[TenTec] Apartment antenna help

[Al Gulseth]

Greetings all,

I'd like some "brainstorming" help on an antenna for my dad. He is on the 
third floor of an assisted living apartment facility, and we've been trying 
to figure out if we can get him on the air from there (even on a limited 
basis). Dad has been trying some indoor antenna setups (such as the Hamstick 
type dipole arrangements) but apparently to no avail. I suspect this has to 
do with the construction of the building (i.e. iron frame etc.)

I have talked to the head of the maintenance department at the facility and he 
seems to be willing to work with me on an antenna, but obviously it needs to 
be as unobtrusive as possible as well as require as little alteration to the 
building as possible. Since dad primarily like to operate 40/30/20M, what I 
am currently thinking as a solution is a 22' wire (either horizontal or 
vertical) attached to the outside of the building with a bead of clear 
caulking or RTV. I would need to get this through a window, so I am 
envisioning using a short piece of a "sandwich" of 1/2" - 3/4" wide thin 
copper strip/flashing with thick plastic tape on either side so it can 
(hopefully) be formed so that the window can be closed with it in place. I 
realize that there would probably be some coupling to the window/frame as it 
is aluminum. The 22' length mentioned is chosen as I am of the impression 
that it is a good compromise length that is easy to load on 20-40M. This 
would be balanced with a 22' counterpoise along the baseboard inside and fed 
via an SCG (237?) autotuner placed where the antenna comes in through the 
window. (Hope I'm making sense here with all this....) Another possibility I 
have considered would be something similar to the B&W/MFJ apartment antenna 
but with the matching network relocated to inside the building (again 
possibly using the SGC autotuner along with the requisite counterpoise).

What is the possibility of this actually working (obviously on a rather 
limited basis)? Any comments or suggestions? BTW this _is_ Ten-Tec related as 
dad would be using this with his Delta (probably at quasi-QRP levels of 20W 
or less due to the possibility of TVI etc.)

-- 
TNX/73, Al

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