"jimbo" wrote in message
...
I don't know your budget, but the SGC Stealth Kit sounds like what you
need. It uses an automatic tuner and an 80 foot length of wire that can be
configured as a multi-loop. In your case you would string the wire twice
around the wooden ceiling. I am in the process of installing one in my
third floor attic. I will have to use a four turn loop to fit the space.

Good luck, jimbo

Thanks -- I'll check it out.

I have an extra ATAS-120 -- it's a long story -- my original ATAS-120 went
under (salt) water in Katrina along with my truck. I removed the antenna
from the truck and the insurance company took the rest. I replaced my
drowned FT-857 and ATAS-120 and truck and installed the new rig and antenna
on the new truck.

Last week, I took the drowned ATAS-120 apart, cleaned it up -- there was
very little corrosion, probably because of the seals on the antenna -- tried
it on my truck in place of the new ATAS-120, and it's working fine.

I may try to mount the old ATAS-120 on my porch railing (wooden) and figure
out a way to ground it and use it as my apartment antenna.

XYL and I are refugees from Katrina -- we were living in an apartment in Bay
Saint Louis, MS, and building a house nearby -- it was all washed away in
Katrina and we took a big uninsured loss. We are now looking for a home
here in NE Tennessee -- 1,500 feet or more above sea level.

I may just wait until we find a house because we are looking for houses with
land attached and I feel an antenna farm coming on!!



Joe S. wrote:
I am considering installing a stealth antenna on the porch of my
first-floor apartment and would like some suggestions. Here's the deal.

-- First floor apartment.
-- Porch is a concrete slab, 10 X 10.
-- The ceiling of the porch is the underside of the balcony of the
apartment above me. It's all wooden.
-- Thus, the ceiling of my porch is 10 X 10, wood.

How about I build a 40-meter dipole, 67 feet long, feed with coax and a
balun in the center. Attach the coax and the balun to one of the corner
posts that supports the balcony above my porch. Run the two sides of the
dipole in opposite directions, but, instead of stretching the wire
straight as I normally would if hanging the dipole from trees, towers,
etc., what if I run the wires around the underside of the balcony deck?
This would give me a horizontal loop made up of two pieces of wire, each
33.5 feet long, with the loop being 10 feet on a side, thus, each end of
the dipole would run around underneath the balcony deck and come back
almost to the center of the dipole.

That is -- the balun would be secured to one of the corner posts. One
piece of wire, 33.5 feet long would run straight out from the balun along
the 2 X 8 rim joist for 10 feet, make a 90-deg turn (20 ft), run another
10 feet and make another 90-deg turn (30 ft), and end up 3.5 feet after
the third turn. The other end of the dipole would do the same thing, only
run in the opposite direction. At the balun, the two wires making up the
dipole would run at a 90-deg angle to each other. And, the two wires
would overlap (or be only a few inches apart) for 27 feet of their
length.

I probably didn't explain this idea too well but I'd like to hear some
suggestions. Thanks.