[SECC] I am still alive.

[Hal Kennedy]

Hi Greg - welcome back to the fray.  There is a line of end fed antennas now
offered by PAR  http://www.parelectronics.com/end-fedz.php

That would only require you to find a tie off for one end.  You can replace
the wire they sell you with a much smaller gage.  Also, the PAR owner is a
great guy and would probably sell you the end piece and let you supply your
own wire.

 

GL

 

Hal N4GG

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: secc-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:secc-bounces at contesting.com] On
Behalf Of Greg - N3ZL
Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 2:19 PM
To: secc
Subject: [SECC] I am still alive.

 

Hi all,

 

I have had a bit of contact with a few SECCers in recent months, but much. I
graduated from Clemson in May and moved into an apartment in Greenville, SC
shortly afterwards for a job doing quality assurance work for a software
company. I have been getting adjusted to the new "life" and am getting
fairly settled in at this point. I have most of my ham gear with me, there
are a few things at my parents house, but the majority of it is with me. I
am looking forward to participating in some contests again very soon -- once
I get an antenna figured out.

 

My apartment is on the 2nd floor in a 3 story complex, at the end of the
building. Unfortunately, there are no trees nearby my window (I have a
charming view of the parking lot) and, of course, my apartment complex has a
strict "no external antennas of any type" policy. Several times now I have
deployed a 20m dipole out my window late at night, one end tied to my small
balcony and the other end more or less just dangling free, and managed to
work some EU stations. I need a more long term solution though. I have been
considering many different antenna options -- my favorite being a yagi on a
tripod mounted on the roof.... I can dream! -- but given the logistics of
the layout of my complex and everything, I think I'll start out with a long
"invisible" dipole cut for 160m. I think I can make that work if I use thin
enough wire, tie off the ends using fishing line to help keep it out of
sight of the neighbors. Additionally, are relatively good tie off points
around that length, with the center point being at my window. It wouldn't be
great but it would be a whole lot better than no antenna and hopefully will
get me going on all the bands.

 

I've been reading over a lot of stealth/apartment antenna materials in
recent weeks but if anyone has any brilliant suggestions I've been
overlooking, please do let me know! Hope to QRV again very soon.

 

73 de Greg N3ZL

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.contesting.com/pipermail/secc/attachments/20120716/4ea9c14c/attachment.html