Roof Antenna

HI all.

I made a dipole antenna. It was cut to cover 12 meters ham band. It works pretty well, but it is stapled to the roofing shingles. Does anyone really know if this would cause a problem with receiving? The wire is P.V.C. coated. I feel that it should be off the roof due to possibility of reflection. Which may cause a reduced signal strength. Anyone know, if yes or no? I know many things effect antennas.

Thanks
Al

If it works it works. YES, it will work better off the roof...and WAY off the roof is better! But we gotta do what we gotta do. Rerceiving may not be effected that much, but transmitting is another story.

Age old adage for antennas....as much wire as you can, as high as you can, fed with twinlead in the middle! If you can't do that, do what works where you are!!!!

If your roof is wood, and the rafters are wood, electrically it should make no difference in receiving whether your antenna is stapled to the roof, or elevated off the roof. If your roof is made of wood, it shouldn't reflect SW radio waves. Asphalt shingles may or may not affect reception -- in my experience they don't.

I have an indoor antenna located a few feet below roof level, and receive almost as many signals as I did with a longer outdoor antenna, which was at the same general height.

The only reason to get the antenna higher than your roof would be the principle that in Shortwave reception, a higher antenna is generally better than a lower placed one. This has more to do with distance off the ground, than distance away from a wooden object.

What will kill 'ya is water. If it rains it may suck. Same for snow. :^p