[QRP] Usable, accessible portable antenna?

[Daniel Reynolds]

Darrell,

VHF and UHF will penetrate better indoors because it will usually travel easily
through door ways and windows (remember - most VHF and UHF use is on 2m and
70cm wavelengths - take a wooden rod about 2m long, and it can fit through most
door ways easily). HF with an indoor antenna will interact more like if you
took your HT, encased it a wooden box, and threw about half a dozen wires
around it, a couple pipes - and maybe even a metal foil on a four sides
(depending on the type of siding you have on your building). Your transmitted
signal will interact with (and perhaps be absorbed by) most of the wiring in
and copper pipes in your apartment and any aluminums siding or gutters
surrounding your apartment. Add some RF generators to those wires wrapped
around your box, and you might be able to experience with your HT what your HF
radio has to contend with in an apartment setting.

I have an indoor antenna now that is a loop in my radio room. It tunes up
almost perfectly on 17m. I tried to see if it was effectively locally with
other local hams, and it wasn't effective locally. I haven't tried it much
since - but it does seem to receive nicely on most bands. You may find that
such a loop works well for occasional daytime operation on bands like 20-15m
(depending on how long your loop is).

But - there is hope. Remember those two slinkies I told you about. They didn't
work at all on 80m. If I removed the two lengths of aluminum tape I was using
to load it up on 40m - I discovered that it naturally resonated on 40m. AND -
take make matters more confusing - The first time I set up this antenna a
couple months ago, I made a daytime 40m CW QRP contact with a station about 250
miles away. Later that evening during a contest (North American CW QSO Party?)
I couldn't contact anyone who I was receiving loudly. I'm thinking the first
succesful contact was either a fluke and the antenna was rather poor.

Gotta run, but just wanted to respond since I probably will be tied up until
late tonight.

73,
Daniel

--- Darrell Shandrow <nu7i@shandrow.com> wrote:
> I'm thinking about trying a few projects.  Another commercial antenna like
> the Buddipole, if I could figure out a way to use it effectively as a blind
> person.  A horizontal thin-wire loop run along the ceiling of the other
> bedroom not used as the office.