[VHFcontesting] indoor antennas on 50 MHz

Wed Feb 28 12:16:29 EST 2007

Excellent topic.

Never forget that when on an expedition, your location
can add dB to your signal. Better to have SOME antenna
than NO antenna.

I currently live in an apartment, and have had only
indoor antennas for the last two years. I have a 6m
dipole made of 20-gauge speaker wire that has worked
well in my operating room of my second-story apartment
here in Illinois. True, the noise level is higher
(S-5), so I don't hear the really weak stations, but
I've made plenty of QSO's during moderate openings,
including Central America and the Caribbean. I was
able to hear the JA opening back in June of 2006, but
didn't work any of them.

I've recently come up with a way to temporarily get 2,
6m hamsticks out the bedroom window as a dipole. It'll
take a bit of effort to do that during an opening, but
it gets rid of the extra noise level.

So I wish I still had my VHF antennas at 75 feet in my
backyard? Of course I do, but I'll certainly take an
indoor antenna over none at all.

73,

Sean KX9X

--- Robert Cumming <w2bzy at cfl.rr.com> wrote:

> Never underestimate what can be done with a minimal 
> antenna.
> 
> On one of my trips to TI2 land with a IC706MKIIG, I
> carried 2 
> antennas, a Roll up "Mini G5RV" advertised for
> 10-40M and a Cubix 
> KingBee quad for 6M (4el) and 2M (7EL).  I went
> through a mess with 
> the customs officials and they didn't release the
> 706 until I 
> obtained my TI License.  That took My entire first
> day there and much 
> pushing by my wife a Costa Rican national who know
> just what buttons 
> need pushing (I had the application forms filled out
> but needed to 
> visit the Radio Control office and a lawyer to get
> the license before 
> they released the Radio from customs.  My wife vowed
> never again 
> would I carry the radio there on vacation.
> 
> What caused the radio to be stopped was not the
> radio in a Attache 
> Case with power supply but the 6' long box with the
> quad.  when asked 
> what was in the box I said an antenna for Ham Radio.
>  when asked if I 
> was carrying a radio I replied yes and it wads
> impounded by the 
> customs officer.
> 
> After getting the License and retrieving the Radio
> from Customs I set 
> up the radio and the mini G5RV and with the help of
> a small MFJ tuner 
> was up and running on HF.  Conditions were good on
> 10 and 12 meters 
> so I decided to listen on 6M and found it open to
> Brazil and 
> Argentina and other countries in South America via 
> TE  propagation.  The mini quad tuned well with the
> MFJ tuner and I 
> was on the air on 6M.
> 
> My intent was to go to Radio Shack (yes they exist
> there too) the 
> next day and get a few sections of TV mast to mount
> the Quad.  I 
> found out they didn't sell it and found out from
> Keko (TI5KD) that 
> most people used Steel water pipe for masts.  Now
> try fitting 3 meter 
> sections of 1" pipe in a MiniCooper.  It just won't
> fly.  So the quad 
> remained in the box and I used the wire for the next
> 2 weeks logging 
> a slew of contacts in both North and South America
> on 6M.
> 
> On later trips I just carried the G5RV and 50' of
> RG8X and the 
> tuner.  It worked well on all bands from 40-6M as an
> inverted "V" 
> with the apex about 30' in a tree.  Maybe the
> reflections off all the 
> "Tin" roofs helped.  I don't know but the Mini G5RV
> remains my travel antenna.
> 
> The station consists of a IC706 MKII G, an Astron
> 20A Switching 
> supply and a MFJ 901 10W tuner.  It all fits in a
> Attache Case 
> Including the antenna, Mic, Key and Paddle.
> 
> The Moral, don't worry about the antenna.  Just get
> on the air and 
> operate!  Yes the 7element M2 beam at 48' here at
> the Home QTH with 
> 700 watts works better but the wire works better
> than nothing.
> 
> VRY 73
> 
> Bob Cumming
> W2BZY
> QRV 160M-3CM (no 5760)
> from EL98hr
> 
> 
> 
> At 10:42 AM 2/28/2007, Dan_K9ZF wrote:
> >While I agree that dipoles and loops work, and are
> much better than no
> >antenna, I would hesitate to recommend them to "new
> VHF+" ops.
> >
> >I think the many hours of white noise between QSO's
> keeps a lot of the
> >new hams away from weak signal stuff.  And using
> compromise antennas
> >systems will increase these hours considerably.
> >
> >Put up what you can.  But realize that more antenna
> equals more QSO's.
> >
> >73
> >Dan
> >--
> >K9ZF /R no budget Rover ***QRP-l #1269
> >Check out the Rover Resource Page at:
> <http://www.qsl.net/n9rla>
> >List Administrator for: InHam+grid-loc+ham-books
> >Ask me how to join the Indiana Ham Mailing list!
> >
> >
> > >
> >_______________________________________________
> >VHFcontesting mailing list
> >VHFcontesting at contesting.com
>
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> 

Sean Kutzko, Amateur Radio KX9X
Gillespie, IL       Grid EM59cd
   http://www.seankutzko.com

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