A ham on another list frequented by "sight challenged" radio amateurs, recently posted a request which has generated some feedback, and I thought folks on this list might also prove helpful in his search.  Lacking Space, I include only his question, followed by his email address, &my rejoinder.
Any thoughts will be much appreciated, Thanks, Danny Dyer, Wb4idu."Hi, I have this great TS-2000, and it works great on VHF and UHF.  Anythingbelow 144 Mhz is a problem.  I purchased an MFJ antenna that is supposed to be used from 80 to 6 meters, but it didn't work well.  I could tune it with
no problem, but it didn't receive well.  The antenna has a ten to twelvefoot element that you extend, and there is a counter poise that you hook to it.  I was able to receive some CW on 80 meters, but not much elsewhere. The driven element is at a 45 degree angle, and the setup is made to latch to a window.  I don't remember the model of the antenna. I'm looking for something thatI can use here in my apartment.  I'm on the first floor, so I don't have a lot of height to work with.  The management
says they wouldn't mind having a small antenna set up outside, as long as it can be maneuvered around for keeping up the landscape. Here's my basic question.  What antenna would best suit my purposes?  I've
heard good reports on the Buddy Pole, and that may be the way to go.  It's
compact, can be easily moved from location to location, and is self supporting.  I'd be curious about how well it works.  I've once used a Butternut vertical with a Yaesu radio, and I was able to get DX contacts into France and Russia.  I'd love to do that again with the Buddy Pole, but I'll take what I can get. If anybody knows of something that I could put up in the apartment, such as aloop around the ceiling, I'm happy to look at it.  The main thing is it can't be too noticeable, and I'd like to be able to work some stations with the setup. Thanks for any help. Kevin Minor, [log in to unmask]
*Danny's answer.Hi Kevin, Thanks for your post, it has  already, and should continue to 
generate some good  feedback.
First of all, I find your observations about the MFJ antenna, whatever it 
is, to be interesting.  I'm sure the tuner in the rig, effectively matched 
the rig to the antenna, but  I'm Not sure as to how you then "tuned the 
antenna to get max signal to noise on its' intended frequency band.
These antennae normally use 1 of several methods/whether there are "taps" at 
different points along the coil, to which you atatch a jumper; a sliding 
coil sleeve, which goes up and down along the coil; or maybe a slug inside 
the coil which you moved up and down in some manner:  there's normally some 
type of tuning or matching apparatus for those antennae to maximize use on 
particular bands.
But regardless of how, the fact you were able to hear CW signals on 80 
meters, but little to no signals anywhere else, both encourages, and puzzles 
me.
(I wonder if you tried to use the antenna on the inside of the apartment's 
window, or on the outside of it.  If on the inside, the fact that you heard 
signals at all, may bode well for the apartment's lack ofsignal blocking 
materials in its' walls, floors, and or ceilings.)/ {To further check out 
this point, If you have a portable short wave radio, preferably one with 
SSB&Or CW Receiving capability, using good batteries and the included 
telescoping antenna, tune around  160, 80, 60, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, and 
10 meters/maybe setting a memory on each band, while indoors ,to see how the 
signals sound./Now, take the radio outdoors and listen to the differences in 
signal strength between the two areas.
If you get fair to good signals indoors, you've got a lot of hope for help.}
[If you only tried to use the mfj antenna indoors, we'll discuss other 
possibilities later.]
While we're on the subject of the MFJ, please excuse a dumb question, but, 
Are you sure you deployed and tested that antenna according to its' 
directions?---and that there wasn't either a short in the coil, or an open 
wire somewhere?   Because Even with rotten band conditions, you'd normally 
presume that signals on 60, 40 and or even maybe 20 or 30 meters  mightbe be 
at least as, if not more, receiveable than those on 80 meters.Other than that MFJ antenna, if in fact it won't do what you need 
it to do, I wonder what your situation is, 1, in terms of how long you 
intend to stay at that apartment,  and 2, as to your "sightedness, and or 
availability of knowledgeable sighted help.
Assuming you plan to stay there for more than several months, If the 
apartment management is ok with an outside antenna,
if you can get some sighted reccanoitering and deployment help,  to size up 
the possibilities for a  G5RV or similar commercially available antenna, or 
somewhat cheaper but similar homebrew Dipole antenna, using trees or other 
"already installed on site, items for support, such an antenna is likely 
your least expensive and best hope.
Indeed, it may be possible/depending on how the buildings are configured, to install/_only if management approves_ a wire dipole under the overhang of
the roof, And Or, possibly even using 
the rain guttering of the building as a radiating element for an antenna...stranger things have 
been successful.
     Now of course, if the dipole idea's not practical, a butternut or 
similar "base station" vertical , may be your simplest and best way to go, 
preferably one designed to work with no to few radials,/depending on the 
metal pipe three or four feet in the ground, for grounding and counterpoise.
I've had several such verticals over the years, and although not as 
effective as some other antenna types, they'll still "get you out."
And since both the dipole, and the simple vertical, tend to be pretty 
semipermanent, /(removable if necessary,)not real hard to deal with, and or 
look at,/if done right, items, apartment management will likely be ok with 
them, if installed with regard to the overall looks of the place. Now, If you tried to use your MFJ on the inside of the apartment, you'll likely 
find it will do better outside, whether mounted semipermanently or strictly 
temporarily.  If you have a metal porch, and or balcony, or fire escape, 
atatching the clamp to one of its' railings will usually work pretty well. 
It's also possible that a mobile type antenna, might be a possibility/I've 
successfully used some of the hamstick type of single band antennae,/there 
are several varieties, Lakeview, Iron Horse, and several others, using a 
simple 3/8thsby24 threaded magmount guttermount, or mirror mount.
For that matter, one of the Texas bug catchers, or maybe , a hustler mobile 
antenna/one of the possibilities with those, is their three coil&stinger 
mounts, allowing for three different band coils with  short radiators, to be 
atatched at the same time.**additionally, I believe that hustler 3mount 
plate could be used with hamsticks as well.  I've never had or used a buddy 
pole or buddy stick, although I understand they're built well,  and their 
customer service is ranked very highly, although a blind friend who's used 
one reports they're a little "fiddley" for a blind person to find quick 
matches on.  Any of the buddy pole, buddy stick, blue star, MP1, Pack 12 and other similar Screwdriver antennae, require retuning of the coil to achieve matches, so
that any of these antennae you put outside, you'll either have to set and forget at some point of match and make up for it with your rig's tuner, or go
outside to retune after significant band changes.  There are however motorized mobile screwdriver type antennae, which can be mounted outdoors and powered by a 12volt or so included motor, enabling "pushbutton
from indoors, tuning of the matching network of  the antenna.  Also, I've been in contact with a Brazillian ham, Alexander Grimberg, who's 
developed an Allex Loop/magnetic loop antenna designed for 20watt max, use 
on 40-10 meters.  Allex has used blind hams to help in the development of 
the unit, and it can be verry accurately matched, by tuning it by ear for highest signal to noise ratio, with the _Only One, variable capacitor built into the unit.
Finally, in my estimation, the simplest  most blind friendly antenna answer I've used  which supports at least 150 watt transmissions, is the Super Antennas MP1 Antenna system.  In brief, it is a manual screwdriver type 
antenna, meaning that there's a coil sleeve which one slides up and down 
along the basic/40meter through10meter coil, which has the 4foot telescoping 
antenna mounted to its' top, and 2 1foot sections of rod mounted underneath 
the coil.---there's also an 80meter coil one can place between the basic 
coil, and the lower rod sections, or used by itself _without the basic coil, 
to load up on sixty meters.  ***all connections are made via 
3/8thsby24Threads, and the mounting clamp, or tripod, or rigside mounting 
plate, all have coax female to 3/8by24thread atatchment adapters. At any 
rate, this antenna/which I understand is similar to , but much _lessexpensive, than the bluestar antenna,
allows for very accurate, by ear, highest signal to noise ratio/best /lowest swr tuning,  and is a pretty efficient little antenna.  And of course, There are other options. If I can be of any further help, please contact me, thanks, Danny Dyer, Wb4idu.