It's hard to use the 160 band on any urban setting without making a 
significantly compromised antenna just because of the long wavelength.  It's 
not a huge loss unless you really enjoy 160, and then really only in the 
non-summer seasons when there's less QRN.

And, Eden, since you have woods back of your apartment, I'll bet you could 
throw up a thin wire that nobody would see.  I know hams that have done that 
when they were in antenna-restricted areas.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Eden Kizer
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 12:35 PM
Subject: Re: apartment dwelling antennas


     YOu are lucky, but I guess that means I won't be able to use the
160 meter band as you said it went from 80 down.  No way my apt would
ever let me do that.  what you did, I mean.

Eden

On 7/17/2012 11:27 AM, Jim Gammon wrote:
> The Alpha 1 and Mp-1 are supposed to work on 80 to 6 meters.  The
> philosophy or approach for each is different.  The interesting
> thing about the Alpha is that the matchbox is supposed to do all
> the work other then your tuner, so you don't have to go out and
> physically change the antenna length when you change bands.  But
> I think you lose some efficiency as a result of that.  So there's
> no getting around the fact that small antennas are just going to
> be compromises no matter how you cut it.  I am really lucky here.
> Also living in an apartment, I asked the landlord if I could put
> up a Shortwave antenna and he said sure, long as it doesn't mess
> up the visual quality of the building.  I have a Windom that uses
> a couple of 5 foot PVC pipes to support the wire about 4 to 5
> feet above the roof.  The feed point is on a pole with a vertical
> for 2 and 70 centimeters that is attached to a clothes line pole
> down between two apartment buildings if that makes any sense.
> Jim
>
>