Installing the RCA ANT806 antenna

Installing the RCA ANT806 Indoor/Outdoor Antenna 

 

Before you begin

Please read the important safety precautions further down before installation. 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!

Use EXTREME CAUTION when handling and installing this antenna. If any part of the antenna makes contact with exposed wires within your home, touching the antenna or mast can cause electrocution and death.

Important safety precautions.

Many do it yourself and professional antenna installers are injured or killed each year by electric shock. While anyone can see the obvious danger of falling from a ladder, the most resourceful people sometimes fail to recognize overhead wires as being potentially lethal. Touching any part of the antenna mast or guy wire to these overhead wires results in the same shock you receive if you touched these wires directly with your bare hands. A very serious shock is almost sure to result when contacting an electrical wire and, in the case of primary wires on the top of the poles, the shock is similar to being struck by a bolt of lightning. Many power wires are within 20 to 25 feet of the ground and could easily be touched by an assembled antenna and mast.

Please read and follow these important safety precautions:

Be sure to select an antenna site well away from all overhead wires.

• Do not try to determine which overhead wires carry high voltage. Check with the power company.
• If you notice anything making contact with the overhead wires, call the power company to have it removed safely.
• Do not run the downlead cable over power wires.
• Obtain help from a qualified professional when removing the old antenna if there is any doubt clearing overhead wires.
• Never install an antenna by yourself. Be sure to have at least two people available for help.
• Never install the antenna when it is windy.
• Be sure to do all assembly work on the ground, then raise the antenna.
• Make sure the antenna mast downlead cable is connected to a suitable lightning arrester.
• Use 8 (or larger) AWG ground wire between the mast and the ground.
• Make sure the installation is secure with the use of guy wires or other mounting hardware.
• If you lose your grip on the antenna, let it fall to the ground. Do not attempt to catch it as it may touch power lines as it falls.

CALL THE POWER COMPANY TO REMOVE THE ANTENNA IF IT FALLS AND TOUCHES POWER LINES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REMOVE IT YOURSELF.

Important antenna notes.

The ANT806 antenna system is designed to work properly when the power injector is connected to the antenna through a 75 ohm coaxial cable, such as RG6 or RG59. The coaxial cable between the power injector and the antenna is used for:

• Carrying DC power from the power injector to the amplifier board in the antenna.
• Carrying the amplified TV signal from the antenna through the power injector to the video equipment.

If any devices are used in your home cabling system, such as amplifiers, splitters, combiners, matching transformers or 300 ohm cable, they must be connected only between the power injector and your video equipment. Any devices connected between the power injector and the antenna might cause a short in the amplifier power source. If this happens, the signal to your video equipment (multiple TV's or VCR's) may be significantly degraded.

ANT806 Hardware

The ANT806 antenna package includes the following items:

• 1 ANT806 antenna
• 1 Bracket
• 1 AC Adapter/DC Power injector
• 2 U-bolts
• 2 V-brackets
• 2 L-brackets
• 1 15’ roll of RG59 cable
• 4 Wing nuts
• 6 1/8” screws and washers
• 2 2” Wood screws
• 1 Weather boot

Mounting the ANT806 Interior or exterior mounting to a wall using the L-brackets.

1. Determine the desired mounting location for your new antenna based on where you find the strongest signal for best reception.

2. Attach the center support bracket to the antenna with the 6 1/8” screws and washers.

3. Attach the L-brackets to the slots in the bottom of the antenna with the 2 U-bolts. These slots are adjustable to offer flexibility in mounting.

4. Using the brackets as guides, mark the wall where the L-brackets should be secured to the wall.

5. Attach the coaxial cable to the F fitting on the bottom of the antenna.

6. Secure the antenna to the desired location. It is suggested that you secure the brackets to the wall studs for the most secure mounting.

Attic or exterior mounting to mast (not included).

1. Place the two U-bolts through the predrilled holes in the center support bracket.

2. Align and attach the center support bracket to the antenna with the 6 1/8” screws and washers.

3. Attach a mast clamp on each U-bolt with the jagged edge facing inward and then loosely place the nuts on the bolts.

4. Slide the U-bolts and mast clamps over the top of the mast and tighten the nuts to secure the antenna to the mast.

5. Connect the coaxial cable to the F-connector.

6. Raise the mast and secure it at the desired location.

Lighting protection for exterior mounting.

• Mount a grounding block (not supplied) as close as possible to the point where the downlead enters the house.
• The downlead wire from the antenna to the grounding block and the mast ground wire should be secured to the house with stand-off insulators, spaced four to six feet apart.
• If you're using a metal mast, consider using a ground rod to get proper grounding for lightning.

Connecting the antenna to your TV.

To connect the antenna to your TV, follow these steps:

1. Connect the coax downlead from the antenna to the TO ANTENNA UNIT jack on the power injector.

2. Connect the short coaxial cable built into the power injector to your TV’s ANTENNA IN jack.

Note: If your TV has screw terminals for the VHF/UHF connection, connect a 75- ohm to a 300-ohm transformer (not supplied) between the power injector and the VHF/UHF terminals.

If you want to split the signal coming from the antenna, connect the short coaxial cable built into the power injector to your splitter. DO NOT PUT THE SIGNAL SPLITTER BETWEEN THE INJECTOR AND THE ANTENNA.

3. Plug the injector’s built-in power supply to the outlet after all connections are complete.

IMPORTANT: This power unit is intended to be oriented in a vertical or floor mount position. Coaxial Cable Installation Precautions

• Do not bend the coaxial cable into less than a three-inch radius. Tighter bends can cause shorts and can change the cable’s impedance.
• Do not install the coaxial cable where it will have a pulling tension greater than 15 pounds during installation. After installation, make sure there is no tension on the cable.
• Use only round-headed staples. Any clamps or securing devices used with coax should grip the cable evenly about the circumference without crushing the cable. Flat staples can damage the coaxial cable.
• Do not expose the coaxial cable to a temperature greater than 176 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the cable away from heating vents and water heaters.
• The cable jacket withstands most outdoor environments. However, you must seal the connections and splices against water entry.
• Specifications

VHF Range	54-250 MHz
UHF Range	470-806 MHz
VHF Gain	18 dB
UHF Gain	15 dB
AC Adapter	Included
DC Power Injector	Included
RG59 Cable	Included