temporary antenna idea

lewg26 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-14-2008, 5:12 AM

I am looking to put up an outside antenna. The problem I have is that it cannot be a perminant install. My wife has a problem with antennas on the house but she is willing to comprimise with something that can be removed when company is coming over. I was looking at
http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Produc...uctid=MFJ-1919 and http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Produc...uctid=MFJ-1910. I was wondering id anyone has experience with either one of these. I'm looking to use it for maybe a scanner antenna and definatlly 2m, 70cm and HF. I am most curious about ease of install and quality of reception I could expect. Thanks for your replies. Lew.

ampulman · #2 (**permalink**) 11-14-2008, 6:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lewg26

I am looking to put up an outside antenna. The problem I have is that it cannot be a perminant install. My wife has a problem with antennas on the house but she is willing to comprimise with something that can be removed when company is coming over. I was looking at
http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Produc...uctid=MFJ-1919 and http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Produc...uctid=MFJ-1910. I was wondering id anyone has experience with either one of these. I'm looking to use it for maybe a scanner antenna and definatlly 2m, 70cm and HF. I am most curious about ease of install and quality of reception I could expect. Thanks for your replies. Lew.

The tripod would require drilling holes in your roof. Once done, you don't want to be removing and re-installing it (leakage problems).

The other would probably require some gyrations (side mount, concrete base, etc.).

If you're not considering a very large/heavy antenna, look into a stack mount. Would just require removing a couple of nuts and bolts.

What about your coax? Do you plan on putting a connector at the point of entry so that you can remove it also? Probably not a bad idea, as it would allow grounding at that point.

Amp

prcguy · #3 (**permalink**) 11-14-2008, 9:28 AM

The 33ft fiberglass masts are like fishing poles, they are good for holding up wire antennas but not for traditional metal scanner antennas. You might be able to clamp a lightweight scanner antenna at the 20 to 25ft level of the 33ft mast. Most tripods grip the mast with bolts that chew into the mast. This would not be good on the MFJ fiberglass mast.
prcguy

Quote:

Originally Posted by lewg26

I am looking to put up an outside antenna. The problem I have is that it cannot be a perminant install. My wife has a problem with antennas on the house but she is willing to comprimise with something that can be removed when company is coming over. I was looking at
http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Produc...uctid=MFJ-1919 and http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Produc...uctid=MFJ-1910. I was wondering id anyone has experience with either one of these. I'm looking to use it for maybe a scanner antenna and definatlly 2m, 70cm and HF. I am most curious about ease of install and quality of reception I could expect. Thanks for your replies. Lew.

lewg26 · #4 (**permalink**) 11-14-2008, 9:55 AM

What I was looking for was something that I could throw up pretty quick in the backyard. I don't plan on putting it on the roof. I just want to do a temporary install in the backyard that I can put up and take down pretty quick to keep the wife happy. What I need is a good comprimise for the both of us that would provide decent results. I was hoping to be able to get some decent height without having to put something up on the roof. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again Lew.

Skypilot007 · #5 (**permalink**) 11-14-2008, 11:14 AM

Tell your wife people think you are smart when you have a bunch of antennae on the roof of your house! Then she may allow you to put up as many as you wish, you know...to impress her friends.

Seriously, I use my extension ladder as a mast with some rope as guys and I can launch temporary anyennae 35ft in the air with the setup I use. It can be put up in 10 minutes and taken down just as fast.

DPD1 · #6 (**permalink**) 11-14-2008, 1:43 PM

What is it about women and antennas...

I think the easiest thing you could do is put a pipe in the ground in the back somewhere that will hold a smaller diameter pipe mast. Drill a hole through for a bolt or cotter pin. Then use some flexi type multi strand cable, so you can easily disconnect and roll the cable up repeated times, without it getting damaged. Or, you could have a connection at the bottom and leave the cable on the mast. Then you could stick the whole thing in the garage on the wall or wherever.

Just make sure you use a strong enough pipe and sink the other one down far enough. I take no responsibility for it potentially slamming through your roof, and if you're wife calls me, I will deny everything.

Dave
www.DPDProductions.com
Antennas & Accessories for the RF Professional & Radio Hobbyist

hoser147 · #7 (**permalink**) 11-14-2008, 1:48 PM

Use some of the pictures on here to sell her on the idea, A picture is worth a thousand words...........

digitalanalog · #8 (**permalink**) 11-14-2008, 5:52 PM

I have a bunch of different type of mounts listed here
http://www.scannerantennasource.com/Mounting.html

Hopefully you can find something to please HER.....

A good possiblity might be the Non-Penetrating Roof Mount
http://www.scannerantennasource.com/Structures.html
you could just sit it in the yard with a few bricks.

Good luck.

rfradioconsult · #9 (**permalink**) 11-14-2008, 7:27 PM

Put up your antennas; when your wife complains tell her you will take them down when she takes all that ugly crap she has hanging on the walls. Then after the divorce you can put up all the antennas you want at your place!

lewg26 · #10 (**permalink**) 11-14-2008, 8:35 PM

I was wondering about the tripod in my original post. It says it is a portable antenna tripod. Why wouldn't I be able to set that up in the middle of my backyard, as long as I secured the feet in the ground. I thought that was the purpose of the tripod design. If not is there anything on the market that is designed for this purpose?

MOTOROLANUT · #11 (**permalink**) 11-14-2008, 9:07 PM

Think about an attic install, if ya can't do that try this, a vehicle mount on your inside window sil works better than the rubber ducky.......

~~kb2vxa~~ · #12 (**permalink**) 11-15-2008, 10:12 PM

She's only concerned about her guests? What will the neighbors think? OMG!!! I suggest you work on the problem and it's not the antenna.

prcguy · #13 (**permalink**) 11-15-2008, 10:34 PM

There is a common military mast kit that Fair Radio Sales used to sell that was designed to go 40ft high guyed using 5ft long thick wall aluminum masts. There is a tripod adapter that uses 3 of the masts to make a tripod base and you can go up about 25ft un-guyed with a modest antenna using this setup. If it gets too windy you can hang a few buckets of water from the tripod for ballast. These masts also came in a very thick fiberglass version and the entire kit has guy stakes, a hammer, guy ropes and aluminum end caps that hold the kit together for transport. I throw away everything but the masts and always use them in the tripod mode. These kits show up on Ebay for reasonable prices.
prcguy

srt1026 · #14 (**permalink**) 11-15-2008, 11:16 PM

hang a bird feeder or two on the mast, she probably wont want u to take it down then.

~~kb2vxa~~ · #15 (**permalink**) 11-17-2008, 4:17 PM

Nah, bird feeders attract squirrels, squirrels chew coax. Better work on the two legged one, she has some strange ideas... seriously. There's something about it she's not telling you (guests are not the issue believe me) and if I were in your shoes I'd want to get to the bottom of it. Unless the psychology behind it is discovered I see marital problems ahead, this is the tip of the iceberg.

Paulsan · #16 (**permalink**) 11-17-2008, 6:55 PM

Honestly, doesn't she want YOU to be happy? Show her a DPD Omni-X. They really are hard to see.

Jim41 · #17 (**permalink**) 11-17-2008, 7:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lewg26

I am looking to put up an outside antenna. The problem I have is that it cannot be a perminant install. My wife has a problem with antennas on the house but she is willing to comprimise with something that can be removed when company is coming over. I was looking at
http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Produc...uctid=MFJ-1919 and http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Produc...uctid=MFJ-1910. I was wondering id anyone has experience with either one of these. I'm looking to use it for maybe a scanner antenna and definatlly 2m, 70cm and HF. I am most curious about ease of install and quality of reception I could expect. Thanks for your replies. Lew.

Have you considered installing a flag pole with an antenna on top? This could be an unobtrusive way to install your antenna.

Jim41

blueangel-eric · #18 (**permalink**) 11-17-2008, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paulsan

Honestly, doesn't she want YOU to be happy? Show her a DPD Omni-X. They really are hard to see.

stick one on a vent pipe or something. use a low profile mount or something. there was a thread awhile back where i posted info on low profile mounts.

RLADY22 · #19 (**permalink**) 11-19-2008, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim41

Have you considered installing a flag pole with an antenna on top? This could be an unobtrusive way to install your antenna.

Jim41

The flagpole is a true blue, nice looking family, neigbor and friend solution. We have mounted antennas in some odd places...usually there is something that can help hide it...we have even installed an antenna on a church in the Cross..good luck

kb0nly · #20 (**permalink**) 11-20-2008, 12:42 AM

Am i the only one here with a very understanding wife? She let me build my own room for the shack, put up not one but two towers! And radios in every vehicle we own.. Though she is a licensed ham herself now as well, maybe that helps a smidge, but she only gets on the air in her car most of the time.