A Cheap Indoor Dipole for 80m-15m. Post #1668.

A Cheap Indoor Diple for 80m-15m. Post #1668.

https://appalachianow.wordpress.com/2012/03/15-a-cheap-dipole-for-80m-15m.

Author:  Josh Benson (NC4JB).

Accessed on 05 November 2018, 0052 UTC, Post #1668.

Please click link to read the full article by Josh.

Comment:

If you live in deed-restricted housing, you will recognize Josh's dilema.  Josh says he was compelled to consider an indoor dipole because he has "a townhouse with no attic, no basement, and a postage stamp yard, and putting antennas outside is entirely out of the question."  Does this sound familiar?  I faced this situation a few times during my amateur radio "career".

Josh overcame the problem with an antenna that was out of sight, out of mind--namely an indoor dipole that fit the contours of his home and still produced acceptable results.

In this post, Josh describes how he solved the antenna problem without violating the HOA/CC&R provisions of his home ownership.  Josh says the cost of the antenna project was remarkably small:

I used very inexpensive and easy to find materials to put the antenna together.  The antenna itself is made of #14 7-strand copper-clad steel available currently at 24 cents a foot.  I bought 100′ since the price drops to 19 cents per foot and you can never have too much antenna wire laying around.  The kit of 16 clear no-damage 1/2lb hooks cost $6 from the hardware store.  I also got a bag of ten 1/2″ PVC couplings to act as standoffs and supports where needed.  This bag cost $2.  For the feedline I used a standard 6′ RG 8/U coax line I bought from Radio Shack a while back for around $6.  I had to cut one of the ends off and strip it for the feedpoint itself, but the other end has an PL-239 on it conveniently.  Altogether I spent around $20 for the entire antenna, not counting tools I had laying around already.  If you don’t have any tools, at the very least you will need a wire cutter and stripper, and preferably a set of pliers, a drill and bits, and some electrical tape.

Josh provides all of the steps necessary to make and use this indoor dipole antenna.  Josh admits that an outdoor antenna would be better, but, as the old saying goes, a compromised antenna is better than no antenna at all.  Try Josh's indoor dipole antenna--you may be surprised just how well it performs.

Thanks for joining us today.

Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).