[ARC5] Antenna for small yard

[Brian]

While I'm all in favour of re-using materials, especially for purposes not originally intended, there is a potential problem with metallic rain pipes.
After a while the paint, zinc, solder or rivets give out, and then you get a semiconductor, which in turn will produce harmonics related to the shorter lengths.
My suggestion, which I have tried, is: 
  1.. insulate the downpipes from the horizontal guttering 
  2.. insulate the bottom of the downpipe from any metallic drainage take-away plumbing 
  3.. electrically bond all joints in the guttering, using a zinc-rich grease and heavy strapping; this will become your ground plane 
  4.. connect your antenna feed where the downpipe meets the gutter.
Now you have an elevated-ground-plane antenna. For health and safety reasons, you need to make sure nobody gets across the bottom on the downpipe and the Earth while you’re transmitting.

73 de Brian, VK2GCE.


OnFriday, October 21, 2016 10:36 PM , Dave said: 

Is your apartment building multi-story?
If so, does it have a metal rain-gutter drain running
down near a window?  I once had good success with
low power AM on local nets loading a rain gutter
against a ground rod outside the window.
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