Need Advise On A Good Attic Antenna

[lugoffman]

Ok Guys after trying like heck to get the information I need I was informed by my land lord that she didn't want me to put up a tower so I am stuck like chuck but she did say how ever I can put one up in the attic as long as it is not visible to the public so here is what I got and I need to see if anyone can give me some real good advise as to what to put up in my Attic.
Up in my Attic it is all wood rafters with shingle roof.
I live on a 2 story Apartment complex building. So I am a little elevated.
I have a balconey but I can not have a antenna that is visible unless I can take it up and down at night which will really get old after a while.
Anyways I am running a Yaesu FT-2800M moble radio for my station and I also use a
FT-60R HT for my moble walk around the park type use but sometimes use it as my station for backup use.
So can someone give me some good advise as to what type of antenna to get that will meet my needs. ?
Cause here is the thing on my FT-60R with 5 wats, I can hit the 440.200 I.R.L.P repeter machine.
But can not hit the 146.330 machine which both repeters are on the same tower Can't understand it, unless one repeter is on the shady side of the tower.
But any ways I hooked up a radio with 45 to 50 wats can't remember, but I can't hit the 146.330 machine with it as well, but I am using a 5/8 wave mag mount antenna on a washing machine lid as a reflector plate up in my Attic giving me a SWR reading of 1.4 to 1.5.
So I want a real good antenna that will get me out hopefully and get me back on track so if anyone got's any fill's on this please feel free to give me some good advise.
Thanks KJ4JBC --- Jason

 

[SCPD]

Attic Antennas

Get some sheet metal, lay it down in the attic, and put mag mount antennas on the sheet metal.
You don't need to nail down the sheet metal, it can just lay there.

 

[ka3jjz]

If that 2m repeater is all you are interested in (or there are other 2m repeaters in that general direction), a Cushcraft 3 element 2m beam would be the ticket. I used one for many years and even ran a net off that antenna for almost a decade. Inexpensive and you might even find plans to build one (maybe on the AC6V supersite) 73 Mike

 

[Paulsan]

Are you sure you have the correct tone programmed?

 

[ki4rvh]

Copper J-pole?

All the suggestions so far are good to try. If you like to build stuff try a copper J-pole. I know many people who live with Communist Home Owner Associations that use them in the attic. One guy is about 35 miles from our repeater and hits it just fine. Plans are all over the net. Just do a google search. Good Luck!

73

Chris

 

[lugoffman]

If that 2m repeater is all you are interested in (or there are other 2m repeaters in that general direction), a Cushcraft 3 element 2m beam would be the ticket. I used one for many years and even ran a net off that antenna for almost a decade. Inexpensive and you might even find plans to build one (maybe on the AC6V supersite) 73 Mike

Well the thing is I can hit the Ft Jackson repeter and the SCHEARTS repeter and sumter repeter and the PAALS NET REPETER and the 440.200 repeter but just can't get the 330 machine, which the 440.200 and the 330 machine are both on the same tower,
Now I just got my tickett in January so I am still learning.
But all I got to work with is just the 2 , 2meter radio's and I plan on getting my general sometime soon but still studing for it and sometime soon I hope to be moving so I can find me a place to put up a real antenna if you know what I mean hahahaha !!
But for now I want to just put something up in my attic that will work real good.
If you think that antenna you was talking about will work and is great I will look in to it to see about getting me one. Were did you say I might be able to buy one at I am not good at all with tring to make my own I don't have the space right now to work on stuff like that
Thants why I want to move out of this apartment complex Can't fully have fun with my hobby. well 73's for now KJ4JBC --- Jason

 

[lugoffman]

Are you sure you have the correct tone programmed?

Yea I got the correct tone it uses but just can't hit it I really am puzzeled over it. I had a guy bring his radio over and even he can't hit it using my antenna but he can sit out in his van and hit it though doesn't make since to me and the thing is I am higher up in the apartment then he was in his van hahaha !! dont know ???? 73's KJ4JBC Jason

 

[W6KRU]

Try moving the antenna a bit. There is a traffic light around the corner from my house and if I am first in line, I can't hit one of the local repeaters. If I am second in line, I am full quieting into the same repeater.

 

[lugoffman]

Try moving the antenna a bit. There is a traffic light around the corner from my house and if I am first in line, I can't hit one of the local repeaters. If I am second in line, I am full quieting into the same repeater.

Well I want to try that but I don't have enough cable to run it were I really want to run it but I am only using a mag mount antenna with just 5 watts but once I get my FT-2800M back from the shop I can then really test it then.
But really what I want is a antenna for the FT-2800M the antenna I got up in the attic now works fine for my needs on my 5 watt HT but not for my FT-2800M
I want to get out father than I am getting out cause I want to hit the 147.330 machine Well 73's KJ4JBC ---- Jason

 

[kb2vxa]

What you need to do is your own homework. Check the antenna catalogs on line and select one that suits your purpose. We don't know the dimensions of your attic, what bands you want to operate, etc., you do.

I really need to make a boiler plate template of this post I've repeated it enough times to callous my fingertips.

 

[wwhitby]

When I lived in an apartment, I used a mag mount 5/8 wave mobile stuck on a sheet of sheet metal. Worked like a charm.

I run an ATCSMon server. Right now the antenna i'm using is a mag mount mobile antenna attached to a pizza pan in my attic. One day i'm going to replace it, but for now it works great!

Warren

 

[Sifter]

How did you guys get your coax down from the attic in an apartment or home setting? Looking for ideas.

 

[kb2vxa]

A drill maybe?

 

[Sifter]

wow, thanks.

 

[wwhitby]

How did you guys get your coax down from the attic in an apartment or home setting? Looking for ideas.

The radio and computer I use for my ATCSMon server is downstairs near a closet, so I ran the coax into the closet and then up through a hole I poked in the ceiling.

The tricky part was pulling it from the hole to the attic. The hole was about 8 feet from where I could get to, and since the HVAC ducts were in the way, I couldn't crawl over the joists. I ended up using a fish tape to push the cable a couple of feet closer, and then used a surplus j-pole antenna that I had taped a coat hanger hook to snag the coax. After that, I just pulled it along.

Warren