Robert's post below is spot on, except add a County Fire Marshal review, if
one exists in your Texas county.
73
MarkK5MGJ
On Thursday, March 31, 2022, 04:01:47 PM CDT, Robert Polinski via BVARC
<[email protected]> wrote:
In the state of Texas, county government’s are prohibited from requiring
permitting or inspections on any construction with a few exceptions. Sewage &
septic systems, waterwells, some land use coverage (dealing with storm water
runoff) Roads as in subdivisions. Cities, can require permits and inspections &
can pass requirements on construction of just about anything. A subdivision by
a private contractor can for HOA or deed restrictions rules, you accept them
when you buy a home there. There are a lot more rules covering business in the
state, air quality, hazardous waste, utility use, etc. There are also some
rules that apply to any cities ETJ which apply to 1 to 5 miles around a city.
These rules also deal with land use (coverage) and roads & utilities, but not
rules most home owners have to consider. If you live in a Texas county, you can
collect all the junk you want, cover you lot with rigged up antennas & live
happy in a trash dumpster, as long as you got a permit for your septic system,
well, & none of your waste is flowing off your property or damaging the ground
water. Robert KD5YVQ
From: BVARC <[email protected]> On Behalf Of JP Pritchard via BVARC
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2022 12:28 PM
To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB <[email protected]>
Cc: JP Pritchard <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [BVARC] masts & towers
The carbon fiber masts offered by Gigaparts looks really great but they’ve
doubled in price over the past year. I think Jason at Ham Radio 2.0 has a YT
video on them.
JP
Sent from my iPhone
On Mar 31, 2022, at 10:45 AM, Neal Naumann via BVARC <[email protected]> wrote:
I would plead Ingorance to permits. I grew up in "the country " . I never
heard of getting a permit to do stuff. I just do it.
Are you saying I need a permit to put up a TV antenna? I imagine I will look
for direction if that is the case. But not until it seems to really matter.
Neal N5EN
Get Outlook for Android
From: BVARC <[email protected]> on behalf of Jonathan Guthrie, KA8KPN via
BVARC <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2022 10:17:26 AM
To: Neal Naumann via BVARC <[email protected]>
Cc: Jonathan Guthrie, KA8KPN <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [BVARC] masts & towers
Did you permit the project to erect a tower and antenna?
On 3/31/2022 9:41 AM, Neal Naumann via BVARC wrote:
A TV antenna is permitted by law (which was drafted by the advertisers running
ads on the over the air television stations). My Hygain TH-3JRS is is TV
antenna. 33 feet is a height I require for good reception.
A flagpole is permitted by law. If you choose to run a wire to it is your
choice.
73,
Neal N5EN
From: BVARC <[email protected]> on behalf of Jeff Greer via BVARC
<[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2022, 9:16 AM
To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB <[email protected]>
Cc: Jeff Greer <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [BVARC] masts & towers
Well, my CC&Rs are not vague - they say explicitly no antennas unless we're
required to allow the antenna by law. Having said that, I already have an
antenna for HF. There will be one for VHF and UHF. The question is about how
to build it...
I think I've settled on doing the tetherball base. Now I just need to figure
out if it will be a push up mast, a crank up mast, a tilt over mast, or some
combination, and I need to figure out what to make it out of... Lighter is
better, I think, as it'll be less likely to cause damage should it ever blow
over (or get knocked over). I may put this thing between my house and the
neighbor's house, and I don't want it breaking stuff. I was looking at carbon
fiber telescoping masts last night, and that may be a good option. They're
pricey, which I'm not thrilled about, but they are supposedly stronger/stiffer
than aluminum.
-j
From: Neal Naumann <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2022 7:05 AM
To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB <[email protected]>
Cc: Jeff Greer <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: masts & towers
If you attend any area Hamfest with an ARRL forum, John Stratton N5AUS (ARRL
board member and civil trial attorney) will tell you that an HOA is no excuse
for putting up an antenna. He can feed you ammunition if there is an issue
with your HOA.
My HOA has a vague statement about antennas 10 ft higher than the highest point
on my house. With that in mind and a "it's better to ask forgiveness than
permission " attitude, for the past 20 years I have had antennas up to 20 ft in
height attached yp my chimney. This past year I got tired of dealing with my
extension ladder and put four sections of Motorola/ Rohn 35 in the ground about
6 feet. So that's about 34 feet above ground. I recently came across a good
deal on a Hygain TH-3JRS and I also have a 4 element 2 meter beam side mounted.
I have never received a complaint... except for grass growing in the sidewalk
cracks.
I also converted my 10 meter 5/8 wave Siro Toronado to a 30 meters and it's
mounted on a 10 ft pole, so that's also about 35' to the top. My 12 meter diy
vertical is also at about 30 feet. I'm working on a 60 meter vertical that
will use an insulated push-up pole that will be about 43' high.
According to N5AUS, all property owners in the United States are guaranteed
the right to display Ol' Glory. That flag pole can be 33 feet tall and have
coax attached.
I hate stupid rules and enjoy pushing the limits. Some people drive the speed
limit - I never have.
For those that say "don't buy a house in a HOA" - I challenge you to purchase
a (decent and reasonably priced) house in the Houston area, in an acceptable
school district, and close to work, that's not in an HOA.
73,
Neal N5EN
From: BVARC <[email protected]> on behalf of Jeff Greer via BVARC
<[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2022, 3:02 PM
To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB <[email protected]>
Cc: Jeff Greer <[email protected]>
Subject: [BVARC] masts & towers
Hi, BVARC!
I'm curious as to what others are doing for masts/towers. I'm in an HOA ("no
antennas") with a tiny little yard. Nobody has complained so far about my
homebrew "DX Commander" style fan vertical, which looks like a 31' jackite pole
(because that's pretty much what it is, with some 3d-printed wire spreaders).
I was holding that up w/ a 5' piece of 3/4 copper water pipe driven halfway
into the ground. Worked for several months, but the wind finally bent the
pipe. I have some 5' electrical conduit that looks a little tougher, but I may
resort to guying. The metal inside the bottom of the fiberglass pole, I
suspect, interferes with my 10m element, anyway...
I'm also wanting to put my Ed Fong DBJ-1 (which looks like a 5' PVC pipe) up
with the feedpoint 25-30'. I picked up a couple of old tires, and I'm thinking
of filling one with concrete (think tetherball pole) and mounting a couple of
pieces of angle iron in the concrete, so I can drill holes, put some sort of
mast between them, and make a "tilt over" base/hinge for the mast. Has anybody
built a self-supporting (non-guyed) 30 foot mast out of, say, some sort of
stock from Home Depot/Lowe's? The internet has lots of stories about using
chain link fence top rail (10' sections), but most say that 2 of those (20') is
all you join before it gets super wobbly. Would love to use some sort of
square tube - maybe nesting sections - but not sure where to get 10' sections,
and not sure aluminum would be strong enough or steel would be light enough...
Anyway, that's where I am. I thought I'd float this out there to benefit from
the experience of those who have been there and done that. Hope y'all can help
me come up with something that will work while avoiding poor choices that could
cause damage or hurt somebody.
Thanks!
-Jeff, W5JEF
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