[QRP] Usable, accessible portable antenna?

Sun, 11 Apr 2004 08:05:14 -0700

Hi Daniel,

Oh, yeah, OK, now I remember that advantage of the shorter wavelengths of
VHF and UHF indoors.  It has been awhile since I've been active and dealt
with some of this stuff, so it is coming back to me now.

 You mentioned your indoor loop.  Are you in a house, or in an apartment
like mine which seems to be built to block HF?

73 and happy Easter.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Daniel Reynolds" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, April 11, 2004 7:23 AM
Subject: Re: [QRP] Usable, accessible portable antenna?

> 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 <[email protected]> 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.
>
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