"Bruno" wrote in message ...

Hi all,

I've had a planning application for a tower turned down which is a real
pain. My options are now very limited. I'm in a bungalow with a roof apex
height of 18 feet and I'm not allowed to put up anything much above this
roof line it transpires, so inverted vees that need to be mounted high up
at the feed point like G5RVs are not possible for me. My garden
boundaries limit the length of any wire antenna I might wish to put up to
about 120 feet overall. On the plus side, though, the QTH is several
hundred feet ASL close to the top of the hill and am not overshadowed by
any trees or buildings to speak of.
What's my best choice for an HF antenna under these circs? (I mostly do
CW on 20m & 40m, but would like a bit more band choice ideally if poss).
Many thanks.

Many thanks.

For many years, my antenna space has been restricted or limited. I favor
verticals in those circumstances.

I used a ground mounted Butternut for many years and it was OK. The
grounding system was five heavy insulated wires, each five feet long and
terminated in 6 foot ground rods.

The idea for that grounding configuration came from a study by E-Systems
done in the 1970s.

Currently I use a 16 foot vertical mounted on a rather large metal patio
cover. I feed it with 20 feet of coax and do the ATU inside the shack. I'm
currently thinking about adding a remotely controlled ATU at the base of the
antenna.

For mobile use I have an Outbacker, and I have tried it on the metal patio
cover. It works, but is marginal. If you get stuck with a mobile sized
antenna, I'd recommend a bugcatcher.

If you can handle a 30 foot vertical (advertised by MFJ and others) it might
work well with a good ground.
If the real estate is limited for ground wires, just do the best you can,
and live with it.

If your restrictions do not allow a permanent 30 foot vertical, you might
get permission to tilt it down when not in use.

Good luck!

Wayne
W5GIE