IC 7300 Using a Gutter Antenna or Stealth Ham Radio
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.ค. 2020
- Using and Icom IC 7300 the antenna is the gutter. If you tuck in the wiring under the eves of the house, this gutter antenna could be a great stealth antenna for your Ham Radio.
Here was my SWR
160 Meter at 1.9 MHz SWR was 6.7
80 M 3.8 MHz SWR 6.1
40 M 7.2 MHz SWR 3.3
30 M 10.125 SWR 2.5
20 M 14.150 SWR 4.7
17 M 18.144 SWR 9.6
15 M 21.200 SWR 8.4
12 M 24.945 SWR 7.3
10 M 28.400 SWR 12.0
6 M 50.125 SWR 5.0
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Please watch: "Minelab Manticore first time out"
• Minelab Manticore firs...
~-~~-~~~-~~-~ - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
I use the gutter system of my apartment building as my primary, every day HF antenna. I make 8-10000 mile contacts using mine almost every day. I do feed it using a 9:1 impedance transformer. Works surprisingly well to the point that I rarely put up my EFHW or EFRW at all any more. It is pretty long at about a 150 foot straight section with 4x 30 ft tall downspouts. Lots of metal. Thanks for the video. W3OY
Ray, sounds like you got a good thing! Thanks for watching my video!
Would there be any benefit to running a higher ratio say 49:1 unun/transformer with this type of antenna configuration?
@@dStruct619 A 49:1 would be inappropriate for this application 99% of the time unless it is EXACTLY 1/2 wavelength long. Very doubtful. Used a 9:1 because I figured that the gutter would be a non-resonant length, which is far more likely, and perform like an End Fed Random Wire with an impedance around 400-600 ohms.
Cool video!
Matthew Self Thank you!! And thanks for watching my video!!!
Nice.. I think I'll try that
Thank you for watching!!! Good luck!!!
I always learn something from watching your videos Rich. Thank you. How well does this tune across the other bands? Thanks again and keep safe. 73; De Will, M0LGW
William, Thank you for watching my videos! Depending on your circumference around your house, If you have a good external antenna tuner probably 6- 80 meters. Some suggest using the gutter as an end fed using a 9 to 1 balun again using a good tuner. That should work also.
Nice idea and I will have to try that on my gutters. What is the balun you are using. Thank you for sharing your antenna.
I'm using a Balunn Design 2.5 to 1 Balun. Thank you for watching my video!
Great video!! I love unusual antennas! Robert K5TPC
Robert, It is fun to see what the results are. Thank you for watching my video!
Great video! Your SWR Chart: is that without a tuner or with? I live in a 6-unit condo with ~90’ of gutter, ~15’ up plus a few downspouts. Hoping to find a good tuner for it. My rigs don’t have internal tuners. (Well, technically, I think the output circuit in my old Kenwood TS-530S qualifies but I’d rather not push it. HiHi!) Tnx de WB3CFN
Joe, thank you for watching my video. Yes, I was using a external tuner. I thought the signal was stronger with my gutter than with my antenna I had at the time. Good luck.
That makes me think, could my gutters themselves serve as elements of a dipole? Peace, 73. KO4NGK
Sure, if they are close to the length of the frequency you are using. I guess you could still use a external antenna tuner. Thanks for watching my video...
Interesting experiment. You don't know what is going to work until you try it. Were you able to load up on all bands using the internal tuner or did you have to use an external?
It's always fun to try different things for antennas. I had to use an external antenna tuner. I don't remember what bands I could use.
I am using a HOA Buster from Alpha Antenna and it is working well. I have a break in the gutter and wouldn't mind trying to connect the house gutter to the garage gutter with wire. What gauge of wire did you use?
I am thinking it was #20 or #18. Probably #20, thank you for watching my video.
Rich, how would one determine whether or not a counterpoise is needed?
If a counterpoise is needed, how would one determine the proper length?
Please explain why you used no ""ground".
Enjoyed the vid, and thank you!
On a full wave loop you do not need a counterpoise. However, if you are using a gutter for a end-fed antenna and lets say you were using it for 80 meters. I would use a 1/4 wave 80 Meter counterpoise or about 62 feet long.
@@RichRodgersOnline Thank you!
Hi Rich,just watched your video on gutter antennas. It’s a good thing you mentioned using a tuner to get a low SWR. Are you familiar with Comets feed through the window/ door feeder? With the female so239s? I might get one and feed it through my window as I live in an apartment and am on the ground floor. The gutters go up 3 stories. The only thing I would be concerned with is RFI. Would my transmissions affect any of my neighbors? Any input would be great. 73s Rob,wa2fmh.
Hi Rob, I haven't heard of the Comets feed through the window/ door feeder. Pretty interesting! 2 things which may help reduce TVI. 1 a good Ground. 2nd a low pass filter. One thing you may want to look to see where is the location of the TV Cable. If the TV Cable is close to the gutter and is parallel there is a good chance no matter what you use there maybe TVI which would get into TV Cable. However, if the TV cable is on the other side of the apartment. Most likely if you take the precautions of a low pass filter and a good ground that should help. Some people say with cable you don't need a low pass filter since people do not use antennas. Another place for suggestions is write to ARRL Tech Support. They have a fast response. Good luck!! 73, Rich
@@RichRodgersOnline Hi Rich, I decided to forgo the gutter antenna, as I’m not sure if the property manager would approve. I wouldn’t want to set it up and face the possibility of being evicted. I know that maybe drastic, but don’t want to take that chance.
Rob, is there a tree that belongs to the property either in front or back of your apartment? If so, you could use a 9 to 1 balun and run a wire to the tree. Another use a small fishing weight and drop the wire out the window at night. If you have a balcony, get a MFJ magnetic loop. I have talked all over with mine.
Could you run an amplifier into that gutter antenna if you have a remote tuner? How does the gutter antenna perform compared to other antennas you’ve tried in the past?
Hi Dave, I am sure you could run an amplifier into the gutter antenna. BUT not sure how much heat might be radiating from the gutter antenna to the house where the gutter antenna is mounted?????? I would ask ARRL Techs about the safety. I had a full wave loop I was using at the time; I believe the gutter antenna actually received a little better on 10 Mhz than the loop. I am not sure about the other bands. It seemed interesting on the video; he was running 1500 watts and I only had 100 watts on 20 meters. It performed well. Thank you for watching my video. 73, Rich
Very well done! Great Stealth Antenna?
Jose, thank you for watching. I was just experimenting with the gutter as a full wave. The band wasn't that good, but the gutter antenna seemed to do very well!
I am pretty much a novice and setup my gutter antenna (purchase the kit from Alpha Antenna), but I am not having much luck on my 7300. Do you happen to provide any side assistance? I really don’t have anyone to contact for help. Thanks!!
My email is good on QRZ.com
Didn't get a good look at the balan. What is it? Do you have a link to it? Thanks.
I was using a 2.5 to 1 from Balun Design.
Does one have to attach the wire to the down spout or can one choose to attach it to the gutter itself.
I just took mind to the gutter. It worked great!
Nice! Rich Could one use a 9:1 unun instead?
Al Alan, Thank you for watching my video! A 9 to 1 balun good for an End Fed antenna. If you have a gap in you gutter then leave the gap and you could use the gutter as an end fed. That may work great!!!
@@RichRodgersOnline Thanks Rich! ;)
@@alalan3735 You are very welcome!!
How did you feed into your tuner?? What tuner?? Thanks. I lost my rotator and thus my feed to the beam as it whirlybirded around and broke. Health prevents me from getting it repaired so this might keep me on the air!! Thanks!! 73 de NØPL
I used a 2.5 balun from Balun Design and used RG-8 coax. Thank you for watching my video!
@@RichRodgersOnline thanks!
@@paullinnell You are very welcome!
@@RichRodgersOnline I don’t see a 2.5 Balinese lister?
@@paullinnell www.balundesigns.com/2/
trying to install a 75 ft (ish) wire for a temporary antenna, wondering if I will need to use an impedance matcher to my Ic-7300?
I would use a 9 to 1 Balun and a external antenna tuner... Thank you for watching my video.
@@RichRodgersOnline thanks so much for the tip! thanks for posting videos. take care!
@@leeskyles9903 Thank you, Lee!
Im in uk im taking my beginners foundation liçence ive heard a lot about the ic 7300 please could you tell me how you find this transceiver regards adrian
Hi, I'm french and I didn't understand everything. Did you ground your antenna ? and If Yes, how ? Good job :)
J'avais beaucoup d'espaces entre mes gouttières. J'ai dû attacher des fils pour connecter toutes les gouttières ensemble, sauf une zone pour ma ligne d'alimentation. J'utilise un balun 2.5 à 1 et je n'ai pas mis mon antenne à la terre. Merci d'avoir regardé ma vidéo!
@@RichRodgersOnline Hey I didn't understand your reply because you wrote it in french. Did you ground the antenna?
@@daytonasixty-eight1354 Daytona, No I made the gutter a full wave loop so to speak. I do have a ground wire coming in my shack and grounding everything.
How did you determine what balun to use?
Usually the lower to the ground a 2.5 to 1 Balun would have better Impedance. If it is a higher antenna a 4 to 1 balun is used.
@@RichRodgersOnline
OK. Thanks a lot.
How did you hook up your coax to it ??
I had a place where one gutter was about 1 foot higher than the other. I put one wire to that and one wire to the other and it went to a 2.5 to 1 Balun which had the 239 connector .. Thanks for watching.
@@RichRodgersOnline would a 9 to 1 unun work ?
@@revbikerbigd8664 if you use one side you probably will need a external antenna tuner