Posted: 9/8/2008 8:22:03 AM EDT
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I want to install a "long wire" type antenna on the roof of my home. The main question I have is how to I avoid ingress on the line from the home electrical system (fluorescent lighting, romex, etc.) creating that 60hz hum on the line. This is what I was thinking and tell me if I'm on the right track. Install the long wire on the roof then use a CATV balum and connect to RG-6 coax and run it into my office. Any antenna suggestions and help will be appreciated. Thanks... |
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Is this for reception only or TX + RX? What bands/frequencies do you want to use? What/where are the stations you wish to contact? How tall of a tower do you have, and how much horizontal real estate is available? Are you getting noise now? Have you attempted to isolate the cause of radiated noise in the house? |
This will be for RX only! No tower. I will be putting this about 6 inches above my roof ( 2 story house) on short wooden poles. Total length from end to end is about 40 feet. If I understand it, I just need to run a "long wire" antenna, and shield it once it enters the attic and down the wall... Correct? |
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Simple fan dipole is easy to make and works very well. Balanced antenna will help to reduce noise pickup. requisite MS paint:  Coax cable to the center of the roof, center conductor connects to the elements going to one side of the roof and shield of the cable goes to the elements on the other side, make a small coil of coax close to the antenna (either inside or outside). If you give us an idea what you're listening to, or the frequencies we can give you a better idea of what lengths of wire to use. This type of antenna does become broadbanded above the frequency of the shortest dipole elements. Blue arrows point to the direction of maximum signal reception but you get some signal off the ends, especially if you have a more peaked roof. Elevating the feedpoint at the center of the roof on a tripod or the like would also help. I would advise against using bare copper wire in this kind of installation, copper ions carried by water will cause corrosion problems with aluminum and galvanized steel items commonly used for roofing and guttering. Aluminum electric fence wire is inexpensive, easy to work with, works well as an antenna and causes no corrosion problems. |