What I learned over the past month...
One key thing I've learned about antenna's over the past month: There are priorities for location you must follow:
* Height
* Proximity to metal
* Indoors vs outdoors
I found this out by tinkering with "Better Locations" for my 20 meter dipole. First arrangement went like this:
Code:
| <--Window
--------------------|^-------------------**
| ^Feedpoint **** <-- Tree
This was located in my attic. It did, ok. Could never get the SWR under 2.1:1 however.
Next one:
Code:
\ |
\ |
\ |
>| <-- Window with cable coming in
/ |
/ |
/ |
This was located all in my attic. It actually worked really well, got some RFI in the shack (I could heard my PSK signal over the computer speakers). I got a half-contact (I called CQ, someone came back, but then someone else fired a PSK signal on top of us). SWR was 1.2-1.5:1 on the entire 20M band!
So, genius that I am thought,"You know, if I can get this all outdoors, I'd loose my RFI, and get less noise being away from the house! Sure, It'd loose about 6 feet, but it should be fine!"
So, on my railing for my upstairs porch, I installed extenders to get the antenna about 1.5ft from the metal railing, and out from under the corrugated steel porch roof. Dipole fully stretched out on both sides, I should be golden, right? Nope.
Same antenna, could not get an SWR under 3.1:1.
Antenna is going back into the attic until I get a roofing ladder :(
On the bright side, since I like using my rotary tool, I made some pretty decent center insulators out of pill bottles, and figured out how to make a killing with the CB folk: Take pill bottle, make antenna. Drop 2-4 Motrins into the bottle, and seal with hot glue. Sell antennas for $100-$400 (Depending on how many pills), and market them as 1,2,3, or 4 Pill antennas! And call the hot glue filling "Swer Lube"
