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Attic Antenna

depark

depark

W9WDX Amateur Radio Club Member
Feb 17, 2010
222
16
28
Kelowna, BC
I am thinking of getting a BUXCOMM ATTIC-ANT to put up in my attic. it's a 67' dipole. To put it in my attic I will have to zig-zag it around a bit. Does anyone have and experience with this antenna or is there a better option out there? The attic and my balcony are my only options for antenna because I live in a HOA and no outside antennas are allowed. Here is the link: http://www.packetradio.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=36&products_id=2349
 

Darryl: Boy do I remember those days...Never had HOA issues but a few apartments and homes where also antennas not allowed. Still got on the air!!!
So Question: Your attic space...how long from end to end at the high peak?
Attic easy access?...Where is your radio location in relation to this acess?(how far/different rooms)

Does the house have aluminum gutters?
Yes Tell us what you want to work...HF wise
VHF/UHF is the easy stuff...
All the Best
BJ
 
The high peak is in a U shape with the lengths at 25', 27' and 20'. I do have easy access to my attic. The only metal that I have in the attic is a custom built stainless steel vent duct for my kitchen gas cook top. It is about 12' from the peak away from where the peak runs. My shack is in the basement but I can run the coax straight down through my garage and directly to the radio (maybe 35' coax total needed but probably less). I have a bunch of RG-213 for that. I mostly want to be able to use 10, 15, 20, 40 and if possible 80m but that's not important. As for aluminum gutters I do have them but don't have easy access to them from my radio.
 
Darryl,
Going by the dimension numbers you gave, I think you have room for a 40 meter antenna in that attic. There isn't anything 'special' about the antenna you listed, so, a home-made one of the same length would work just as well (not to mention being a lot cheaper). With an over all length of something like 66 feet, you should be able to work 40 meters and higher if your tuner can handle it (not going to guess about that tuner's abilities though). The resulting 'shape' of an antenna in that attic isn't a huge consideration, bend it till it fits. I also wouldn't worry a lot about the length of the feed line, and '213 should work just dandy. If you want to tune the thing for 40 meters you certainly can, shouldn't really make much difference on the higher bands if it is. If your radio/tuner happens not to like the thing on a particular band, just add another set of 'legs' to that 40 meter antenna, make it a 'fan' dipole, more common than you'd ever think.
Good luck.
- 'Doc
 
If you can figure out how to zig zag it to fit, you might be able to make some 80m loading coils to put on the ends and get on 80m too. Don't expect miracles, but you might be surprised what you can do. I would for sure just build that instead of buying it. Personally, I think it would be a fun project! Take pics in the attic and post 'em :)
 
I will definitely build something for the attic but now comes the loaded question. Where can I find a good set of instructions for an antenna? About how long will a set of 80m coils add to the total length? I know that a 40m dipole is about 67'. Any suggestions are appreciated.
 
An Attic Coaxial-Cable Trap Dipole for 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, and 80 Meters

Darryl: this may be one you can use also....
Bill Orr(W6SAI)SK has and excellent simple trap version also...I tried to get the book("Radio Handbook"19th Ed.) pages to scan...cannot get it to save a good image....I need my big(in the way all the time) Flatbed scanner back!

I think your on the right track...
Also need to look for a Low Pass filter...good one! Drake/Johnson/Bencher...etc...

Think! I need a SHORT good Ground...look around in the basement for metal drain/copper water pipe...out a basement window to a ground rod...
All the Best(y)
BJ
 
Moleculo said:
http://www.worldwidedx.com/amateur-radio-antennas/30736-coil-loaded-dipole-build-photo-diary.html
Click to expand...

In the second last post of your "Coil Loaded Dipole Build" thread you say that you would not try to tune 10m and 20m with coax, why? That was what I was considering doing. What would you suggest? I have to run the cable down through my garage into the basement.

BJ radionut said:
I think your on the right track...
Also need to look for a Low Pass filter...good one! Drake/Johnson/Bencher...etc...
Click to expand...

Really, why would I need that if I am only running 100 watts max?
 
In the second last post of your "Coil Loaded Dipole Build" thread you say that you would not try to tune 10m and 20m with coax, why? That was what I was considering doing. What would you suggest? I have to run the cable down through my garage into the basement.
Click to expand...

That antenna is cut for 40m and 80m. You can feed it with coax and tune the higher bands if you want, but there will be much more loss with the coax than with ladder line. With ladder line, there isn't enough loss to worry about when tuning bands higher than what the antenna is cut for.
 
Moleculo said:
That antenna is cut for 40m and 80m. You can feed it with coax and tune the higher bands if you want, but there will be much more loss with the coax than with ladder line. With ladder line, there isn't enough loss to worry about when tuning bands higher than what the antenna is cut for.
Click to expand...

Can I run ladder line up against the wall and also in close proximity to some vent ducts (aprox. 6-8')?
 
The usual distance to keep ladder line away from things is something like 3 - 4 times it's width. If you can manage 6 - 8 inches, it ought'a do okay. I've seen it used just hanging from the ceiling (entered the room by a 'slot' cut in the ceiling), wasn't exactly against the wall, but close sort of. It was laying on some stuff in the attic, wasn't metal, and there wasn't much length doing that 'laying'. Noodled around and entered the attic from an eave vent. So, doing it that way -can- work, but there's a lot of "if's and butt's" in there.
- 'Doc
 
Darryl: The 450 line is pretty forgiving...I've tacked it to walls/ down the sides of wood cabinets...tyrapped to ceiling and floor joists...it does not seem to mind.
I used that smaller foam filled 300 ohm TV twin lead with about the same success on the doublet and the Double Zepp...
I made a folded 40m Dipole out of that TV line and ran it around the walls in my 3rd floor apartment and was shocked who I could work!

I use to chat with an old college friend of mine when he live in a 2 story restricted home that took 63 ft. of #12 copper wire, thump tacked it to the drywall upstairs around the walls in the bedrooms/used the copper water lines in this old home for his ground on the tuner and we work all the time on 75m...
That's one of the good things about this hobby is messing around and see what works...
NO antenna is ever permenent!...No antenna is "perfect"...and everyone is LOUD somewhere!:D
GL
All the Best
BJ

Note: The Low Pass filter is called preventive maintence...I had mine rigged between the rig and the tuner...switched it "out of line" when I tuned up the tuner and then back in after I set the tuner...it kept me out of the "cheap" stereos in the complex...73
 
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Can I run the ladder line into the garage and then connect it to a 1:1 current balun and connect that to RG-213 coax to run the last 18' through the walls? By doing that how much would it improve the losses? Is it worth it to do? The route that the cable has bto run is right beside my HVAC ducts for about 4'.
 

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