Joe,
Everything Colin says here is true so don't discount it. That said, however,
you still might be able to do something on HF even from an apartment. I know
a guy in Ohio whom I work regularly on 40 meters who uses 2 hamsticks
bracketed together as a dipole. He gets out reasonably well with this setup.
Do you have a balcony available? I believe he may put this lash-up out when
he operates and brings it in when he's QRT. The down side is, you'd be
limited to one band only unless you were to make up a few of these
"dipoles." But you must work only one band, 40 meters or 7 to 7.3 megahertz
is a good one. Most of the year, its open to somewhere at any hour of the
day or night. And there is usually lots of activity.
Also, if you're willing to work CW, you'll do much better from an apartment
than on voice or phone as hams call it. CW makes much more efficient use of
a signal that may be weaker because of power or antenna restrictions. Good
luck, whatever you try. 73. Lou WA3MIX
Lou Kolb
Voice-over Artist:
Radio/TV Ads, Video narrations
Messages On-hold:
www.loukolb.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Colin McDonald" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, October 10, 2014 1:11 PM
Subject: Re: HF antenna fun
> you will get just limited performance on 20M and up in frequency.
> You will get basically no performance on bands down in frequency from 20M
> or
> 14MHZ
> If you have stations very close by on 40 or 80/75M you may be able to
> participate in round tables...again, if they are very close indeed...as
> in,
> within 2 or 3 miles
> If band conditions are extremely good, you may make an occasional contact
> on
> 20M, 15M or 10M bands.
> You will have RFi issues, and you will have noise problems making
> receiving
> difficult at best.
> Not trying to discourage you at all, but you need to be aware of the
> severe
> limitations of an indoor apartment style HF antenna.
> They very seldom work for anything other than limited receiving on HF.
> Most
> guys who use HF in an apartment can get the antenna outside on the balcony
> or something...this at least gets the radiator outside the building. The
> building is full of metal and all sorts of stuff that blocks RF from
> getting
> in or out, along with electronics that create high noise level on receive
> making it difficult to copy stations.
> I had limited success using a hamstick style mono-band mobile antenna
> clamped to the balcony railing on the fourth floor for a couple years.
> It got me on 20M and 40M, but barely... I didn't make any contacts at all
> unless the band conditions were very very good.
> Unfortunately, this is one of those things where there is no way around
> it...the wheel has been invented, and reinvented on indoor HF antennas and
> while manufacturers still make them and claim all sorts of fantastic
> results, at the end of the day, they just don't work well.
> That said, if you are located on the beech in florida or some other south
> eastern State, you may find you have reasonable performance even with an
> indoor antenna. Angle of radiation, propagation and other factors come
> into
> play making the circumstances more conducive to success.
> That said, the best part about ham radio is that if you try something, you
> may find you have results that don't match up to the accepted theory or
> experience of others.
> So, try it and see what happens.
> Another antenna to check out might be the MFJ loop antenna...a bit more
> money, but they work well even inside buildings, at least better than your
> typical vertical.
>
> 73
> Colin, V A6BKX
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Joe Quinn" <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, October 10, 2014 10:17 AM
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: HF antenna fun
>
>> Mfj1622 apartment antenna, lest you see something better
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>> On Oct 10, 2014, at 10:20 AM, Jim Shaffer <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>
>>> I see a bunch of antennas here. Specifically, what antenna is it?
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Joe Quinn
>>> Sent: Friday, October 10, 2014 10:00 AM
>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>> Subject: Re: HF antenna fun
>>>
>>> Here's the link, tell me what you think=20
>>> http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=3DMFJ-1622
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>>> On Oct 10, 2014, at 9:24 AM, Butch Bussen <[log in to unmask]>
>>>> wrote:
>>>> =20
>>>> I didn't see a link to your antenna. Keep in mind, anything smaller
>>>> is=20=
>>>
>>>> a compromise antenna. Not to say it is bad, just be ware. A dummy
>>>> load=20=
>>>
>>>> will load up on all bands, but doesn't radiate worth a damn. I had
>>>> one=20=
>>>
>>>> of those b and w 160 through ten antennas, looked goot on swr meter,
>>>> but=20=
>>>
>>>> was a very poor performer. It is basicly a folded dipole, 50 foot or
>>>> so=20=
>>>
>>>> each side of center, right above the center insolator or balon is=20
>>>> another box which is actually a resister which is why it matched so=20
>>>> well. I called it my dummy load with wires. I'd ask about putting=20
>>>> something up out side and go from there. Can you get any local hams
>>>> or=20=
>>>
>>>> club involved to lend you a hand to see what might be done?
>>>> 73
>>>> Butch
>>>> WA0VJR
>>>> Node 3148
>>>> Wallace, ks.
>>>> =20
>>>> =20
>>>> On Thu, 9 Oct=20
>>>> 2014, Alan R. Downing wrote:
>>>> =20
>>>>> Hello Joe, Don't get your hopes up too high for this indoor HF
>>>>> antenna.
>>>>> I=
>>>
>>>>> think that it is highly doubtful that an antenna that small can work
>>>>> very=
>>>
>>>>> efficiently. In addition to poor performance, keep your eye open for
>>>>> interference. When you transmit on this small antenna, you run the
>>>>> risk
>>>>> o=
>>> f
>>>>> getting into all many of electronics, not only in your apartment, but
>>>>> in
>>>>> neighboring units. Keep us posted on how you do.
>>>>> =20
>>>>> =20
>>>>> Alan/KD7GC
>>>>> =20
>>>>> =20
>>>>> =20
>>>>> Alan R. Downing
>>>>> Phoenix, AZ
>>>>> =20
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: For blind ham radio operators
>>>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]
>>> ]
>>>>> On Behalf Of Joe Quinn
>>>>> Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2014 9:49 PM
>>>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>>>> Subject: HF antenna fun
>>>>> =20
>>>>> I found an antenna that will work inside my apartment. It says it'll
>>>>> wo=
>>> rk
>>>>> f=3D
>>>>> rom 40-10 meters on hf and six and 2 meters on vhf. It's not huge, so
>>>>> I
>>>>> c=
>>> an
>>>>> p=3D
>>>>> ut it outside my window or even indoors clamping it to the desk. What
>>>>> I
>>>>> woul=3D
>>>>> d like to know, is if there is another antenna that would work below,
>>>>> or
>>>>> i=
>>> s
>>>>> i=3D
>>>>> t above, 40 meters but that wouldn't be huge, so it would work from
>>>>> insid=
>>> e
>>>>> m=3D
>>>>> y apartment. I don't know that I would be able to get permission from
>>>>> the=
>>>
>>>>> ma=3D
>>>>> nager to be able to hang out a 60 foot or whatever antenna outside of
>>>>> my
>>>>> apa=3D
>>>>> rtment window. :-) but I want to be able to work as many HF bands as I
>>>>> ca=
>>> n.
>>>>> A=3D
>>>>> nybody have any ideas?=3D
>>>>> =20
>>>>> =20
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