Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-09-27
NEW PLAN DEVISED
FOR ROOF AER|ALS
Antennae in Orderly Rows
Give Better Reception and
Mar Skyline Less.
BY CARL III. BUTMAE.

Crisis crossed webs of unsightly
aerials, especially on big apartment
houses, where each tenant seems try
ing to Guido his neighbor, are unnec-
essary and out of date, according to
the new radio specialist, the installa-
ton man.
In nearly every large city the sky
line is made hideous by the multi
tudiuous antennae. running at every
conceivable angle, their poles pointing
to every known star. and their owners
constantly complaining of interference
and poor reception. Some apartment
roofs look as if convention of
drunken fishermen was gathered atop
the building, their poles held at di
Nergent angles, their lines tangled.
and their resultant fishing poor in
deed. In such communities the radio
fishing is indeed poor.
Recently | met in Washington a
young radio engineer who IS perhaps
going to be the Izaak Walton or at
least the mentor of these aerial fisher
men. He is T.. L. Hardisty Where he
has installed his standard. systematic
system of group aerials in communi-
ties thick with fans reception is
greatly improved and the housetops
are freed from unsightliness
Uses Orderly Rows.
His plan is simple, inexpensive,
practical and not yet patented. When
an apartment owner calls on him to
clean up his roof, Mr. Hardisty meas
ures 1t up. counts or ascertains the
serials needed. buys a few heavy
planks. several lengths Of piping,
some elbows and sockets, and goes to
work
Most of you can recall the equip
ment installed on the tops of apart
ments few years ago for the conven-
1ence OF the tenants when drying the
weekly wash. Hardisty's method is to
build framework or rack for aerials
similar to the old clothesline racks.
At each end of the roof. and set
back few feet from the street side.
he erectS two horizontal pipes about
40 feet apart. The pipes are held up
by stanchions braced or guyed so that
they neither wobble or bend They
are 10 or IL feet above the roof. The
bases are fixed to heavy timbers fas
tened to the roof, or built in when
possible. Along the two horizontal
pipes he attaches the individual aerials
about feet apart. although this
distance may be decreased if more
serials are desired. The wires are all
parallel. but the lengths may. of
course. be varied when placing the in
sulators. From the nearer end of the
aerial the leads go down to the apart
ments below. first being attached to
insulated brackets TO keep them from
touching cutters or cornices.
Forty on Single Roof.
He varies his methods to fit par
ticular type of roof. In the several
htri CT
ton is reported from the tenants and
owners. One apartment provides
aerials for 40 families, all of whom
express delight. Even interference
from radiating regenrative sets is no
worse with such aerial facilities than
1t is in other homes in the immediate
neighborhood. In principle and prac-
tice the method of supplying a num-
Der of tenants with outdoor aerials is
even better than it is in theory, Mr..
Fardisty says, which is interesting, in
view of the fact we have long thought
parallel antennae in close proximity
would not be satisfactory.
There are many refinements to this
community aerial system, of course.
A better installation of the roof racks
can be made, If the owner desires, dur
ing the construction of the building,
and lead-in wires can be run to apart
lHTOuSH lHc Wills OpsAo
carrying them down the sides of the
building.
Has Spiderweb Plan.
Mr. Hardisty believes the ideal
method is to use pole about 20 feet
in height erected in the center of
roof, from it the separate antennae
run to racks say II feet high around
the sides of the building. Distribution
in this spiderweb plan is from ring
on the pole which may he a f1agpole
for that matter-somewhat as tele-
phone lines are run to SUBSCRIBERS
from a distribution pole. The other
ends of the aerials are attached by
insulators to the nearest rack, from
which they are run to the apartments.
The racks are substantially erected so
the wires can be pulled and kept
taut without bending the uprights.
This distribution gives each aerial an
individual angle, which is better than
when all are parallel, and as the wires
are all several degrees from each other
they do not interfere. In especially
decorative jobs the racks can be COW
cred with lattice work. which, If
painted and covered with vines, gives
roof- r5ep effact