Antenna installers Gloucestershire

Does anybody know of a good roof antennas installer for my base station in the Cirencester area in Gloucestershire. I’ve got 2 antennas ready. Sirio 2008 and Astroplane AV-101. Not sure which one would be the best to put up first…regardless, I would just need someone knowledgeable to put it up. I’ve got the mil spec cable and everything but no mast/pole as not sure where best to Mount the antenna. Chimney or side wall. Many thanks for your suggestions.

Living in the area, I wish I could recommend an installer, but unfortunately I have never used one, sorry. Checking up online there does look to be a few to choose from now. I do not know if CATS are still in business, if they are that might be one to choose as they had been around for many years.. not a newly set up company.

The Sirio is a good quality 5/8, it should work well. Never used the Astroplane, always wondered how good they actually are, it's an interesting design.

Are you sure you need it on the roof?

Apart from people reporting you for not having planning permission, you're having to employ people to work at height, which is always expensive in terms of ladder work or cheery pickers.

Could you not ground mount on a 20ft Scaffold Pole in the rear garden?  You'd have virtually the same antenna height, and could do the ground work yourself, plus if you design the ground mount for easy disassembly you'll be able to change your antenna set up without having to employ anyone again.

Ground mount is less obtrusive, less likely to get complaints as most people in the street can't see it, and easier to comply with Planning Rules if you 'have to' retrospectively apply for it.

Thank you SangueG. Not easy to find someone. I will investigate CAT as suggested.
Back in the 80s I used an Astroplane for many years in the city. It would work wonders and didn’t need to be tuned. Very difficult to find nowadays but I managed to source one new in Swiss during Boxing Day. Sirio 2008 seems like a good option too but very high and not too sure about its wind resistance if hooked to a chimney…

Well…If I dare put a ground mounted antenna in our garden, I believe my other half will hang me to it! Also I had no idea you needed planning permission to hook one on the roof of your own private house! Thanks for the info Wireless.

You do have GPDO 1995 permission for VHF Antennas similar to TV Antennas being fitted to your chimney, and VHF includes 6m, but not HF at 10 or 11m.

It all depends on what you can 'get away' with, basically you're less likely to encounter objections if the antenna is not visible above your ridge tiles from the kerb directly in front of your house front door.  This also complies with GPDO 1995, although anything over 3 metre / 10ft in height in your garden can be subject to a Planning Application.  Its al less likely if you make sure you're not within 2 metres / 6ft from your boundary, and not 5 metres / 18ft from your neighbours buildings.

One of the benefits of being mounted away from houses is the Signal Floor will be lower as there's less interference from switch mode PSUs and other gubbins people have in their homes that isn't RFI compliant.

Thanks for the heads up Wireless! House is away from neighbouring houses so that’s good but not far from road…will try to figure out something…

The GPDO refers to your designated front door, not any other Right of Way which might have neighbours who can see any structure.

Also, its best to erect any mast, scaffold, or tower, with antennas long before you attach feedlines or coax.

Thus any subsequent complaint that arises about Interference your neighbours are experiencing, can be proven as nonsense.

For example my 'antenna' will consist of a Polyproylene rope for a few weeks, something you can't even attach a feedline to and expect it will radiate any signal.

Also, in terms of applications for Planning Permission, should they be required subsequently, always apply for antennas you'll never want to put up.

So for example, I have no plans to erect a HF Beam for 160m in any circumstances, I might include plans for a HF Beam, and Rotator Cage, and 70ft Lattice Tower on top of the actual antennas I wish to put up.

Often you might have to compromise, and accept that you will instead have a ground mounted 26ft Butternut HF-9V, and your 20ft Lattice Tower would instead have VHF Beams on a Rotator instead.

So you show you have compromised, the objector see's it as a win, and you get exactly what you wanted in the first place.

Understood! Makes perfect sense although it implies climbing on the roof twice but well worth the hassle. First I need to find an acrobat willing to install the fake/real antenna ;/

There's always bargaining with the Missus, see what she wants in return for a ground mounted Antenna...

That’s going to cost me  

With the evening being a little lighter now, spotted a very fine erection (can I say that?) whilst driving through your area today  Most impressive. I'll leave it to you to update others on what it is, if you should so choose to

Well spotted!…Sirio 2008 coming up. 3 days job. Nice view from up there. It should be ready this weekend. Grounding needs to be done. Almost there. Photos coming soon

Jesus wept, I hope that chimney can hold it!

My days of putting antennae like that are long gone, but that, truly is a work of art

Today’s wind shall be a good test for the new antenna…and the chimney    I’m glad we finished the work at height yesterday!

I had the same type fitted many years ago on the same pole and chimney type.
That was 30+ years ago now aerial long gone but i see the pole is still up there on that house (i left it 27 years ago). 
Nice looking job you have done there when mine went up it was a case of walking up the roof lol.

I'm not allowed a shack in the house, so the days of sticking stuff on chimneys is over for me, best I had up was a 6m V-2000.

Nice job though, all mine was done with ladders, but a cherry picker makes a lot of sense.

If I can get around Europe and to Canada with 59+ reports when the skips up with a bit of wire in my loft, with that beast I expect Kate results

That is the true purpose of that beauty. I’m hoping to regularly reach fellow CB friends in France where I used to live. Now that the aerial is up, I realise that I’m left with too much wire coiled up in my office. I originally got hold of 50m 400 cable professionally finished on both ends as I didn’t want to solder the PL connections myself. I still get decent SWR readings though. Worse I’m getting is 1.53 but mostly under 1.25. Hope talking to you guys soon!