Original article from: Wayne Sarosi 
 Reposted by Rob Dennis,Moderator HAM_TECH,for use of the FIDO HAM_TECH echo.
  THIS POST/SERIES NOT TO BE USED IN ANY CDROM COMPILATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL
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SUBJECT: Hidden Apartment HF Antenna
 Bottom floor dwellers have some advantages over dwellers on other floors
concerning HF antennas. Single unit condo & PUD dwellers fall into this area.
 Dwellers in the mid-floor(s) have it the toughest. And top floor dwellers
have other advantages the first two don't.
 HF antennas are large and trying to hide one can be like trying to hide an
elephant. Many hams try different configurations,snap together 
ntennas,wires,
and flag poles to conceal their antennas.
 Some work out,but most get caught in the end.
 First,let's look at what you can and can't have.
 Most restrictive housing areas have a long list of items you can't have.
 Clothlines,TV antennas,sheds,flags,BBQ grills,etc. And most of all,the all
important HF antenna. It has something to do with nice surroundings.
 Make a list of these items and place them in a column on the left side of
the page. Next,list what you can have and list them in the center of the 
age.
 Next,list the items that are readly available in the area of your home.
 Such items are trees,gutters,vents,fences,etc.
 Look closely and don't leave anything out.
 A hidden HF antenna must be just that,hidden to the naked eye,even at a 
oint
blank range.
 Next,list the areas that you have a ready access to. If you can get to the
roof,write it down. How about the attic,basement,trees,etc,without much 
otice
by your neighbors. Most HF antennas are discovered not because of their 
esign
or placement,but rather a neighbor spies the ham installing the antenna or at
least doing something out of the ordinary.
 EX: Creeping around on the roof,on a Saturday afternoon,is going to draw
attention. Flinging wires over trees is sure to draw some attention.
 The big point here is not to install the antenna by looking like your
installing an antenna or doing something out of the ordinary.
 There are some new designs out on the market such as PVC vent pipe antennas
for 2m. But for now we'll stick to HF. Most contracts for condo / PUD 
wellers
will allow bird feeders. And even apartment dwellers on the bottom floor can
benifit from this design.
 I'll give a brief description here of the Bird Feeder antenna and discuss it
further in later postings. The Bird Feeder HF antenna is a vertical cage wire
antenna. A 'What?' you might ask.
 Imagine if you will eight flexible wires,evenly spaced in a circular 
attern,
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
neighbors 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 neighbors say? Or for that matter the manager?
 "I raise 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 
ou
have 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.
 What do you have to actually put into the ground? Your coax and a PVC pipe 
o
hold the mast up. Make it low in the ground and cap it so the mower doesn't
take it off. For the most part, you can leave it up.
 But do remember to put some seed in the feeder once in a while!
 I'll give the details next posting and tell you about another right out in
the open totally hidden antenna.
 This one is getting a bit long.
-WS
--- GoldED 2.42.G1219
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