This is what ham radio is about, being creative and improvising antennas and finding out whatever design you have, that it actually works. Keep these cool videos coming!
Thanks for the feedback and confirmation. I'll keep the ideas coming, convention and non, to help more people get on the air. Its the most fun part of what I do!
One thing I always say to people who think they can't get a 40m antenna up : "if you were in your car you would be making contacts in a 2m long hamstick". There was one day I really wanted to go on 40m but I didn't have an antenna. So I ran coax back from the car to the sack and used the hamstick on the car. Had great fun and made contacts. 73, GM4SVM
Great post, Bob! I own an MFJ remote tuner. I bought it for a purpose that was never realized and so it's just sat unused when it could have provided me an effective stealth antenna. Boy, do I feel dumb! At least now I can get to work.
Buy enough flag pole kits to get 16 feet total length, then ground mount it angled straight up on a pipe in concrete and use radials. Would probably do really well.
Another great video! I love my URT-1. It solved my 40M problem for MARS operation. Tapcons work well in concrete block. Most houses are stucco in Arizona, which makes it a bit more difficult. I'll use a long drill, and drill from the inside of the garage through the sheetrock next to a stud to locate it from the outside of the house. It's a simple patch job from there. (a stud finder doesn't work with stucco because of the chicken wire behind the stucco. Tapcon does make a stucco screw, and you can use hollow walls anchors, but they are not always reliable. I would have used a hose clamp for the wire. I have a set of drill guides for drilling pipe. The URT-1 is made by MAT but, it has the DC on the cable and, it is capable of 60W digital and 100W SSB, and you can connect the antenna with the beehive or coax. It's built for Chameleon, to Chameleon's specs. You won't find it on MAT's website.
Thanks for the feedback and you are spot on with all your points. The URT1 is built to a very specific spec, typical Chameleon quality and performance.
I think my granddad used to do something like that back in the day. Least till later in his life when he and grandmom moved one of the things he happily setup was pretty impressive radio tower for private use. xD But yeah something like this certainly can work in a pinch. Makes me wish the times i could mess around with my electronics and radios i certainly had some thanks to him. So with in mind, there times i wish i had little more to work with so i could play with even antennas for different applications, and maybe even get my own ham licence, life otherwise just sucked and havent been able too. But ideas still buzz in my head, like seeing how hollow that flag pole is. I think there the chance to hide something within it, and ground the flag pole itself to the earth and have the core antenna be within the pole its self. The core being maybe a plastics broom stick or ideally ferrite rod with a copper wrap maybe taken from a old ac motor (with insulator between if using ferrite) and taped up to not ground against the inner wall of the flag pole. more complex sure. but might even be more robust and maybe improved.
With all this "to do" over antennas in HOAs... Using the flag pole is a good stealth idea - thanks Bob for presenting this option as a possible alternative. Let me be clear... I am not a lawyer, but I believe I read a while back that there IS "case law" for a situation that was tried in Ohio that sided with the home owner wanting to fly the American Flag on the outside of his condo. The condo originally turned the home owner down, and he took the HOA to court and it was ruled by the court that the home owner had the First Amendment right to fly the flag as his personal statement on American patriotism, and the HOA did not have the right to suppress that right, and so ruled that the American Flag can be flown in an HOA as long as flying that flag conformed to the architectural standards of the deed rules governing that HOA. Maybe someone more astute in this law can verify or state what they know, but I do believe this to be true, as it was brought up at an HOA meeting I had attended a while back regarding what flags can and cannot be flown in that community and this was mentioned. Hopefully some day the Do Nothing House of Clowns will get a bill on the floor to protect our antenna rights... but I don't expect anything soon, rather than the continuation of the hateful in fighting and partisan war mongering with nothing getting done for the people of this country.
Thanks for the great feedback. And, your characterization, the "Do Nothing House of Clowns"...how appropriate; I'm sure there are exceptions, but what a group of self serving people who fight about nothing while their constituents watch the country fall apart.
Ordered one of the flag poles and plan to give it a try ASAP. Will let you know how it goes. Trying to get around my landlord not wanting me to put up any antennas.
Bob -when I lived in Oak Trail at Belcher and Tampa Road ( not too far from you) the deed restrictions specifically stated one could have a flag pole but it could not contain an antenna. Obviously the management company or builder was aware hams would try to put antennas onto flag poles. I always found that interesting that they had that deep a look into it. For others, that is just info. Not an invitation to a debate. :)
I'm in an HOA. I have often thought about that technicality in my own situation. Just because you can't really see it doesn't mean the antenna is not there and as such the HOA could raise the issue. I am able to park my car in the driveway so I run coax out to my car and use my mobile antenna while I'm in the house. Not particularly convenient but there's nothing in the HOA rules about antennas attached to vehicles. Maybe others can try that approach.
WOW, talk about over stepping! Haven't run into that one yet. I've lived in a number of different neighborhoods with HOA's and they all have their own unique ways / quirks.
Whats next? Using a portion of the perimeter of a fence as an antenna by putting a wire on the fence to go on a lower frequency than just 20 meters? Or using the fence if its metal and can work as a good antenna. 73. Just noticed you don't have a fence. Does your HOA allow fences?
I did. It’s gray and just blends in; wraps around the back of the house…don’t recall exact length but has to be close to 60’ based on start and end point.
@@AdrianBoyko It allows for the connection to the tuner, that’s all. The tuner then matches to the 50 Ohms my transceiver needs and provides the coax connection to the transceiver.
This is what ham radio is about, being creative and improvising antennas and finding out whatever design you have, that it actually works. Keep these cool videos coming!
I agree 1000000%
Thanks for the feedback and confirmation. I'll keep the ideas coming, convention and non, to help more people get on the air. Its the most fun part of what I do!
This is such a ham thing to do, “Will it Antenna?” Yes, yes it will. 😂
Yep, exactly. Couldn't help myself. I have a few more even more bazar things I want to see "will it antenna?"
By far the best reason to do anything in ham radio; just because, and to see if you can.
One thing I always say to people who think they can't get a 40m antenna up : "if you were in your car you would be making contacts in a 2m long hamstick". There was one day I really wanted to go on 40m but I didn't have an antenna. So I ran coax back from the car to the sack and used the hamstick on the car. Had great fun and made contacts. 73, GM4SVM
True! People spend far too much time talking about what can't be done, rather than just go doing it. Thanks for sharing your experience.
No doubter here Bob.. You’re a hoa ham rock star !!! Great job.. !! Thanks for sharing your fun.
Its not a Harvestore silo, but I was pretty happy with the result. Thanks for stopping by Kevin. Let's keep the competition going : )
Great post, Bob! I own an MFJ remote tuner. I bought it for a purpose that was never realized and so it's just sat unused when it could have provided me an effective stealth antenna. Boy, do I feel dumb! At least now I can get to work.
Give it a try or something similar, and let me know how it turns out for you.
Love your different setups and your HOA "compliance" optimism and ingenuity. 73 de Bill
I like solving problems.....
Awesome video 👍 Definitely will keep this setup in mind. Currently weighing my HOA options right now 🤫
Thanks. I have it on the list to try it with FT8...didn't know how to do FT8 when I did the original video.
8 more in stock. Got two. Great idea!
Ok, at least one person doesn't think I'm crazy! Would like to know how it works out for you.
Buy enough flag pole kits to get 16 feet total length, then ground mount it angled straight up on a pipe in concrete and use radials. Would probably do really well.
Another great video! I love my URT-1. It solved my 40M problem for MARS operation. Tapcons work well in concrete block. Most houses are stucco in Arizona, which makes it a bit more difficult. I'll use a long drill, and drill from the inside of the garage through the sheetrock next to a stud to locate it from the outside of the house. It's a simple patch job from there. (a stud finder doesn't work with stucco because of the chicken wire behind the stucco. Tapcon does make a stucco screw, and you can use hollow walls anchors, but they are not always reliable. I would have used a hose clamp for the wire. I have a set of drill guides for drilling pipe. The URT-1 is made by MAT but, it has the DC on the cable and, it is capable of 60W digital and 100W SSB, and you can connect the antenna with the beehive or coax. It's built for Chameleon, to Chameleon's specs. You won't find it on MAT's website.
Thanks for the feedback and you are spot on with all your points. The URT1 is built to a very specific spec, typical Chameleon quality and performance.
I think my granddad used to do something like that back in the day. Least till later in his life when he and grandmom moved one of the things he happily setup was pretty impressive radio tower for private use. xD But yeah something like this certainly can work in a pinch. Makes me wish the times i could mess around with my electronics and radios i certainly had some thanks to him.
So with in mind, there times i wish i had little more to work with so i could play with even antennas for different applications, and maybe even get my own ham licence, life otherwise just sucked and havent been able too. But ideas still buzz in my head, like seeing how hollow that flag pole is. I think there the chance to hide something within it, and ground the flag pole itself to the earth and have the core antenna be within the pole its self. The core being maybe a plastics broom stick or ideally ferrite rod with a copper wrap maybe taken from a old ac motor (with insulator between if using ferrite) and taped up to not ground against the inner wall of the flag pole. more complex sure. but might even be more robust and maybe improved.
Thanks for the ideas, this is exactly why I post videos like this, to get people thinking of all the options.
Very creative idea! Thinking out of the box like a pro!!!
A mix of superior conventional gear with unconventional; and all neighbors and the HOA are happy as can be!
With all this "to do" over antennas in HOAs... Using the flag pole is a good stealth idea - thanks Bob for presenting this option as a possible alternative. Let me be clear... I am not a lawyer, but I believe I read a while back that there IS "case law" for a situation that was tried in Ohio that sided with the home owner wanting to fly the American Flag on the outside of his condo. The condo originally turned the home owner down, and he took the HOA to court and it was ruled by the court that the home owner had the First Amendment right to fly the flag as his personal statement on American patriotism, and the HOA did not have the right to suppress that right, and so ruled that the American Flag can be flown in an HOA as long as flying that flag conformed to the architectural standards of the deed rules governing that HOA. Maybe someone more astute in this law can verify or state what they know, but I do believe this to be true, as it was brought up at an HOA meeting I had attended a while back regarding what flags can and cannot be flown in that community and this was mentioned. Hopefully some day the Do Nothing House of Clowns will get a bill on the floor to protect our antenna rights... but I don't expect anything soon, rather than the continuation of the hateful in fighting and partisan war mongering with nothing getting done for the people of this country.
Thanks for the great feedback. And, your characterization, the "Do Nothing House of Clowns"...how appropriate; I'm sure there are exceptions, but what a group of self serving people who fight about nothing while their constituents watch the country fall apart.
Thanks Bob. Great antenna for the 4th of July. Keep up the good work!
Thanks! I think I'm going to chase all the 13 Colonies Special Even stations with this....
Ordered one of the flag poles and plan to give it a try ASAP. Will let you know how it goes. Trying to get around my landlord not wanting me to put up any antennas.
Do let me know. This feels like one of my crazier ideas, but it got contacts, so....
@@HOAHamRadio Only thing crazy is not experimenting and seeing what works.
Bob -when I lived in Oak Trail at Belcher and Tampa Road ( not too far from you) the deed restrictions specifically stated one could have a flag pole but it could not contain an antenna. Obviously the management company or builder was aware hams would try to put antennas onto flag poles. I always found that interesting that they had that deep a look into it.
For others, that is just info. Not an invitation to a debate. :)
I'm in an HOA. I have often thought about that technicality in my own situation. Just because you can't really see it doesn't mean the antenna is not there and as such the HOA could raise the issue. I am able to park my car in the driveway so I run coax out to my car and use my mobile antenna while I'm in the house. Not particularly convenient but there's nothing in the HOA rules about antennas attached to vehicles. Maybe others can try that approach.
WOW, talk about over stepping! Haven't run into that one yet. I've lived in a number of different neighborhoods with HOA's and they all have their own unique ways / quirks.
Actually, if you take the HOA rules to the absolute limits, no house could have any sort of wiring, because by its nature wires are antennaa!
If you take the HOA rules to it's limits, you cannot have cell phones, Wi-Fi or others or he sort, because they all have antennas!
Whats next? Using a portion of the perimeter of a fence as an antenna by putting a wire on the fence to go on a lower frequency than just 20 meters? Or using the fence if its metal and can work as a good antenna. 73.
Just noticed you don't have a fence. Does your HOA allow fences?
If I had a fence line, I most certainly would....
Great idea and video!
I’m sure that you could use the SS17 + MICRO + a short run of coax on the URT1 output and get the flag attached to it! 👍👍👍
...it just so happens I have an SS17 appropriately sized flag on order...
I can't recall but did you add a counterpoise under the URT1?
I did. It’s gray and just blends in; wraps around the back of the house…don’t recall exact length but has to be close to 60’ based on start and end point.
Who would have thunk : ) Another great video Bob. Flag pole and punch on order. Thanks es 73, Jim
Right Jim? I have many more crazy ideas bouncing around up there.
Great until the rules say that you can't have a flagpole. HOAs should be outlawed
And now I wonder if the other pole at 7:55 is already an antenna that no one knows about (it's even vertical)😁
: ) It's a Chameleon Porta Mast; "Flagpole"...just happens to have a wire hanging off of it, making it a mast.
In the Houston area, instead of WILL IT ANTENNA, we ask WILL IT LOAD!
I would have used the gutter going all the way around the house
Let's connect my HOAFENG.
LOL, nice play on words!
Disconnect the wire from the flagpole and see how it performs on its own.
It might hear but SWR would be crazy for transmit; not resonant on any band.
@@HOAHamRadio Why does small extra length of the pole make all the difference?
@@AdrianBoyko It allows for the connection to the tuner, that’s all. The tuner then matches to the 50 Ohms my transceiver needs and provides the coax connection to the transceiver.
Awesome
Thanks for the view; antenna works so much better than I expected.
You call that a salute?
Let's have a contest....
OMG!! Are you not too close to 14.300? J/K
Was I? I'll have to watch the video again to see. Thanks for stopping by for a look.
@@HOAHamRadio It's a joke.
G90 would tune it. G90 would tune the non conductive mount. lol.
I'll bet it would....seems I need to give that a try.
No way was that England contact a 5-7. About a 3-3. You are extremely generous. Curious antenna project.