remote operation, or rather, very remote antenna

[jbyers]

I hope this forum works for this question. After many attempts w/ different antenna's, I'm pretty much certain that there's no way I can jump on HF where I live because the RF environment is so complex. But I do have an option which I'm trying to research.

I live on the 10th floor of a high-rise building which is 32 floors high. I have space to put up an antenna at the top of the building, but I don't know how to use it w/ my gear down below. And this is what I'm after. I've heard talk about operating a stations remotely, and was hoping someone would offer some insight as to how something like this might be done. Antenna would be about 240ft. (top floor) away from radio (10th floor). Radio is currently an FT-857D.

73's

[kd0bik]

I subscribe to the theory of "where there is a will....there is a way".

Do you have permission from the building management to install an antenna on the roof?

There could also be less complicated and certainly less expensive options for you. Do you have a balcony? Do you have windows that open? There are a number of portable style antennas both commercially built and plans for homebrew. I own both a buddipole portable dipole antenna setup http://buddipole.com/ and the Super Antenna MP-1 http://www.superantennas.com/ These both work fine for portable use and I know many hams who have used these antennas and similar in hotel, condo and other restricted type applications.

Again, there are many, many different options. I listed the two above because I have experience with both and use both on a regular basis. Another option is a hamstick vertical or two hamsticks in a dipole setup. I have a 20m hamstick dipole setup and it is my main 20m antenna. I've worked some very good DX from this setup.

73,
Jerry

[5B4AJB]

100m of RG213 coax for H.F. is going to cost you about 5dB loss, or $150.

Bear in mind that a whole drum of this stuff is damn heavy, if you are unable to staple it every 20m or so, some kind of retaining lashup is required at the top.

If you rely on gravity and wind, you'll lose the whole lot (probably land on several cars/people too).

[m0bov]

Is there any shelter or power at the roof? Might be worth lashing up a portable setup and a comfee camp chair and take the rig to the antenna. Leave the antennas all setup and then just plug in. Otherwise jump in the car and take to the hills!

[jbyers]

Do you have permission from the building management to install an antenna on the roof?

There could also be less complicated and certainly less expensive options for you. Do you have a balcony? Do you have windows that open? There are a number of portable style antennas both commercially built and plans for homebrew.

Yeah, I have permission to install since I am a home owner here. And I do have a balcony, and I also have the buddistick that I just bought for this purpose. The problem is that I believe the RF environment here is just way to complex. My apartment is like a cavity in a building of concrete and steel. And there's a steel "lattice" railing across the outside of the balcony, and another high-rise right smack in the middle of my view. I've tried the buddistick and a 40' dipole and get the same results, signals are just waaay to weak as if being blocked.

Is there any shelter or power at the roof? Might be worth lashing up a portable setup and a comfee camp chair and take the rig to the antenna. Leave the antennas all setup and then just plug in. Otherwise jump in the car and take to the hills!

Yeah, I can get power, but I'm certain constant access like this to the roof would be disallowed, not to mention I'd like to do this from my home.