Apartment antenna suggestions.

[WRWS738]

I got my GMRS License a few months ago, purchased couple of BaoFeng radios and finally decided to get a Midland MXT500 to use as a base station.  Currently I am using the antenna that came with the radio, but know in need to improve on that. Living in an apartment I am restricted from installing any permanent type of antenna, but am looking for ideas for a discreet antenna system that can easily be put up and taken down with little fuss on my second floor balcony railing. Any ideas and suggestions are appreciated.

WRWS738 -Don

 

[SpeedSpeak2Me]

If you can find a way to do a quick release mount, and want something small and inconspicuous, I'd go with a Tram-Browning 6140.  It's only 26" tall, with unity gain, and no ground plane needed.  I used one for a few months before upgrading to something larger (once I had a better mount).  Would need to get coax go along along with this.

Other option is something like an N9TAX Labs slim-jim roll up antenna (for MURS/GMRS).  You would need to be able to hang it from something, and wouldn't want it right up against a surface like a wall or railing.  I have seen apartment dwellers just use an aluminum extension pole, like the ones for paint rollers, and they fasten a hook to the end.   Extend it, lean out over the railing, start talking.  Takes a few second to put up/take down.

I do have the N9TAX one, with 16' and PL-259 connector that I use frequently.  They also sell a PVC mount (3/4") so you can just get a piece of PVC pipe and hang the antenna on the end of it.

[Lscott]

2 hours ago, WRWS738 said:

I got my GMRS License a few months ago, purchased couple of BaoFeng radios and finally decided to get a Midland MXT500 to use as a base station.  Currently I am using the antenna that came with the radio, but know in need to improve on that. Living in an apartment I am restricted from installing any permanent type of antenna, but am looking for ideas for a discreet antenna system that can easily be put up and taken down with little fuss on my second floor balcony railing. Any ideas and suggestions are appreciated.

WRWS738 -Don

 

I used this for years when I lived in a ground floor apartment. Not ideal but it did work.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/268-ca-2x4sr/?context=new

 

[bd348]

I am using a base antenna indoors next to the window of a second story house and it reaches the local repeaters just fine.

Try the stock antenna, stuck in the middle of a metal baking sheet, placed up high somewhere close to the window inside.  Doesn't even have to be outdoors.  It may work fine just like that.  You may have to move it a few inches this way or that depending on the repeater and any multipath propagation in the area.

[WRWS738]

On 8/4/2023 at 9:50 AM, SpeedSpeak2Me said:

If you can find a way to do a quick release mount, and want something small and inconspicuous, I'd go with a Tram-Browning 6140.  It's only 26" tall, with unity gain, and no ground plane needed.  I used one for a few months before upgrading to something larger (once I had a better mount).  Would need to get coax go along along with this.

Other option is something like an N9TAX Labs slim-jim roll up antenna (for MURS/GMRS).  You would need to be able to hang it from something, and wouldn't want it right up against a surface like a wall or railing.  I have seen apartment dwellers just use an aluminum extension pole, like the ones for paint rollers, and they fasten a hook to the end.   Extend it, lean out over the railing, start talking.  Takes a few second to put up/take down.

I do have the N9TAX one, with 16' and PL-259 connector that I use frequently.  They also sell a PVC mount (3/4") so you can just get a piece of PVC pipe and hang the antenna on the end of it.

 

On 8/4/2023 at 9:50 AM, SpeedSpeak2Me said:

If you can find a way to do a quick release mount, and want something small and inconspicuous, I'd go with a Tram-Browning 6140.  It's only 26" tall, with unity gain, and no ground plane needed.  I used one for a few months before upgrading to something larger (once I had a better mount).  Would need to get coax go along along with this.

Other option is something like an N9TAX Labs slim-jim roll up antenna (for MURS/GMRS).  You would need to be able to hang it from something, and wouldn't want it right up against a surface like a wall or railing.  I have seen apartment dwellers just use an aluminum extension pole, like the ones for paint rollers, and they fasten a hook to the end.   Extend it, lean out over the railing, start talking.  Takes a few second to put up/take down.

I do have the N9TAX one, with 16' and PL-259 connector that I use frequently.  They also sell a PVC mount (3/4") so you can just get a piece of PVC pipe and hang the antenna on the end of it.

 

[WRWS738]

Thanks for your thoughts. I wound up getting a vertical outdoor base antenna from DPD Productions to try. It is about 26" and I attached it to a fiberglass pole used for painting that extends to about 8'. So the top of the antennae will be about 10'  I will temporarily attach it to the balcony railing and see how that works. I plan to use that when I camp or have other outdoor activities requiring a base camp and my hand held bao feng radios. It will be easy enough to attach and remove from the railing to not call any attention to the management.  I should have it on the air this week. Anxious to see how that goes.

 

Don

[Borage257]

If you only want to talk to only a few repeaters or contacts in one direction, a small 3 element yagi is good. 
 

TWAYRDIO Yagi Antenna UHF 400-470Mhz,High Gain Outdoor GMRS Vertical Base Antenna,7dBi Receiver Directional Yagi for Ham Radio,Repeater System,433mhz Device,Fm Scanner https://a.co/d/fNLP4iX

[WRWS738]

20 hours ago, WRWS738 said:

Thanks for your thoughts. I wound up getting a vertical outdoor base antenna from DPD Productions to try. It is about 26" and I attached it to a fiberglass pole used for painting that extends to about 8'. So the top of the antennae will be about 10'  I will temporarily attach it to the balcony railing and see how that works. I plan to use that when I camp or have other outdoor activities requiring a base camp and my hand held bao feng radios. It will be easy enough to attach and remove from the railing to not call any attention to the management.  I should have it on the air this week. Anxious to see how that goes.

 

Don

[Lscott]

On 8/15/2023 at 3:49 PM, WRWS738 said:

I will temporarily attach it to the balcony railing and see how that works.

You have a ground floor unit or a multilevel unit building? If you have a top floor unit up several levels all you need do is clear the roof line. That’s effectively a small tower, better than what a lot of other people have.

[PA141]

Paint the pole and antenna a neutral color, hang some potted plants or bird feeder(s) on it (the mast) and only a Karen would give it a second look.  There are lots of ways to hide antennas with a little creativity.  Then you do not have to remove/install it when you want to use it. 

Leave the pole collapsed for some time and then raise it a couple feet every few days/weeks and most won't even notice the change.  If you are on a second floor or higher, most people don't look up. 

I know a person that had a large ham radio wire antenna in an apartment complex.  He used a drone to drop it across several trees at night.  Had it up for maybe a year before he purchased a house.

[PA141]

On 8/17/2023 at 8:05 AM, PA141 said:

There are lots of ways to hide antennas with a little creativity. 

 

Old video, but creative idea:

 

 

[KAF6430]

 I use a lighting stand: a telescoping aluminum tube with a tripod on the bottom. These are available for $10-$25 depending on height. Next, I clamp a three-element Yagi to the mast of the lighting stand and set it next to a window. You could do the same on a balcony, and attach your vertical antenna to it. 

 To conceal it outdoors, you could simply attach a flag to the antenna. No one would give it a second look. The tripod on the lighting stand makes it stable and easily folded up and tucked away in bad weather. 

 The Yagi, of course, will give you more gain. If you are primarily operating on repeaters, there's little value in an omnidirectional vertical compared to pointing a beam at the repeater.

[WRWS738]

It has been about two months since I first started using this antenna from my second story balcony, so I wanted to offer an update. It isn't exposed to the interior areas of the complex and mostly unnoticeable to anyone walking on the sidewalks past the balcony, so I am not having to put it up or take it down overnight. I am pleased that I am able to reach two repeaters, one to the southeast and one to the southwest  of my north facing balcony.  Each repeater is about 12.5 miles away. One repeater has about a 20 mile radius and the other is nearly 50 miles due to its height. In addition to this several of the repeater owners have linked their systems together, allowing me access to most of northern Alabama and a bit of south central Tennessee. Not bad for an apartment antenna.

[WSBT338]

On 10/4/2023 at 10:52 AM, WRWS738 said:

It has been about two months since I first started using this antenna from my second story balcony, so I wanted to offer an update. It isn't exposed to the interior areas of the complex and mostly unnoticeable to anyone walking on the sidewalks past the balcony, so I am not having to put it up or take it down overnight. I am pleased that I am able to reach two repeaters, one to the southeast and one to the southwest  of my north facing balcony.  Each repeater is about 12.5 miles away. One repeater has about a 20 mile radius and the other is nearly 50 miles due to its height. In addition to this several of the repeater owners have linked their systems together, allowing me access to most of northern Alabama and a bit of south central Tennessee. Not bad for an apartment antenna.

That's good news for me. I bought that antenna and it will be about 25' above terrain outside with mast up against the side of my garage (Southwest Florida). Mine will be connected to a mobile repeater, though. Hoping my kids will be able to connect. 2 households - less than 10 miles in different directions.