Indoor Antennas In Apartment Building and Other Options (#878)

Randy, KF4RJH, has some problems with space to put his antenna. He is asking me if he ca put up an inverted dipole inside his apartment and how well it should work. Watch to learn more on his interesting situation.

#indoor #hamsticks #magloop

Edited and Videographed by Aidan Jakeman

Twitter: @dcasler

[KXUL]

Something I might add when running severely compromised antennas is 'mindset'. I have been in this situation myself and it can be frustrating. But instead of focusing on all the stations in your mind that you can't hear; think about the ones you can hear and how even with a compromised antenna you are still making contacts. Think of it as a challenge and have fun with it. Add some parks or campground outdoor operations to satisfy the urge to make those DX contacts! As far as listening, there are many online WebSDR's as well.

[edwardcunningham]

Really appreciate this topic. More and more people are running into restricted space situations. The best indoor antenna so far I have found is the magnetic loop antenna. I've found they work great with a DSP(digital audio (signal) processor), and being high Q and very directional, they will at least equal a dipole antenna at restricted hight or outperform it by eliminating nearby electrical interference. Living in fort Lauderdale Florida, I can vouch for this because I lived two lots down from a power distribution yard and around some City street lights. Man made interference in restricted communities 60% of our battle to good communication. I also have used a "door antenna" or also known as a type of skeleton antenna (single or two turns). Mounted on an interior door, it can be rotated 90 degrees. I've been working on a "flower pot antenna" for twenty through six meters and found they are easy to build and even my wife doesn't mind two of them outside the front door. I ran the coax out the bottom corners of the door by notching out the trim edge and calking the coax in place. Once painted you really had to look close to see it. I used a plastic chord cover along the wall back to the station and touched it up with paint. It really turned out great. But the magnetic loop antenna still outperforms it and it sits on my table next to a sliding glass door set.
Thanks again for this video 👍. Ingenuity with imagination can come up with some amazing designs 😁.

[wmatay]

Back in the 80s I set up a mag mount on the base board with a Y connector hooked 2 102 " steel antennas with 3 base liners on them. Worked great with low watt operations after 100 plus watt it made the toaster talk and phones ring 😅. 73

[lyfandeth]

Dave, for indoor antennas or wiring you can get either lightly insulated white or bare copper tape, adhesive on one side, designed as 16AWG equivalent for speaker wires and other low power. Probably ten bucks for 25 or 50 feet.
Installing that is just like putting Scotch tape on the wall. Inconspicuous. Quick and easy.

[barrybogart]

The Buddipole is still very much 'around'. I used mine for years in VHF contesting and SOTA/POTA ops. Three years ago I downsized to an apartment and my Buddi center-load dipole is my only antenna, outside on a third-floor balcony. It is tapped for 17m, but I use it from 6m to 20m with my barefoot KX3. The Elecraft T1 tuner makes it work on all those bands, but I am almost always on 10m or 20m, and I have worked WAS and about 25 countries on it, from CN89 in BC. I’d say it is the ideal balcony antenna. If you can't afford one, they are easy to home brew. 72, VE7VIE

[williambingham]

Dave, used a portable capacitance tripod (manufactured by Alpha Delta) with an Outbacker out of a 1st floor condo with 2×4 home made window pass-through with ground rod under window. Outbacker performed very well from 40 mtrs and up through 10 meters. 100 watt ssb. Just had to go outside to move band plug wire on Outbacker when changing bands. Plenty of contacts. When through, folded up and brought inside. Sometimes just moved it up against building when not in use. Still use antenna when portable and camping. Easy set up and down. KJ4BAD

[daviddietrich]

I'm currently in this situation, and have been for three years. A Buddipole off the balcony works. I use mine in an L configuration. I did purchase a few antennas from QRP Guys that hopefully will expand my arsenal. I have no issues with setting up the antenna and taking it down when I'm done. With these wire antennas I'm currently working on, I will have to set up a fiberglass pole about 40 ft away from my balcony to use it. As long as the neighbors don't complain, I'm golden. Even if they do, you're probably not going to be home when I am operating. Or, it's going to be late in the evening in dark out. This is more for winter than anything else.

[chriskaprys]

I'm on the second floor of an HOA building, with a nice big balcony, and I'm not a HAM operator, just a radio enthusiast looking to widen my reception beyond FM/AM, but this was still very helpful to consider options.
I wonder what the suggested wisdom is for connecting to a good ground when you're not on the ground floor - someone already advised me against connecting to the AC ground in the wall due to noise in the lines.

[bill-]

I've had good results with a h/b mag. loop indoors in a 1st floor bedroom.
I run QRP with nothing above 5 Watts. Admittedly I love c.w. so that helps me to get out.
Another I have is a copy of an aerial called a Joystick (now outside). In reality a length of wire with inductance on the end and a tuner. Mine enables me to get on 160m to 10m with about 22' of wire. Maybe no great dx aerial but it works.
I'm fortunate enough to have 20m to 10m dipoles in the attic and outdoor 60m inverted vee.
G4GHB

[LionRoars]

I am running a 10m dipole exactly as you drew in my apartment. I have had no RFI issues and work FT8 and achieved my DXCC that way. Yes, it took just over 2 years to do it. But yes, my RX is much better than my TX. I am on the 3rd floor though.

[david_WQDF]

Tractor Supply, Home DePot, Lowe’s have the supplies you need📻

[twohandsandaradio]

" People don't use stereos anymore these days".... wow that's an under a rock statement.

[DonzLockz]

I like the idea of a bird feeder antenna.👍

[KCUVF]

Living in an apartment is a pita. I am in a very similar situation. I noticed a drain hose coming out of the foundation that let me snake coax into the basement though. Now I deploy my telescopic whip on a stake in the flower bed when I want to operate. It's way closer to the building than I would like, but it works and that is what matters. I will run my 2m flower pot antenna inside instead of outside on the stake when the weather is bad. Aside from my computer speakers I have not noticed any significant rfi, and I just unplug them until I'm done.

KC3UVF

[AngryMbunaMan]

surprised noone hasnt figured a grounding antennae using the house panels . or the ground plug on electrical outlets. using the ground throughout the apartment as one gigantic antenna

[kcscarecrow]

When renting a duplex I found one of my best antennas was a invisible end fed wire which I ran from my room outside through small tubing through the storm window and up the side of the duplex and out to a fence post. I had a counterpose inside running down to the basement. I used dark green Magwire #20 approx. Where it met with the fence post I used a rubber band between the antenna and the post for less stress on the wire. So it was a sloping wire down to the post from the duplex wall. You need a matching network or tuner between your rig and the wire.

[RidingDirtyAdventures]

thank you for this informative video....

[Porco_Utah]

I used to operate with indoor antenna , I used MFJ artificial ground connected to water copper pipe, 30 ft of 26 AWG white wire thumb tacked to ceiling. used MFJ manual antenna tuner, later change to LDG Automatic Tuner. for CW it was great, not so great for SSB. I had regular QSO with distance of 1000 to 2000 miles regularly from Northern Utah to California, Oregon, Washington states. 600 miles to Southern California was just about right distance for single hop on most HF band. AG6JU

[mrkattm]

long wire antenna and a helium balloon

[robbomber]

I do use mfj manual tuner I love that thing you can run speaker wire to get out on .