HF antenna

[razorseal]

Hey there,

Looking to see if anyone can throw me some ideas to put an antenna in my strict HOA, zero lot home. It's an upgrade from a condo and, but still baffled...

I don't have my general yet, but I plan on getting it. When I do, I'd like to do some HF (whatever band I can jump on) but not sure what kind of antenna setup I need to have that isn't very obvious. I was thinking of maybe running something near the trees with a wire antenna... Let me know!

Here are some pics to give you an idea...

 

[ka3jjz]

A loop is a real possibility here. There are a few that are designed for hams, such as the one W4OP sells the Chameleons, or the Alpha Delta ones are examples. Undoubtedly there are others; see this wiki article for links to the above in the SW only section...

Loops - The RadioReference Wiki

Mike

 

[prcguy]

Are the rain gutters metal? If so you could bond some of them together and feed it with an autotuner. How much space is in the attic and is it all wood or lined with foil backed insulation, etc? If its all wood and clear of metal you could string a dipole up there or line the ceiling rafters with chicken wire for a ground plane and put in a good screwdriver mobile antenna with a capacity hat made of horizontal wires. Some of the bigger screwdrivers work very well and you can easily get more ground plane under it compared to a vehicle.

If you own the place you are guaranteed the ability to install a satellite dish up to 1m. You can do that but use the dish and the coax feeding it as your HF antenna fed from an auto tuner. Aah, just saw the DirecTV dish in your pics and its obvious your in Florida with the extreme west tilt angle on the dish. Go for it and install another fake dish on the roof as your HF antenna.

You could also run a very thin invisible wire up one of the trees and feed that with an autotuner at the base buried inside a NEMA box. If thats a chain link fence in the backyard you could also ground an autotuner to that and run a thin invisible wire up towards the roof.

A loop mentioned by KA3JJZ can work surprisingly well and for the upper bands like 20 through 10m they are very small. A loop that would cover about 80 through maybe 20m is usually very large but a guy I know makes helically loaded versions that are about 6ft dia that cover down to 80m. Something like that could go in the attic if it meets the criteria above or maybe on a temporary tripod in the yard.

Bottom line is there are plenty of ways to get on the air with a reasonable antenna if you put your mind to it.
prcguy

 

[ka3jjz]

Actually the W4OP loop goes down to 5 Mhz, and the Chameleons go down to around 3.8 Mhz - not all of 80 but you could probably squeeze a little more out of it. but you might sacrifice some radiation efficiency in the process.

With the OP in Florida, and given what has happened in the last month, having something easy to put up and get on the air might well be an advantage...Mike

 

[edweirdFL]

I have seen a design for an antenna that lays inside your rain gutters and goes around your roof. The name escapes me at the moment.

I have a home where I could put up a permanent antenna but I haven't done that yet. In the mean time I setup the same portable antenna I use when I go to a park for QRP work in my backyard for use with my base rig. 5 minute setup and take down for a 17 foot tall whip. (Chameleon MPAS with MilExt)

I use it for a couple of hours and then take it down until the next time.

 

[gonefishn1]

HF vertical / FLAG Pole

 

[W2PDX]

Lots of good, viable options already mentioned. I picked up this book a few years ago when I owned a townhouse with similar HOA restrictions. It's out of print but maybe you could find a used copy or borrow a copy from a local ham. It had some decent ideas that might give you that "ah hah!" moment when you figure out the best option.

ARRL :: Operating :: Low Profile Amateur Radio

 

[TheSpaceMann]

Hams in The Villages have been able to beat their very strict HOA, and thrive!! Check their page under "resources"! K4VRC - Villages Amateur Radio Club

 

[wb6uqa]

HOA antenna

I have the Cobra Jr. It is 73 ft. long, fed with window line.Great 10 - 80.

 

[jim202]

There have been several postings on here rece3ntly with antenna problems just like yours. Having moved about 7 times over my ham life so far, I find it is much better to look at homes that can provide the required land area to support the ham hobby. It just takes some looking around and working with a real estate agent that you have given some helpful guidelines to search by.

After a few houses being shown to you, the agent gets the idea and you start being shown locations that more match what your looking for. It may take a week or a month, but you can find a ham friendly house if you try.

With you now being stuck where you are, your antenna choices are limited. But those that have posted here have come up with some good choices. Down side to most of them is that you are stuck using an antenna tuner. The use of the tuner is not all bad, but the effectiveness of your antenna system will be noticed as you do make contacts.

Best of luck with which ever antenna you end up going with. But that antenna may not work for you and you will need to go with plan B if that is the case. This is all part of being a ham. We just keep trying different things till we find what works.

 

[GUNSABLAZIN]

Jeez Dude! You could reach out your window and tap your neighbor on the shoulder.

Sorry.

 

[SCPD]

Great pictures Razor....
.
It looks to me like your back yard backs to a sort of Foresty-Zone-- for lack of a better term.... an area where things are not going to as noticed compared to your front yard.... where there are tall trees and no neighbors back yard views.
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I have had lots of success with random length wires, coupled with remote tuners- the auto turners that are used in Marine applications.
.
#16 guage wire, and clear glass insulators are practical invisible, A remote tuner, mounted on the ground, next to its grounding arrangement, coupled to an "L" run of wire going up to the eves of your second floor- then out to a tree- would be my first antenna if I were in your place.
.
If it sounds good, check for equipment like Icom makes for maritime use.
.
.
...............................CF

 

[KG5FQT]

Ive seen a few where they run a wire of some type in the tree with a tuner at the bottom hidden by landscaping

 

[spongella]

Have you considered going mobile in the interim? I used to drive to the local park and sit in the car and talk on the radio using an Argonaut 509 and Hustler antenna.

Hey...what about parking the car in the driveway with an antenna attached to the car?

Okay, not the best idea of them all, but at least it's an idea hi hi. (no Steven Hawking award forthcoming for that idea).

 

[jwt873]

Have you considered going mobile in the interim? I used to drive to the local park and sit in the car and talk on the radio using an Argonaut 509 and Hustler antenna.

I run mobile with an Icom IC-7000 and a Hustler antenna. The combo works surprisingly well for local and DX. I've made contacts with several countries from my driveway.

I once worked a fellow in Rhode Island who operated like you did. He was an apartment dweller who would go down to a point by the ocean near the salt water and operate from his car.

 

[gdotts]

Ok...Here is the solution!
My story got solved with a contact MADE to Cook Island in the South Pacific last night at 6pm. I too ponderded an antenna and HOA with not much room and a Tech licence 10 meters. You only have up to work with and stealth to keep HOA away.

FIRST...30 foot Push-up antenna with pipe cemented in the ground...with U-clamps holding a "home made pivot" system at the bottom to insert your push-up... then... wall bracket and w/quick undo clasp at 6 foot height on the wall for the pipe for stability when you pivot up the mast to the wall before push up.

SECOND.....Antenna, Solorcon MAX 2000 attached to wood then attached to top of mast.

(When not in use I lower push-up the 30 feet , then to totally make it disapear pivot it colapsed mast and antenna to the ground.)

THIRD....connected to coax antenna to receiver.....using LMR 400

Back to you!

 

[vagrant]

This all makes sense now after reviewing your other thread about antenna selection. I see how your Tech license limitation, home foot print, HOA stealth, etc. all add up to your final antenna choice.

Now just watch for 10 meter contests and see what you can do. - WA7BNM Contest Calendar: Home

* A General license really opens up so much more, even the additional space on 10 meters if that is what you stick with.

 

[GSPD]

I see a potential for an off center or end fed dipole in the palms. The antenna does not have to be in a straight line and with small, discreet gauge wire mounted high just beneath the palm leaves. Start from the front two, along the side of the house to all those palms in the back(looks like the neighbor has no windows on that side). Drop some grey 8X cable down along the tree trunk and I think it would be very low key.
Much more potential than my Florida home....I'm using a push up painters pole with a ham stick dipole mount that I put together. It works, but a pain to have to set it up when you feel the urge to operate. I've also gone the route of using a mobile in the driveway, running an antenna from my vehicle to the garage radio setup.....trust me, it gets old fast!
My primary station is in NY and my second is at my Florida home in The Villages, that of course has an HOA.
Good luck on your solution......