[Leica] Antenna vs. roof

[Peter Klein]

Thanks to all who replied.  Aram, I haven’t forgotten *all* my high school trig. Besides, my friends say I often go off on a tangent.  So... I used this method:
 < https://gabrielhemery.com/how-to-calculate-tree-height-using-a-smartphone/>
I made several angular measurements.  I tossed out the most extreme and averaged the rest. There was some uncertainty about how far back from my roof peak the neighbor’s roof is. The result is that the neighbor’s roof is somewhere between 1.5 feet higher and 0.5 feet lower than my tower mast. 

While the precise figure is within my error of measurement, I do know now that three more feet of mast will get an antenna higher than the roof. I can do that with a 5 foot piece of PVC pipe hose-clamped to the existing mast. I can jerry-rig that for a “proof of concept.”  If that works well, then I can invest in something more permanent.

Brian on the LUG and Moose on the Oly list have tempted me greatly with visions of laser-based measuring devices. Thanks, guys!  If I get one, it can be my very own Jewish Space Laser. With a little help from the Germans or the Chinese! 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CN1TSGY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.boschtools.com/us/en/boschtools-ocs/laser-measures-glm165-40-187965-p/

--Peter, dictating to my iPad
(If it misconstrues, please excuse)

> On Mar 9, 2021, at 7:00 PM, Peter Klein <boulanger.croissant at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>  This is sort of off-topic, but does involve photography.  Is the top of my roof tower a bit higher than my neighbor's roof, as it appears to be? Or does my iPhone 7 camera's distortion or where I stood make the picture meaningless? This is significant because I'm thinking of putting up a directional antenna for VHF (ham radio), and having a unobstructed view of the horizon is very desirable.
> <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/temp/IMG_1036RoofAntennas-w.jpg.html>
> 
> If you know of a reasonably easy way to determine this without expensive surveyor's tools, please tell. ("Brother, can you spare a Theodolite?")
> 
> Background:  When the roof tower was installed, the house on the left was a one-story rambler. Now it's a McMansion.
> 
> --Peter
> 
>