appleagenda
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The quick question:
What is a good way to use a gutter drain pipe as an HF antenna for working QRP?
The more exhaustive, more social, somewhat rambling version:
So, my wife's folks own a condo, where they lived with their son, who is handicapped. They had a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship, and took care of each other. When the folks needed full time professional care, we moved them to an assisted living center nearby, leaving my wife's brother alone. This was at the beginning of last year, and COVID quarantine had just begun, so we left our house and moved in with him, so that he wouldn't be alone. (his condition doesn't do well alone). The condo is much closer to the assisted living place, and for that and other logistical reasons, it was best for us to stay here, rather than have him move in with us.
The house has plenty of space and no HoA rules, but it is simply too far to use it as a shack.
This condo has a tiny amount of space and strict rules, and I have a (reasonable but) limited budget and even more limited experience. What I do have is a surplus of is time, and the patience and desire to learn.
With only a technician ticket, most HF is out of reach, but I anticipate passing the General exam in a few weeks. I don't care much about voice, I am more interested in CW and other data modes. QRP seems a lot more fun than using a big linear and beams. I don't imagine myself using more than 10 or 20 watts. I have been watching small, entry level CW and WSPR gear on eBay, and might go with a kit, since I do have experience soldering.
The only outdoor space available to me is maybe 15x15' behind the condo here, it is fenced in (wood fence), on very low ground, and surrounded by three story brick buildings. I have essentially no attic, only the smallest of crawlspaces is accessible.
This might be a nightmare scenario, but for a single rain gutter drain that climbs all the way up the brick side of our building. It is at least 30 feet up, and appears to connect to the gutters above. The drain is of metallic construction.
Reading about gutter drainpipe antennas is confusing me a lot. Specifically, I am confused about matching, or tuning. There are antenna tuners, antenna couplers and transmatchers. There are also baluns, isolators, ferrite beads and magic beans (probably). I realize that it is somewhat unlikely (read: "impossible") that a drainpipe will properly match without artificial adjustment.
So, what gear should I be looking at? Obviously, I will need some sort of SWR meter, at the very least. Do I need a tuner, or an impedance matcher of some sort?
I easily passed the Technician exam, because much of it related to very simple EE type questions about Ohm's law and very basic antenna calculations that I was already familiar with. But, as almost everyone here probably knows, passing that test doesn't make a person a ham, any more than having a baby makes a man a father. On paper, sure. But in practice, I am just a dummy who passed a test. Would any real hams be willing to point me in the right direction?
My questions are probably still vague and unfocused, and I apologize for that. There is just so much to learn, and not having the option of sticking a real antenna up and learning around it is a real crimp. I *do* have a CCR and a bunch of SDRs, the CCR manages to hear the local repeaters, and the SDRs and scanners do a pretty good job of monitoring local public service traffic with just rabbit ears suction cupped to a window, so this isn't a complete wasteland. But txing HF is a different ballgame.
So, in summary, is the drainpipe a reasonable option, and what sort of questions should I be answering to help decide how to best exploit it? Do I need a particularly fancy meter and tuner to even consider it? And finally, are there discreet HoA friendly options that are not commonly discussed? I will entertain anything.
Thanks for reading. I feel like I owe you a beer, just for all the time that it took you to read this far.
73,
What is a good way to use a gutter drain pipe as an HF antenna for working QRP?
The more exhaustive, more social, somewhat rambling version:
So, my wife's folks own a condo, where they lived with their son, who is handicapped. They had a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship, and took care of each other. When the folks needed full time professional care, we moved them to an assisted living center nearby, leaving my wife's brother alone. This was at the beginning of last year, and COVID quarantine had just begun, so we left our house and moved in with him, so that he wouldn't be alone. (his condition doesn't do well alone). The condo is much closer to the assisted living place, and for that and other logistical reasons, it was best for us to stay here, rather than have him move in with us.
The house has plenty of space and no HoA rules, but it is simply too far to use it as a shack.
This condo has a tiny amount of space and strict rules, and I have a (reasonable but) limited budget and even more limited experience. What I do have is a surplus of is time, and the patience and desire to learn.
With only a technician ticket, most HF is out of reach, but I anticipate passing the General exam in a few weeks. I don't care much about voice, I am more interested in CW and other data modes. QRP seems a lot more fun than using a big linear and beams. I don't imagine myself using more than 10 or 20 watts. I have been watching small, entry level CW and WSPR gear on eBay, and might go with a kit, since I do have experience soldering.
The only outdoor space available to me is maybe 15x15' behind the condo here, it is fenced in (wood fence), on very low ground, and surrounded by three story brick buildings. I have essentially no attic, only the smallest of crawlspaces is accessible.
This might be a nightmare scenario, but for a single rain gutter drain that climbs all the way up the brick side of our building. It is at least 30 feet up, and appears to connect to the gutters above. The drain is of metallic construction.
Reading about gutter drainpipe antennas is confusing me a lot. Specifically, I am confused about matching, or tuning. There are antenna tuners, antenna couplers and transmatchers. There are also baluns, isolators, ferrite beads and magic beans (probably). I realize that it is somewhat unlikely (read: "impossible") that a drainpipe will properly match without artificial adjustment.
So, what gear should I be looking at? Obviously, I will need some sort of SWR meter, at the very least. Do I need a tuner, or an impedance matcher of some sort?
I easily passed the Technician exam, because much of it related to very simple EE type questions about Ohm's law and very basic antenna calculations that I was already familiar with. But, as almost everyone here probably knows, passing that test doesn't make a person a ham, any more than having a baby makes a man a father. On paper, sure. But in practice, I am just a dummy who passed a test. Would any real hams be willing to point me in the right direction?
My questions are probably still vague and unfocused, and I apologize for that. There is just so much to learn, and not having the option of sticking a real antenna up and learning around it is a real crimp. I *do* have a CCR and a bunch of SDRs, the CCR manages to hear the local repeaters, and the SDRs and scanners do a pretty good job of monitoring local public service traffic with just rabbit ears suction cupped to a window, so this isn't a complete wasteland. But txing HF is a different ballgame.
So, in summary, is the drainpipe a reasonable option, and what sort of questions should I be answering to help decide how to best exploit it? Do I need a particularly fancy meter and tuner to even consider it? And finally, are there discreet HoA friendly options that are not commonly discussed? I will entertain anything.
Thanks for reading. I feel like I owe you a beer, just for all the time that it took you to read this far.
73,
