[R-390] 'Burbs antenna
blw
[email protected]
Sat, 10 Aug 2002 20:28:31 -0500
You didn't mention if you have any trees to use. If so, get some kind of
wire up there to start off. Vertical wire antennas work well. Loop the wire
over a tall limb and tie the free end off a bit away from the vertical part
that goes up to the limb.
No trees at all? Maybe you can run some wire out the window and toss it over
your roof to hang down the other side.
Run the wire around the house at the rain gutter level for a horizontal
loop.
Run it up and down the chimney several times for a vertical.
Run it out the window and let a lot lay on the ground. I've never done this,
but I've read some incredible logs from guys who have done just that.
Make a loopstick antenna. Wrap multi strand wire around something like a
broom handle. Tie the ends together to make one long length of wire. Find a
good spot and orientation outside to attach the stick.
Neighbors have trees but you don't? Get the kid's bow, tie the end of some
wire to an arrow and shoot it over the neighbor's tree. Retrieve the arrow
and leave the wire drooped over the top of his tree. In the unlikely event
said neighbor notices the wire running into your window, you can do one of
two things. Tell him it is the neighborhood lightning strike protection
system. What? He isn't protecting his neighbor the same way? Or, you can
look stunned and accuse him of spying on you. Put him on the defensive.
Maybe you can eke out a nice tower in lieu of a nasty lawsuit.
I used a MFJ amplified HF antenna indoors for a few weeks. It worked great.
I read where a guy in a radio-unfriendly neighborhood cemented some poles
in tires. He made a fake badminton net between them. One pole actually had
several slopers running trom it. The neighbors never noticed.
Barry
> What do you guys use for receiving antennae (general HF coverage) in
> suburbia where (alas) there is no room for rhombics, vee's and other cool
> things that I grew up with
>
> I live in a rural area and have room for wire antennas but I also have a
> Dressler active antenna that is mounted above a non-functional weather vane
> about 15 feet above the ground. It works quite well - however do not use
> the wall wart power supply that comes with it - the diodes hum modulate
> received sigs at times - use 12 volts dc from a different better source.
>
> 73,
>
> Bill Riches, WA2DVU
> Cape May, NJ