[Qcwa] "Hidden" HF antenna

[John Paul Keon]

I lived in Hickory, NC for a while, in an apartment, and
used the gutter on the outside of the house with a tuner,
and it was the torroidal on the TS-440 Kenwood (internal)
and it made some contacts.  I worked some DX too.
I also used a guardrail on another apartment on the ledge and
it worked for a while, and then I got the bright idea of using
a slinky strung out and extended as long as I could get it, around
in the attic, from corner to corner, and then down the sides in the shape of
a Z i guess you would say.  It worked on 75 too.
Used it for a year and then moved, and strung up a Windom.
I presently live in a new house (5 years) and cannot have an antenna
here, but I have a Windom (80 meter-10Mtr)
up at 28 feet in the trees in the back, hidden.  I painted the center
insulator
black/green and the line isolator too, and you can't see it and the
neighbors don't know it is there (yet!!!)
I work QRO and QRP with it.  I get on the MARS nets with it almost
everyday QRO (100 watts) and QRP and QRP/p for the rest of the time.
So I know it works.  I also now use an old DENTRON tuner with it and
it is flat on all the places I work.
Hope this helps.
JohnPaul/AB4PP Raleigh, NC
John Paul, Raleigh, NC

----- Original Message -----
From: <FrankWeiss@aol.com>
To: <qcwa@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2002 11:51 AM
Subject: Re: [Qcwa] "Hidden" HF antenna


>
>  Me too!  has anyone tried the MFJ-1621?
>
>   http://www.amcominc.com/productdetail.cfm?Prod_ID=640
>
> Thanks and 73,
>
> Frank  K6FCW
>
> ==
>
>
>
>
> >
> > Last month I passed my General and want to get on HF.  I'm in the usual
> > predicament these days, living in an antenna restricted community so I
need
> > to have a very low profile or hidden antenna.  I do have a roller
inductor
> > antenna tuner so I'm thinking of a couple of options.
> >
> > Option 1 is an attic mounted dipole but in order to get on 75 meters I
will
> > probably have to zig-zag or bend the wire along the trusses to fit it
all
> > in.  Total attic length is approx 69'.  I thought of taking the
"leftover"
> > ends and putting them through the gable ends of the attic and bend them
> > toward the ground.  My problems/questions here are two-fold.  First the
> > main
> > AC duct runs down the middle of the attic.  It's the fiberglass box type
> > duct, not the metal cylinder. It does have the aluminum foil type wrap
on
> > the outside.  I don't know what affect it'll have on the wire antenna
> > except
> > maybe act as a reflector?  The second problem is how to fasten the wire
to
> > the trusses.  I feel I need some type of standoff insulator and the only
> > ones I know of are the types used to stand off tv twin-lead.  Also, if I
> > were to go through the gable ends, what type of insulating grommet
should I
> > use.  Max power expected would be 100 watts.
> >
> > Option 2 is a loop wire run just under the eves of the house.  Same
issue
> > about insulators and how to fasten the wire up.  Another consideration
in
> > my
> > mind is height above ground and the fact there's an aluminum gutter
running
> > across the front of the house.
> >
> > There are no trees available that I could hide a vertical or long wire
in.
> >
> > I would like to work 10-80 meters at this time.
> >
> > Any suggestions?
> >
> > Keith, KF4BXT
>
>
>
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