NICE AND EASY: What is a mast?

It’s, you know, a pole. When you’re mounting an antenna or satellite dish, whether it’s to a wall, a chimney, or a roof, you’re going to need a vertical post to put the thing on. That’s a mast.

Masts are generally made of steel and are designed to withstand wind and other weather to make sure that your antenna or dish stays where you put it. One of the strongest mounting systems is the chimney mount, where a mast is strapped to your chimney. The chimney is generally the highest point in the home and it makes sense to strap something to it, as long as the chimney is structurally sound.

Solid Signal carries specifically designed masts that will work with the equipment we offer. But is it absolutely necessary?

Any mast in a storm?

The dirty little secret here is that you don’t have to buy a mast from us. If you can find something of the right diameter locally, you can use. it. You’ll need something exactly the same size, and it has to be stable enough to work. I don’t recommend using wooden posts, but as I said here, it’s not as bad an idea as you’d think. If you’re going for a permanent installation, though, you should make sure the material you use isn’t going to warp or move over time.

I’ve seen people use fenceposts or even sprinkler lines, and these things will work. I’ve seen electrical conduit strapped to rebar and the whole thing sunk into concrete. It can be done.

The most important thing, as I said, is that it’s the right size. I have a handy article here that will explain the common mast sizes for the kinds of things you want to put up. For the most part, TV antennas and cell antennas aren’t super picky when it comes to the mast they want to use. On the other hand, satellite dishes must be used on the right size mast. I don’t even recommend adapters be used, because they can get loose over time. Satellite aiming must be very, very precise.

Get all the equipment you need

Whether it’s a simple mast or a complete mounting solution, you’ll find what you’re looking for when you shop at Solid Signal. Best of all, you can get pre-sales advice from the experts anytime during East Coast business hours! Call us at 888-233-7563 and we’ll help you choose the equipment, whether it’s a simple mounting job or a complex commercial installation.

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.