Home base CB / 11 metre antenna choices - Andy?

[biosurf]

Andy, you about for a bit whilst I bash out afew queries I have re: antenna gubbins?

[Apache]

Didn't know Homebase did CBs

10-4 good buddy!

[biosurf]

[biosurf]

I fancy using my sideband rig a bit more. I’ve been listening to people in Italy, Spain, Russia and I think (If I heard the Q-code right) Ecuador tonight as I drove home which is quite impressive for a twig on a Surf!


That either means a homebase antenna or something I can use either on the truck or out and about.

My house is a housing assoc property which technically forbids antennas(though it also forbids sat dishes and I have one of them with no probs) and my neighbours are OK, but not necessarily going to be happy with anything too noticeable on the roof or in the garden.

Although I’m on quite a high point where I am, I’m about 5 minutes drive from a high point on the Downs which is higher than any antenna I can erect so it may be better just to drive up there to get DX.

Any thoughts on either
1. A subtle antenna for the roof that maybe doesn’t look too much like a CB antenna (seem to remember that your beam antennas look very much like TV antenna) I don’t have a chimney (damn new builds) so to go at the highest point of the roof would be attached to the side of next doors roof (I’m in a terrace on a hill so the peak of their roof is above the peak of mine giving a nice flat (bracket –friendly) portion of roof to attach stuff to.

2. Something suitable for in the attic that is any good at all and won’t be noticeable on neighbours TV’s radios etc. (I’m generally running 4 watts of course, but theoretically I can go to 12 ssb and beyond with an amp and don’t really want complaints) I would go for attaching to the back wall but the neighbours have a large digital TV antenna on the rear wall facing across my property so I’m not convinced mine won’t interfere with theirs.

3. Something I could take in the truck or even on foot. Either park up and attach to the truck without looking like too much of a freak or even something I could use backpack style to sit out with a battery pack and the rig. Seen things like this in the past that looked ok.


Was tempted to string a large dipole in the tree at the end of the garden but it just doesn’t overhang enough.

I’m tempted to go for beam to get distance but for affordability things like the Thunderpole 5 http://www.thunderpole.co.uk/thunderpole5.htm seem to make sense as a basic starting point. More sublte than something like a Yagi but still clearly a ‘non TV’ antenna.


Any thoughts?

Thanks

[Wolfracer]

I’ve been listening to people in Italy, Spain, Russia and I think (If I heard the Q-code right) Ecuador

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Plenty!
First and foremost, unless you are in MI6, or multilingual, why the interest in foreign gobbledeegook?

[biosurf]

Plenty!
First and foremost, unless you are in MI6, or multilingual, why the interest in foreign gobbledeegook?

Terribly sorry old boy but all those from foreigh on the old wireless tend to talk in the queens English doncha know.

[Apache]

A beam (which look like Yagis with few directors) or a Yagi is gonna be BIG for 27MHz - and you'll need a rotator unless you know who you want to talk to.

I was going to suggest a discone. They aren't too big for a lower cut off of 27MHz, they have a few dBs of gain having a similar radiation pattern to a dipole, but flattened in elevation. However, they are a bit radical looking and obviously not a telly arial! I built one for Rx between 160MHz - 480MHz and its pretty effective, but I also have a similar band Log Periodic pointed a Worcester / Birmingham as thats where most stuff is going on. A Log for 27MHz would be nearly 7m across though!

What might work is a longwire antenna and a simple antenna tuner. Easily disguised, doesn't need to be a precise length (cos you tune it) and is cheap as chips. Might be a good way to find out how much is out there without going to much expense.

[Wolfracer]

Terribly sorry old boy but all those from foreigh on the old wireless tend to talk in the queens English doncha know.

Jolly good, sounds spiffing carry on chappie, pretend I'm not here, what ho!

[biosurf]

Cool, thank you. Funny, been reading about lots of options on the radio forums but not much about longwires.

I'll look into it and see if I can string something over the roof or inside the attic and see how I get on.

[meooo]

String it along the ridge of the roof and claim its to stop the seagulls/pigeons settling on it

[DaveHMS]

I've still got 2x 11mtr beams + a rotator in the garage that I had strapped to the house when I lived in Germany. They are not subtle if you live in an area that is sensitive to big metalwork structures, but had incredible gain - 25W SSB was good for South Africa & East coast US when the skip was running well. Also used to get regular contact in the car, from where we lived near Bonn to guys in the Cheltenham area, just using a DV27 twig.

[Diezel Weazel]

Although I ran a "Highgain" 3 @ 20ft on a 20ft pole on the side of our old house (at Gutter level) I had a guy who made me a home made antenna from 13mm Copper piping & 22mm piping that slide into one another to form the basis of the antenna (can't remember much else) oh it was loft mounted n performance was shoite "hot" for homemade all on 1/4 watt.
Apache maybe able to knock ya summat up similar Paul if ya ask him nice like