Second article on the rain gutter antenna.
Ham antenna hook for gutters.
I had great time.
However i recommend cw for such installations.
The rain gutter antenna has a vertical component approximately 25 high and extends horizontally across the roof line for 35.
I am a new ham and wish to mount a center fed g5rv dipole antenna under the eaves of my house where i have a 78 clear run available two stories above ground.
How do i physically connect the coax to the gutter.
Rain gutter antennas work better if you use a continuous insulated wire in the gutter or along side it.
The problem is a metal rain gutter which runs parallel to the antenna about 3 feet to the side of it.
A couple of years ago i had written an article on the use of my rain gutter on my home as my hf antenna.
Make sure your gutter and downspout are isolated from ground.
I live in an apartment so i think the best thing right now is to use my gutter but i have a few questions.
I was surprised that the gutter tuned up at a.
Also less interference is created to neighbour s tv etc from cw than ssb.
Make sure there is solid electrical continuity between the various sections of your downspout and gutter.
Unlike gregg s gutter antenna the spout and long horizontal section were made from plastic.
And weaker signal from such set up can be heard better in cw.
Stealth gutter antenna for ham radio or shortwave.
Hi i m a new ham trying to figure out the antenna situation.
I did a quick coax run to the outside gutter and grounded the braided side then connected the feedline to an old mfj tuner.
So i have my radio tuner coax running out the window to the gutter.
Connect to the wire not the gutter.
Also feed it up high like a dipole not as a vertical against ground.
I did use rain gutter as antenna and water pipe as ground it worked great from 160 mtr to 10 mtr.
In fact the downspout has now become my main antenna.
So i just ran an appropriate length of 18 awg speaker wire inside the plastic downspout and horizontal section sealing the ends with waterproof silicone caulk and attached the antenna segment to the main wire of some rg 8 coax while i connected the coax ground braid to buried counterpoise wires.
Do i just solder a wire onto the center pin on the coax and then to the gutter.
Some words of caution are in order however if you plan to use your rainspout as an antenna.
