I live in a trailer and have a ground mounted vertical only about 4 or 5
feet from the house, keep in mind it's an older trailer so has aluminum
siding completely. All it does to me is make it a little directional, the
signal reflects off the house a bit but if the band is open, it's not very
noticeable plus with my vertical the bottom is for 10 meters, then next
section 15 meters and so-on as I go up the antenna so once you get to the
roof line of the house as the trap mostly in use that effect goes away.
Really though if the band is open, it's a little noticeable but not all that
bad. I had a plan b of mounting it over the roof but didn't want to do that
because if anything happened, the neighbors are a bit close and I didn't
want to do any damage. I'm not worried about the backup plan anymore, it's
fine where it is.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard B McDonald" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2014 9:15 AM
Subject: A Technical Antenna Radiation Pattern Question Concerning Metal
within Walls
> Hi!
>
>
>
> For practical reasons (e.g., space issues, zoning restrictions, landlord
> concerns, etc.), I am thinking about putting up a MFJ 43' vertical 160 - 6
> meter antenna
> <http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-2990>
> . This question relates to how metal content within the walls of my house
> might affect the radiation pattern of this antenna. Basically, I am
> wondering if my walls will meaningfully interfere with transmit/receive
> operations of this antenna.
>
>
>
> The walls in my house contain about an inch thick layer of stucco which is
> meshed with chicken wire. This chicken wire is the kind with about 1.5"
> holes. On the inside of this is a layer of tarpaper. This tarpaper is
> secured with metal wire of about 18 gage running horizontally; with such a
> wire about every 8' from the bottom to the top of the wall. The rest of
> the
> wall is standard 2"X4" and plywood construction. The house was built in
> 1941. So, it is this chicken wire and tarpaper wire I am wondering about.
>
>
>
> This antenna would be ground mounted about 2' from the wall, and secured
> to
> the roof's eve overhang per MFJ's installation instruction in the manual.
> Also, there is a water heater within a metal enclosure that is about
> 3'WX3'DX7'H that is about 6' away from where this antenna would go. My
> house is single story; so about two-thirds of the height of this antenna
> would be above the rooftop.
>
>
>
> How much might the chicken wire and tarpaper wire mess-up my antenna?
> What
> about the water heater?
>
>
>
> 73 and happy Field Day!
>
>
>
> Richard KK6MRH
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