I used a ham stick mounted on the fourth floor balcony railing for two 
years.  I also had my VHF/UHF dual band bass antenna mounted on the balcony.
I had to go out and change the ham stick resonator to use different bands, 
but it was functional if not terribly convenient.
It also worked ok for DX and stuff...I wouldn't ever call it a power house 
of an antenna, but it did work and I worked australia and new zealand and 
europe on it occasionally with 100W.
I did specifically get a top floor apartment with a balcony for the purpose 
of having antennas...this way there was no one above me and I could go up as 
high as I needed without running into the balcony above me.
Also, seemingly, better for RFI.

73
Colin, V A6BKX
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Harry Brown" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 4:48 PM
Subject: Re: apartment dwelling antennas


> Hi Eden,
> Well, it's amazing, what an antenna tuner and wire can do.
> Like you, I'm in an apartment, too, and getting a rig and antenna and =
> tuner.
> So, who's an apartment renter, at the moment, on this list?
> I am, and Eden, and Eric, I think, out there in Ca.
> Or, for anyone who lived in apartments, you all can be a help to us, as =
> well.
> One way or the other, every person in an apartment, on this list, is =
> gonna get on the air, somehow, we're gonna make it happen!
> Trippy, ac8s
>  ----- Original Message -----=20
>  From: Eden Kizer=20
>  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=20
>  160 meter band as you said it went from 80 down.  No way my apt would=20
>  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
>  >
>  >
>