There are several options that can be used indoors with either a hand 
held or a higher power radio.

A J Pole antenna can be hung in or near a window. There are countless 
models of this antenna sold commercially, including one from MFJ 
Enterprises. The MFJ model won't handle high power, but will take 10 
watts, maybe 20.

The other easy indoor antenna option is a magnet mount mobile antenna. 
Just sit it on something metal so that it doesn't keep falling over. I 
operated from an apartment for several years with this type of antenna 
sitting atop anything from kitchen pans to a file cabinet.

The most unusual base I ever used for such an antenna was a 30 miles 
per hour speed limit sign which I rescued after the city left it lying 
in my mother's front yard. I bolted a small piece of scrap metal from 
an old air conditioner to the aluminum sign using the mounting holes 
that were already there, and, tah-dah! It wasn't very pretty, but it 
worked. It also made quite a conversation piece.



Mike Duke, K5XU
American Council of Blind Radio Amateurs