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Re: [TowerTalk] Looking for typical size attic info

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Looking for typical size attic info
From: "Lux, Jim" <jim@luxfamily.com>
Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2023 08:45:06 -0800
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
On 2/13/23 6:29 AM, Chuck Dietz wrote:
I understand many (all?) of the newer houses have insulation with aluminum
foil backing inside the roof. My friends who have HOA restrictions, put
antennas on their wood fences. Nowadays with modes like FT8, their stations
can be surprisingly effective.

My attic (which has no real clear space, because of roof trusses, but which is representative of other attics in SoCal, some of which are "walkable" - the insulation is on the "floor" of the attic, directly above the living space.  In a former house, which had an unfinished 2nd floor, all the insulation was below, and when we finished it, we insulated the walls and the ceiling rafters before putting up the drywall.

That said, antennas outdoors are a lot easier to fix, tend to have less interactions with wiring and appliances inside (RFI, etc.) and, of some concern, if the HV at the ends starts a fire, it's not hidden in your attic.  I had a dipole in my (truss and HVAC duct filled) attic, and it was terrible in terms of tuning (all kinds of weird resonances) and RFI both directions was a problem - lots of noise on Rx, and when I Tx (~100W) all kinds of things would malfunction in the house (like the HVAC thermostat).   Putting the antenna on the "outside" of the roof actually made it a lot better.  When the aggressor/victim distance changes from 1 meter to 2 or 3, it makes a BIG difference.

I didn't have a way to evaluate it, but I'm going to guess the weird impedance curves meant it interacted with a lot of other conductors, so the pattern was probably full of lumps and bumps.


The other location other than fences, is eaves (assuming you don't have a raingutter along that same eave).





Chuck W5PR

On Mon, Feb 13, 2023 at 8:19 AM Mpridesti via TowerTalk <
towertalk@contesting.com> wrote:

Thanks Henry. Good suggestions!

Certainly one challenge would be just building the antenna in close
quarters:)

Regards,

Mark, K1RX


On Feb 13, 2023, at 9:16 AM, Henry Pollock - K4TMC <kilo4tmc@gmail.com>
wrote:
Mark,

You might consider a 2-element Hexbeam.  A 20-10 Hexbeam has a turning
radius around 10 to 12 ft which could fit in some attics.  To make it fit
higher in tight attics, consider mounting it upside down, making it look
like a normal umbrella.

73,
Henry - K4TMC


On Mon, Feb 13, 2023 at 8:42 AM Mpridesti via TowerTalk <
towertalk@contesting.com> wrote:

Looking at the HOA/condo situation as I get older and wonder what are
the
typical size attics for putting, ideally, a small rotating Yagi for
20-10
m. Key question is what the biggest turning radius one might get?


Regards,

Mark, K1RX


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