another idea for my situation ....

guys here is a photo of my flats and as you can see there is a wheelhouse on top .. that's where i would be putting  the boomerang just up above the wheelhouse .. 

the wheelhouse is about 16 to 18 foot high and there is a railing round the outside of the roof on top of a 2 to 3 foot wall .. 
my thinking is that i could put an antron on a small pole and attach it to the railing that means the antron would be hard to see as it has the wheelhouse behind it ..

question ...... does an antron transmit the signal from the top part and will the wheelhouse being behind the antron affect the outgoing signal ? i reckon i could get the top of the antron just above the wheelhouse without to much trouble ...

it would also mean i use about 24 to 26 less coax ..

Flipping 'eck Gary, you watch yourself up there mate!

I know I wouldn't fancy hanging onto an 18 foot antenna swaying in the wind whilst trying to attach it to the guard railings of such a building!!!

You'd be amazed how many silly buggers fall off great heights trying to attach antennas to precarious positions in the pursuit of some radio DX. It's part of the reason why the Amateur Radio exam has questions on ladders and safety.

Sheesh, you've got me seriously worried about playing around up there now. Can you not keep things a bit safer and think more about attaching something to the wheelhouse? At least if it falls over and you with it you'll be in the confines of the roof space. I'm also concerned about the affects of a lightning strike now and rather than rely on good nature banter on a forum would rather have professional opinion.

Bunging a boomerang antenna up on the roof was one thing but now it's a totally different kettle of fish.

Also, what happens if your 'well placed' antenna breaks off in a wind and strikes someone innocent of radio adventures down below?


Yeah, think you've got some other things to be thinking about than just your propagation path.

Sorry to be a bit of a downer but just thinking about yours and others well being and safety.

Hopefully there's someone on the forum who can provide some qualified professional opinion. (Not just number of years as a CB'er or Ham.)

Victor wrote:

Flipping 'eck Gary, you watch yourself up there mate!

I know I wouldn't fancy hanging onto an 18 foot antenna swaying in the wind whilst trying to attach it to the guard railings of such a building!!!

You'd be amazed how many silly buggers fall off great heights trying to attach antennas to precarious positions in the pursuit of some radio DX. It's part of the reason why the Amateur Radio exam has questions on ladders and safety.

Sheesh, you've got me seriously worried about playing around up there now. Can you not keep things a bit safer and think more about attaching something to the wheelhouse? At least if it falls over and you with it you'll be in the confines of the roof space. I'm also concerned about the affects of a lightning strike now and rather than rely on good nature banter on a forum would rather have professional opinion.

Bunging a boomerang antenna up on the roof was one thing but now it's a totally different kettle of fish.

Also, what happens if your 'well placed' antenna breaks off in a wind and strikes someone innocent of radio adventures down below?


Yeah, think you've got some other things to be thinking about than just your propagation path.

Sorry to be a bit of a downer but just thinking about yours and others well being and safety.

Hopefully there's someone on the forum who can provide some qualified professional opinion. (Not just number of years as a CB'er or Ham.)

ha ha don't worry about me mate i'm not daft and used to be a roofer for a few years also like i said before there is a wall round the roof and railings ... i would say back in the 80s and 90s i put most of the antennas up in the estate i live in so i'm well used to it ... 

when i had the last antron up there it was on a 16 foot pole on the wheelhouse and the base of the antron was well above the wheelhouse .. it was up there a while and i remember a storm one night with 80 mph winds and the antron was still perfect the next morning ...

i suppose i could attach it to the wheelhouse and not put it up as high and that means it is about 8 to 10 feet away from the edge ... will the wheelhouse effect the signal being as the antenna is close to it ?

No worries Gary, just the whole notion filled me with dread.

As for wheelhouse effect, it's full of metal so will have some influence and same goes for the steel reinforcement in the concrete of the whole block of flats. To what affect you'll probably never know without intensive measurement and it just isn't all worth it. You can stop and think about every scenario in minute detail whilst never actually erecting an antenna which is pretty pointless.

You take care with your antenna exploits mate, safety first. 

If your intent on putting the Antron up i would get just above the wheelhouse.
Also guy it that would lesson the chance of it snapping and if it did might stop it falling of the roof.
Was just a thought.

As regards guying, use monofilament fishing line that isn't subject to rapid degrade in sunlight, you might want to check the status of the filament every year/after Winter.

The reason for using monofilament instead of a woven plastic rope is that dirt gets in the weave and water causes the rope to add capacitance to the tune of the antenna, increasing the SWR, you'd find this happening when the rope is wet.

Also the dirt in the weave eventually causes sufficient friction over time to break the woven filaments, causing the rope to part with the antenna.

I agree that getting the antenna above the wheelhouse is preferable, but where ever you site it, you'll need to be able to tune it for best SWR, since every antenna is affected by its surroundings, every installation (as you'll know from your experience in putting up so many) is unique, its just how much of a perfectionist you are as to whether you want perfection.

Its not always worth the time and effort, but stay safe!!!

got the brackets and pole up today so the antron will go up tomorrow .. seen a cracking incoming storm over the Mourne mountains while i was up there .. let you guys know how i got on tomorrow regarding antenna and some radio checks ...

What length pole did you get.
Will the base of the aerial clear that roof ?.
Or is that it in the picture.

Alan Pilot wrote:

What length pole did you get.
Will the base of the aerial clear that roof ?.
Or is that it in the picture.

6 foot pole and the base of the antenna is about 8 foot from the top of the lower v ...

well it's up and running .. well happy .. the swr is perfect without tuning 1.4 ch1 1.7 ch40 on fm .. talked to a few locals on usb and heard a lot of germans and italians ..
seems to be fine and can't wait to dx for a bit but i'm very rusty and go blank when i want to speak but that will pass i hope ...

I knew I recognised that view will keep my ears on for you only in Broughshane
73s
Bones

As they say - height is everything for antennas - a great location there.
Lightning risk is very real though - do you have a surge protector fitted - please tell me you do !?  
E.g. https://www.nevadaradio.co.uk/category/antenna-accessories/lightning-arrestors/
All best & 73's

walt wrote:

As they say - height is everything for antennas - a great location there.
Lightning risk is very real though - do you have a surge protector fitted - please tell me you do !?  
E.g. https://www.nevadaradio.co.uk/category/antenna-accessories/lightning-arrestors/
All best & 73's

to be very truthful with you i have never heard of them ... if you can point me to a good one i will buy it ... i do take the coax out of the radio if the conditions are a bit sus ....

thank you for the heads up and if i buy one will it mess with the swr ?

Bones wrote:

I knew I recognised that view will keep my ears on for you only in Broughshane  
73s
Bones

go through your neck of the woods all the time on the bike ...

BASS 666 wrote:

walt wrote:

As they say - height is everything for antennas - a great location there.
Lightning risk is very real though - do you have a surge protector fitted - please tell me you do !?  
E.g. https://www.nevadaradio.co.uk/category/antenna-accessories/lightning-arrestors/
All best & 73's

to be very truthful with you i have never heard of them ... if you can point me to a good one i will buy it ... i do take the coax out of the radio if the conditions are a bit sus ....

thank you for the heads up and if i buy one will it mess with the swr ?

This should do you fine
Link here: https://www.hamradio.co.uk/accessories-lightning-arresters-surge-protection/diamond/diamond-sp-1000-pd-4897.php
- not sure how much power you are running - this one will handle up to 400W. Insertion loss is negligible and you shouldn't notice any increase in SWR. Give it a good earth strap and it'll save your life, and your rig, and a fire!
Catch you on the air I hope
73s
Link here: https://www.hamradio.co.uk/accessories-lightning-arresters-surge-protection/diamond/diamond-sp-1000-pd-4897.php

walt wrote:

BASS 666 wrote:

walt wrote:

As they say - height is everything for antennas - a great location there.
Lightning risk is very real though - do you have a surge protector fitted - please tell me you do !?  
E.g. https://www.nevadaradio.co.uk/category/antenna-accessories/lightning-arrestors/
All best & 73's

to be very truthful with you i have never heard of them ... if you can point me to a good one i will buy it ... i do take the coax out of the radio if the conditions are a bit sus ....

thank you for the heads up and if i buy one will it mess with the swr ?

This should do you fine
Link here: https://www.hamradio.co.uk/accessories-lightning-arresters-surge-protection/diamond/diamond-sp-1000-pd-4897.php
- not sure how much power you are running - this one will handle up to 400W. Insertion loss is negligible and you shouldn't notice any increase in SWR. Give it a good earth strap and it'll save your life, and your rig, and a fire!
Catch you on the air I hope
73s
Link here: https://www.hamradio.co.uk/accessories-lightning-arresters-surge-protection/diamond/diamond-sp-1000-pd-4897.php

thank you ...

Please think about Thunderstorms an LIGHTNINGS Greetings 13ct609

Hi Gary all I can say is that you are much braver than me, hope it all goes to plan or we all could loose a good  member of  our group. Good luck but please be as safe as you can.
Teapot

teapot wrote:

Hi Gary all I can say is that you are much braver than me, hope it all goes to plan or we all could loose a good  member of  our group. Good luck but please be as safe as you can.
Teapot

thanks mate .. all done and dusted anyway and on the air.. i just have to get the lightning arrester and that's me sorted ...

Well done you.

Nice one Gary.
I haven't been on as I lost one of my dogs two week ago,
Also left my new radio and twig up at the caravan.
Great position you have there. Handy being an ex roofer, mind I was scaffolding for a few years and I'm shìt scared of heights

Hopefully get out to you when I'm sorted.
Not sure if Belfast to North Wales is achievable conditions ?

I'm thinking of the great orme Llandudno as a spot when away and also there's Pentre Halkyn way, high up nearer home.

BASS 666 wrote:

well it's up and running .. well happy .. the swr is perfect without tuning 1.4 ch1 1.7 ch40 on fm .. talked to a few locals on usb and heard a lot of germans and italians ..
seems to be fine and can't wait to dx for a bit but i'm very rusty and go blank when i want to speak but that will pass i hope ...

Best of luck buddy,braver man than me to go up there!!