[Icom] HTs and metal siding

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Chris
The mesh(like stocco wire) size should be <1/20th of Lambda to be 
effective shield.
Strucco house is not much of a shield on todays UHF and up radio jungle, hi.
Only way he can have decent repeater work is to have an outdoor antenna 
such as
J pole, whip or GP. They're not hard to make from Cu or Al tubing or 
heavy gauge wires.
73,
Tony, VE6CGX
P.S. Yahoo....! time here. The Stampede(greatest show on earth, they say).

Chris BONDE wrote:

> At 06:21 PM 2003-07-06 -0700, you wrote:
>
>> I have lived in my present location for 2 years-a
>> house with steel siding.  I am sure that others live
>> in similar setups, with aluminum or steel siding, or
>> in metal trailers.  I am wondering how bad the metal
>> siding affects RF inside.  I wasn't too active on VHF
>> FM for 10 years before moving here, but now have
>> become much more active on the local repeater.  I seem
>> to have more problems than anyone else does getting
>> into the local repeaters with an HT.  There seems to
>> be spots in the house where I can't get in with 5
>> watts.  I have tried about every HT on the
>> market-Kenwood, Yaesu, Icom, with varying results.
>> Aftermarket antennas help to varying degrees also, but
>> there are still problems.  I also notice a decent
>> amount of fading at times on receiving the signals
>> from the repeater.  I know that our local repeater
>> isn't the greatest, but am wondering how much of the
>> problem is due to my QTH.  And no, I won't move
>> because I have an awesome house, and can't afford
>> vinal siding at this time.
>
>
> THe metal siding will act like an Faraday Shield.  I had similar 
> problems with the stucco wire.  You will have to go to a window 
> closest to the antenna, repeater with which you wish to communicate.  
> Many on the Antennas list have suggested using a passive antenna if 
> you wish to use the HandHEld.  Put up an antenna outside and connect 
> it to one inside the house.  This will bring in the radio waves.
>
> Be happy that you have the shielding.  I wish that I could have at 
> least such that stucco afforded.  With all the pagers, cell phones, 
> family radio etc.  How much of that stuff is getting into the house?
>
> Chris opr VE7HCB and ICOMS
>
>
> ----
> Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan W6OLD, icom-owner@mailman.qth.net
> Icom Users Net: Sundays, 1700Z, 14.315 MHz
> Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/
>