xpyttl wrote:

Is the ridge vent metal? Usually it is covered with shingles, but sometimes
it is aluminum, sometimes plastic. I trust any foil backed insulation is in
the floor of the attic rather than the roof.

**** Correct. All the metal is well removed. Just a wood
sheathing/asphalt
shingle roof..


All other things being equal, I would expect the antenna to be noticeably
better above the roof, because there will be some attenuation indoors, and
greater proximity to noise makers, and things that can get overloaded by
your transmitter.. But I doubt it would be a huge difference, although on
wet days it may well be sigificant. If the vent is metal, then the attic
antenna, because you can get it farther from the vent, may well be better.

**** I didn't think of the "wet days" situation..... I haven't seen
much difference
in antenna performance due to rain or weather tho... However, it
doesn't
snow here much at all.


But "better" is a relative term. I suspect in 4-land you don't get the snow
and ice we get up here on the tundra, but I imagine you have pretty decent
storms come by once in a while. It may well be that the slight attentatuon
is a small price to pay for not having to re-string the antenna every time
hurricane season rolls around.

**** No hurricanes in Eureka, Texas... Just tornadoes... And the
antenna
will usually land somewhere around where the house comes down at .....
:)))))

*** The main reason for the question is my wife's opinion of acceptable
adornment for the exterior of our new house...... She doesn't share
my fascination with "electronical stuff" as an art form...

:) Andy W4OAH in Eureka, Texas

"AndyS" wrote in message
ps.com...

*** The main reason for the question is my wife's opinion of acceptable
adornment for the exterior of our new house...... She doesn't share
my fascination with "electronical stuff" as an art form...

Ahhh, well. That changes things. A wire antenna is practically invisible,
but you wouldn't want it in the attic where it could attract lightning
inside the house.

...

xpyttl wrote:
Ahhh, well. That changes things. A wire antenna is practically invisible,
but you wouldn't want it in the attic where it could attract lightning
inside the house.

..
Andy comments:
Well, the difference between being "practically invisible" and
being
pre-emminent in grotesqueness to my wife is "practically negligible"
(grin).

I'm not certain that an antenna "attracts" lightning. It probably
makes
little difference between hitting an outside antenna, running in the
feedline, and burning down the house VERSUS going thru a layer
of asphalt shingles and doing the same thing...... but I can see where
you're coming from.....

However, in Eureka we don't usually have problems with lightning
because the tornado usually blows the antenna away before the
lightning strikes......

Andy W4OAH in Eureka, Texas

AndyS wrote:
*** The main reason for the question is my wife's opinion of acceptable
adornment for the exterior of our new house...... She doesn't share
my fascination with "electronical stuff" as an art form...

Well that settles it in my mind, do it inside the roof as high as u can get it.
(use rope and pulleys so u can later play with it, when the urge hits)
It should work almost as well as of it were outside and 3 foot higher.
Easy to get the feel line to come away at a 90 degree angle.
(not necessary, but if it does great)

and last but not least
It will save up your exterior adornments play with the xyl for a later project.

Sam Morgan wrote:
It will save up your exterior adornments play with the xyl for a later project.

Andy comments:
Yeah, you would not BELIEVE the size of the television antenna we
need
here to get good reception (grin)........fortunately Moseley makes a
good
one.... :)))))

Andy W4OAH