Best HF Antenna for neighborhoods with HOA restrictions
Hello from K2CLH! One of my houses is in a HOA restricted area. I have thought about either putting a dipole in my attic or running a dipole(or small vertical) along my fence in my backyard(140ft. long fence). I would like to know if those are good I ideas(if so which one) or if anyone has other ideas I would love to hear them.
73 thanks,
K2CLH
(nine years old)
Proximity and power output are considerations here, indoor antennas are fine for receiving and low output power, but put more than a few Watts out close to neighbors and you'll be asking for trouble.
Get the antenna as high as you can, away from other antennas and cabling.
The fence sounds a good bet (when it's dry).
Verticals are pretty useful but can get rather large for HF.
It is a difficult one to answer without knowing your situation. What about a temporary end fed antenna from an upstairs window down to the end of the garden? When you have finished with it, just reel it back in. The W3EDP type antenna would be a good one, but you will have to build a link coupled matching unit so that you won't got RF back in the house via the electrical wiring.
If it was my house and I couldn't put up a antenna, I would move.
First option would be a Verticle of some type.
Flag pole would probably work best.
SEcond option would be some type of verticle that was behind the house and take my chances.
Third would be a NVIS antenna, maybe some type of double bazooka or other long wire antenna.
Fourth would be a 1/4 wave sloper off the side of the house.
Only other option would be to build a base station off premisis and use your radio remotely via a computer link.
I'm sure that if you knew of someone who owned a large tract of land and would allow them to hang a couple of antenna's off the tower and would let them use your equipment when ever they wanted, as long as they were licensed, you would have lot's of offers from other hams to put the tower up on their property.
I can put up a vertical although there are some HOA restrictions but it's more on the neighbors behalf. I have thought about a G5RV along my fence. I could maybe sneak a small vertical behind the house and use our 140 foot long fence as a groundplane(although I would have to bond the fence with some of our braid we have)!
Last edited by K2CLH; Tue 25th Oct 2011 at 23:43.
If that's a chain link fence, you may not be too happy with things. Every place where two wires bend around each other without a solid metal-to-metal connection (read "welding") is a potential source of noise and intermod. I've tried such fences as parts of antenna systems. Sometimes they're okay, sometimes more trouble than they're worth.
73
Pat K7KBN
Semper ubi sub ubi.
This is not a chain link fence. It is a painted black fence with the metal tubing for the main body. Thanks for the feedback!Originally Posted by K7KBN
G5RV will not work - or work well along the side of a fence.
A G5RV antenna is actually only resonant on 40 meters. it will do 20 and 10 meters - just not all that well.
In order to get a decent radiation pattern, the antenna needs to be up about 40' above ground level.
I highly doubt if your antenna is 40' high.
The closer to the ground you get it, the less you are going to receive and the less people are going to be able to hear you.
I know, I have a brand new one in a bag here in the shack that I have not put up.
$65.00 American - if you want to buy it.
I opened the bag and took out the instructions and talked to some antenna experts and chose not to put it up. Although any antenna in the air is better then no antenna at all.
The G5RV is a 20 METER antenna, and is 102 feet long, with a matching section of open/parallel line connecting to whatever length of coax you need. If what you have is any other length, or uses parallel feedline the full length, it is NOT a G5RV.
73
Pat K7KBN
Semper ubi sub ubi.
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