At the back of my home right under my nose has been a great stealth antenna just waiting to be used. I have heard of hams loading up downspouts, rain gutters that make there way around the house, their TV tower and even the aluminum siding on their home. I am just looking for a receiving antenna so I can take advantage of the diversity mode of the Elecraft K3. Up to this point it has been my High Sierra sidekick antenna but that is hit and miss as that antenna is only out during contests. I have this great metal fence out the back I was thinking about running a wire underground to the vertical metal fence post. Put a jumper were the fence post and horizontal fence support meet. The horizontal section of the fence is about 200 feet long and that seems to me to be an ok stealth receiving antenna??? I guess the best thing is to give it a go and see how it works....easier said than done. At this point the temperature is sitting around -22 C and snow on the ground. BUT things are looking up there is a warming trend coming by Tuesday the temp is rumored to be +4 and rain and just for one day. Oh well seems I may have to wait until spring one day of +4 did not do it as the ground was still frozen. Well let me know your thoughts on this stealth instalation.....have you done it....did it work out??? Any other ideas.....??
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Your thoughts on this proposed receiving antenna.......................
At the back of my home right under my nose has been a great stealth antenna just waiting to be used. I have heard of hams loading up downspouts, rain gutters that make there way around the house, their TV tower and even the aluminum siding on their home. I am just looking for a receiving antenna so I can take advantage of the diversity mode of the Elecraft K3. Up to this point it has been my High Sierra sidekick antenna but that is hit and miss as that antenna is only out during contests. I have this great metal fence out the back I was thinking about running a wire underground to the vertical metal fence post. Put a jumper were the fence post and horizontal fence support meet. The horizontal section of the fence is about 200 feet long and that seems to me to be an ok stealth receiving antenna??? I guess the best thing is to give it a go and see how it works....easier said than done. At this point the temperature is sitting around -22 C and snow on the ground. BUT things are looking up there is a warming trend coming by Tuesday the temp is rumored to be +4 and rain and just for one day. Oh well seems I may have to wait until spring one day of +4 did not do it as the ground was still frozen. Well let me know your thoughts on this stealth instalation.....have you done it....did it work out??? Any other ideas.....??
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8 comments:
Hi Mike, it is a nice idea. However it would be nice for low band receiving and I see powerlines nearby. That could cause a lot of interference...
I've seen videos from guys in Skandinavia that loaded a highway safety rail. So it could be done. If you had no antenna restriction you could place a nice vertical near the fence, and then use it as ground radial. Couldn't you just place a flagpole with a nice Canadian flag near the fence? Ideas..... 73, Bas
Hello Bas, Yes the power lines have in the past given me grief. The antenna restrictions here are out of this world even the flag pole is out of the question.
Hello Mike, you can give it a try, I think it will work. With a indoor curtain rail I transmitted on 160 meter and 30 meter + tuner with success. 73 Paul
Mike, I would try it. However, if there is oxidation at a joint (or dissimilar metals), you can get a rectifying junction. This may give you massive RX headaches if there are moderately strong AM broadcasters in your area. We have spurs all over the 160 and 80 meter bands in our area, some of which may be caused by these kind of rectifying junctions. One of them even mixes a big AM station with CHU! But, don't just take my word for it. It's worth trying.
Hi Mike:
It's worth at least trying - How about some sort of stealth loop made up of thin wire and bamboo canes ? I did construct one some years back for transmit on 24 mhz (not too big) first contact was into Nigeria - I was amazed, I also discovered its capabilities on Rx on 80/160m - very quiet compared even to a dipole, might help with the powerline problem too.
73 Peter
Good morning Ethan the oxidation is a very good point and for sure would not want to start adding to unwanted signals. When I do try the antenna which now looks like the spring it at first will be a very temporary hookup.
Hi Peter I was thinking of some type of loop as well. We have a nice large pine tree just at the back of the house. I was never going to use this antenna for TX so SWR is not an issue. Any configuration will I hope do the trick.
Mike, I wonder if an NVIS antenna could be made using this chain-link fence as a support. Well insulated wire, of near the same metallic colour, leaving your home, woven through the top part of that fence. Then terminated with a small gray-colour insulator. 66 feet might get you through 40 meters with a tuner. You would need a ground. If you were QRP with a few watts, maybe the ground wouldn't be necessary. 73 Dick N2UGB
Good morning Dick, very interesting idea but that will have to wait until the spring or at least until it warms up for a few days consistently. I don't have to worry about a tuner as this is just going to be used as a receive only antenna.
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