Faux lightning rods?

[K3AL]

Take a look and Trans World Antennas TW-2010.  I have had one of these for a few years and they are an excellent stealth antenna.

It takes less than 5 minutes to deploy and works thru 40M.

When in my stick house, I ran buried coax and the antenna control wire out to the edge of my yard and put in a permanent mounting pole in the ground just below the surface and placed a 4" lenght of pvc around it with a lawn drain cap as a cover.  With this just below grade it is unlikely to be spotted.  You pop up the drain cap and slap the TW-2010 up in minutes.  The only curve is to exit the coax about 4 feet from the antenna mount so you can put a short length of coax at the recommended 45 degree angle from the antenna.

K3AL

[KG4YMC]

Hi, I don't have a problem were I am . . I wondered about the dock angle. I know were my parents used to have a place on  a lake a lot of people will use pullies and lift there boat out of the water. Could you use a stealth type pully life on dock for antenna. ? Also an extened light pole for when you are r  fishing and cleaning fish by your docksink? just an idea. don't know if this helps . good luck 73 kg4ymc  oh, also notice some people have these screen in porches and have like turnbucles for support of the frame , could you  incorporate something like that into a setath type antenna . ?

[KG4YMC]

Frank, some other ideas  while your at it . Mabey run a l2 volt line in thru that pvc also . And a generator tranfer switch  and line , then you be ready for anything , just a sugestion . kg4uymc

[K4FMH]

Yes, I will definitely test the RF waters in the attic cheaply with a dipole before doing something more expensive. Just daydreaming....

[K6JEA]

You mentioned earlier that you might have room in the garage attic for a hex beam. Would it be possible to skip the metal insulation in that roof? It is only the garage after all. If heating the garage is an issue, maybe insulate the attic floor/garage ceiling instead of the roof.

Jim

[K4FMH]

Good point, Jim! I will check with my builder as the roofing subs submit their construction plan.

73,

Frank

[KD8NGE]

Frank:  I echo N4UM's comments about (a) experimenting like crazy, and (b) having the builder install some PVC pipe for coax runs.  I've had a dickens of a time getting coax in from outside.  I wish I'd thought about ham radio when my house was being built--PVC tubing from the attic, through the outside wall into the basement, up through the floor from the basement to the shack area.  And, while you're at it, have them install a 240 volt circuit and some extra 120 volt circuits, with a whole lot of extra outlets, to the ham shack. 

73, Tony N3WAK

Tony is absolutely right, and I wish I had his sound advice 12 years ago when I built mine!
Life would have been less stressful and my language would have been distinctly more Christian in nature!

[KD8NGE]

Mention was made of patriotic display of our national standard.
I was given permission to erect a wireless weather station on a pole.
PVC pipe will make not only a fine mast for the weather station, but a superb hide for the ladder wire J-pole (2m/70cm) not to mention a high point to anchor the planned inverted-Vee!
Magnet wire is my friend!

[VK2FXXX]

You might try the old "dummy pvc vent pipe trick"
Place the dummy vent pipe close to the shack, for short coax length to tuner. make the pipe as long as you dare. Drop a wire inside,down to the ground(feedpoint). install many radials under new turf/landscaping etc.
Put vent cap on for realistic look. Tune up and make contacts!
this should work well if there is no metal on the side of your house.
Have a look around the neighbourhood for some examples.
You would want the entire pvc length outside, fixed to the house.
Paint to same colour as house and roof for aesthetics.
Use same pipe for the shack end support of a super fine stealth wire,etc.
Good luck.
Brendan.

[KI4SDY]

If I had as much money as you are spending on this project, I would buy in an unregulated neighborhood in the country. As a ham, you will just be continually frustrated. Further, as a native Floridian, I would advise you not to retire in Florida. You get very little bang for your buck and socially, the state is going down hill. Temporarily, house prices are down, but after they go back up so will the property taxes!

[K4FMH]

Guy,

Thanks for the comments! We were in the Atlanta area when I decided to retire, although I still write books and other thinks in my field. We moved back to MS where most of our immediate family is located. There's usually more to the equation than just amateur radio....especially considering a spouse's preferences and other family needs. Probably chose one of the poorer sites regarding amateur radio antennas: no trees, HOA CC&Rs against "visible" antennas (although OTARD will protect our small satellite dish), very small yard space, and so forth. But, it's where we want to live, all things considered.

My search came from a thought I had about hiding stealth antenna in "plain sight" such as lightning rod assemblies. Yes, I'll probably be frustrated along the way. But I see it as a chance to use ingenuity to solve problems in our hobby. My request was for ideas, given the choice of our location, and I've received several good ones. I will have to wait and see if my large attic will prove to be an RF cage due to the foil backing on modern roofing plywood and insulation. HVAC equipment will also be in the attic space. I'm looking at it from a point of challenge rather than frustration Guy. Sorry to hear about FL....we visit but don't plan to move there!

[AB3MO]

K4FMH, you are in the deep south. If you use faux lightning rods, consider the possibility that "they" might have to become real  at some instant.  Plan, from the beginning, for good lightning grounding/protection for what it's worth.

[NN3W]

You say you are building a home in an HOA.  What and who is the HOA?  If the development is brand new, often times the builder IS the HOA.  The builder can waive any CC&Rs it so chooses.  Might want to negotiate with them.

My other thought is - does your land have trees of any consequence?  If so, use them.

My HOA is a mature, developed one and I have a stand of oak and tulip poplars trees in my back yard - up to 100 feet in height.  I have all sorts of loops strung amongst them. 

[K4FMH]

NH3W,

It's a mature neighborhood HOA on a large water reservoir, devoid of any mature trees! I already have a 160M loop constructed (intended for my previous QTH where 150 foot oaks and pines begged for this loop with a straight ladder-line drop to my shack. Alas, after four years on the market, it suddenly sold. I plan to hide the loop under the eaves around the new house.

While I will have plenty of attic space, the roof is being under-pinned by foil-backed plywood as a radiant barrier. From what I've read, this will make attic antennas iffy.

Frank

You say you are building a home in an HOA.  What and who is the HOA?  If the development is brand new, often times the builder IS the HOA.  The builder can waive any CC&Rs it so chooses.  Might want to negotiate with them.

My other thought is - does your land have trees of any consequence?  If so, use them.

My HOA is a mature, developed one and I have a stand of oak and tulip poplars trees in my back yard - up to 100 feet in height.  I have all sorts of loops strung amongst them. 

[VA3AEX]

I have an OCF dipole running along a wooden fence that encloses my backyard and along one side of the house.  On the fence side it's stapled across the top plate; on the side of the house it runs along a grout line in the bricks suspended by black electric fence post insulators.  Because its made of brown zip cord, the antenna is very hard to see and meets the WIF (wife acceptance factor).

It is strictly an NVIS antenna at 6' high but works to get me into the regional nets, and can at times be a better receive antenna than the dipole in the attic.

Good luck with your installation!   73