Under Eave Antenna
 

I would like to install an under eave antenna at my house.
Mostly for listening but maybe some low power transmitting.
What I need is some input from all the experts here as to what supports
would work best. Also I dont want it to upset the other half
too much so it would have to be "pleasing" to the eye or damn near
invisible. As I dont have any plans or thoughts as to what would work best
I am open to all serious suggestions and ideas. It will be a loop fed with
open wire feeders is all I have in mind at this time.

Stan
AH6JR

Under Eave Antenna
 

stananger wrote:
I would like to install an under eave antenna at my house.
Mostly for listening but maybe some low power transmitting.
What I need is some input from all the experts here as to what supports
would work best. Also I dont want it to upset the other half
too much so it would have to be "pleasing" to the eye or damn near
invisible. As I dont have any plans or thoughts as to what would work best
I am open to all serious suggestions and ideas. It will be a loop fed with
open wire feeders is all I have in mind at this time.

Stan
AH6JR

Go to Home Depot, or equivalent, and buy 500 feet of wire the same color
as your house. [Helps keep things invisible]

Run a loop under the eaves all around the house. Bring the ends of the
loop to ground level. Electrician staples with insulated facing will
hold the wire in place.

Feed the antenna at ground level through a small auto tuner similar to
the ICOM AH-4, or one of the SGC units. Feed the Rf and control wires
from the tuner into the shack through a window sill or equivalent.

When finished, you will have a small box on or near the ground,
hopefully on the back of the house, and two nearly invisible wires from
the tuner to the loop.

An alternative feed is to use end feed against a ground rod driven into
the soil. An advantage here is that ground wire radials can be added to
the rod and stapled below the grass line for a good counterpoise.

Under Eave Antenna
 

In article LeKJf.1049$p13.631@trnddc08,
stananger stananger@********.*** wrote:

I would like to install an under eave antenna at my house.
Mostly for listening but maybe some low power transmitting.
What I need is some input from all the experts here as to what supports
would work best. Also I dont want it to upset the other half
too much so it would have to be "pleasing" to the eye or damn near
invisible. As I dont have any plans or thoughts as to what would work best
I am open to all serious suggestions and ideas. It will be a loop fed with
open wire feeders is all I have in mind at this time.

One possibility would be the sort of standoffs which have
traditionally been used to support runs of 300-ohm twinlead. They're
something like a long-shafted eye bolt, with a plastic insert in the
center of the eye to hold the twinlead away from the metal. Some of
these are intended for mounting on a metal strap on an antenna mast
(these have machine threads on their shaft), while others have a
wood-screw-like threading and a sharp point and can be screwed into a
wood beam. You'd probably want the latter. Radio Shack still sells
'em (15-853, $2.99 for a set of four) and they're probably available
elsewhere as well.

Another possibility would be to use short pieces of PVC or fiberglass
tubing, mounted to the eves using one- or two-screw conduit brackets.
4"-6" pieces of 3/4" or 1" PVC tubing, with 1/4" holes cross-drilled
in one end for the wire, then primed and painted to match your house's
color scheme, might be cosmetically-acceptable.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

Under Eave Antenna
 

stananger wrote:
I would like to install an under eave antenna at my house.
Mostly for listening but maybe some low power transmitting.
What I need is some input from all the experts here as to what supports
would work best. Also I dont want it to upset the other half
too much so it would have to be "pleasing" to the eye or damn near
invisible. As I dont have any plans or thoughts as to what would work best
I am open to all serious suggestions and ideas. It will be a loop fed with
open wire feeders is all I have in mind at this time.

I have used insulated cup hooks screwed into the wood through
which I ran a loop of solid insulated wire. Both cup hooks
and insulation are available in a number of colors.
--
73, Cecil http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp

Under Eave Antenna
 

stananger wrote:

I would like to install an under eave antenna at my house.
Mostly for listening but maybe some low power transmitting.
What I need is some input from all the experts here as to what supports
would work best. Also I dont want it to upset the other half
too much so it would have to be "pleasing" to the eye or damn near
invisible. As I dont have any plans or thoughts as to what would work best
I am open to all serious suggestions and ideas. It will be a loop fed with
open wire feeders is all I have in mind at this time.

Stan
AH6JR

I have considered the same idea, however my soffit, fascia and eavestrough are
all metal, and not electrically connected to each other. Does anyone have any
suggestions on how far below these I would have to string my wire?

I have also considered bonding both the individual sections of each, and
bonding all three together; but I'm not sure how successful such an attempt
would be.

Dave
VE3HLU

Under Eave Antenna
 

stananger wrote:

I would like to install an under eave antenna at my house.
Mostly for listening but maybe some low power transmitting.
What I need is some input from all the experts here as to what supports
would work best. Also I dont want it to upset the other half
too much so it would have to be "pleasing" to the eye or damn near
invisible. As I dont have any plans or thoughts as to what would work best
I am open to all serious suggestions and ideas. It will be a loop fed with
open wire feeders is all I have in mind at this time.

Stan
AH6JR

I ran a loop on the roof using plastic 35mm film containers as standoffs. I see no
reason why you couldn't hang them under the eaves. A small dab of
silicone seal was sufficient to glue the bottles in place. I used a soldering
iron tip to put holes into and out of the bottles and strung the wire through
them. My downlead was light 300 ohm twinlead. The antenna worked well and was
up for a few years. A simple firm pull removed the bottles when I moved and didn't
leave any damage on the shingles.
I didn't worry about things like radiation angles, radiation
resistance, UV deterioration and all those things that can drive you nuts
if you think about them long enough -- I just worked loads of stations
and had a pile of fun.
It's cheap and simple.

Irv VE6BP
--
--------------------------------------
Diagnosed Type II Diabetes March 5 2001
Beating it with diet and exercise!
297/215/210 (to be revised lower)
58"/43"(!)/44" (already lower too!)
--------------------------------------
Visit my HomePage at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv/index.html
Visit my Baby Sofia website at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv4/index.htm
Visit my OLDTIMERS website at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv5/index.htm
--------------------
Irv Finkleman,
Grampa/Ex-Navy/Old Fart/Ham Radio VE6BP
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Under Eave Antenna
 

Dave Holford wrote:

stananger wrote:

I would like to install an under eave antenna at my house.
Mostly for listening but maybe some low power transmitting.
What I need is some input from all the experts here as to what supports
would work best. Also I dont want it to upset the other half
too much so it would have to be "pleasing" to the eye or damn near
invisible. As I dont have any plans or thoughts as to what would work best
I am open to all serious suggestions and ideas. It will be a loop fed with
open wire feeders is all I have in mind at this time.

Stan
AH6JR

I have considered the same idea, however my soffit, fascia and eavestrough are
all metal, and not electrically connected to each other. Does anyone have any
suggestions on how far below these I would have to string my wire?

I have also considered bonding both the individual sections of each, and
bonding all three together; but I'm not sure how successful such an attempt
would be.

Dave
VE3HLU

I used pill bottles that were about three inches long. This placed the wire
about 2-1/2 inches above the shingles.

Irv VE6BP
--
--------------------------------------
Diagnosed Type II Diabetes March 5 2001
Beating it with diet and exercise!
297/215/210 (to be revised lower)
58"/43"(!)/44" (already lower too!)
--------------------------------------
Visit my HomePage at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv/index.html
Visit my Baby Sofia website at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv4/index.htm
Visit my OLDTIMERS website at http://members.shaw.ca/finkirv5/index.htm
--------------------
Irv Finkleman,
Grampa/Ex-Navy/Old Fart/Ham Radio VE6BP
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Under Eave Antenna
 

Just hang up some wire and see what happens.

I make no predictions but you will probably be pleased with results.
----
Reg.

Under Eave Antenna
 

If the soffits are not metal, they will probably be dry and just about
anything will do for an insulator/standoff.

When you said "eaves", some of us assumed you meant under the lowest
edge of the roof. Technically, eaves are the under part of a roof that
hangs over a wall. So the overhangs at the ends of a gable roof are also
called eaves. An inverted vee at one of the ends, fed in the center,
would be something to consider seriously if you have a gable roof. The
center would be perhaps 18 feet above ground.

On the other hand, if you have a hip roof, then a wire under the eaves
will be entirely horizontal and approximately eight feet high. Such an
antenna will exhibit a near-vertical radiation pattern and it will not
be much of a performer for DX on the HF bands.

Good luck

Chuck




Reg Edwards wrote:
Just hang up some wire and see what happens.

I make no predictions but you will probably be pleased with results.
----
Reg.

Under Eave Antenna
 

chuck wrote:

If the soffits are not metal, they will probably be dry and just about
anything will do for an insulator/standoff.

When you said "eaves", some of us assumed you meant under the lowest
edge of the roof. Technically, eaves are the under part of a roof that
hangs over a wall. So the overhangs at the ends of a gable roof are also
called eaves. An inverted vee at one of the ends, fed in the center,
would be something to consider seriously if you have a gable roof. The
center would be perhaps 18 feet above ground.

On the other hand, if you have a hip roof, then a wire under the eaves
will be entirely horizontal and approximately eight feet high. Such an
antenna will exhibit a near-vertical radiation pattern and it will not
be much of a performer for DX on the HF bands.

Good luck

Chuck




Reg Edwards wrote:
Just hang up some wire and see what happens.

I make no predictions but you will probably be pleased with results.
----
Reg.




Everything is wood

When you said "eaves", some of us assumed you meant under the lowest
edge of the roof. Technically, eaves are the under part of a roof that
hangs over a wall. So the overhangs at the ends of a gable roof are also
called eaves. An inverted vee at one of the ends, fed in the center,
would be something to consider seriously if you have a gable roof. The
center would be perhaps 18 feet above ground.


its going to be a loop and the location you describe is accurate

I just wanted to know what the best way to hang this wire from the eave is.