Radio Shack Six-Element Triple-Drive FM Antenna, 15-2163 Owner's Manual

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1998, 2000 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
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OWNER’S MANUAL — Please read before using this equipment.
Six-Element Triple-Drive FM Antenna
Before you begin installation, read this manual and the sepa­rate Consumer Product Safety Commission information sheet. For your safety and convenience, plan each step of the installa­tion and purchase the necessary hardware in advance. The hardware required and the order in which you perform the steps depend on the mounting and connection method you choose.
Warning: When you install your antenna, use extreme caution. If the antenna starts to fall, let it go! It could contact overhead power lines. If the antenna touches the power line, contact with the antenna, mast, cable, or guy wires can cause electrocution and death. Call the power company to remove the antenna.
Do
not attempt to remove it yourself.
ASSEMBLING THE ANTENNA
Assemble the entire antenna on the ground.
1. Use the supplied hardware to loosely attach the supplied mast clamp assembly to the boom, as shown.
Note: T o access the mast clamp holes, mo ve the anten na’ s elements out of the way as needed.
2. Press the supplied large end plugs into the boom.
CONNECTING LEAD-IN CABLE TO THE ANTENNA
We recommend RG-6 cable and, if you prepare your own ca­ble, a quality F-connector. You can also use 300-ohm flat, twin­lead cable. (RadioShack carries a variety of suitable cables and connectors.)
Note: If you prepare your own coaxial cable, be sure to slide the supplied matching transformer’s weather boot onto the ca­ble before you attach the F-connector.
Using Coaxial Cable
To connect coaxial cable to your antenna:
1. Thread the supplied matching transformer’s spade termi­nals through the antenna’s strain-relief tab.
2. Slide the spade terminals around the antenna’s lead-in ter­minals (on both sides of the boom), then secure them with the supplied flat washers and large wing nuts.
3. Screw the cable’s F-connector onto the matching trans­former.
4. Slip the weather boot over the connection. If you use a rebuilt cable without a weather boot, cover the connection with weather-resistant tape.
Using Twin-Lead Cable
To connect flat, twin-lead cable to your antenna:
1. Split one end of the twin-lead cable for a length of about 3 inches. Then strip about
1
/2 inch of insulation from both
leads.
2. Thread the stripped leads through the antenna’s strain­relief tab.
3. Wrap each lead around one of the antenna’s lead-in termi­nals (on both sides of the boom). Be sure there is enough slack between the strain-relief tab and the antenna termi­nals to prevent stress on the cable or the terminals.
4. Secure the leads with the supplied flat washers and large wing nuts.
U-Bolt
Mast Clamp
Backup Plate
Boom
Lock Nuts
Lead-In Terminal
Weather Boot
F-Connector
Matching Transformer
Strain-Relief Tab
Flat Washers
Large Wing Nuts
Spade Terminals
Main Boom
Lead-In Terminal
Strain-Relief Tab
Twin-Lead Cable
Flat Washers
Large Wing Nuts
Main Boom
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UNFOLDING THE ANTENNA’S ELEMENTS
Hold the boom’s elements near the pivot points and pull them away from the boom until they snap into the self-locking plastic support insulators.
Caution:
To avoid damage to the elements, do not pull them near their outer ends. Once the elements are locked into posi­tion, do not attempt to unlock them. Doing so might break the self-locking tabs.
ATTACHING TO THE MAST
For the best FM reception, do not mount the FM ant enna on the same mast with a TV antenna. We recommend that you enlist the help of another person before you put up the mast or attach your antenna to it. How you set up your mast depends on your specific installation. Refer to the separate Consumer Product Safety Commission information sheet for recommended meth­ods.
1. Slide the antenna’s mast clamp assembly over the end of the mast.
2. Tighten the mast clamp assembly’s lock nuts to hold the antenna in place. Do not overtighten the lock nuts.
3. Set up the mast, then rotate it so the antenna’s shorter ele­ments point toward the broadcast antennas of the stations you want to receive.
ROUTING THE CABLE TO YOUR FM RECEIVER
If you use coaxial cable:
• Use plastic tape or mast standoff insulators to secure the coaxial cable to the mast at about 3-foot intervals. Continue down the roof and the side of the house using roof and wall standoff insulators.
• Use coaxial cable nail-in clips every few feet to secure the cable between the mast and where the cable enters the house.
• Use a 75-ohm grounding block at the point where the coax­ial cable enters the house. Read the Consumer Product Safety Commission sheet for grounding instructions.
• Use a wall-through lead-in tube (not supplied) to neatly route the coaxial cable through walls.
If you use twin-lead cable:
• Be sure the twin-lead cable remains at least 4 inches away from all metal surfaces.
• Use standoff insulators about every 4 feet. Twist the twin­lead cable about three turns between standoff insulators.
• Read the separate Consumer Product Safety Commission sheet for grounding instructions.
CONNECTING TO YOUR FM RECEIVER
Connect the antenna’s lead-in cable to your FM receiver’s antenna terminals according to the type of cable you used. RadioShack carries a variety of matching transformers, if one of these suits your needs. Below are some sample connections.
Make connections as described if you have:
• Coaxial antenna lead-in
• Twin-lead FM antenna terminals
Mast
Toward FM Stations’ Antennas
Long Element
Short Elements
RadioShack Indoor/Outdoor Matching Transformer Cat. No. 15-1140
Connect to FM Receiver’s 300-Ohm Screw Terminals
Connect Coaxial Lead-In from Antenna
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