Do you need to use an “approved” antenna mast?

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When we ask why people don’t buy antennas from us… those few folks who decide to buy locally tell us that one of the issues is that antenna masts are expensive to ship. Yes, we do get that. They’re big and heavy. We do think our masts and mounting supplies are top notch, and personally I hope you’ll browse through them and find something that meets your needs.

But let’s say for a moment that you want a new antenna but you think you can mount it to a fencepost, or a pipe, or a chimney. Is that ok?

Yes.

Anything that you can mount an antenna to is just fine, provided that it’s strong enough. We don’t recommend that you attach an antenna to a thin wooden dowel, or hang it from a piece of wire, but when it comes to masts and mounting supplies, I’ll be honest. There’s nothing magical about an antenna mast that makes it any different from any other piece of galvanized pipe. It just happens to be the right size and shape to work perfectly with an antenna.

So why would you get a mount from Solid Signal?

Sometimes, quality matters. Sometimes, it really makes sense to have the exact right thing for the job. When you buy from Solid Signal, you know that you’re getting the same parts that installers use. These are parts specifically approved by the satellite TV manufacturers for use in this way.

Not only that, you can get some really specialized parts. If you’re sinking a post into concrete, it doesn’t matter much if it’s a steel fencepost or something more specialized. But, if you want to mount to your eave, it does. There are several types of eave mounts and it matters whether you have an antenna, DISH product, or DIRECTV product. Do you know which is which? Our experts do, and we’ll be happy to help you find the right one. We’ll also be happy to help you find specialized mounting products, like roof mounts that don’t require you to drill holes. In wetter climates, these are some of our best sellers.

I remember about a dozen years ago, a friend of mine had put up a dish on his patio, using a tripod he’d gotten from a home store. It kept falling over and every time it did, he’d lose TV service until it could be re-aimed properly. That doesn’t sound like the way you want to do things. If he’d gone to Solid Signal, we would have recommended a non-penetrating mount designed for a patio that spread the weight evenly and didn’t require drilling. This is the kind of thing we specialize in.

It’s your choice

If you choose to get an antenna from us and get a mast from a local fence shop or home improvements store, we’re completely ok with that. We want to make sure that you’re getting the TV signal that you deserve, and we want to help you do whatever it takes.

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.