By Jack Ciaccia WMØG. "Secrets" of Being a Successful Stealth Ham Radio Operator 6/10/2009 1

Transcription

1 Stealth Antennas By Jack Ciaccia WMØG "Secrets" of Being a Successful Stealth Ham Radio Operator 6/10/2009 1

2 Who Are Stealth Operators? Apt. & Condo dwellers.. Covenant controlled neighborhoods.. etc. Campus students in dorms & condos. Travelers, truckers, salespeople, campers, bicyclists, tourists, RV ers, etc. YOU, perhaps? 6/10/2009 2

3 Why Stealth? Helps to keep the peace The thrill is gone It is the only way you can operate It s fun! 6/10/2009 3

4 Analyze Your Situation Do you have an attic in your dwelling? Do you have any trees? Read your deed restrictions and CCRs Do you have a wooden fence? Could you use your house? 6/10/2009 4

5 Band by Band 160m & 80m small, inefficient antennas. 40m good band for QRP & stealth operations. 30m BEST band all at 200 watts. 20m crowded & high-powered stations. 17m, 15m & 12m good for stealth antennas. 10m great when open BIG signals. 6/10/2009 5

6 What Mode Is Best? Morse code is BEST.. Period! SSB QSO s better on higher bands. Digital modes are great too, especially PACTOR and PSK-31, etc.. RTTY may be a good choice as well. 6/10/2009 6

7 RF Truism RF has gotta go somewhere! RF might: Flow into antenna & be useful Heat up your coax Radiate from ground Interfere (like TVI) Be rectified by bad connections Feed back from outside shield and bite you 6/10/2009 7

8 Grounding Two types of grounds electrical safety ground and RF ground Electrical safety ground not good for RF will aggravate a ate noise & RFI RF ground think of the earth covered in aluminum foil bounces your signal 6/10/2009 8

9 Types of Stealth Antennas Balanced antennas = loops, dipoles and vees. Mobile whip dipoles. House-mounted loops & dipoles. Indoor loops & dipoles. Antennas in the attic. Verticals & Inverted L antennas. Flagpole verticals. Mobile whips on the balcony. End-fed wires. Eiti Existing structures. t Commercial stealth antennas eg.. MFJ Mini Loop, Bilal Isotron and Butternut Butterfly beam, SGC Stealth Antenna Kit, etc.. 6/10/2009 9

10 20m 2-element wire beam Dave Hassell N5IW 20m Director driven 7 0 insulators This is a very good performing antenna for use in a large attic. Use a 1/2 wave length of feedline into a tuner 6/10/2009 (or use step-up balun) for use on entire breadth of band. About a 3 db gain over a normal dipole. 10

11 40m/15m/10m wire dipole (hidden in tree) hidden inside a large oak tree. It is practically ivisible. Only one 50ohm feedline required. Dave Hassell N5IW Specs: (pvc spacers) (legs of dipoles spread about 120 degrees apart) 40/15m dipole antenna Overall length of antenna = 66 feet 10 Cut for 7.0 mhz resonant freq. 10m dipole antenna Overall length of antenna =16 feet 8in. Cut for 28.0 mhz Requires a bit of tuning, repositioning of wires, and placement of feedline. Antenna constucted of black 12ga. TW wire 40 40m feedline to radio shack hanging weights 6/10/

12 80m Horizontal Loop (skyloop) A loop hung in the horizontal position can have remarkable propagation characteristics. Very good performance within continental USA. All loops exhibit about a 2db gain over a common dipole. Feed the loop one of 2 methods: 1.) feed in the center of a side (approx.150 ohms), use 75 ohm coax cut to 1/4 wave length as a matching transformer to your 50 ohm coax into shack. 2.) feed in a corner directly with 50 ohm coax. When used with a tuner this antenna will perform on all bands. 80m top view of house, 2 story. approx 35 feet to apex 20 push up pole 257 feet of #12 ga. black wire. Go directly over the tallest pa of the roof. Standoff from roof with pvc pipe painted blace an screwed into vent stacks. 6 cedar fence Specs: black 12ga TW wire Total length of loop = 257 feet Resonant 6/10/2009 freq = 3.915mhz 12 Dave Hassell N5IW

13 RAINGUTTER I and II Raingutter I used a Dentron transmatch at rig Raingutter II used the SGC-230 Autocoupler at antenna 6/10/

14 I RAINGUTTER III New location with SGC-230 radial system and 25 high downspout and 15 horizontal section. 6/10/

15 CC&R Info Condo Communicator -- Help for Condo and Apartment Dwellers -- From WA5OES CC&R's? (You Got) -- Info from the ARRL K3QK's Legal Resources -- For hams can use it for that "tower project" eham.net CC&R Survival Series eham Forum on Antenna Restrictions FCC Fact Sheet - Over-the-Air Reception Devices Rule Preemption of Restrictions on Placement of Direct Broadcast Satellite, Multi-channel Multi-point Distribution Service, and Television Broadcast Antennas. Antenna Restrictions? -- From AC6TS Antenna Restrictions - How To Chart - From The ARRL Antenna Zoning for the Radio Amateur - ARRL Book On legal aspects of antenna restrictions 6/10/

16 Homebrew Stealth Antennas Balcony Antenna -- From Harry Lythall - SMØVPO Hidden, Stealth, HF Antennas -- From K3MT -- The GRASSWIRE -- You read it correctly!! Hidden, Stealth & Invisible Antennas -- Smartuners for Stealth Antennas From SGC, Inc. Hidden Antenna Ideas -- Links Via AC6TS Hidden Antenna Ideas Loops, Operation Away From Home, Attic, From NØHC Stealth Amateur Radio - Book From The ARRL -- (ISBN: ) #7571 Stealth 40M Antenna -From K7ZB RadialWave Ground Radial System -- Great for DEED RESTRICTED BASE STATIONS, QRP, BACKPACKING, FIELD DAY, OR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS. Secrets of a Successful Stealth Operator Lots of good tips from Dave Hassell, N5IW Stealth Antenna Experiences - From Clif's ham radio connection. SGC Smartuners for Stealth Antennas -- Free - Click on "Download your copy today!" Stealth 40M Antenna -From K7ZB 2 M 1/2-Wave J-Pole -- VHF-FM (Stealth) Antenna Made From 450-Ohm Ladder Line -- From KB1GTR & KB1DIG N8TW Stealth Antenna -- White Wire Antenna strung around the house Small Gauge Wire Makes an "Invisible Antenna" The Wireman sells #26 AWG "Invisible Toughcoat Silky" antenna wire which is a stranded & coated copperweld type, his catalog #534. Amazingly strong for it's size, very abrasion resistant and you have to go looking for it if you're more than twenty feet away from the stuff. 6/10/

17 Commercial Antennas Used For Stealth BuddiPole -- W3FF Products B&W Balcony/Window Antenna - AP-10A CliffDweller II antenna End-Fedz -- full length half wave dipoles, but with an important difference. The coax connector is at one end of the dipole, where it is most needed. From Universal Radio EZ HANG -- SlingShot & Reel Device for installing wire antennas Force 12-9 Foot Vertical Force 12 Aluminum Flag Poles & Antennas HamSticks MFJ Apartment Antenna 40 Meters to 2 Meters MFJ-1622 MFJ Super Loop Antennas MFJ ScrewDriver Antennas Outbacker Antennas -- Terlin Quicksilver Radio Products MinuteMan HF Portable Antennas Stealth Antennas -- HF Mobile Antennas By VE7BOC Texas BugCatcher - GLA Antennas Texas Twister - GLA Antennas Ventennas -- The Forbes Group Ventanna HFP-2 10 Foot HF Antenna to 30 MHz!!! Vern Wright's HF Mobile Antennas, MP1 WeatherVane Antennas 6/10/

18 Just Do It! Learn about band propagation Use your CW skills Set a goal like DXCC or WAS within some reasonable time frame Low power + stealthy antennas = FUN Load up something metallic and get on the air! 6/10/