Hello! I have a question or three...

[9mmMick]

Hi,
New guy here.
I've had my Technicians license for over ten years
and used to talk on 2 meter and UHF, but
there wasn't much action out there.
I have an old Heathkit HF rig that was given to me
and would like to upgrade to a General class license
so I can rag chew on more than just 10 meters.
Also, I live in not only an HOA district, but the city laws also
don't allow an antenna above the fence line.

1. First of all... I've been listening to the rig and just hear talk on
40 and 20 and not very much of it. I'm in northern Nevada.
Is it dead out there?

2. Can I get out with just a wire and 100 watts?

3. And a really weird question: Has anyone tried using their rain gutter as an antenna?

Thanks in advance, Mick

 

[Robb]

If the rain gutter is a continuous square or rectangle w/o any metal vertical 'drain pipes' (might consider changing them out with vinyl), the square or rectangle around your roof could be used. Of course, there are caveats. Bonding them together will be necessary. The overall outside length is critical for resonance for one. Making or buying the appropriate balun to get the impedance back to 50 ohms too. An antenna tuner might also be needed. It has been done before.

Bummer about the HOA's.

A longwire can also work too, if that is what you had in mind.
Very stealthy.

 

[GnG8d]

You can beat the city on the antenna dilemma, but you signed away those rights with the HOA unfortunately. Creativity will be the key to your success.

 

[w9cll]

Do you have trees around you yard? If so then your all set, hang an inverted V in the tree and you will work the world (provided the band is open) on 100 watts. Just this morning I worked France and Chile on 100 watts and a wire in the tree, on 10 meters by the way.

 

[W5LZ]

There are a number of options available to you as far as antennas go. In general, since you are under restrictions, your antenna will also be 'restricted'. That means that you won't hear everything that's happening, but good grief, none of us hear it all anyway, you know?
A simple wire antenna is about as common as it gets, almost everyone uses one. It depends on circumstances and what you have available, but if you can't get on HF some where, you just need a bit more imagination. I'm 'in town', don't have any HOA restrictions, but am limited by my circumstances (as in trees, how large the lot is, all that). I've found that if I'm not very 'picky' I can get on any band. That doesn't mean I do well, but I can do it.
I would always recommend 'up-grading' if it's possible. You always 'gain' something, maybe not much, but something. The General class license gives you the option of using any available band, not just VHF/UHF or portions of a couple of others. It really isn't that bad.
Have fun...
- 'Doc

 

[9mmMick]

Thanks Guys!
That's actually better news than I thought I'd get.
Now if I can get out, I guess my only other thing then might be getting around
TVI.
Can anyone chime in on that?
Most everyone around me has Direct TV. Would they still get any interference?
--Mick

 

[w9cll]

Thanks Guys!
That's actually better news than I thought I'd get.
Now if I can get out, I guess my only other thing then might be getting around
TVI.
Can anyone chime in on that?
Most everyone around me has Direct TV. Would they still get any interference?
--Mick

TVI should be a non issue these days.

 

[W5LZ]

TVI/RFI -should- be a non-issue, but considering 'my' luck, I'd have to sort of count on it. It isn't impossible to deal with but it can sure be aggravating. The 'best' 'cure' for interference is 'distance'. The further away you can get the radiating antenna the better off you are. That only works when you have that 'distance' to take advantage of, which most of us just don't have. The next 'simplest' means of dealing with interference is to reduce power. That has limits too, so isn't a 'sure cure' by any means. It's just a fact that interference in some form just happens.
There's always two 'sides' to that sort of thingy, the transmitter's end and the interfered with device's end. Either 'end' can be the cause of that interference, some devices are just not designed to handle RF in any form. It's also a fact that YOU may get interference from electrical things around you. Oh boy! Doesn't that sound like fun?
I don't think you should worry a lot about interference until you experience it.
- 'Doc

 

[K4PIH]

One of the best restricted antennas I had was the wood privacy fence around a town house I rented. Went to WALdoMArt and picked up 50 ft of that clear vinyl coated speaker wire and made a dipole for 40. Stapled it along the top of the fence in the back yard and no one was the wiser.