i just got my general amateur radio licence and i need antenna help for hf i live in a place where antennas are not allowed i want to just build antennas out of wire but i have nowhere to put them because i live in a mobile home. any ideas would be good thanks and 73 - kd8epc/ag
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i need antenna help
- Thread starter Chong
- Start date
yea
yes we are but im only 14 there for i dont own a car and my mom would kill me if i put antennas on her car haha
yes we are but im only 14 there for i dont own a car and my mom would kill me if i put antennas on her car haha
Hmmm
Chong,
That's kind of tough to work with. It depends on what frequencies you want to cover and how much real estate you have to work with. Do you want 80-10 Meters? That will require about 125-130 feet. If you make an inverted "V", a bit less room if you have a tree to hang the apex in. If you want 40 Meters thru 10 Meters, then you can get away with........oh, about 64 feet. Twenty will require about 32 feet.
Remember that, since the antenna feeds in the center, you can cut that distance from the apex in half to go from there to an attachment point. Fed with ladder line instead of coax, it works better usually--easier to tune.... and with these dipoles you will need a tuner to get all that coverage.
Now here's another idea that might work. Is your mobile home metal? They might let you install a screwdriver ON the mobile home since it is not so obtrusive. If not full sized, maybe one of those ATAS things (mini screwdriver). You might be able to hide that in a piece of pipe disguised as a "vent pipe". Paint the whip black so it blends in. If you can get away with a fullsized screwdriver it will work GREAT! A mobile home makes a GREAT "mobile"!
Properly installed it can sound almost as loud as a base. Depends on a number of factors. Even the mini units can be made to work on lower frequencies by swapping for a longer whip.
If not, and there are trees close by, you might be able to sneak a wire thru those trees. Careful. Keep it above people's heads and keep the ENDS of the dipole out of the foliage. One eager ham recently (QRZ) set a tree on fire !
Good luck!!
CWM
Chong,
That's kind of tough to work with. It depends on what frequencies you want to cover and how much real estate you have to work with. Do you want 80-10 Meters? That will require about 125-130 feet. If you make an inverted "V", a bit less room if you have a tree to hang the apex in. If you want 40 Meters thru 10 Meters, then you can get away with........oh, about 64 feet. Twenty will require about 32 feet.
Remember that, since the antenna feeds in the center, you can cut that distance from the apex in half to go from there to an attachment point. Fed with ladder line instead of coax, it works better usually--easier to tune.... and with these dipoles you will need a tuner to get all that coverage.
Now here's another idea that might work. Is your mobile home metal? They might let you install a screwdriver ON the mobile home since it is not so obtrusive. If not full sized, maybe one of those ATAS things (mini screwdriver). You might be able to hide that in a piece of pipe disguised as a "vent pipe". Paint the whip black so it blends in. If you can get away with a fullsized screwdriver it will work GREAT! A mobile home makes a GREAT "mobile"!
Properly installed it can sound almost as loud as a base. Depends on a number of factors. Even the mini units can be made to work on lower frequencies by swapping for a longer whip.If not, and there are trees close by, you might be able to sneak a wire thru those trees. Careful. Keep it above people's heads and keep the ENDS of the dipole out of the foliage. One eager ham recently (QRZ) set a tree on fire !
Good luck!!
CWM
yea
ive tryed the roof atennas and they dont like those i was thinking i dont know if it will work but take pvc and make a thing hanging off of the mobile home a few inches all the way around and putting an antenna inside there i want to run everything between 160 and 10 meters and i have a 10 meter vertical in the tree like i said and i dont have much room otherwise i dont know what is your thought on that let me know - Chong
ive tryed the roof atennas and they dont like those i was thinking i dont know if it will work but take pvc and make a thing hanging off of the mobile home a few inches all the way around and putting an antenna inside there i want to run everything between 160 and 10 meters and i have a 10 meter vertical in the tree like i said and i dont have much room otherwise i dont know what is your thought on that let me know - Chong
It sounds like you allready have a CB and 2 meter antennas up outside, yes ? A wire antenna is less noticable. You would be supprized what you can do with a small gage wire dipole, fed with ladder line, a balun and a tuner. You can staple the wires to the house, run it through trees, etc. It may not work as well as you want but it will work just fine on 17 meters and up. I don't mean to be negitive but forget about 160 meters, those antennas need to be long and high ( I have one ). I have been using a new balun made by MFJ, I can't remember ( i'm at work ) the model # is nine hundred and something anyway it's the only switchable 1:1 / 4:1 balun they have and it's about $30. I know this hobbys not cheap but a $300 HF rig, $150 tuner, $30 balum and $40 worth of ladder line and wire is about as cheap as you can get. By the way I work ALL HF bands with that set-up, good luck.
AC5PS
AC5PS
Chong,
Considering the limits you have covering all HF bands is going to be very rough. And as 'Park' said, you can forget about 160m unless you want to go to a huge amount of trouble.
A wire antenna would probably be the cheapest route. Not exactly the 'best', but probably the 'best' all things considered (same boat most of us are stuck in).
You have two limiting factors that have to be considered. The 'restrictions', and interference problems. The 'restrictions' thingy is the first you have to 'get around' and since it's there, and you know about it, it'll mean that you are always going to be in the 'wrong' if you put up a reasonable approximation of an antenna, outside. I wouldn't hold your breath, but that sort of thing is being 'worked on' (PRB-1) and other legal things in the process. Not much help right now, but will be later. The second limiting factor, the interference thingy, is the one that should really concern you cuz it will always lead back to the first part, the no antenna thingy, and will put a stop to the whole mess. It isn't a matter of 'getting caught', but 'how soon' you'll get caught, cuz you will be. So not interfering with stuff to start with is the 'best' approach. Also the hardest since there will always be 'stuff' you'll interfere with no matter what (a real pleasant thought, huh?).
Having said all that, what's to do? Well, it's called compromising. You probably can't have what you 'know' would be the 'best', so make do with what you can have. Sort of work up to what's 'better', kind of.
'Park' also recommended using a tuner. I would too. They can make some unbelievably 'dumb' antennas workable. Not 'good', just 'workable'. And that's about all you can expect for the moment. The only thing 'Park' said that I wouldn't agree with is the stapling an antenna to a wall. Since you live in a mobile home, that isn't gonna be to practical for a couple of reasons, mainly it's metal (nothing like pointing out the obvious, right?). Other than that, it's certainly something to think about.
The reason I asked about a vehicle is that it's probably the easiest solution (Didn't say anything about talking 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' into it!). Doesn't have to be permanent! Stick an antenna on the thing when it's parked at the house. Remove it when 'SWMBO' leaves. It's a thought.
Good luck!
- 'Doc
[Keep us informed!]
Considering the limits you have covering all HF bands is going to be very rough. And as 'Park' said, you can forget about 160m unless you want to go to a huge amount of trouble.
A wire antenna would probably be the cheapest route. Not exactly the 'best', but probably the 'best' all things considered (same boat most of us are stuck in).
You have two limiting factors that have to be considered. The 'restrictions', and interference problems. The 'restrictions' thingy is the first you have to 'get around' and since it's there, and you know about it, it'll mean that you are always going to be in the 'wrong' if you put up a reasonable approximation of an antenna, outside. I wouldn't hold your breath, but that sort of thing is being 'worked on' (PRB-1) and other legal things in the process. Not much help right now, but will be later. The second limiting factor, the interference thingy, is the one that should really concern you cuz it will always lead back to the first part, the no antenna thingy, and will put a stop to the whole mess. It isn't a matter of 'getting caught', but 'how soon' you'll get caught, cuz you will be. So not interfering with stuff to start with is the 'best' approach. Also the hardest since there will always be 'stuff' you'll interfere with no matter what (a real pleasant thought, huh?).
Having said all that, what's to do? Well, it's called compromising. You probably can't have what you 'know' would be the 'best', so make do with what you can have. Sort of work up to what's 'better', kind of.
'Park' also recommended using a tuner. I would too. They can make some unbelievably 'dumb' antennas workable. Not 'good', just 'workable'. And that's about all you can expect for the moment. The only thing 'Park' said that I wouldn't agree with is the stapling an antenna to a wall. Since you live in a mobile home, that isn't gonna be to practical for a couple of reasons, mainly it's metal (nothing like pointing out the obvious, right?). Other than that, it's certainly something to think about.
The reason I asked about a vehicle is that it's probably the easiest solution (Didn't say anything about talking 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' into it!). Doesn't have to be permanent! Stick an antenna on the thing when it's parked at the house. Remove it when 'SWMBO' leaves. It's a thought.
Good luck!
- 'Doc
[Keep us informed!]
I was hoping Chong had wood siding Not to change the subject but once I had a TS-530 and matching tuner hooked up to a 40 meter lenth dipole I made out of very small phone wire that had white insulation. I used clear tape and ran it along the inside walls of the house so I could operate during thunderstorms, it was a lot of fun. You could not see the wire.
good luck Chong
Not to change the subject but once I had a TS-530 and matching tuner hooked up to a 40 meter lenth dipole I made out of very small phone wire that had white insulation. I used clear tape and ran it along the inside walls of the house so I could operate during thunderstorms, it was a lot of fun. You could not see the wire.good luck Chong
antennas
i got a 20 meter inverted v and a 40 meter dipole the 20 meter is strung in the tree and 40 is tied to the trailer with fishing line it cant even be seen anyone on 20 or 40 meters what to help me test ? let me know thanks - KD8EPC
i got a 20 meter inverted v and a 40 meter dipole the 20 meter is strung in the tree and 40 is tied to the trailer with fishing line it cant even be seen anyone on 20 or 40 meters what to help me test ? let me know thanks - KD8EPC