New to GMRS

[briantxgs]

I live in an apartment complex and just bought a TID Radio H8 but the shielding in my walls, not sure if it's steel or aluminum, prevents me from getting any signal out on any channel, even NOAA channels, unless I'm standing right by the window to my patio, Being I'm in an apartment, I can't drill any holes and any antenna I use must be non-permanent, I bought a mobile antenna with a magnetic mount (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TPZ221K?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title) and although I haven't tried it yet, from what I read I need a ground plane of at least three inches around the antenna to get a decent signal, which I don't have. What I do have is a steel rail, about 1.5" in width and maybe eight feet long.

I have two questions:

1) Is that enough to get a good ground plane to use a 5W GMRS radio

and

2) if not, I found a steel pizza pan I don't use that is magnetic. It looks like it has some kind of coating, maybe teflon or some other non-stick surface but magnets do attach to it and is 14" in diameter. I know this is not optimal but would this work instead?

 

I saw there is a ground plane kit on Amazon but then I'd have to buy the antenna and then the coax. Money's tight, as everyone knows, so I'm looking for the easy way out here.

[OffRoaderX]

Your pizza pan will work just fine.

[BoxCar]

The railing will also work. The signal from your radio will be stronger going in the same direction as the railing, but still omnidirectional for all practical purposes.

[Guest]

You don’t want to use the rail. It won’t work in all directions well.  
 

just use the pizza sheet they work great.  

[WRYZ926]

A pizza pan or even a 9x13 cookie sheet will work fine. 

[WRUU653]

I would try both but the pizza pan in a window should work fine. While a cookie sheet will also work I wouldn’t use it unless you have a second one because homemade cookies are really more important… I think.

[WRYZ926]

2 hours ago, WRUU653 said:

I would try both but the pizza pan in a window should work fine. While a cookie sheet will also work I wouldn’t use it unless you have a second one because homemade cookies are really more important… I think.

Yeah I do NOT suggest using the only (or good) cookie sheet. You don't want upset the spousal unit.

[BoxCar]

5 hours ago, BoxCar said:

The railing will also work. The signal from your radio will be stronger going in the same direction as the railing, but still omnidirectional for all practical purposes.

 

5 hours ago, Socalgmrs said:

You don’t want to use the rail. It won’t work in all directions well.  

Isn't that what I said? 

[briantxgs]

8 hours ago, BoxCar said:

The railing will also work. The signal from your radio will be stronger going in the same direction as the railing, but still omnidirectional for all practical purposes.

My apartment patio faces directly south and the railing traverses east and west. Not sure how the signal travels.

[briantxgs]

17 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

Your pizza pan will work just fine.

Thanks.

[briantxgs]

7 hours ago, WRUU653 said:

I would try both but the pizza pan in a window should work fine. While a cookie sheet will also work I wouldn’t use it unless you have a second one because homemade cookies are really more important… I think.

Unfortunately I only have one window with a sill and that's in my bedroom and the sill is only an inch wide. I have two windows in my living room but one is in the door to the patio and the other is in a fake door right next to it. Both go floor to the top of the doorway. They did not design these apartments very well..

[briantxgs]

4 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

Yeah I do NOT suggest using the only (or good) cookie sheet. You don't want upset the spousal unit.

I made sure I grabbed an old pizza pan. I have two newer and better ones.

[briantxgs]

Thank you all for the replies. You've been a great help.

[BoxCar]

On the railing your signal would look like a football if you could see it. Better EW but still usable for a shorter distance NS.

[Guest]

Stick it to the top of your fridge. oops, sorry he said his building was shielded. I spent 30 years living in apartments. A magnet mount on the fridge was the standard setup. Excuse me for being lame.

[Lscott]

4 hours ago, briantxgs said:

I made sure I grabbed an old pizza pan. I have two newer and better ones.

With money being tight you can try visiting the local dollar store and see what they have. You won’t be spending much. You might find something you can use with some modifications to allow quick mounting to a window still, hand rail etc. and take down quick when done. 

I’ve used a number of things when I had to live in an apartment for some years. Even tried a magnet mount on the air conditioner mounted in the wall. Put the antenna on the outside and routed the cable through the case to inside of the unit.

[WRUU653]

Some of the creative ideas here got me thinking about window mounts, of course you mentioned cost being a concern and you are using an HT. I found this, it utilizes your HT antenna and it is inexpensive… you may need some bnc connectors as well that can be found on Amazon for cheap.  

 

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/antennakit.php

Edited November 11 by WRUU653
Spelling

[SteveShannon]

4 minutes ago, WRUU653 said:

Some of the creative ideas here got me thinking about window mounts, of course you mentioned cost being a concern and you are using an HT. I found this, it utilizes your HT antenna and it is inexpensive… you may need some bnc connectors as well that can be found on Amazon for cheep  

 

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/antennakit.php

That’s pretty cool. AircraftSpruce is where I get my fiberglass lamination supplies and I really like their products. 

[WRUU653]

I found this too but it didn’t really fit the inexpensive requirements for OP but I thought this might be a great for a rental car situation or temporary mount to an off roading friend. They say no ground plane needed.

https://www.seasucker.com/products/gmrs-antenna-mount?currency=USD&variant=40080004481086&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&stkn=4ae61d1a5c31&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAC7X2zOxfIBWxHhe06B0vbfRtVzyu&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiZH4p73UiQMVWSNECB1tVR1iEAQYAyABEgLMP_D_BwE