Request: Attic antenna photographs

Git-R-Done · #1 (**permalink**) 12-25-2012, 4:25 PM

Looking for attic antennas for Amateur Radio use. Any manufacturer recommendations? I'll be using the 70cm 440 band.

Thanks Jamie

mass-man · #2 (**permalink**) 12-25-2012, 4:33 PM

Just about any antenna that will work outside will work in an attic. If high gain is necessary, you have to determine the maximum gain, physical length, and determine if it will fit in the attic. Just keep it away from metal!!!!

KB4MTO · #3 (**permalink**) 12-25-2012, 6:11 PM

I am deed restricted and have my antennas in the attic as well. For HF I use a short dipole and an LDG tuner at the rig. For vhf/uhf, I have an Arrow Dual Band J-Pole. I built a stand out of PVC and I set it right on the rafters. While the dipole picks up plenty of noise, the J-Pole is doing quite well up there. With 50 watts, I have no problems hitting any of the repeaters in my area.

73,

Git-R-Done · #4 (**permalink**) 12-25-2012, 6:47 PM

I am in deed restricted in my neighborhood as well so a attic antenna is my only route so my neighbors won't complain to me or to the home owners association. I have to do the measurements on how big of a Yagi antenna I can go.

mass-man · #5 (**permalink**) 12-25-2012, 7:22 PM

Do you really need a yagi? That could include installing a rotor to change the direction of reception. At 440 you can build a quarter wave groundplane that would be only 6-7 inches tall or so...good feedline and it might just work. And it should fit in the attic nicely.

N9JIG · #6 (**permalink**) 12-25-2012, 7:47 PM

I have an attic full of antennas. I have 10M and 20M dipoles as well as a Slinky for HF and a nice Diamond dual bander for 2M and 440. There are also 20 other scanner and land-mobile antennas up there.

My home is on a slight hill and the attic works pretty good although access is kind of rough these days due to 2 feet of blown-in insulation put in a couple years ago. While it has saved me a ton of money (electric bill went down $40 a month) it has put a crimp in the ability to maintain or add antennas.

mancow · #7 (**permalink**) 12-25-2012, 11:29 PM

Do you have some repeater or destination you are trying to reach which requires a yagi?

I don't have any photos handy but I have a discone, X wing satcom (thanks PRCGUY) and other stuff in the attic. It all seems to work pretty much as well as anything outside.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Git-R-Done

I am in deed restricted in my neighborhood as well so a attic antenna is my only route so my neighbors won't complain to me or to the home owners association. I have to do the measurements on how big of a Yagi antenna I can go.

Git-R-Done · #8 (**permalink**) 12-26-2012, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mass-man

Do you really need a yagi? That could include installing a rotor to change the direction of reception. At 440 you can build a quarter wave groundplane that would be only 6-7 inches tall or so...good feedline and it might just work. And it should fit in the attic nicely.

To be honest I don't know how to build a antenna out of anything. Not sure how high a directional antenna I could fit in the attic with out hitting the top part of the attic.

Git-R-Done · #9 (**permalink**) 12-26-2012, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mancow

Do you have some repeater or destination you are trying to reach which requires a yagi?

I don't have any photos handy but I have a discone, X wing satcom (thanks PRCGUY) and other stuff in the attic. It all seems to work pretty much as well as anything outside.

There's one I need to reach it's about 10 to 15 miles away from where I live it's Motorola Mototrbo digital repeater system at the owner's house which is located to the east of me. I can reach the Analog FM repeaters near by on my XPR 6550.

Git-R-Done · #10 (**permalink**) 12-26-2012, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by N9JIG

I have an attic full of antennas. I have 10M and 20M dipoles as well as a Slinky for HF and a nice Diamond dual bander for 2M and 440. There are also 20 other scanner and land-mobile antennas up there.

My home is on a slight hill and the attic works pretty good although access is kind of rough these days due to 2 feet of blown-in insulation put in a couple years ago. While it has saved me a ton of money (electric bill went down $40 a month) it has put a crimp in the ability to maintain or add antennas.

My home is built flat land. I would love to put up a outside antenna on a pole like I've seen before I think I can get by with it but not a tower.

Rt169Radio · #11 (**permalink**) 12-27-2012, 8:33 AM

Well you could have a pole attached to a sturdy fence pole? Or just cement a pole into the ground and attach a antenna pole to that and you would be set.

Skypilot007 · #12 (**permalink**) 12-28-2012, 4:29 PM

Homebrewed 440 MHz yagi in the attic. I can hit repeaters 40 miles away in the direction its pointed with it in the attic. I had it outside about 30ft above the ground and the rage increased even more.

radio3353 · #13 (**permalink**) 12-28-2012, 9:07 PM

This has nothing to do with your yagi pic (which is nice), but it looks like you have an open junction box to the right. Code violation!

knightrider · #14 (**permalink**) 12-29-2012, 6:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by radio3353

This has nothing to do with your yagi pic (which is nice), but it looks like you have an open junction box to the right. Code violation!

Maybe NMEA, but city or county may not use a 2013 code, or the NMEA...
Like you said though, nice antenna. I guess if you had short coax runs, you could do 3 or 4 of these, and run coax down to a switch in order to switch directions, and antenna is cheap to build.
Knightrider...

gunmasternd · #15 (**permalink**) 12-31-2012, 6:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Git-R-Done

I am in deed restricted in my neighborhood as well so a attic antenna is my only route so my neighbors won't complain to me or to the home owners association. I have to do the measurements on how big of a Yagi antenna I can go.

fine new neighbors

gunmasternd · #16 (**permalink**) 12-31-2012, 6:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Git-R-Done

Looking for attic antennas for Amateur Radio use. Any manufacturer recommendations? I'll be using the 70cm 440 band.

Thanks Jamie

If their are tv antennas on houses around your hood. Then i dont see why you cant stick a tripod on your roof

Your house your rules!

03msc · #17 (**permalink**) 12-31-2012, 6:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gunmasternd

fine new neighbors

Quote:

Originally Posted by gunmasternd

If their are tv antennas on houses around your hood. Then i dont see why you cant stick a tripod on your roof

Your house your rules!

If you live in a restricted neighborhood then there are rules to follow. And you know that when you move in. So while your comments are true if you are in the country or an unrestricted neighborhood, they may not be for these users.

KB3WIR · #18 (**permalink**) 01-01-2013, 12:24 PM

Mine are in my attic, due to laziness! I need to borrow my buddy's bucket truck to put my mast up. I have 2 scanner antennas and a Comet GP-3 dual bander. Best money I've ever spent!

mass-man · #19 (**permalink**) 01-02-2013, 9:32 PM

If they are working, leave 'em alone! I have two scanner antennas, a MFJ dual band 2/440 and a 40 mtr dipole in the attic of the condo! Put up the dipole in a couple of afternoons when no one else in the building was home. They work great, so no reason to mess with antennas outside. I hear what I want to, make contacts thru repeaters on VHF-UHF and work HF on most bands!

Skypilot007 · #20 (**permalink**) 01-03-2013, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by radio3353

This has nothing to do with your yagi pic (which is nice), but it looks like you have an open junction box to the right. Code violation!

Ha...it's been covered. I was working on the attic fan that day also.