Also known as: chimney strap mount, chimney bracket, strap mount
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A chimney mount kit straps a short antenna mast to a chimney using two steel bands, letting you hang a scanner antenna off the roof’s tallest existing structure without drilling anything. For a house with a sound masonry chimney near the ridge, it is often the way to get an antenna highest for the least work — no roof penetration to seal, and the chimney’s height does much of the lifting for you.
What it is
A typical kit is two long galvanised or stainless steel straps plus two stand-off brackets. Each bracket carries a strap that wraps the chimney and tensions back on itself; a short mast (commonly 1 to 1.25 in) drops through both brackets and is clamped. The brackets stand the mast off the brickwork by a few inches so the pole runs vertically past the chimney edge and the antenna clears the crown.
The kit is sometimes called a Y-mount or Z-mount after the bracket geometry. What matters for stability is the same thing that matters on a two-bracket wall mount: the vertical spacing between the two straps. The farther apart they sit on the chimney, the more leverage they resist, and the taller a mast the mount will steady.
How it mounts
Everything depends on the chimney being structurally sound. The straps apply a constant pull plus wind-driven load to the masonry, so a cracked, leaning, or spalling chimney is disqualified — it can loosen bricks or the crown. On a solid chimney, wrap each strap, space the two brackets as far apart as the kit and chimney allow, and tension them evenly. There is nothing to drill and nothing to seal, which is the whole appeal.
As with any rooftop metalwork, tie the mast into a grounding kit down to a ground rod, and pass the coax through a lightning arrestor where it enters the building. Keep spare mast clamps and U-bolts on hand for attaching the antenna and routing the feedline.
Relevance to GopherTrunk
The mount is invisible to GopherTrunk, but a chimney is frequently the highest easy anchor on a house, and height is what turns a garbled trunking site into a clean control-channel lock. A discone on a chimney-strapped mast, above the ridge with a clear horizon, is a strong base-station antenna position for the cost of a bracket and an afternoon. It changes nothing for encrypted systems — those stay undecodable regardless of where the antenna sits.
Where to buy
For a house with a sound chimney, a two-strap chimney Y-mount like the Easy Up EZ29-36 (around $35) is the standard, no-drill answer: two steel straps, two stand-off brackets, and a short 1 to 1.25-inch mast get a discone up to the ridge. Space the straps as far apart as the chimney allows for the steadiest mount.
See the mast and mounting guide for the full outdoor stack and the outdoor base build for a parts list.
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Frequently asked questions
Which chimney mount kit should I buy for a scanner antenna?
A two-strap chimney Y-mount like the Easy Up EZ29-36 (around $35) is the standard pick: two galvanised or stainless steel straps wrap the chimney and two stand-off brackets hold a 1 to 1.25-inch mast. It gets a discone up to the roof’s high point with no drilling — provided the chimney is structurally sound.
Is a chimney mount safe for the chimney?
Only on a sound masonry chimney. The straps put steady and wind-driven load on the brick and mortar, so a cracked, leaning, or crumbling chimney is not a candidate — it can loosen bricks or the crown. If the chimney is solid, spacing the two straps as far apart as the kit allows spreads the load and steadies the mast.
How far apart should the chimney straps be?
As far apart as the chimney and kit permit — the vertical spacing between the two brackets is what resists the mast’s leverage in wind. A common rule of thumb is that the strap spacing should be at least a fifth of the exposed mast length. Wider spacing means a steadier, taller-capable mount.
Chimney mount or roof tripod?
A chimney mount avoids roof penetrations and uses the roof’s tallest existing structure, which often puts the antenna highest for the least effort — but it needs a sound chimney and adds load to it. A tripod works anywhere on the roof or deck but requires drilling and sealing. Pick by whether you have a solid chimney in a good spot.