I got this idea about writing about my antenna because i had one once in the condo that worked very well down to about 40 meters.
Rain gutter shortwave antenna.
Pic courtesy of n6cc website.
A couple of years ago i had written an article on the use of my rain gutter on my home as my hf antenna.
First you have to use a tuner.
This one is used primarily as a shortwave receive antenna.
Mine was a mfj travel tuner.
Second article on the rain gutter antenna.
Unlike gregg s gutter antenna the spout and long horizontal section were made from plastic.
After reading shortwave monitoring they were talking about stealth antennas.
I have used just about every kind of material for an antenna for shortwave listening that would conduct a radio frequency including window frames bed springs rain gutters conduit aluminum tubing coffee cans soldered together old cb antennas tv antennas curtain rods copper tubing aluminum trim from kitchen counter tops and on and on.
Rain gutter antenna an end fed multiband antenna larry nelson k5ijb.
These aluminum gutters are made of 0 032 inch thick material and have an equivalent cross sectional area about the same as size 00 awg wire.
I was surprised that the gutter tuned up at a.
I have wanted to try this for a while but never got around to it until today.
I built variations of this antenna when i lived in several rental homes on hawaii island shortly after getting my novice class amateur radio license back in 1977.
They do not reach the ground but go into plastic pipe so they are not grounded but was wondering the best way to try this as an antenna.
This is the antenna i have been relegated to use for my hf operating.
Stealth gutter antenna for ham radio or shortwave.
Well i live in a ranch style home that has wooden roof with shingles but has an aluminum flashing around the bottom as well as metal gutters and downspouts.
The results have been surprisingly good for shortwave listening using the crane ccradiosw shortwave receiver.
In hopes of finding a low profile antenna for shortwave listening the rain gutter and downspout on the back porch were tried as a random length antenna.
The rain gutter antenna has a vertical component approximately 25 high and extends horizontally across the roof line for 35.
Another hf rain gutter antenna connection.