You could go to your local Radio Shack and look for a scanner antenna. They
have a small vertical with 3 eleament ground radials.
I bought one for $11 in the bargin bin for a new ham in my area..
You can even use it to transmit on 2meter band (after your legal)

Joe KI4ILB

I intend to get a piece of square sheet metal (ground plane?) about
half a meter each way, and build a bracket to hold it outside my window
horizontally. In the center of the sheet metal I'll install an NMO
mount for my mobile antenna. I'm actually planning to ground the sheet
metal using the electrical ground in the wall socket (surely
something's wrong with THAT!) I look forward to better alternatives!


IF I were working off a balcony I would use a Yagi or maybe a quad sense
the
building will be blocking the signal in at one direction any way. I used
to
hace a two element quad I made on a broom. I would sit on the balcony and
hold the quad in one hand and my HT in the other. BAd thing is that now
there is now way to hold the beer.