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Ace - Z-Type Chimney Mount

Ace - Z-Type Chimney Mount Review



Overall 4.00 of 5 (by 1 user)


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bkovacs
Annandale, VA
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Easy to install but for smaller chimneys
4 star rating

a do-it-yourselfer, wanting my Internet, a gadget geek
Pros

    easy to install, good-quality hardware, makes a firm mount

Cons
    poor instructions, 12-foot chimneys or smaller

MAY
6
2008
 
 
 
 
 
I have a house in the mountains where there is terrible cell phone reception and no easy solution to getting Internet service. I could pay $10 per month for a dial-up line but dial-up lines are slow and they tie up the phone line for hours at a time. I work for a big cell phone company that offers a wireless high-speed Internet service (called EVDO) that I can get for free, but its operation was negligible-to-nil in the house -- when it worked, it was slower than a dial-up line. Then I had the idea to try my EVDO card in my laptop computer... on the roof. Bingo -- I got enough reliable reception to make it worth my while to install an outdoor antenna.

Chimney Mount

The first step to install an outdoor antenna is some sort of antenna mount, and the easiest type of mount that's good and strong is a chimney mount. I went to all the stores I could think of looking for an antenna chimney mount before I found one at a well-stocked Ace Hardware store for $15. It is the Ace Z-Type Chimney Mount and it comes with mounting straps for chimneys that have a circumference of 12 feet. The mount consists of two z-shaped steel brackets, the previously mentioned steel straps that go around the chimney, two U-bolts to mount the antenna mast, and various clips and nuts. If your chimney has a circumference of 12 feet or less, this is a great mount for you.

It was not a great mount for me, since my chimney has a circumference of 16 feet. However, I found some steel strapping at a Lowes store that would work fine with the Ace Z-Type Chimney Mount. Eleven dollars later, I had enough steel strapping to easily install the antenna mount. The next stop was the roof.

Installing It

I have installed chimney mounts before, so installing this one was easy. Once I was on the roof, I had all the components firmly attached to my chimney in 20 minutes. I was amazed at how easy it was and pleased with the sturdy installation. It definitely holds the 10-foot antenna mast firmly. The hardware is all good quality and the Ace Z-Type Chimney Mount looks like it will last a good 10 years before I'll need to think about replacing it.

One downside is that the instructions on the back of the package are pretty sketchy. If you have never done this before, you might puzzle over the instructions for some time before you give up and try to install the Ace Z-Type Chimney Mount. However, I assembled it all without looking at the instructions and got it right the first time. It helped that I've installed chimney mounts several times before.

Using It

Once the mount was installed, I clamped into it a 10-foot steel mast that held the EVDO antenna. I ran a cable down the mast, into the house and to an electronic gizmo (review to come later) that helps distribute the rooftop signal throughout the house. I was not thrilled with the speed of my new Internet connection but it does work, it's faster than a dial-up line and there is no monthly fee -- as long as I am a employee of the cell phone company. All the hardware I bought will pay itself back within two years, which is a pretty good investment.

Summary

The bottom line is that the Ace Z-Type Chimney Mount is a fine antenna mount at a fair price. Keep in mind that it will cost you another $11 or so if your chimney has a circumference of more than 12 feet. If I didn't have this extra expense, I would have given the Ace Z-Type Chimney Mount five stars for its easy installation and rock steady mounting.

Last edited on May 07, 2008


I_thumb_up Ace - Z-Type Chimney Mount is recommended by bkovacs


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I_comment_shdw24 Comments about bkovacs’s Review



mrkstvns wrote on May 7, 2008 at 12:59PM


Sounds cheap and easy....two of my favorite adjectives! ;-)


bkovacs wrote on May 7, 2008 at 7:32AM


Thanks for the comments! Patty, the reason I'm so handy is because I'm such a tightwad. I'd never pay anyone to do these things, so the only alternative is to do them myself. --Bob


PattyTherre wrote on May 6, 2008 at 11:50PM


You are SUCH a handyman. I wish you would come here and do stuff around my house. (I sure hope my husband doesn't read this comment. Haha).


kid-kansas wrote on May 6, 2008 at 11:20PM


Glad you found a solution that was doable! ;)


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