east to install (flat roof).

as for the cradle... "lashing" do you ever use the ratchet type?? if so which do you think is best,? yours or ratchet?

 

[rolfw]

I use the ratchet type when it is difficult to fit a standard lashing only, I feel more confident that the standard lashing will last and support a bigger aerial and mast.

 

[2cvbloke]

I think a ratchet type would probably need to be used on my chimney as on t'other side of the stack is a long drop to my alleyway....

 

[Yeshi]

No

You just need the following;-

Goggles (as Required)
Dust Mask (as Required)
Harness
Cow Tail
Fall Arrest
Rope
Microlite
Laddermate
Eye Bolt (Secured at eye Level)
Yoke


Then you could use a ratchet type. and you will be safe ;)

Trust me i threw myself off a roof backwords in training using the above and i was safe as houses.. ;)

 

[gameboy]

Rolfw - you've left your screw driver sitting in the chimney the lashing.

Or is that part of the set up?

 

[rolfw]

LOL, Oh crumbs, wondered where that had gone.

 

[2cvbloke]

No

You just need the following;-

Goggles (as Required)
Dust Mask (as Required)
Harness
Cow Tail
Fall Arrest
Rope
Microlite
Laddermate
Eye Bolt (Secured at eye Level)
Yoke


Then you could use a ratchet type. and you will be safe ;)

Trust me i threw myself off a roof backwords in training using the above and i was safe as houses.. ;)

Isn't a Microlite a small aircraft???

Anyways, I'll get the landlord to get it done when it collapses, I have my Porty dish to get freesat so I can live without freeview for a while...