[Qcwa] "Hidden" HF antenna

[Augie]

>Keith:


that sounds like a great attic!  A forty meter dipole will fit easily end 
to end.  A doublet with a tuner will cover all bands.  You didn't say where 
the ductwork was, but I assume that it's at the joist level, so the peak is 
clear?  If so, you are in business.  If you want to get fancy, there are 
reduced size multi-band trapped dipoles that will work.  Or you can go for 
the old standby and use four or five wire rotor cable and make each wire a 
separate band.  Check the handbook - I forget whether it's easier to prune 
the lowest freq first, or the highest.

if you use a doublet, try putting the tuner up in the attic and go up when 
you need to change bands - easier than snaking 450 ohm twinlead through the 
house - less problems in other areas as well.  Of course if you can part 
with the loot, a semi-auto antenna tuner would be nice for a birthday 
present!   If all else fails, use coax and tune out the problems - see what 
happens.

Quick answers are - anything you can use to tie off the wire will work to 
support it.  TV stand-offs will work fine.  Those plastic romex clamps are 
OK too.   If you use an eyescrew and thread a tie-wrap through it, will do 
also.

Best thing is to find someone to help -especially if they can get their 
hands on an antenna analyzer or bridge to aid in tuning/pruning the 
antenna.  Your nearest amateur radio club?  Above all, you'd be surprised 
at what will radiate a signal.  it doesn't have to be straight as an 
arrow.  Droopy may not be pretty, but it works.

Keeping the antenna in the attic (rather than trying to  mess around under 
the eaves) will center it away from the house siding and stick as far from 
people as you can get under the circumstances.  Don't forget to calculate 
your exposure limits and operate accordingly.

Good luck,

Augie
KW4AW


> > From: "Keith Kotch" <kkotch@cfl.rr.com>
> > Reply-To: qcwa@mailman.qth.net
> > Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 11:08:04 -0500
> > To: "QCWA" <qcwa@mailman.qth.net>
> > Subject: [Qcwa] "Hidden" HF antenna
> >
> > 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.
> >
> >