Question about city antenna install

[WB0LSR]

I've posted this elsewhere, but I'd like an many opinions and thoughts on this as possible. I'm in the middle of laying out a ground-mounted IMAX2000 install for 10-12m DX work. I live on a tiny city plot of land, fenced in. I have neighbors on all sides, and a homeowner's association that is hostile towards antennae.

I painted the antenna camouflage, and my plan is to mount it near ground level on one side of my property on the fence since there is a large tree there that will completely conceal the antenna. Since it's on the fence, if I use ground radials some of them will be in my neighbors yard, so that's out.

What do you guys think about the idea of grounding the antenna to the chain-link fence itself? It's not a ground plane exactly, and it's not resonant, but would it not suffice as some sort of counterpoise?

Any thoughts are welcome!

[KG4CGC]

Absolutely! It is your best resource since it is already there. I would also experiment with the fence as a low band receiving antenna for casual listening. AMBCB and the Geritol Band, lulz.

[NQ6U]

I have heard of people using chain link fences as ground planes. In fact, the guy who gave me my inductive 160m vertical antenna does just that and has recommended that I do the same. It's less than optimal but better than nothing.

One thing you might consider is using chicken wire or some other wire mesh as a ground instead of typical wire radials. You can often get by using a much smaller area that way, often as little and 8 feet square. Do a Google search and it should turn up something.

[W5GA]

You only need 10' long radials for that ant. I'd use them rather than the chain link, it'll work better and won't be as prone to noise from the bad chain link joints. They also don't necessarily have to be equidistant around the antenna for it to work. The last 4-BTV I used had 36 radials in a butterfly pattern, and it worked very well.

[W3WN]

Well, my HF6V is mounted on my chain-link fence. It was originally on the back section, roughly centered. I had to move it to the side fence near the back after some storm damage 2 winters ago.

Works like a champ. Key was to make sure the feed point is above the top of the fence, of course.

I've also added a few radial wires into the yard and (with his permission) along the back of my next door neighbor's yard as well.

Now, I don't have an HOA to deal with, so I can't address how they would react to it.

And not wanting to sound like a broken record, but can you put up a flagpole in your front lawn? You can find some fiberglass ones around 24 feet tall online for about $75 including mounts... run a wire inside the fiberglass and no one will ever know...

[n2ize]

There was a guy in Manhattan who worked some great DX on 10-20 with an antenna on his fire escape using the fire escape itself as a "ground plane". And he didn't do too bad on 40 and 75 with some wire hanging out his window that he snagged in some trees.

[KC2UGV]

I'd say the chain link would work fine for a counterpoise, but as Doug said, radials for that antenna are small, and cheap. Using specific radials for it removes one less variable from possible issues you may face.

[WB0LSR]

Thanks a lot guys! I appreciate the input so far.. I had thought that it was worth a shot, so I'll try it and see what happens. Worst-case scenario is that I need to find a way to keep all the radials on my property if I end up needing them.

[W5GA]

Worst-case scenario is that I need to find a way to keep all the radials on my property if I end up needing them.

Nothing says that they have to be in a straight line, you can run them however they'll fit.

[WB0LSR]

Very good to know.. I was sort of under the impression that not having the radials spread equidistantly around the antenna would negatively affect the radiation pattern to a large degree.