Antenna window bracket options?

[KB1RXE]

I live in an apartment on the second floor with a tin roof and am looking for some type of window bracket for a vertical antenna.  The only restrictions my landlord put on me was I cant put any holes into her house (which I can fully understand) and that it be as discrete as possible.  I only have a technicians license at the moment so I spend my time on the local repeaters which are 2m or 70cm so discrete is not a problem.  Currently I am using a Kenwood TM-G707 with a 1/4 wave mag-mount on a cookie sheet by a window and it works but I would like to upgrade to a larger base antenna soon.

I came across this antenna window bracket http://www.google.com/patents/US20120268341 which looks just about perfect but I can't find anything like it for sale anywhere and I don't have the space or tools to build anything like it.

Has anyone seen anything like that for sale?  Or does anyone have any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Jay 

[KQ6Q]

Is the window frame metal, vinyl, or wood ?  If not metal, just hang a twinlead J-pole from a curtain rod or ceiling hook near the window. Be careful running high power to an indoor antenna close to you.
Is the metal roof steel ?  If so, you could put a mobile type magmount antenna on the roof, with an added kink to make it more vertical (or just accept the angle). Then the only challenge is getting the coax in the window.

[KB1RXE]

KQ6Q thank you for your reply.

The window frame is vinyl.  I'm not sure what the kid of metal the roof is the landlord just said tin and I can't get to it without a big ladder. 

The J-Pole sounds like an interesting idea.  Do you think it would preform better than what I have while in the same location?

For running the coax outside I was thinking of getting an MFJ-4602 or something like it.http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-4602

The TM-G707 has a max output of 50w on VHF and 35w on UHF.  There are 2 windows in my operating space one is right behind my chair at the desk maybe 2' away and the other is on the wall to my left about 11' away.  I move the antenna depending on which repeater I'm trying to hit.

Do you think this power level would be a problem?

[K5LXP]

I'm not sure what the kid of metal the roof is the landlord just said tin and I can't get to it without a big ladder. 

Odds are it's steel, and in that event a mobile mag mount would stick to it perfectly.  No holes and pretty good performance.  I'd find me a big ladder to rent/borrow for a Saturday.


Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM

[KQ6Q]

KB1RXE - if you're using the antenna by the window that is 2' from you, it would be safer NOT to use a high power setting - 5 watts would be safest. If the windows are tall enough, you could hang a ribbon jpole in each one, and select with a coax switch. The magmount on the roof could be a neat setup, IF it's safe to put it up there, and IF you don't get a lot of ice and snow. Since you're in a rental, it might be best to keep everything indoors. A Rollup J-pole only costs about $20 if you buy it, less if you build it yourself! Give it a try.

[KB1RXE]

KB1RXE - if you're using the antenna by the window that is 2' from you, it would be safer NOT to use a high power setting - 5 watts would be safest. If the windows are tall enough, you could hang a ribbon jpole in each one, and select with a coax switch. The magmount on the roof could be a neat setup, IF it's safe to put it up there, and IF you don't get a lot of ice and snow. Since you're in a rental, it might be best to keep everything indoors. A Rollup J-pole only costs about $20 if you buy it, less if you build it yourself! Give it a try.

When the antenna is behind me I have the power set to either 5 or 10 watts.  I didn't think 50 watts would be a good idea that close.

The roll up J-Poles with a switch is an interesting idea.  Found 1 at HRO that is promising.  So till I figure out how to hang a larger vertical outside a window using clamps that will probably be the path I take.

Don't really want to climb up to the roof and it does get a bit of snow build-up on it.  It really is not pitched enough for New England winters.

Thanks for the ideas keep them coming if you can. :-)

Jay, KB1RXE

[ONAIR]

I travel a lot and often try to operate from inside hotel rooms.  I found that I can use a small portable ELK 2/M 440 beam antenna indoors with just 5 watts, and can hit repeaters over 50 miles away!

[K1CJS]

KB1RXE - if you're using the antenna by the window that is 2' from you, it would be safer NOT to use a high power setting - 5 watts would be safest....

Used to be that I was amused at statements like that.  Now I just want to puke.  Public safety radios with outputs of 100 watts were--and still are--used with antennas within a few feet of the operators, and absolutely none of them have been adversely affected by their use.  Microwaves, yes, I can see, but for anything lower than the 800 MhZ band, there is nothing dangerous about RF energy.

All the RF standards and the required calculation sheet for amateur stations are is a colossal pain and a unnecessary precaution because of the litigation that seems to be the way of solving everything these days. 

[W0FM]

I agree with K1CJS.  Public safety personnell often stand among many first responder vehicles equipped with 110W VHF mobile radios at incident sites.  All those antennas are just feet from them.  To this day, I never saw anyone negatively impacted by that exposure or even cautioned about dangers.

I did, however, once witness a hot dog cook on an 800 MHz quarter wave mobile whip while the 35W mobile was keyed.  Took about 40 seconds before it started smoking and sizzling.  That was a safety demonstration put on by an engineer.

Terry, WØFM