AC7DX... Thanks AGAIN!

To my small number of persistently vocal  detractors...

My sincere thanks for your well meaning advice, criticism and comments.  You've done a good job in helping to keep the pot bubbling on the HOA/antenna restrictions issue.   I honestly appreciate your efforts.  I really do mean that.  Thanks also to the 4372 petitioners who saw things differently than you.  Oscar Wilde wrote something along the lines of "The only thing worse than having people talk about you ...is having people not talk about you."  Thanks for talking about me!

Well I see things a bit differently.  I think your posts telling everyone that my activities were a total waste of time and effort are themselves an even bigger "waste of time and effort!" 

Aside from that...it was my time and my effort so what's it to you guys anyway? 

RE: Another point for the T-8.   My T-8 worked very well on 6 meters although the manufacturer made no claims about this fact.

The Florida "flagpole law" trumps local HOA rules and city/county ordinances.  In Florida you are permitted to place a flagpole of up to 20 feet in length ANYWHERE (front, back, side etc.) on your property - provided it is NOT on an easement.  Check out my "flagpole" installation at my QRZ.com page.

I've probably owned a half dozen trapped beams over the years (TH-2, MP-33, TA-33, CL-33, TET 4 El, TH6-DX etc.) but only owned one LP (The Tennedyne T-8).  I was always looking for a better antenna and when I got the T-8 I think I found it. The T-8 was totally hassle free and went thru several hurricanes with no problems.  The trapped beams were always creating hassles - water in the traps etc.  As I got older and less enthusiastic about climbing towers I came to appreciate "hassle free" more and more.  I now live in an HOA and am unable to have any sort of outdoor antenna but I have very fond memories of my T-8.  Hassle free has gotta be worth at least a couple DB!

I received the following information from change.org regarding the petition which closed yesterday

Your petition, The U.S. Senate: Void antenna restrictions by homeowner's associations and developers, is now closed. Supporters may no longer sign your petition.

Since Apr 09, 2012 you sent 4372 letters toThe U.S. Senate, The U.S. House of Representatives, Sen. John Kerry (MA), Rep. Greg Walden (OR-02), and Federal Communications Commission speaking up for The U.S. Senate: Void antenna restrictions by homeowner's associations and developers.

Thanks to those of you who signed.

I think your idea of one or more beams in the trees is asking for a lot of needless hassles.  Since you say you're interested in DX on a single band, 20, why not go for a system of switchable phased verticals with decent radial systems for that band.   Verticals should be relatively easy to hide in all those trees you mentioned and they only need to be about 17 feet high.  They can be constructed from lighweight inexpensive aluminum tubing sprayed with camo paint.  

If you want to buy your way onto the honor roll, spend a lot of money on a new CCR-free QTH.  Then invest in a bunch of towers,  beams and rotors.  Get a big amplifier and hang out on the DX clusters day and night.  Whatever turns you on!  But first, decide whether you're more interested in the destination than the journey.  It's a Zen thing!

Sounds like you have room for a modest radial field in your back yard.  Why not consider a "flagpole" with an autotuner at the base.  My 23 footer works reasonably well on 40 thru 10. I'm ven able to use it on 80 and 160 under cover of darkenss by using top loading.  You can check it out on my QRZ.com page

You might consider mounting an antenna on your window.  Years ago I briefly played with a loop made from metalic tape (burglar alarm tape as I recall) stuck onto a large glass door in my family room.  I was able to make a few contacts with it.  This was in the pre-digital age.  I don't know how big the windows in your apartment are or whether or not your screens are made of metal - although I would suspect these days they're probably made of fiberglass or plastic.

The online petition asking the FCC to void existing antenna restrictions by developers and HOAs and requesting that "reasonable accomodations" be made has received 4150 signatures.  This petition is also going to Congress. The petition will remain active until September 30.  Please check the petition out by clicking on the link listed below and consider signing if you haven't done so already.  Only three more days remain.

http://www.change.org/petitions/federal-communications-commission-void-antenna-restrictions-by-homeowner-s-associations-and-developers

The petition has collected almost 3900 signatures as of 9/26.  It will be closed on 9/30.  Thanks to all of you who signed. 

I like the string of lights idea with the bulbs shorted out but wonder whether some neighbors might become suspicious when the lights never seem to go on.  I'd try it with the bulbs intact first just to see if they light up when you key the rig.

Measure from the center of the center insulator to the hole in the far end of the end insulator.  In any case, make the wire 4 or 5 percent LONGER than the formula calls for and prune it very judiciously to get it tuned right where you want it.  I often make the distance between the center of the center insulator and the end loop of the end insulator a little on the short side but leave plenty of wire on the ends hanging down from the end insulator for trimming (adjustment) purposes.

I should work fine.  You might want to consider replacing the RG-6 with something along the lines of high quality RG-8.  I run 13 feet of Davis RF Buryflex from an autotuner on my back porch to a 23 foot flagpole in my yard and it works reasonable well.