Often a magnet mount outside the window, or if you have air conditioning, 
sometimes just outside on that unit if it's in the wall, is a huge help and 
not overly noticeable. Where I live it's a catch 22 on the management, first 
they say get permission for everything you put up, then that as long as the 
color blends with your buildings you're fine, but then anything built before 
1976 you can do whatever you want with no plans, just notify management if 
you need to do anything to the ground like dig or anything. Mine was built 
in 1973, so, basically, I sent in notification with my park fees I was 
putting up the HF antenna, the others are on the building itself so they 
don't need to know about that due to the age of the building and I left 
things so vague it could be anything I put up. I know a tower would push it 
but there's no rule against antennas, I made it vague and soon I'll be 
having fun on HF again. Really though, anything you can get in a window, 
with a little gain, a mag mount, whatever you can do is going to be better 
than that rubber duck on the HT. I'm not knocking rubber ducks, they're nice 
for walking around and being portable, but if your only radio is going to be 
an HT, you'll be disappointed usually if that's all you have. In my last 
apartment, I was lucky, there a rubber duck was great but I was very high on 
the second floor of an ancient building with no insulation much less 
anything else to prevent me from hearing or getting out so it worked great 
but that's rare.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Linda C. Knight" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 11:35 AM
Subject: Re: Good first radio?


> Howard,
>
> I live in this condo complex where "everything" has to be in uniform -it 
> all
> has to look the same. <smile.
>
> I have a friend who is coming to help me figure out about a type antenna, 
> I
> am thinking we might have to do the magnet mount at least for here in the
> condo anyway.
>
> I really like this radio-so iffen we can get at least 1 or more of the
> repeaters besides the 2 I can get, I will be happy.
>
>
> Hugs and 73
> Linda C. Knight & shirley
> CallSign: kk4hrg
> Please note email:
> [log in to unmask]