Radio Preppers

General Category => Antennas => Topic started by: solaris0121 on April 30, 2018, 07:47:54 AM

Title: Stealth antenna using your tv aerial feedline
Post by: solaris0121 on April 30, 2018, 07:47:54 AM
I tried a little experiment yesterday - I made up a little wire from my clansman radio that connects into the outer braid of my tv aerial socket, so I can use the co-ax cable that runs up the side my house onto the roof as an HF antenna.

It worked - kind of...... I didnt have enough time to try any contacts.   But more importantly,  its good to have it as an option in case a time ever came when i might need to get rid of the antennas in the garden that can be seen by everyone.  Or a time when I might be out and about or staying at a relatives house.   I'd be interested to hear if others could try it and let us know what results you get - maybe arrange a CW or SSB sked one morning or evening with everyone plugged into their tv aerial stealth antennas !!!! that would be a blast.

(PS - make sure your aerial isnt plugged into any kind of distribution system (active or passive) in case you pick up some nasty voltage or static that fries your radio)
Title: Re: Stealth antenna using your tv aerial feedline
Post by: Sparks on April 30, 2018, 07:58:40 AM
Quote from: solaris0121 on April 30, 2018, 07:47:54 AM
(PS - make sure your aerial isnt plugged into any kind of distribution system (active or passive) in case you pick up some nasty voltage or static that fries your radio)

I would also worry about myself frying my neighbours' television sets or radios that may be connected to that distribution system, which was the case in the apartment building where I live, with a huge antenna on the roof.

(That's history now though, in my case, because radio, TV, and broadband Internet come into the apartment from an underground cable which, obviously, cannot serve as an emergency antenna.)
Title: Re: Stealth antenna using your tv aerial feedline
Post by: N1KTJ on April 30, 2018, 02:09:21 PM
It's just a good interesting idea. But is there not a lightning risk from having that cable snakes across your roof and open ended?


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Title: Re: Stealth antenna using your tv aerial feedline
Post by: solaris0121 on May 01, 2018, 03:17:01 PM
Only the same risk your television loves with most days :)