Invisible 5-Band HF Antenna - | HAM RADIO

Some of the modern houses have restrictions on antennas. Here is a simple HF 5-Band antenna that you can make, yet it is invisible to the neighbours.
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[@DominicMazoch]

In Houston, hams have used their wooden fences and used electric fence insulators for HF antennae.

[@ROBByJONEs-2]

firstly i read title and expected another flasgpole anr .. but i love this Sir. im putting in one today while its sunny out lol TY

[@jonmcadams5401]

Thanks for your great video reminder of HF stealth possibilities! I have a stealth 71' non resonant end fed sloper, 9:1 unun mounted inside my covered patio, 50' RG8x, no counterpoise, going down from 15' patio roof to 6' wooden fence. No tuner needed on 20, 17, 15, 12, & 10. Tuner used on 160, 80, 60, 40, 30. SWR is 1.5 to 1 or better on all HF bands. Have made contacts on all bands except 30 meters. From California 100 watts SSB and QRP DX contacts on 40, 20, 17, to Europe, Mediterranean, Africa, South America, Asia, Australia. Good signal reports on daily 80 & 40 SSB nets across Western USA. Lots of HF enjoyment!

[@rivit90]

Great set up,, To be honest I actually tried this with a efhw using a 49:1 transformer. And a loading coil ( from your shop) for 80 meters. It worked remarkably well. I've often thought about having a dedicated 20 meter band dipole up at 10 meters which is not out of reach for most users . This with a fence mounted 80-10 would be a great compromise alongside a very good 20-10 setup.. great video Peter , keep them coming, cheers

[@user-yt7cg8kf9z]

Thank you for this video, for this amount of cable with a 49:1 balun works better and its performs on other bands too. -G7UNF

[@davidlucas6837]

I ran an EFHW at very low height recently whilst out portable, when I forgot to take my pole with me! Worked well at about 2m above ground. I believe the Forces use this method of antenna deployment as an NVIS antenna. G8XDD

[@kenbaird7067]

Ken Baird from Wellington in New Zealand. I used to pick up the Australian internal SW service on my Tecsun PL600, 10m wire. All the stations used NVIS antennas to cover the outback.Stations were Alice Springs, VL8A, 4835 KHz: Tennant Creek, VL8T, 4910 KHz: Katherine, VL8K, 5025 KHz, some 4500km from my RXer. Unfortunately this service, along with Radio Australia Intl have now been canned!! VL8A used to come in stronger than the local 20KW MW station "2ZB" on 1235KHz. I also have a very good I-BRA-4 multiwire on my boundary fence.

[@DominicMazoch]

In Houston, we sometimes say we do not want our antennae advertising our hobby

[@user-tl5tt5yw3c]

The air is conduit for electromagnetic energy so it would seem if one used a Laser and pointed at a fixed point if one cud use the air next to the light they cud use the length of air as a radiator ,coax to a matching unit laser light antenna

[@watersstanton]

Stop taking the tablets!

[@user-tl5tt5yw3c]

@@watersstanton 😂Peter the way this technology is advancing ya never know thanks for reply

[@chrisg7veo495]

I found that if it is possible to raise the centre of it up a bit in the air , still can have ends around fences it helps

[@brianfields4479]

New plot, first job, plant a big tree and stick a vertical straight up the middle, instant hidden Dx ant. We always try to please the neighbors, but as soon as their old TV etc plays up, they knocking on our doors complaining, neighborly compassion goes both ways. Enjoy your hobby people, you're worked hard for it.

[@watersstanton]

thanks for sharing.

[@W-733_KWX]

I'd recommend this : put your antenna, well visible to the neighbors, but don't connect it to any radio during, say, a month : see if loosy neighbors come and tell it disturbs their TVs or any other appliances, and show them that's just there for display, nothing connected to it. NOW you can connect your rig and have fun, they won't come back lol 73 de va3kwx / ha7wx

[@tombaffa9374]

Always interesting ideas. Thanks

[@ATOMSHAMRADIO]

Light wire make sure it will handle the power i know from experience 📻⚛📻

[@tomkortoian3964]

I always enjoy your videos, my favorite KZbin channel! This one in particular intrigues me as I have a small backyard only 40ft wide at most and 60ft deep. How would I feed the antenna at ground level as the impedance of an End fed is usually quite high, so a Balun would needed, but what ratio? VE3FIO

[@brian.7966]

You seemed to have forgotten the new rules and regs in regard to OFCOM. in regard to keeping any antenna away from the public and neighbors. doing it this way goes against that surely.

[@andrewwood9281]

Yes, I was wondering about this too.

[@brian.7966]

we only get selected answers from Peter.

[@pixeluser175]

​@@brian.7966Don't know why Peter not responded, but a visible antenna in that garden would also be close to the public and neighbors. OFCOM would NOT have problems with this video, I guess.

[@q07906]

I have whats called a horizontal WL loop, that is 15 meters of wire strung up on fence in a square pattern, no gap, just one piece of 15m long wire, ends connected to an ldg 4:1 balun. On 20M i can easily get signal to go as far as 7000km on wspr using only 0.100w. When using 10W i can make contacts using FT8 as far as 5000km. 40M band seems worse, only get about 3500km on wspr. Half of that on ft8. Horizontal or Vertical WL Loop antennas and EFHW are definitely among the best out there.

[@W-733_KWX]

And what distance do you get communicating with other HAM fellows on CW or SSB ?

[@q07906]

@@W-733_KWX I only do digital, SSB has the highest bandwidth out of the list, so it will definitely be less than the digital modes.

[@PatAutrey]

Is there any way possible to be able to add 60 m to this antenna maybe through a linked system or possibly breaking the line somewhere and adding inductance or capacitance. We use 80, 60 and 40 m for regional NVIS in Texas and Oklahoma, And it was sure would be nice It also worked on 60 m would love your thoughts on this

[@Raenman66]

You may not have Home Owner's Associations (the dreaded HOA) in the UK, but here in the US, we do. HOA have covenant restrictions on all kinds of things e.g. height of flag poles, lawn ornaments, types of fencing, and NO outdoor antennas (with the exception of satellite dishes that must not be visible from the road). It's frustrating and forces us to try to erect arrays in the attic with mixed results. Dealing with antenna issues in the summer (Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona) can be brutal when the temperature can exceed 120 F.

[@jhmcglynn]

I installed separate 40 and 17 meter dipoles in the attic in my home in St John’s FL. It was attic was 60’ wide. It worked very well.

[@W-733_KWX]

How about gauge 22 to 26 wire ? I do use gauge 26 here for my wire antenna a few meters above the ground, still no whining from the HOA nazis...

[@GoonyMclinux]

Hence why I don't live in HOA's.

[@Samsung123492]

Hello, I like you describing great usable things. BUT when you only talk, its not enough to transport informations. Please use more detailed drawings and pictures of the shown objects. Thanks

[@scurvydirtydog]

I remember some time ago seeing a stealth /hidden vertical antenna in a plastic drainpipe,ever tried it myself though.

[@davemould4638]

You can put a dummy drainpipe on the side of the house as well. The problem of course is that you have house wall acting as a virtual ground inches from the aerial along its whole length, which affects not only the aerial's resonant frequency, but its radiation pattern & strength.

[@ehayes5217]

Great video & thanx! 73 de WA4ELW in TN 🇺🇸 dit dit 🤓

[@everythingtrains498]

Just put one together for fun..managed to get 80,40,17 and 10 to work...20 a no go.Former was 2 inches though and used 8 turns with 75 ohm coax of 5 feet rated at 20pf per foot.Ill tweak some more...enjoyed the video Cheers VA3NUT

[@watersstanton]

Wow that was quick!

[@PatAutrey]

Please clarify, I understand making a loading coil out of #16 gauge wire, 8 turns on a 2" former ... But how to include the additional coax? Is it placed in series after the coil ? How is it wired into the circuit?

[@everythingtrains498]

@@PatAutrey Parallel

[@everythingtrains498]

@@watersstanton I was inspired lol. This morning tweaked it and now works on the 80,40,20,15 and 10. Receive is great,Ill check for contacts later in the day.Great antenna it seems for local work!

[@PatAutrey]

@@everythingtrains498 thank you do you need to short the coax that's connected in parallel or just leave it open? Also on the coil is it closely wound as tight as you can get it or do you have spacing between the coils

[@anylewynde5173]

... this is the only channel on topic to which I catch myself toe tapping as it begins ~ all good stuff ..would shop, but we're VE1 here. Ta!

[@jdailey19811]

You said 12 turns of 16 awg wire on 1 1/2 inch, and 12 turns of on 1/2 inch. Do you place them beside each other, or the half inch inside of the 1 1/2 inch coil?

[@pieterdutoit9642]

Thank you always interesting

[@alvarogaitan2529]

great job thanks

[@ATOMSHAMRADIO]

The hoas get yeah

[@SteveH-TN]

Thanks for sharing

[@watersstanton]

My pleasure

[@davidmaddison2628]

Thanks for this video. Is there a link anywhere to the original 1975 article? I had a look but couldn't find anything

[@watersstanton]

There is no link to RSGB article that I know of. Sorry.

[@PARTner91]

I don’t completely understand some of the details. Is this antenna documented somewhere where I can read and study it?

[@watersstanton]

There is only the orginal article in that magazine.

[@PARTner91]

@@watersstanton Do you know which month or issue of Radio Communications in 1975 the article was in?

[@PatAutrey]

do you know the inductance of the coil you desribed?

[@DominicMazoch]

Have you done, or going to do how an EQ can clean up an audio signal coming out of a HF radio?

[@davidnewman7490]

I've been toying with trying something like this for a while but the recent ICNIRP regs have put me off. I guess I could run at 10 watts so as to avoid having to comply. G1NNR

[@watersstanton]

Thanks for sharing

[@PatAutrey]

The 1.5" diameter for the coil is that measured inside diameter or outside diameter?

[@watersstanton]

Outside

[@PatAutrey]

@@watersstanton got it! Thanks

[@clivedewhirst]

hi whats the name of this antenna . thanks clive

[@StreakyP]

What I find interesting is comparing what other people with limited real-estate do, then scaling that to amateur bands... Some of the most constrained antennas are mobile phone handsets that have to fit in the palm of your hand & they do something incredibly similar... call it an inverted L taken to silly extremes or an IFA antenna (tickled/matched slightly differently but basically the same idea... a wire run not very high above a groundplane). kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYawlZRrjLSioLc Just be careful of the ICNIRP clearances in your neighbours garden.

[@Zerkbern]

A link to the website where you can make a purchase would be helpful.

[@watersstanton]

Done

[@markcartlidge7107]

Hi great video, my fence is wooden panels with reinforced concrete pillars do you think this will make a big difference. I guess there’s only one way to find out. And I’ll give it a go. Regards Mark

[@watersstanton]

Hoos it works out

[@WillShattuck]

Nice video. Why no actual antenna set up to show how it's done?

[@PatAutrey]

are you aware of an NVIS setup that will go straight up so that HF contacts can be made within 30 miles?

[@watersstanton]

Well this comes as close as you will ever get

[@PatAutrey]

@@watersstanton does this require a 49:1 balun

[@davem0udb]

Great video Peter, for some reason the W3DZZ has passed me by🤷‍♂️, loads of useful information on the internet and this has until now passed me by.

[@watersstanton]

Glad to help