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Rippedradio
| | Posted on Thursday, July 10, 2003 - 10:50 pm: | 
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i live in a hoa neighborhood that does not allow external antenna's at all except mini dishes, does anyone have a creative and i mean really creative way to hide an antenna??? i have some really nosey neighbors that watch everything i do, i have allready had some runin's with the board with a 5 foot satellite dish i was trying to install, i had numerous complaints when i was just installing the pole!! any idea's???? Help i miss my radio!!!! |
Alsworld
| | Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 1:37 am: |
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Rippedradio,
there are LOT's of options here. Experienced ham operators can give you the best information (or Tech833, 808, 307 and the others) but my intial thoughts are an attic mounted, or external "hidden" wire antenna. Many people don't realize how many options are out there. Even an A99 mounted horizonticaly will work okay in an attic.
Also, a vertically mounted dipole of thin wire, "L" shaped.... man do a search on hidden antennas and you will find many options that are easy to build and even easier on the wallet than a commercially bought antenna.
Let us know what you come up with and the success. You can do this easier than you think.
Alsworld |
ryan
| | Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 1:43 am: |
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http://www.omnirep.ch/eh.html
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Kc0gxz
| | Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 7:03 am: |
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Rippedradio
I'll bet you a dime to a dollar that ole Bruce has some sneaky ideas on how to hide antennas.
However, if you had trouble with them just by putting up a pole for your dish, what do you think is going to happen when you start transmitting off of a hidden antenna and get into their TVs, computer speakers, cheap wall phones and baby monitors. Should I go on?
Maybe even possibly their stereos, bedside radios, hearing aids, intercom system, etc, etc, etc? Should I go on?
Not to mention the possibility of interfering with auto-pilot systems on low flying aircraft, setting off car alarms, the raising and lowering of garage doors. Should I go on?
How about a little bit of some good old fashioned in-house lightbulb flickering, turning on security lights, turning pacemakers off, cordless phones, phonelines. I think I'm done now.
I would NEVER consider buying or even renting into a place like that. After hearing so many horror stories, I doubt you're going to be able to use your radio gear without someone complaining sooner or later. Probably sooner. They will look at you as though you are some kind of a monster, if they don't already.
As long as you are there, there is nothing you can do about it. And the courts will stand behind them because you signed some kind of an agreement stating that "you won't do this and you won't do that".
Here are two antenna suggestions...
Antenna suggestion Number 1- If you want to be on the air, use your cell phone.
Antenna suggestion Number 2- Have you considered moving? Again.
I know a few people that have gone through the he||ish nightmare of HOA neighborhood living. But I've been told, as long as you pay your dues and live by their (oh so holy) rules, you'll be fine. Just don't try to put up a CB antenna OR our Red White and Blue.
And please be careful that you don't turn into one of them people. Because if that happens, then this forum has lost you forever somewhere in the depths of the HOA Goolies lair.
Good luck to you my friend.
Jeff, kc0gxz. |
bruce
| | Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 8:17 am: |
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WELL as Mr. Hardy would say ANOTHER FINE MESS!
Ok look at deed restrictions do they prohibit flag poles if not that is where you can put your antenna. You can buy a 20 foot pole and make it into a 1/2 wave end fed for cb and as a last resort there is aways the #20 wire. PRB-1 does not protect you even if your a ham ...... best way to handle this otherwise is to move .
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Dinker1
| | Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 8:42 am: |
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go out and put you a 30 or 35 ft flag pole up, put your antron in it== will work-- did it in our neighborhood, DEAN- |
Xlaxx
| | Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 1:16 pm: |
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Rippedradio-
I feel for you bro.
I moved,... although it was a good time to do it. Hey with 5.50% +no points you should do it. No HOA's, No Covenants, just FCC limitations. No more townhouse living for me.
I wrote a letter to my HOA and I did get a special provision from my HOA to have my Maco V5/8 on the chimmney because I was a Board Member,... but my next door neighbor was ticked off and said he could hear me through everything but the toaster oven! hehehehe
Anyway, my base station antenna is down currently but will be putting it up soon. Good luck and do a search, you can put a stealth dipole on the roof stretched out flat. Check out posts by 'Deadly Eyes'/ 'de',... he's kinda crafty. Keyword 'dipole' on the Forum will help also.
XLAXX |
Kd4amg
| | Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 3:57 pm: |
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he will have to be real sneaky about how to run the COAX from the "flag pole " to the radio, put the "flag pole" next to the house, so the coax wont have to be run underground if at all.... use yer imagination...you will have to LOWER your self and THINK like they do to get it installed to meet their qualifications... just remember to put the USA flag at the top, then the rebel flag, then your state flag...(lol)...still lots of confederate flags in folks personal yards in this area, 2 that have driven by recently have NICE NEW confederate flags, and raggedly faded USA flags...back after 9/11 saw several USA flags on top of cell phone towere, but they have either fallen or flapped the life out of them selves...man if we had a USA flag on top of every cell phone tower in ALABAMA, that would be a lot of flags, even on top of the towers that still have no antennas, cables or boxes at the bottoms |
Kd4amg
| | Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 4:01 pm: |
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there was am disguise antenna for 2 meters called a ventenna that mounted on TOP or around the vent pipe from your kitchen/bathroom. It looked like the vent pipe , diameter, color,etc...might try something like that...may have been a deluxe 2 meter and 440 version also, but you are problably thinking for cb use, unless you want to try this kind of idea, with an antron 99 inside it, neighbors might not like idea of such a LOOOONG vent pipe ( 18 - 20 feet above the house )...but it might be worth a try |
Allagator
| | Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 4:37 pm: |
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i just painted my A99 brown and stuck it the tree out side the back window they never seen it in till the lawn guy hit the coax with the chainsaw !!!!!
Allagator |
mikefromms
| | Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 6:29 pm: |
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If worse comes to worse, consider the 27 mhz dish. Your fusey neighbors would think it's another tv salelite.
mikefromms |
Bigbob
| | Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 6:58 pm: |
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Are you allowed to have a mobile antenna on your vehicle?If so then buy some kind of tip-up device for your pick-up or motorhome,unfold it when you are ready to tx,you'll have what some call a roving base,but please remember to fold it down before going mobile an 18 foot antenna doesn't like overpasses and overhead lines,Bigbob. |
Taz
| | Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 7:53 pm: |
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Flagpole. Or a dipole in the attic.
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Topten
| | Posted on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 9:39 pm: |
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The real definition is " N.H.O.A." with the "N" standing for NAZI'S. Your best option is to move away from there. Good Luck... |
Rippedradio
| | Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2003 - 1:15 am: |
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well guys i didn't think i would get this many anwsers! well i have considered moving becuase i still havn't gotten my 5 foot c band dish approved which is tickin me off! also the wife says we just got this house and i'm not moving again! so moving is not an option unless i want a divorce hahaha!! i have allready came up with the flag pole idea but the wife again says no flag poles she says it would look stupid, i said i don't care it's the purpose of it for my antenna! painting and hiding it won't work like i said my neighbors are really picky and watch everything i do! an antenna in the atic probably won't work becuase of the hole i'm in! i allready have a long wire antenna on the roof for receving hf bandsit works ok but does not receive like i would like it too! i have a mobile antenna sitting outside on the air conditoner right now but it doesn't work very good at all! anyways keep the idea's rolling in i will hopefully get one that just may work! 73's chris |
mikefromms
| | Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2003 - 7:18 am: |
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Too bad you don't have one of those Central unit on the house. If you did, you could mount a Wilson 1000 on it and be in business.
Have you thought about putting the CB salelite dish in the attic? Is it too big?
Your neighbors sound like a bunch of watchdogs. I couldn't deal with them. They don't even sound American.
The old saying is, if there's a will, there's a way. I'm sure you will come get a working idea sooner or later. The dipole in the antic should work for skip and limited local work. Anyway, we'll all be thinking about it.
mikefromms |
Kd4amg
| | Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2003 - 9:40 am: |
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paint the antron 99 red/white/blue tell them it is part of HOMELAND SECURITY and that you are a volunteer citizen with the government, using frequencies allocated by the government ( fcc ) ( which is true, cb channels are allocated by the fcc which is part of the us government ) to watch ober this great nation, that you are on the look out for terrorist or other national threats, and that you represent that particular neighborhood in the fight for the " good old american way "...if you cant impress them with the facts, baffle them with B.S. ( lol ) |
Bigbob
| | Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2003 - 10:01 am: |
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I was talking about mounting an I-max 2000 or an A-99 on your vehicle,with a fold down mount,a former radio buddy used one on his rv at a park near here,then he went hammy-wammy and I haven't heard him since.I mean no offence,that's what they call the prosess up here,even the hams. |
Diggerodell
| | Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2003 - 10:03 am: |
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hey chris i lived in a hoa and i had the same prolems BUT I WAS SMARTER THAN THEY WERE!!so here is what i did i just put my a99 on my wifes pick up with a small mast pole ran the coax inside to my radio. they could not say a thing because antenna was now a mobile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! just a thought my friend!!!
BOBBY |
Tech833
| | Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2003 - 11:41 am: |
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Why not try an A99 on a ground mount outside that folds down when not in use? If you get enough ground wires buried around the base, it would work very, very well.
If you install some plastic tubing in the ground along with the copper wire for grounding, you could tell the communist neighbors that you are installing a drip watering system for your yard. The 18 foot long, white thing is only temporary until you are finished.
This A(( idea would probably only work at night.
However, if you were to obtain your ham license, you could likely use PRB-1 to get a reasonable antenna up. |
Xlaxx
| | Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2003 - 10:11 pm: |
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I'm pretty sure Ham Radio Outlet sells an antenna that you can put out on your window. It connects to the tracks of your window. Just stick it out there and pull it back in when not in use. I think it was something like $85. Check their site out.
XLAXX |
Rippedradio
| | Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2003 - 12:13 am: |
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thanks everyone, i'm getting some really good idea's but please keep em rolling in! kd4amg i love that idea it's great but there too stuck up to care! all they care about is giving everyone a really hard time and being really stuck up and nosey they have allready ticked me off with the c-band dish which i was told would bring everyone's property value down becuase it would be an eyesore! yes that is what the board told me it's an eyesore can u belive that ••••???? i have allready gotten the dish thing taken care of but i need about 8 more primestar dishes so if anyone has one lying around that they would like to donate to a good cause i will pay shipping and appreciate it very much!! i have checked the fcc laws and no one can prevent anyone from having a dish under 1.0 meters so i'm going to put up 15 of them in my back yard on poles pointed to all diffrent satellites and then put them on a selector switch thats marked with the satellite! thats going to cuase a real stir and they cannot do anything about it becuase i'm protected by the law!!! ha ha ha ha i've got that one figured out now i just need to figure this one out! someone also emailed me about using a 102" stanless steel whip! i figured i would paint it black and it would be so thin no one would ever see it! but i am wondering what would be the best way to ground this system??? anyways thanks for all the comebacks keep em comming!! 73's chris |
Orion
| | Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2003 - 2:50 pm: |
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Paint it a light sky blue and hope for the best. Or, find out who makes the rules around there and bribe him. |
RCI 2990
| | Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2003 - 3:15 pm: |
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Heres a solution.... Move out in the country do what you want and tell them HOAs to stick it in their ears!!!! IMHO the HOAs are a subtle form of Communism. Id never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, live were there is a HOA. Makes me feel glad to live here in a small town were no one gives a **** about antennas.......... |
Moderator558
| | Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2003 - 6:07 pm: |
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http://www.dxzone.com/catalog/Technical_Reference/Antennas/Stealth/
this is pretty neat also:
The Bird Feeder shortwave antenna is a vertical cage wire antenna.
A What? you might ask.
Imagine if you will eight flexible wires, evenly spaced in a circular pattern, much like a ground plane. Draw these wires vertically to form a wire 'tube' and connect them together with a ring at the top. Now imagine these wires inside a telescoping PVC mast. Top that off with a bird feeder. Now, instead of a ground plane system with radials you have to put in (the neighbours are watching), you have this 'wire tube' constructed as a vertical dipole. At 10m, the Bird Feeder antenna is a mere 17' tall when raised.
What would the neighbours say?
Or for that matter the manager?
"I raised it up for the birds to get into and it keeps the squirels out too. And look, I can take it out when I'm not using it or the weather is bad. Boy, I really like watching the birds from my window. Did you know that ..."
And then go on about some rare, but not unbelievable birds that frequent the feeder. Buy a book on the subject with some pages tagged to show them what you've seen so far. At worst, they'll think you're a flake and leave you alone. Next, go in and tune up 10m and catch some rare DX instead. |
Moderator558
| | Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2003 - 6:10 pm: |
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http://www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/search/frame/FrameIt.cgi?Url=http://www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/search/jump.cgi?ID=7549&ID=7549 |
Rippedradio
| | Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2003 - 6:33 pm: |
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here's another thought i just came up with, my son has a fort like play set in the back yard ya know one of those that has the covered fort on top and sand box underneath it, well i was thinking of using a 20 foot grey pole, painting the antron to match and giving my son a flag or something to color and put it up on the back of his playhouse with the flag attached to the top of the antron!! what do you think, will it work???? |
Mrhappy
| | Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2003 - 7:07 pm: |
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The ARRL has some good info on Stealth Amateur radio.
Set up and operate a station without calling attention to yourself.
Install safe antennas,including indoor antennas.
Build invisable antennas.
#7571 ....14.95...check Arrl website,some good stuff...73....happy. |
Moderator558
| | Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2003 - 9:11 pm: |
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dont talk on it whilst he is playing,,,,,,,,,may be a BIT to much RF IMHO |
Rippedradio
| | Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2003 - 9:41 pm: |
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558, i don't use any power and i think it would be high enough above him that it shouldn't hurt him!! ha ha ha thats a good one! anyways i think i'm gona do this and i'll let ya all know how it goes! thanks and 73's chris or the 155 in st. louis mo.! i'll finally be back on the air hopefully!!! |
Danmandmc
| | Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2003 - 11:12 pm: |
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HEY, OUT HERE IS PHONEIX, AZ THEY MAKE CELL TOWERS THAT LOOK LIKE BIG CACTUS. DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE, MAYBE BUILD ONE LIKE AN OAK, ELM, PINE, OR FOR THAT MATTER, A PEACH TREE. |
RCI 2990
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 1:19 am: |
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Hey thats a smart and great idea!!! :-) |
Taz
| | Posted on Thursday, July 17, 2003 - 12:09 am: |
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Danmandmc,
You have possibly heard of me havent you? |
de
| | Posted on Thursday, July 17, 2003 - 12:45 am: |
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Re Tech 833
"However, if you were to obtain your ham license, you could likely use PRB-1 to get a reasonable antenna up."
UNFORTUNATELY...
PRB-1 does not at this time apply to "Private" agreenents. It applies only to government agency restrictions and even then the remedy is restricted to an antenna structure that is reasonable--no hard fast numbers.
As to the prospects for the application of PRB-1 to private agreements, existing or otherwise, the FCC is not likely to push PRB-1 into that arena of activity unless instructed to by the US Congress. Don,t hold your breath waiting. Remember Congress is composed mostly of Lawyers.
Take care
DE |
Tech833
| | Posted on Thursday, July 17, 2003 - 10:16 am: |
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That's why I said "However, if you were to obtain your ham license, you could likely use PRB-1 to get a reasonable antenna up."
Note the words 'likely' and 'reasonable'.
I certainly do not want to steer anyone wrong. I should not need a disclaimer. Take any of my suggestions as just that- a suggestion. I do not give 'advice', merely suggestions. Someday when I know it all, I will give advice. Since I don't predict that day will ever come, I am only able to give suggestions. |
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