HF antenna for townhouse... anything discreet out there?
- Thread starter drew4392
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N8IAA
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He never said. I would presume his interest in a screwdriver antenna would mean transmitting. He hasn't been back on since the morning of 9/19.
Larry
Larry
joeuser
The Wretched
I'm the one considering receive only but possible later xmit... possible...
Oh wow, I thought you were going to transmit because of where you posted this thread. There are many things to consider if you are going to transmit and this thread has provided some feedback for that. If you are looking to receive only, then there are fewer things to consider. Go with the simple solution first and use some coax and wire. It's not that visible and the cost is friendly to your wallet to get things started.
I recently moved to a new job so now I have a more understanding landlord who has allowed me to set up an outside antenna. Before I was struggling with an attic mounted dipole antenna, and that was decidedly unsatisfactory (although I did make 100+ contacts, including many to Europe and S. America!). Now at the new location I have set up an end-fed dipole using the 9:1 unun sold by EARCHI (http://www.earchi.org/92011endfedfiles/Endfed6_40.pdf). The element is 44' long, the low end stretched from a 12' PVC mast and the high end 25' up in a nearby tree. Even though the landlord permits it, it is still difficult to see unless you're really looking for it. Now here's the weird part: it is non-resonant on 40m (SWR 6.0:1) but I do get a decent 2.0:1 SWR on the upper end of 75m! Two days ago I did a check-in on a net on 3.916MHz. I also get fair to good SWRs on 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m and 6m. Maybe you can give an end-fed a try if you use a somewhat thin gauge wire (like 18ga) in a grey color if you have it stretched out in the open. It's likely that nobody will notice it.
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joeuser
The Wretched
How about this for just listening, might work for OP also? Must I have a tuner if I'm just going to listen with my little ol Realistic DX-440 ?
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=131281463266&alt=web
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=131281463266&alt=web
joeuser
The Wretched
I'm really thinking the tuner is for broadcasting - specs always refer to power & you're not pushing, you're pulling when you listen... I'm also considering this: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=311100452858&alt=web
Again, just for listening with my DX440. Any suggestions appreciated!
Again, just for listening with my DX440. Any suggestions appreciated!
Even if you're not broadcasting, a somewhat close SWR match will certainly improve your reception. Before I got my ham license in 2013, I was a shortwave listener for decades. I wondered why I was getting poor reception on my Icom R75 receiver with a 90' long wire antenna. After I read an article on antenna tuners, I bought one and WOW, what a difference it made in my reception! Here's the one I bought because it was specifically designed for SWL and it had a preamp:
MFJ Enterprises Inc.
If you don't want to shell out $130 for an antenna tuner that you can't use later with a ham rig, then there is also a simple antenna tuner (without preamp) for almost half the price of the one above:
MFJ Enterprises Inc.
And no, I'm not a shill for MFJ although I admit I have a lot of their products.
For the item you're looking at on [unmentionable site], it does not include coax of course nor a plug to connect to the radio. It would be cheaper, faster and easier to make your own. Here, I did some parts shopping for you at Tractor Supply:
100' of 16ga stranded wire $14.99
Bag of egg insulators (look in elec fence supplies) $2.49
Total (w/o tax): $16.98
Roll out the wire and cut into two equal 50' lengths.
Tie an egg insulator at both ends of each length.
On each one of your 50' lengths of wire, leave about 4" free. Strip off 1/2" from those two free ends.
Get a length of 50 ohm RG58 coax, say 50'. Strip off one end to expose the center wire and braid.
Solder the center wire to one of the 50' wire lengths (the free stripped end, obviously). Do the same with the RG58 braid to the other 50' wire length.
Take a 12" piece of strong cord (like for a clothes line) and tie the egg insulators onto each end (ie, the ends which are attached to your RG58) so that the weight of the wires are not putting strain on the coax connections.
At the other end of your RG58, attach an RCA plug (since the DX-440 takes this type of plug for the external antenna connection). There are some easy solderless ones at Rat Shack.
Taa-Daa! You have a homemade dipole receiving antenna.
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joeuser
The Wretched
I'm concerned about shielding. I'll be draping this along my gutters. Because of that I'm worried about the contact between the gutters & the wire. Plus I'll have to do an ' L ' shape & do 50' North/South & 50' East/West. Originally I was going to just do an end feed using RG6 2250mHz satellite cable I had laying around but the dipole seems better...
OK the tuner is a must have, that is clear. I like MFJ also in fact I spent an hour there yesterday. Wish they had pics on the lists, makes it easier for noobs such as myself.
OK the tuner is a must have, that is clear. I like MFJ also in fact I spent an hour there yesterday. Wish they had pics on the lists, makes it easier for noobs such as myself.
joeuser
The Wretched
Any thoughts on this? http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-901B
902
Member
How about something like this active antenna?
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/qrt.html
I've been on the receiver website listening around, and have heard myself coming through (faintly, because I don't have a big station or antenna) a few times from the US through this.
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/qrt.html
I've been on the receiver website listening around, and have heard myself coming through (faintly, because I don't have a big station or antenna) a few times from the US through this.
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
I thought the OP was looking at transmitting antennas, not receive only, so we're kinda wandering OT here, but...
It should work just fine with a desktop or SDR - however it might not work so well with a portable such as a Kaito or Degen. These radios generally want to see a hi-z input, not a coax fed one. It will, however, damage nothing on your portable except your wallet to try it
Mike
902
Member
You're right, Mike, it would. But if the OP was looking to transmit as well, there are a few options, too. Like one of the active antennas for the RX port and something compact inside. A few months ago, I had a QSO with an old friend on 40 meters between NJ and where I am now, about 900 miles. I was using my B&W 95, and he was on a resonant loop wound on a frame, a lot like the old-style pictures of radios. All of that was inside his apartment; he wasn't allowed to have anything that looked like an antenna outside. His signal was low, but he still sounded pretty good in the morning when the band was quiet.
A lot of HF rigs have the capability for split antenna configurations. I've got three radios that could do it - the 751A is left into a transverter through that port and usually has a short jumper between the receive port and the TR relay.
That's one of the many things I love about this hobby - there are so many different ways of going about getting something done.
joeuser
The Wretched
We never heard from the OP on xmit or receive - we were all guessing.
joeuser
The Wretched
OK thanks all think I have finally decided which way to go, when the time comes!
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