Hello Kevin!
Personally, I think you would be better off with a couple of trap
dipole type antennas for 10-20 meters. Then a loop antenna for 40/80
meters. Interfacing an Icom tuner to a Kenwood radio is fairly
difficult. You would have to create a "band changing circuit" so the
antenna tuner would know for which band to preset before tuning the
antenna when RF is applied. Then you would have to make sure your
power output is about 10 watts during the tuning phase of the antenna
tuner. As an alternative, you could mount one of the trap dipoles as
an inverted V on one of the eaves. Use a heavy duty eave type mast
mount with a 10ft TV mast. Mount an eye hook at the top so you could
lower and raise the antenna even with the roof for maintenance. If
you mount another mast on the opposite end of the house, you could
install another trap dipole. That way, depending on the orientation
of your house, you could get East/West and North/South coverage.
Finally for 40/80 meter operation, you could add 3 or 4 foot PVC
"extentions" from the eaves at the corners of the house and mount a
horizontal loop. Hope this helps.
Eric N7DLV
Kevin wrote in message .30...
I just moved into the city and have an old house with a big attic. There
is really no place on the lot (very small 2500 sg ft lot) to put any
antennas. The attic is the third floor the peak being 30-35 feet above
ground. There is no metal in the attic accept one condiut for a light and
the cast iron soil pipes for venting the drains.
I have an AH-2 tuner that I am hoping I can make work with my kenwood TS-
690S. I do have a little ICOM 760 mobile that I will use if I absolutely
have to but that's really for my car (not currently installed).
I do have the manual but it's not helpful. I did google this but really
didn't find anything.
So any thoughts on antenna placement strait or loop? For strait I can go
50' Also should I run COAX from the main floor to the tuner in the attic
and use the cast iron soil pipe as ground OR should I have my 50' straight
and then bring the antenna on the outside of the building down to ground
level (inverted L) and keep the AH-2 in or very near the shack?
Thanks,
Kevin N9JKP
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