[TenTec] Ok, Off Topic, but long time no talk to folks...

[Dr. Gerald N. Johnson]

On Tue, 2006-08-29 at 12:10 -0700, Dave Tipton wrote:
> I have found myself living in Southern California for the next 6 months.  Worse yet, in a 850 sq foot apartment.  While this is not ALL bad, it does create some real issues.
>    
>   That said...
>    
>   I'm contemplating running a sheet metal screw straight into the gutter that runs out side of my balcony.  It's about 20 feet tall, connected to a 30 foot wide section.  An Inverted L sorta...
>    
>   What would be the absolute best way to load this?  I'm on the second floor.. Can't put in a real ground system.  Should I get a 35 foot spool of wire and try to make a counterpoise by unrolling it?  I can snake it around my living room.
>    
>   Ok guys, let's hear your suggestions.
>    
>   Thanks,
>   Dave

I did something like that in 1963. I had a little tuner and so I wasn't
too picky about the load Z. I couldn't reach the down spout, but I put a
copper hook on a short pole and reached up from the shack window and
hooked it over the gutter. I used the power wiring ground as my ground
presuming it was actually grounded which in those days in rural towns
was not a sure thing. Today, I'd try a wire to the cold water pipe
hoping it was metal, maybe grab onto any furnace ducts or radiators
hoping they were metal. The quarter wave counterpoise wire may help too.
MFJ makes a counterpoise tuner so the length need not be so critical.

Using an inductively coupled tuner can help keep RF off the rig in such
a situation. Its probably best not to run the linear or to run all 100
watts from the rig, as there are bound to be some electronics in the
building that will detect the RF on the gutter.

Be sure the gutter has screws at all its joints or they may only be
connected by arcs that make lots off harmonics.
-- 
73, Jerry, K0CQ,
All content copyright Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer