Think you can’t use amateur radio where you live? Think again, as there are loads of options.
Why can’t you operate where you live?
Here are some of the commonly-cited reasons:
- Unable to put up an antenna due to planning regs / tenant restrictions
- Too far away from a repeater
- Don’t want to upset my neighbours
- I’m not allowed an unattractive antenna in the garden
Not allowed an antenna?
It may be that you’re in a flat, don’t have a garden, or have restrictions about fixing things to your building’s roof and/or wall. The good news is, there are options:
Most of the restrictions above refer to permanent installations, and in many cases, there may only be a problem if your antenna is visible. Accordingly, think about whether any of the following might work for your situation:
- An indoor or loft antenna
- A temporary antenna
- A stealth antenna
For VHF and UHF, a rooftop antenna is ideal, but not always practical, and bolting a white stick colinear to the wall is also not always an option – so the solution is either something not visible, or something that’s temporary, and can be easily removed when not in use.
I’ve successfully used two types of antenna, both pictured below.
The first is a car antenna stuck onto a piece of plastic plumbing pipe. This can be wire-tied to a balcony, or mounted on a piece of wood and poked out of an open window.
The second is a Slim Jim that can be taped to a fishing pole, dangled out of a window with a weight on the end or even used indoors attached with a peg to a curtain rail. Both are cheap and easy to make.
Stealth antennas
Loads of options here – for HF, very thin wire is going to be very hard to spot – perhaps tied to a tree or fence post. Antennas can be disguised as flagpoles, runner bean supports, washing lines, drain pipes, etc. My first stealth antenna was a length of wire cleated down my garden fence – invisible to neighbours and capable of getting HF signals around the world. If you’re looking for ideas, I’d recommend this book:
| Stealth Antennas has become the must-have book for everyone who’s suffering from the problems discussed on this page.
Written by acknowledged antenna expert Steve Nichols, G0KYA, Stealth Antennas remains the solution for those with tiny postage stamp-size gardens, intolerant neighbours, planning permission problems or living in flats. The book includes real-life case studies so you can see what can be achieved with the dozens of original and ingenious ideas outlined. This book covers roof and loft antennas, plus low-profile and even really stealthy external antennas. It’s available here: Stealth Antennas (Paperback) or Stealth Antennas (Kindle) |
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Operating with no fixed antenna at all?
If you really can’t get an antenna where you live, you still have options, such as:
Operating from a handheld – whether indoors or outdoors, possibly with a better antenna than the cheap rubber duck antenna supplied
Operating from a vehicle – Starting with a handheld and a magnetic antenna for the roof, up to fixed radios in the car
Operating “portable” – from a field, park, beach, etc, or by taking part in “Parks on the Air” (POTA) or “Summits on the Air” (SOTA)
Operating over the Internet
The last option, using the Internet, is an option worth considering. With a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone, you can use Echolink – no antenna needed at all – using free software and/or the Echolink app.
Or if you want to include some kind of radio connection, consider getting a digital handheld (DMR, Fusion or D-Star) and a wireless hotspot – the handheld talks to your hotspot, and the hotspot connects to the Internet. With either Echolink or a Digital Hotspot, you can talk to radio amateurs around the world without an external antenna – with the Internet doing the hard work.
Hopefully, this page has given you a few options to try. Good DX and 73!
Pete M0PSX
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