Antenna in Apartment Complex

[iceman78]

I live in a 1st fl. apartment and I put an A99 on the handrail outsife about 4' off the ground and about 5' away from the building. It was working great with SWR 1.2 and getting out to the locals barefoot @ 8lbs. As expected management made me remove it. Out of options I have it zip tied to the aluminum gutter. Now SWR's are 2 and the same local I was hitting with 8 is not getting a 3. I surveyed the area and was unable to come up with a suitable alternate location. I was debating about an indoor dipole but I dont think the wife would take kindly to a 17' piece of wire drapped across the living room and I'm not sure how much better it would be getting out than the current A99 install. If anyone has any good suggestions I would certainly appreciate them. I am not allowed to have any antenna outside (unless it is stealthy and I can get away with it without it being detected). Tried a 'balcony/apartment antenna and had swr problems and couldnt get out at all. Please help

 

[Moleculo]

The aluminum gutter is probably what is causing your SWR problem. At 2:1 SWR, the radio is probably cutting back the power, causing your signal to not be as strong. It doesn't sound like you have a whole lot of options, though. Would your apartment manager let you install a 102" whip on the roof? That would be nearly invisible to anyone else. You could rig up a mount and run some wire radials on the roof for couterpoise. If you're stuck with the A99 strapped to the rain gutter, one thing you can try is to get a small antenna tuner and install it at the radio. adjust it until it shows 1:1 SWR. This isn't optimal, but it will allow the radio to put out full power again and it won't cost you much.

 

[555]

where the top section screws into the second section
this is where you put a American Flag.

now have him ask you to come take it down

trust me

 

[W5LZ]

Did you retune the antenna when you moved it?
- 'Doc

 

[iceman78]

Thanks for the suggestions fellas. As far as putting a flag on top...inquired about it. was told an american flag is the only kind of flag permitted and it is only premitted to be hung from the flag pole bracket outside the door.

No 102's allowed on the roof. and A99 was not retuned when moved. I know 2:1 is far from optmal however I do not think swr's are the real villian here because locals who normally get me with an S8 are down to S3.

All they have on the roof now is an old TV antenna from back in the day. Maintenance man said that the wires are still in each apartment and that if I was to I can tap those wires and utilize the TV antenna on the roof. I just looked behing the blank in the wall to see that old TV antenna wire. It is a piece of coax with no connector. No doubt it's tv coax however now the wheels of invention are turning. Any cheap tricks to make that tv antenna work as a base station antenna?

 

[W5LZ]

iceman78,
Could it be done? Yes, you could make it 'work'. That says nothing about how well it'll work (not good). And also says nothing about the affect of having an open coax stub in each apartment will produce. Talk about an RFI/TVI nightmare?
- 'Doc

 

[iceman78]

Hi Doc. The coax I was referring to in the apartment...I was toying with the idea of putting a PL-259 on it and putting it to the rig. I have an antenna matcher which may or may not help. I asked around with a couple of locals regarding the idea of using the tv antenna and nobody seems to think it will orrk ( or at least work any good)

 

[W5LZ]

Your locals are correct. A TV antenna isn't even close to 'resonant' on 27 Mhz. Sure, you can make it appear so with a tuner, but it doesn't change the antenna's 'size'. It'll work, but not well. That PL-259 of SO239 on -your- coax stub is just fine, but what about the stubs in them other people's places? That's where you would be feeding a signal directly into also. And I'd almost be willing to bet that that stub is pretty close to where they have a TV. Not exactly 'ideal', huh?
- 'Doc

 

[JPT]

Swing a deal with the maintinance man to get on that roof. If you had the Antron up there, it would probably would not be noticed.

 

[iceman78]

im kinda out of ideas at this point. cant put the antenna outside...cant get on the roof--think i'm just gonna get a dipole and drape it over some bushes outside. would be 4' away from building and maybe 4 or 5 feet off the ground.

 

[niterider]

Can you open a window, and hang an antenna out of it at least? There is a ham antenna setup, where it clamps on a window seal. You would have to retune it to 11 meters, but I believe it comes with instructions on how to tune it for 10 meters (which is very close).