OK, Have my Tech + and 13 WPM test out of the way. Taking General Written Saturday. That, however, only means I was able to memorize questions and answers (and Morse Code). Have a TS 520 Kenwood 10 - 100 mtr Bands and Ant Tuner. Also have a Grundig Satellit 700. Need help with antennas. Live in town and have no tower. I could read-up on this and,in time, could experiment and find out all about antennas, but since we're "down to the wire" can't afford the luxury of re-inventing the wheel. Any suggestions for a good antenna(s) would really be appreciated. Live in residential neighborhood (neighbors on each side). Pool and power/telephone lines behind house. I would just put up anything... but I have a decent respect for RF emissions. Will use primarily to monitor. Thanks in advance 73 KD5ICJ

-- Larry (Rampon@cyberramp.net), December 16, 1999

Answers

HI

I have a spi-ro trap dipole that picks up 80meter 40meter 20 meter and 10 meter.... cost around $150...easy to string up - already tuned.

I also have a triband 2meter 440 & 6 meter vertical (needed help putting that up on my chimney...

-- mmmm (mmmm@mmmm.com), December 16, 1999.

Check out the trap dipoles at http://www.spiromfg.com/

I was happy with the one I've ordered.... The triband I bought was from Comet....

-- mmmm (mmmm@mmmm.com), December 16, 1999.

LARRY:

If Y2K brings down the infrastructure, radiation from your antenna will be the LEAST of your neighbors' troubles -- so you can take a chance and put up a horizontal fullwave loop that will cover 80m thru 10m. Make it about 67 feet long on each leg, and lead it in with LADDER LINE, NOT COAX! You can run the whole thing no higher than 10 feet off the ground (which is what I do.) That will make it a no-brainer to tune with your antenna tuner.

If doing something like that makes you nervous, or you don't have roomn for a 67-foot-per-leg loop, then get hold of your local ham club -- ask for immediate help in picking and putting up an antenna. If necessary buy an antenna from one of the local hams.

Also consider an "Isotron," but they're expensive, and I don't know how well they perform, but I have heard good things about them. They install INSIDE OF ATTIC SPACE. If you buy it make sure you order and pay for NEXT DAY DELIVERY -- UPS/FEDEX won't guarantee it before Y2K unless you do.

Good luck, & 73, Bill, kg4dhj

-- William J. Schenker, MD (wjs@linkfast.net), December 16, 1999.

Hi Larry,

If you have a fairly good antenna tuner (not one that comes inside an xcvr), simply connect a length (any length) of coax to an insulated wire and toss the wire over a tree. The longer and higher the better. Then read the antenna tuner book and learn how to tune for lowest SWR on your xcvr (or even better, on the antenna tuner if it has an SWR meter).

Fancier antennas can improve your output a little, but you won't notice much difference on receiving (well, if you make a big loop antenna, you'll have less noise on receive because you reduce static on the antenna).

IOW, use anything handy as an antenna. People have used bedsprings and metal garbage cans.

-- Dean -- from (almost) Duh Moines (dtmiller@midiowa.net), December 17, 1999.