New Amateur - designing/planning for HF base. Your thoughts and experience requested and welcome.
With a lack of trees and being in an HOA, I have a couple of questions.
-I’ve watched some YouTube videos (many) and some folks have used OCF Dipole antennas in their attic, and some of those included 90 degree bends in one or both dipoles. Not ideal but from what they report, not a heavy impact to SWR. If I go that route, I’ll have it running around much of the perimeter of the attic. Any thoughts?
-I was also thinking of an alternative idea. I have vents at the ends of the house. If I mounted the 6:1 balun inside the attic (dropping the feed line inside the home) could I run the dipoles out the vent at the peak and run each dipole in opposite directions along the ends of the house outside? Would that be a better idea than running it inside the attic? I have vinyl siding, so I still have to figure out how to attach it to the side of the home following the shape of the end of the house and wrapping around the house.
-Last topic, grounding the antenna (if it’s fully inside the house) - still required? If it’s outside (and open to lighting) I’d ground that for sure, but don’t know if it’s fully inside if it needs grounded.
My opinion is that you should do everything you say and see the best performance. As we say in PR “start playing with the antenna.” In my station for 80M I have an inverted V, but one day I wanted to install a Delta Loop and it took me a full day until I managed to do it. According to the results, they were not what I expected and I removed it. You do not need to ground the antenna, what you must ground is the radio, power supply, etc. A plan B would be a vertical antenna that looks like a mast with a flag, that would be another option 73’
The Buckmaster 7 band OCF in the attic worked well last night for the contest. I’m thrilled that we made the contact. I had heard you weeks before but I was still getting my initial shack setup done before really getting on the air. It was great talking with you. Thank you for your antenna guidance months ago here!
Thank you for the QSO on 20M! I’m very glad that you’ve installed the antenna and are on the air. We’re here to help, and I hope to work with you in the next contests.
Hi Alfredo,
I recently started to use my “Go Power Box” that I made by myself and Yaesu FT-991A. I have UHF/VHF Comet antenna that I installed at the attic of townhouse. Also, I am going to install the End Fed Antenna BULLET-4006-500 for 40-6 meter bands at the attic. So, please give advices:
how many bendings of the antenna wire will be possible do because of the attic shape?
Should I connect the “negative” terminal of my power supply with the Yaesu ground screw and/or with the antenna Unun?
Thank you in advance for your time and response.
“73” ,
VLADIMIR KD9WIF
The best results for that type of antenna are achieved by setting it up as a sloper or in an L. Just to confirm, you’re planning to install it inside your attic, right?
Hi Al,
I am going to install the PALOMAR ENGINEERS End Fed OCF Antenna BULLET-4006-500 inside of my townhouse attic.Let’s say thank you for your time and response.
“73”
Vladimir KD9WIF
Hi Al,
Finally, I installed the antenna in my attic. I had bended the wire of antenna to make a shape looks number “9” in a layout with some parts of the shape at an angle, until all 55 feet of wire were placed. The coax I used has 75 feet (BRAND “YOTENKO”).
The attic length is 17.5 feet, width is 14 feet, and height is 13 feet.
80, 40 meter bands work bad, too much noise and “waterfall” on a screen is very blue…So, if you can, please give an advice.
Also, how to set up QSO and QSL easier, because a lot of fresh HAMs as me cannot do it. One more question: what kind of software can show a call sign for SSB phone mode?
Thank you,
“73”
73’
