From: ehare%arrlhq.UUCP@uhasun.hartford.edu (Ed Hare KA1CV) >Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc >Subject: Re: Need Info on Bilal Isotron Antennas >Message-ID: <364@arrlhq.UUCP> >Date: 9 Dec 91 19:02:36 GMT >Article-I.D.: arrlhq.364 >Sender: uhasun.hartford.edu!arrlhq!ehare (Ed Hare KA1CV) >Organization: American Radio Relay League >Lines: 220 In rec.radio.amateur.misc, billg@hpspdla.spd.HP.COM (Bill Gingras) writes: > >My current HF antenna situation just isn't cutting it. I'm using a 27 >ft random wire tuned with an MFJ random wire tuner. Too many knobs to >turn and my "on the air" results using this setup have been just >terrible. I have never had good results on all bands with an antenna that must be worked against earth ground. That is because, in limited space applications, it is difficult to get a low-loss ground. An antenna, such as a center-fed dipole, that does not require a ground connection to work, will perform much better. >deletion >Also, does anyone know of a construction article in a magazine, book, >etc. for a similar type antenna? I live in an apartment and am told >that I can only install an antenna if it's not visible to the outside >world. That's why I've resorted to the crummy random wire. The ARRL Antenna book (starting with the the 15th edition) has a chapter devoted to limited-space antennas. The following bibliography is from our Technical Department files: 1960 March QST p. 49 Long Antenna for a Short Lot (80M H&K) 1 page October QST p. 23 A Limited-Space Antenna (80 & 40 M) 3 pages 1962 August QST p. 34 Retrievable Antennas (Flag. & Gnd-flr) 2 pages 1965 November QST p. 87 Invisible Antennas (Invisible Wire) 2 pages 1967 April QST p. 20 An Antenna for the Traveling Man 2 pages May QST p. 47 No Room for an Antenna? (75, 20, 10 M) 1 page (H&K) June QST p. 42 A Window-Sill Semivertical 3 pages (80, 40, 20 Meters) July QST p. 51 Whip Antenna (TC) 1 page QST p. 49 Alternative Whip for Window-Sill 1 page Antenna (TC) September QST p. 45 Indoor Dipole (10, 15, 20, 40 M) (TC) 1 page 1969 February QST p. 24 Limited-Space Antennas & Methods 4 pages of Coupling March QST p. 34 Antennas for Travel Trailers & Campers 5 pages 1970 April QST p. 56 1.6 Contacts per Square Foot of Real 2 pages Estate August QST p. Short Antennas for the Lower 5 pages Frequencies (Part 1-Loading & the Use of Traps) September QST p. Short Antennas for the Lower 2 pages Frequencies (Part II-Trap Construction & Adjustment) 1971 October QST p. 34 The Apartment Dwellers Dilemma 3 pages 1972 March QST p. 30 The Renter's Delight (Antenna Mount) 3 pages December QST p. 47 A Quick-Change Plug for the Apartment 1 page Dweller's Dilemma (H&K) 1973 September QST p. 11 A Bite Size Beam 4 pages 1974 March QST p. 48 A Cliff Dwellers' Answer to the Antenna 2 pages Dilemna (H&K) September QST p. 28 Off-Center-Loaded Dipole Antennas 7 pages October QST p. 22 Apartment Dwellers Slinky Jr. Antenna 2 pages December QST p. 15 The Minooka Special 6 pages QST p. 48 Some Ideas on Antenna Couplers 5 pages 1975 January QST p. 44 Apartment Dweller's Antenna (H&K) 1 page May QST p. 15 The City Slicker 4 pages 1976 March QST p. 41 Another Cliff-Dweller Antenna (H&K) 1 page 1977 March QST p. 42 A Short Antenna for your Apartment- 1 page House Balcony April QST p. 32 The Inverted-L Antenna 3 pages QST p. 37 Efficient Short Radiators 3 pages May QST p. 49 Continuously Loaded Helical (H&K) 1 page June QST p. 46 Dual-Band Operation With A 33-Foot 1 page Vertical (H&K) October QST p. 15 Optomizing Vertical Antenna Performance 3 pages December QST p. 45 Small-Space 160 Meter Antenna (H&K) 1 page 1978 January QST p. 40 Coil Improvement for Off-Center Loaded 1 page Antenna (H&K) February QST p. 36 An Inexpensive Antenna Tuner (H&K) 1 page March QST p. 29 The Flagpole Deluxe April QST p. 30 Short Ground-Radial Systems for Short 4 pages Verticals June QST p. 16 Build This Novice Four-Band Verticle 3 pages August QST p. 26 Antennas - Keeping Them Up 2 pages September QST p. 19 Designing a Vertical Antenna 3 pages October QST p. 35 On "Build This Novice Four-Band 1 page Vertical" (TC) 1979 February QST p. 33 A 40-Meter Midget April QST p. 33 A Big Signal from a Small Lot 3 pages October QST p. 18 Better Results with Indoor Antennas 4 pages 1980 September QST p. 23 The Shooter - A 3-Band Portable Antenna 3 pages October QST p. 28 A Traveling Ham's Trap Vertical 4 pages QST p. 38 A Deluxe RV 5-Band Antenna 3 pages December QST p. 40 Antennas and Grounds for Apartments 1981 February QST p. 15 Antennas for Those Who Can't Have 3 pages Antennas 1986 June QST p. 33 Small, High Efficiency Loop Antennas 4 pages 1988 March QST p. 33 Hidden Antennas - One Ham's Solution >rest deleted Bill, I am sure you will get plenty of answers on the rest! Keep in mind, that although it is theoretically possible to build a small antenna that functions nearly as well as a dipole, the radiation resistance of a small antenna is quite low, and even a few tenths of an ohm of loss can have several dB effect on your radiated signal. BTW - in case anyone wants to know, I will start posting these bibliographies starting in a couple of weeks. They are also availalbe by BBS from the N8EMR telephone BBS at 614-895-2553. ----- Ed Hare, KA1CV | ehare%arrlhq.UUCP@uhasun.hartford.edu American Radio Relay League | uhasun!arrlhq!ehare 225 Main St. | Newington, CT 06111 | There is no limit to what you can (203) 666-1541 - voice | accomplish if you don't care who Senior ARRL Laboratory Engineer | gets the credit. - origin unknown RFI, xmtr and rcvr testing | -----