Here’s the one thing you’ll need before you go up on the roof

You’re looking at those autumn chores and you’ve finally decided to put up an over-the-air antenna. Or maybe you’re thinking of a cell booster. Either way, great! You’ll be spending a lot more time inside during the winter and it makes a lot of sense to have a strong cell signal and dozens of channels of free TV. In fact depending on where you live, it could be a matter of life or death.

So, you’ve filled your cart with great stuff from Solid Signal, and you’re ready to schedule your trip up to the roof. Here’s the one thing that you absolutely cannot live without:

This guy.

Actually, that’s just a stock photo that I got when I searched for “bro.” I wonder what the guy who sat for the photo thinks about that.

Seriously, you don’t need this actual guy, but you do need someone. It doesn’t have to be a guy, it doesn’t have to be a millennial, but it does have to be someone. You should absolutely never ever ever go up on the roof unless you have someone else who can help you.

Whomever it is, make sure they can be out there with you, with a clear view of you and your exploits at all times. It literally could be the difference between life and death.

And this thing isn’t a bad idea either.

I don’t actually care what model it is. But you’d be pretty foolish not to have your cell phone with you. You might want to keep it in a pocket, all buttoned up, unless you have a serious case on it. If that phone falls from the roof, no one wins. But, that’s not an excuse to leave it down on the ground while you climb up. You could find yourself stuck up there with no way to contact anyone else. Your friend should be there to help you but why take a chance? Just take extra steps to make sure you don’t drop it and you’ll be fine.

Besides, once you’re up there you’ll want to use your phone and the Winegard app to help you aim that antenna. Or, you’ll want to use one of these sites to help you find a tower. At the very least you’ll probably want to use the compass app unless you have a cheap compass.

It’s all about being careful

This may be the last time this year that you can climb up on the roof safely. Be careful up there, and while you’re up there, take a look around. Are there any loose wires? Does it look like anything is leaking? Now’s the time to figure this out before the snows start coming. So, take some care now and you’ll have a winter filled with great entertainment options. Remember though that it doesn’t matter how great your entertainment options are if you’re laid up in traction because you didn’t follow some simple safety rules. Or even worse, if you actually don’t survive this little expedition because you tried to do it all without another person around.

Just saying.

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.