base in an apartment

[12 gage]

I live in an apartment and would like to set up a base radio. I live in a building with 16 units in the middle down stairs. I need an antenna that will not bleed and and can be concealed.

[12 gage]

Has any one used the "Firestik IBA-5 indoor base antenna" I found it on Clay's radio shop web site. does any one know what kind of range you can get with this or if it will bleed. I work security for the apartment complex so they watch me closer.

['Doc]

I've never owned/used one but can tell you that any indoor antenna has the potential to "bleed", or cause interference to near-by electronics. Any antenna that isn't close to being 'done' right will cause more interference than one that is 'done' right, and 'Firestik' says that about their "IBA-5". It is not 'done' right, it doesn't use a 'groundplane' of the right size, or the 'other half' of the antenna isn't right. So, expect interference problems.
- 'Doc

[12 gage]

I've never owned/used one but can tell you that any indoor antenna has the potential to "bleed", or cause interference to near-by electronics. And antenna that isn't close to being 'done' right will cause more interference than one that is 'done' right, and 'Firestik' says that about their "IBA-5". It is not 'done' right, it doesn't use a 'groundplane' of the right size, or the 'other half' of the antenna isn't right. So, expect interference problems.
- 'Doc

OK thanks for the info! is it possible to run a wire dipole around the roof of my porch? The porch is not long enough to run it in an inverted V I don't think so I thought abought running it around the top of the porch in basically in a loop but with 90 degree angles in it would this work?

[12 gage]

Also years ago a guy I ran with told me that you could make an antenna by looping a piece of coax around the rafters of my house in the attic and connect the ends together with a "T" connector and then run your feed line down to your radio. Is this possible? if so how long wood the coax have to be to work on 11meter and would it bleed if put out side on my porch?

[Night Crawler]

is it possible to run a wire dipole around the roof of my porch? The porch is not long enough to run it in an inverted V I don't think so I thought abought running it around the top of the porch in basically in a loop but with 90 degree angles in it would this work?

Here are some examples of ways that can be used to get a dipole to fit in the space availible.
[Please login or register to view this link]

['Doc]

A dipole can be bent in a number of ways, they do not have to be straight all the time. It's best if there's as little of it 'paralleling' it's self as possible, and those 'parallel' portions as far apart as possible.
How deep and long is your porch roof? You need about 20 feet of space to put a typical 11 meter dipole in. That leaves you some room at both ends. Hopefully, none of that roof or it's supports is metal. How about along the longest edge of that roof then down the supports on each side? I'd also put the thing on stand-off insulators. Tell anyone who asks that it's a 'bug-zapper'.
- 'Doc

[12 gage]

is it possible to run a wire dipole around the roof of my porch? The porch is not long enough to run it in an inverted V I don't think so I thought abought running it around the top of the porch in basically in a loop but with 90 degree angles in it would this work?

Here are some examples of ways that can be used to get a dipole to fit in the space availible.
[Please login or register to view this link]

Thanks for the link that gave some ideas

[12 gage]

A dipole can be bent in a number of ways, they do not have to be straight all the time. It's best if there's as little of it 'paralleling' it's self as possible, and those 'parallel' portions as far apart as possible.
How deep and long is your porch roof? You need about 20 feet of space to put a typical 11 meter dipole in. That leaves you some room at both ends. Hopefully, none of that roof or it's supports is metal. How about along the longest edge of that roof then down the supports on each side? I'd also put the thing on stand-off insulators. Tell anyone who asks that it's a 'bug-zapper'.
- 'Doc

I am not sure if there is any metal in the floor of the second floor porch but the supports are wood. As for size I will get measurements and get back with you on that tomorrow. How far does it need to be from the ground?

['Doc]

How far from ground? Definitely not touching, and as far as possible. From there it's a matter of what you have to work with. 'Some' is better than 'none'. May not be the bestest in the world, but better than nothing?
If more than two or three people can stand on that 'porch' without being really 'intimate', I figure you'll have something close to 18 feet of perimeter. So, run the thing 'around' the 'porch'. Got some left over? Let it hang down. Lot's of 'wiggle room' in that...
- 'Doc

[12 gage]

I forgot to measure the porch but I think it is around 8' tall X 3' wide X 10' long so from what you have told me I should be able to run it around the porch with no problem. What is the total length of a 11 meter wire dipole? Now I have to get my radio working again and get the dipole and I will be good to go. Doc thanks for the help.

['Doc]

The finished length of a 1/2 wave dipole for 11 meters will be somewhere around 18 feet. That 'finished' length is variable and depends on how/where the thing is mounted and what's around it. That 18 feet is a bit longer than is normally needed so gives you some 'extra' length to use in tuning, tying the thing off, whatever. It's a lot easier to fold the extra wire back onto it's self, or cut it off, than it is to add more wire.
- 'Doc

[12 gage]

That is for darn sure. I measured the porch last night it is bigger than thought. It is 11' long X 12' tall X 7' deep so I have plenty of room to work with. Would it be better to mount it towards the front of the porch so that it is not right up next to the building, or does it matter?

[Night Crawler]

Would it be better to mount it towards the front of the porch so that it is not right up next to the building

Of course it would.

['Doc]

It would also be beneficial to mount that antenna away from the 'porch' railing as much as possible.
- 'Doc

[12 gage]

I am planing on running it along the roof of my porch and then letting the ends hang down on each end. It should be more than far enough from the ground at least 4' on both ends.

['Doc]

I would think that 4 feet would be okay. What I was getting at was that anything close to an antenna can affect how it behaves. getting that antenna as far from the 'rail' or the roof edge would not be a bad idea. But that's a matter of whatever you can manage without a lot of trouble.
- 'Doc

[12 gage]

OK I see what you are talking abought now. The rail on my porch is wood so hopefully I should not have much trouble with it. The porch upstairs from me is metal 1" square tubing but the floor frame is wood so I shouldn't have to much trouble as long as a stay back from the edge.