I don't think the dipole and VHF antenna will bother each other.  If you have the room, you might consider a 40m/20m fan dipole or one of the commercially-available "shortened" dipoles (ads for these are all over the ham websites and in QST, CQ, etc.).  Being on the second floor probably means you need to give some thought to station grounding and keeping stray RF out of the shack.
If you absolutely can't put up an exterior HF antenna, I'd try one of those "slinkly" dipoles mounted along your shack ceiling line (or in the attic, if there is one accessible).

73,
Bob/AE6OX

Can you give us a few more details:  What floor is you apartment on?  What kind of building construction and what outside access (balcony, roof, etc.) is available?  What HF bands do you want to operate?  Also, be sure to look at the "Antennas Restrictions" forum - lots of discussion on this topic there.

Does anyone have any experience with Powerport 12v battery products (www.powerportstore.com)?  There doesn't seem to be any eham product reviews posted.

While looking up a callsign in the ULS website, I found a licensee who, over the past three years, has processed three callsign changes, three address changes, and first name, last name and (apparently) a gender change - but all still tied to the same FRN.  I always though that FRNs for amateur licenses were permanently tied to the individual, but this FRN appears to have moved to a different individual.  Am I missing something here?

For maximum coverage, you'll want to get it up as high as possible.  You can use the strap-type chimney mount kits available from Radio Shack or TV/CB antenna shops.  That is probably the easiest way.  Be careful when climbing ladders or roofs and beware of overhead utility lines!

Does anyone know what Kenwood's plans are for amateur products?  In recent months, they have (or are in the process of) discontinuing the TS50, TS870S, TM331, TM461 and TM642/742 transceivers.  Even the retailers seems confused;  some say these lines are discontinued, some say they are just "out of stock."  I think the last major new product they came out with was the TS2000.  Their website is hopelessly outdated.  Is Kenwood getting out of the amateur market?

I would agree with two of the previous posters:

1.  If "receive only" is what you are after, a simple random wire antenna should serve well.

2.  For a "transmit/receive" antenna, don't be afraid if a dipole has to have bends on both legs.  Every wire antenna I've ever used had to have 90-degree bends due to lack of space, and it didn't seem to greatly impair performance.  Prior to transmitting, I would suggest that you mount it using some sort of spacers to hold it away from the house framing.

If you're looking for an omnidirectional antenna for FM, consider either the Diamond X-50 or the Arrow Antenna OSJ 146/440 (j-pole).  Both are dualband (2m/440) antennas with excellent ratings.  I've mounted the j-pole on a simple wood pole as a mast and it works fine, SWR seems to be flat across entire band.  73 de Bob/AE6OX.

It sounds like you're looking to operate FM through repeaters.  You might look at the Arrow Antennas dual band j-pole. www.arrowantennas.com (see the reviews on eham).  They are very well constructed and only about 5 feet long.  Won't give you quite as much gain as some of the longer commercial vertical antennas but are fine for local FM.  

According to AES Las Vegas, Kenwood has told them that the TS-870S will start shipping again in a couple of months.  Whether it will be a "Mark II" I don't know.  It would be nice if the manufacturers would post info like that on their websites...

I'm unclear about the difference between "voltage" and "current" baluns and the appropriate application for each.  Any antenna experts out there?

73,
Bob  

I used the DX-CC for 3 years and found it to be a good antenna.  Had the center about 30' high, right-angle bends in both sides due to space restrictions, and the ends about 10' above ground.  

Found it to work well on 40-10 meters, including the WARC bands with an antenna tuner.  On 80, performance was, not surprisingly, marginal.  Multiband antennas are always a compromise, but I was pleased with the DX-CC.  One suggestion:  install it with a center support - otherwise it will sag quite a bit.

73 de Bob/AE6OX

I had a DX-CC for 3 years and it performed well, except on 80 meters (to be expected).  I did notice a bit of wear on the insulation toward the end, but it didn't affect performance.  I live in a mild climate, so can't comment on how it will last in extreme cold, but I would say you can expect at least 5 years'worth of useful life.

For a lightweight antenna with little wind load (small VHF antenna or wire antenna), I've used common grey electrical PVC tubing (its UV-resistant) with wood closet rod inside for stiffening.  Glue a plastic or rubber cap on the end and you have a totally nonmetallic support mast.  

I am currently an inactive ham but hope to reconstitute my station and return to the airwaves soon.  I am interested in MARS and wondering what amateur HF tranceivers would best suit both my amateur interests (CW/digital) and MARS use.

I have seen mentioned, for example, that the bandpass filters built into some modern solid-state amateur HF rigs significantly attenuate output when operated far outside amateur bands (manufacturers' "official" MARS mods notwithstanding).  Also, that some solid-state PA stages don't take kindly to non-amateur bands.  

Perhaps the best solution is to seek a separate older or "no frills" rig as a dedicated MARS transceiver?  Any opinions and wisdom from experienced MARS hands is appreciated.

73,  Bob AE6OX (ex-K6LDX)