Urban Rooftop Ham Radio Antenna // Becky Stern
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
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Becky Stern is a maker living in NYC. Making and sharing are her two biggest passions! Subscribe for technology, crafts, and other DIYs, as well as New York City life.
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So awesome! I’m glad people in our generation are still interested in HAM-a dying art! This may just inspire me to finally hook my antenna up at my new place! Thanks for sharing!
its dying because of the advent of the internet but i understand that's not the key to everything. I am young and im intimidated by the perception i have of men on ham being super creepy people - i hope i am wrong
lol
Many of us hams are into tinkering with electronics and antennas and Parks on the Air. Have you heard of it.
@@BeNiceToEachOtherpleasewe're not creepy at all. Maybe a little geeky yes 😁. I wouldn't say it's dying. I think it's changing but that keeps it interesting. And when you reach out for help or advise you will be surprised by the reactions. If you would come across what we call sad old ham consider there are a lot out there that are happy old and young hams 😉. Enjoy the hobby it's for everyone. 73 de ON3STG
Well done Becky! Did the same in my Philly apartment years ago. Now... UPGRADE AND GET ON HF.
The discone antenna, you installed, also happens to be one of THE BEST recieving antennas, for scanner enthuists,,, its wideband receiving capabilities are so good,,,its been utilized by our military, for a long time,,,you ,living in the Bronx,,,would have a blast listening to scanner freqs, in your area, with that setup,,,,cool vid,,,,73s,,,,,Paul NV1H,,,,,😎
This is awesome seeing a new generation of young people getting into ham radio. I got licensed in 2008 when I was 14. Got out of it for about 5 years in 2017. (Worked on radios for a living. Last thing I wanted to hear when I got home!) A lesson my elmer taught me when I first got my license is when you buy equipment radio, antennas, coax, etc. It will pay dividends in the long run to cry once and get the good stuff. I started off with a J-Pole Antenna for 2M and a Yaesu VX-170 2M Portable. I used RG8X for my connections. When I was finally looking into a mobile/base unit I went with the ICOM IC-2200H and upgraded to LMR 400 Coax and a Diamond X30. WOW what a difference! I currently live in an apartment now and rebuilding my shack and the chimney is going to be my only solution which is why I stumbled upon this video! Save up and get you a good mobile/base radio with a 12V Power Supply and maybe one day get you some LMR 400. You will not be disappointed!
Excellent video! Good work on the project. Loved to see the group effort!
73
Becky, I've been following you for a looong time, since MAKE and CRAFT and have always admired your energy and curiosity. Really great to see you keep exploring and making!
Wow, thank you! Shoutout to my OG fans!
I use the old TV boom and elements and make a 3 element yagi antenna with a home brew gamma match. Back in the day, I made them for new hams as an entry gift. I still have the schematics
You can sing "urban rooftop HAM antenna" to the tune of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" :-)
My day is improved by this information.
My 2 meter radios have sat silent for a BUNCH of years, though I keep my Technician license up to date, Now that we're back home (long story) I'm going to set up one of my radios out in my shop. Videos like this get me hyped up to get back into ham radio. I'm voice only, of course, but now that I'm retired I might upgrade to General. Thanks for a great how-to video.
First thanks for putting together the video; you are clearly off to a good start.
I suggest a few refinements for future installations.
1 I think that Davids mast might should be a bit longer. Not for RF purposes ; but to get the radials above eye-level for everyone that may go on to the roof. The quick and dirty interim fix is to install wine-corks on the tips of the radials until a longer mast can be installed.
2 lookup ‘“coax seal” and install some coaxial sealant on the outdoor coaxial connections to keep moisture out of the cable and Out of the connectors.
3 because the wind can move the coax enough to cause damage to it over time; add a bit of chafe protection to the outside of the coaxial cable wherever it will be prone to chafing. Where it drops down from the rooftop would be the first place I would add chafe protection. But it is a good practice to address potential chafing when doing antenna installations.
It's really neat to see you expanding your network so literally!
LOL
Great video!! Thanks for posting this 😊😊
I just got an external FM antenna and cut down the dipole on it, and removed all the directors and reflectors. Attached to a pole and used an existing satellite antenna mounting bracket to hold it. Works well for the local repeater 30km away.
Nice set up. I am considering something similar but for my GMRS HT.
Awsome, suprised no neighbors got weird about it. Great spot for antenna.
Neat project! I’m remember hearing a few great stories about HAM connections from pre-internet days. Didn’t know people still did much of it.
They administer HAM tests at Defcon each year too!
wow, what a great video!!! I am also a ham radio operator that works in new york city my call is KC2UBG the next video should be about getting a mobile radio for inside. That handheld radio UV-5r of puts out 5 watts with a mobile radio you can probably talk to new jersey and long island that antenna has very little gain but that is ok because you are so high up you can also look into a dmr mobile radio that way you can talk to most of the repeaters the best one is on the empire state building which you can probably see from the rooftop 73's
I love the 'milk crate' shelves. Had the same thing in my first apartment starting out. 73s
Gotta love the Baofung.
Nice video.
Fantastic video
im a slow learner, but this seems doable. appreciate the video
just put up my first antenna the tram 1477 nice job and 73 from irvington nj i am a bronx guy lol i lived on 181st and crotona for a good 12 years before that i was on crotona ave and crotona park north i had a ham that used to have a nice set up in my building and roof back in the 80s and 90s he was very cool
Always wear safety sun glasses when installing a pokey Discone antenna :)
Just like a HAM, You made work what you had! Have fun! 73 W4DES
Great video guys! AC3Q here, looking to throw a 10m vertical up on my roof. Hope to hear you guys on the air someday! - 73, Chris
I climbed my roof one-handed with said fully assembled discone antenna, thankfully didn't put my eye out, those radials are insane. I did a gable end mount with 10ft conduit "mast"
You got a pretty sweet location up there, "height is might"
I was most curious to see your video to see how you routed your cable. Sounds like you better check in on that net, 73 K4DOX
(I arrived here through today's email of "staff picks" from Instructables)
Cool thanks 😊
You can do Summits on the Air with your Baofeng simplex.
Thanks for sharing, Becky! I enjoy seeing different ways everyone has for getting comms up. I just got my license in July so I’m running a homemade vertical dipole and an ht. Anyway, subscribed. Time to check out more of your videos!
It is a good thing that you have your full ARRL Licence.
I was watching your video with some confusion and bewilderment at your choice of antenna. I even looked up the amazon link you published. The Antenna you chose is a scanning antenna. The discone antenna goes back to the 80’s at least if not earlier.
I noticed in the comments that others have pointed out that the antenna you used is primarily designed for scanning. It will work in transmit nit I would not put more than 5 watts through it due to the SWR.
I would recommend that buy a vhf/uhf SWR meter and check the SWR of your antenna. I didn’t see it, but did you wrap any self-amalgamating rape around the connector of the antenna and feeder? Even though the connector is out of direct weather water can still wick into the cable and travel down. With will kill your SWR and possibly damage you radio especially if you got for a higher power radio.
I would also recommend swapping out your discone antenna for a dual band collinear antenna that has some gain. If you want to keep it discreet you can use a mobile whip antenna with a ground plane kit. With an antenna that is designed to Tx and have 2-3 dB gain you will start to pull in more distant stations and repeaters.
I don’t want to sound be discouraging, just offering 30 years’ experience as a ham and an engineer.
Agree with G7OEA, I thought "thats a scanner antenna!" came looking in the comments for confirmation. I didnt think you could TX with them at all without blowing something internal... lightning protection might be worth looking into too. But many congrats on getting your licence Becky, well done. 👏👏 73's
I have that same antenna, it's very good if you want a 2m/70cm omni with a wide band SDR/scanner receiver ant in one. Well made and usually cheaper than the Diamond equivalent.
This is cool!
Nice video! Been Haming up in the Bronx since 2002. Many inventive ways utilize the height of inner-city buildings. I like HF most but inherited much 2M stuff from my Dad (SK) years ago. n2eye
That's very cool! I hope when I get to that point my landlord will OK a roof antenna!!
Very cool 😎!!
Great! This really brings back memories. I grew up in the West Village in the 80s, and got my first ticket in '88 (I was still in high school). I lived in a 6 story building and strapped a 10M Ringo and a 1/4 wave 2M antenna to the top of a dumbwaiter on the roof. A crotchety neighbor (OK - he was an asshole) cut my coax, but that didn't stop me. I hope you enjoy the hobby. 73 de N2JLL
Nice work Becky.
Nice work! As a ham afraid of heights I can't image being on the top of a stairwell or chimney on a building in NYC. My knees got wobbly just watching from my desk chair. Always interesting to see how different people run into different antenna issues.
I haven't got a good VHF/UHF antenna solution yet but luckily have enough space to play on the HF bands here.
73 de AB4EN
Hah, I hear you. I have bad knees so I don't climb ladders, left that work to David and Smokey!
I think that is a wideband scanner antenna that CAN transmit in Ham bands, a more compact easy ant for your bands mostly 2M is available. And less involved DIAMOND VX-30.
Just got my license! KD2VNP in Park Slope. I’m still figuring out an antenna rig but hopefully we can make contact!
Thanks for the video. I try my best to inspire my 10 y.o. daughter to be curious and experimental. I hope your channel will encourage her as well.
Glad you're having fun. A hand mic would be worthwhile and eliminate some wear on your antenna connection until you get the bug for a home radio.
Congratulations on your License. I enjoy seeing Arduino and Pi Tech alongside Amateur Radio. Subbed.
Great info for a beginer, Wish I found video when starting out!
So, antenna is up and running .. How about getting a rig and make DX happen? 😀73 from the Netherlands!
Did you check your SWR i knew its pretty good on the Tram 1411 but it will get high within the band,
With the 2 Legs adjusted right you can get a 50ohm 0 Reflection SWR between 1.0 -1.2 on the CB 27meg Band
Thank you for the wonderful overview. In my ground-floor apartment on the boarder of Denver and Aurora in Colorado, I'm just a bit too low to receive or transmit most of the interesting stations. This gives me hope that I could possibly speak with my landlord about mounting an antenna on the roof top or the chimney.
Closely related to HAM is shortwave. Where HAM is two way communication, SW is world wide broadcast. When conditions are right you can hear shows from around the world. An old copy of "Passport to World Band Radio" will provide times and frequencies. Also, hook some computer speakers (W/ mono to stereo adapter) and you will get a better sound out of your rig.
I think ur antenna setup expense is 10x more than the cost of ur radio. More people should thin this way. Love it! What are you doing regarding lightening?
Congrats on the new antenna! Looking good.
Thanks!
Nice job. Discone antennas are great. Have fun.
I Subscribed, because of your Doggie
Discono antenna great antenna for Rx all bands and TX VHF and uhf ham bands great
Nice video. Strange original antenna did not have grounding wire. Safety first! Mahalo for sharing! : )
It's ancient. Possible it's grounded through the chimney, but more likely all the original wires are all long gone
Time to get your HF so I can learn how you solve the antenna issue. I live in Manhattan and had a almost open view of the east river, going to my roof and setting up portable was easy. Now they build a f.... building that cover 99% of my river open sky. So having to figure out what to do. This also killed my endfed that went into the old small building behind my room. What to do???? I'll figure something out soon, but please by all means Becky, chime in. 73s
nice, I don't think my landlord would appreciate that though ha ha
The only thing im curious anout is how have u gotten the permission for all that?
that looks so super
Now if there was only a video on how to approach my landlord on getting permission
I was just thinking the same thing, lol
If you have to ask, the answer is no
Nice video how has the discone antenna held up over the last 2 years
when all else fails ~ HAM gets thru ;)
💪♥✌
have fun 73
Cute pup 🐶
🇨🇦🇺🇸 way to go Becky!
Does anyone know where online I can find Laws in regards to regulations on Ham Radio Antennas?
try to use an swr meter to check your tx/rx..
Great video. I live in Brooklyn and there is a public rooftop. I would LOVE to install an antenna there. Do you have any tips how to go about getting approval from the management company/building owners?
Just curious, but did you weather proof the outside connections? Maybe I just didn't catch that.
Kudos for your excellent coverage of the grounding and lightning suppression. Many of the old salts forget to mention that. In my opinionyou did a very Good job.
One thing for the Baofeng UV5R and UV82 owners. If you haven't discovered it, don't leave your radios in the chargers if the charger has no power. I'm guessing this applies to other Chinese or lower end radios as well.
If the radio is in the charger, and somehow the cord gets disconnected, or the grid goes down, your radio battery will discharge at a rather substantial rate through the charger. I haven't found this to be a fire or other health hazard.
Most of the higher end chargers and radios have a diode (a sort of one way valve for electricity) built in that prevents this, however the Baofengs do not. So, if you're in a grid down, or the pet bumped the power cord the day before your favorite net, you'll like find the radio with a dead battery.
Just a heads up. There are many quick and/or easy fixes for this, so not a show stopper.
Becky, maybe a thought for another video?
The antenna pole mast isn't touching the ground. Would it hold up that way?
i have too listen for you guys. im in midtown manhhattan.
Really cool Becky! 😃👍🏻🐖📻📡👊🏻
Thank you!
Did I hear right that you were hearing the Bronx repeater? I’m in the Bronx and studying for my ham license!
Appreciate your enthusiasm for ham radio, but a few criticisms, and I don't mean to be a jerk, it just comes naturally. 1) Most importantly, that ground is terrible, I know you have limitations being in a building, and using a electrical conduit is better than nothing in most cases for lets say just your indoor equipment, but effectively you have a lighting rod grounded to a electrical conduit, which is probably grounded to a water pipe, quite a mess, none of it was designed for a lightning strike. Not to mention the ground loop you've created. My suggestion is don't mount a rooftop antenna unless you have a true ground rod. 2) That antenna is really a rx antenna that resonates on 2m/440 but has no gain. You would get much better gain from a small dual band vertical, and you wouldn't have all those extra radials blowing around in the wind.
How much persuading did it take with the super, or management? I've often wondered about that.
Great video. Have you tried adjusting the lower elements/legs? I have the same antenna model.
Looking at that bunch of wires, I thought to myself that there must be a ton of people tho have never seen a zip tie in their life! 😁
Meh, they just get brittle and break after being exposed to UV. My thought about that bundle is "which ones are actually doing anything?"
@@BeckyStern I find it a bit funny when I look at your videos as we're both tinkering natural red heads😊
@@BeckyStern Stainless steel ties are going to last essentially forever, or just use offcuts of Romex wire and tie the cabling up, which also lasts for decades.
Have you done any HF from home? I'm moving to the city shortly and am a bit worried
RG213 coax is less lossy and a bit less leaky (RF getting in or out via the braid.
Key Features/Specifications:
Size: 9mm (9.65mm) Military spec.
Impedance: 50 Ohms.
Core: 7 X 0.72mm.
Braid: 98% 192 X 0.20.
Loss per 10M @ 100MHz: 0.7dBd.
Colour black.
I'm trying to figure out a rooftop mount for a UHF CB (read as; Australian - not greater than 5 watts output) mount - I understand you lose power over length of coax unless buying uber expensive lossless stuff - did you to anything to mitigate this & what was the greatest run (cable length) either of the two projects ran to? ...& what was the furthest contact you have successfully talked to from your partments(s)
How do you like the discone antenna?
The FCC has issues wth Baofengs. Nice station. Have you thought of getting a General or Extra license so you can get on HF? You can get a G5RV antenna up on that roof.
Robert Varner meanwhile the FCC has taken to systematically allowing our internet services be destroyed by corporate greed. forgive me if i laugh in the face of “having issues” with hobbyists and amateurs.
The FCC's issues with the Baofeng radio are mostly concerned with people buying them for commercial use and then programming them outside of the commercial bands.
To my knowledge, there have been no issues or concerns with their use for Part 97 amateur radio service.
@@IanWard They are often "wide" too... if concerned, get a RTLSDT and check out the bandwidth.. IMHO
That coax (75ft rg8x) has a 6db loss at 440MHz. With that 8 watt radio, only about 2 watts makes it to the antenna. About 75% lost to the feed line.
OK. You're right but incomplete. Exchange the factory antenna with the Tram discone, and you gain 13 dB.
2 watts x 13 dB = 40 watts, not including the "gain" from the extra height.
Bada bing!
Besides, it gets the job done, right?
@@billtaylor292 The tram has no gain it is unity 0dB RG8x is bad choice for vhf/uhf lots of loss.
Where is the link for the mounting kit metal strap?
Your antenna looks like some kind of a discone antenna. It could be usable on many frequencies, at least, for SWLing.
The thing is that the receiver front-end of the UV-5R (and of all Baofengs) is poorly conceived and is easily saturated when used with an external antenna because of the stonger signals. The result is sometime worse than with the stock antenna : the radio becomes deaf (desensitized).
Have you checked the SWR of your antenna?
We've definitely experienced the desensitization when trying to use multiple Baofengs in close proximity-- I can't hear David's check-in over the radio when he's standing next to me, for example. So far the roof antenna lets me hear all the same frequencies I heard on my portable antenna, but from downstairs and inside. Haven't checked the SWR.
@@BeckyStern
I have one of these, which is a fairly modestly priced SWR meter for VHF and UHF bands; figured I'd share in case you don't have one already.
www.gigaparts.com/jetstream-jtw270.html
Her discone is usable from 26 MHz to 1300 MHz. Continously. That means it covers every frequency between those two points. There is no need to check the SWR when you are operating right in the middle.
So many "experts" on here!
I am glad you are grounded. 🤓
I'm not an expert in this so take it with a grain of salt. But, I am aware how oxidation can reduce the effectiveness of grounds, and how different metals can galvonically corrode with a little bit of water. Dielectric greases might help keep your grounding conections solid. look into it for better sources than from me, 😁 one who's electronics were destroyed by a lightning strike, among which my cellphone charger was destroyed while sending a startling zap down its usb cable to my fingers holding the cellphone that got involuntarilly thrown across the room when it hit. I'm lucky it was not worse. Be safe.
PS Subscribing!
can you give us the Bronx Repeater info please?
Do you need to adjust stationaries like in CB?
Hi where did yu buy the straps that go around the chimney ?
diamond vx-30a might be better for you guys.
Great job Becky! Now, when you get into HF just string a wire across that roof. ;-)
Do you think I can affix it to the antenna pole, or would the other antenna cause interference? It's the tallest thing on the roof.
@@BeckyStern You wouldn't want the actual wire too close to the other antenna (or metal pole), but you could obviously use the mounting pole as a point to secure one end of the wire with something non-conductive.
I've never had the need to do it, and it wouldn't be good as a permanent installation, but I've heard of HAMS hanging a vertical wire down the side of a building and getting good (directional) results.
If you haven't, I'd research the *HUGE* amount of different wire configurations. I think a lot of people would be shocked at the results some people get with a wire antenna in their attic, or even around their ceiling/top of wall.
There's probably many people in your situation that have come up with some great, tried-and-tested options. I always like trying to take advantage of the work others have done. You'd at least have a good starting point.
I think I'd start with a search for "HF Wire Antenna Configurations."
Wire antennas are a fantastic _bang-for-your-buck!_
*Good Luck!*
@@BeckyStern Also, maybe try a search for "Rooftop HF Wire Antennas." ;-) There's *MANY* HAM forums/sites that have some great information.
The truth is, there are many options. Look up a small magnetic loop antenna that you could even use in your apartment. Check out some of VK3YE's TH-cam videos. He does a great one on a low budget 100W mag loop ant for Apts. You may also find a kindred spirit in his many DIY projects.
Also, you may find a Hentenna of interest as well, and no it has nothing to do with chickens!
You might consider investing in or building your own antenna tuner. Again many TH-cam videos on that. I seem to recall VK3YE having a few on DIY tuners.
I mention tuners because of two stories that are recurring in our HamElmer's.
One is, one of our members here on the west coast made contact with a fellow visiting NY from somewhere else. Not having a good way to deploy an antenna in his hotel room he, get this, he connected his hf rig to an electric blanket on the bed, via a manual tuner, and made it from NY to western Oregon! Obviously ymmv, but rf is a strange duck.
I said two stories. The second started out as a practice joke, but backfired!
Two clowns wanting to get a laugh at the expense of another more naive member, brought one of those 3' or 4' square crab traps to field day. Of course the word "trap" is used quite often in antenna discussions involving multi band antennas. But they obviously don't mean crab traps.
The joke and backfire. Of course curiosity lead to questioning the "antenna" and they very soberly presented a full line of silly malarkey. Then, they connected an hf rig to the crab trap.
Just as they are about to make a very bogus contact, one of the clubs members with an electrical engineering degree and an antenna analyzer comes over and connects to the cage. Using an antenna tuner he was able to "tune" up the silly thing and actually got the thing to make a legitimate contact! No, he wasn't part of it, I fact he only just saw the thing as they were running their scam.
Obviously, to this day, all in attendance remember it fondly.
Tuners are a simple circuit that can really make your life easier.
Well good fortune on your Ham radio journey and may you find many helpful Elmers.
Becky you can add pvc pipe the the top of your poll as a stand off install a pulley and use a rope to pull up the center part of the antenna it will work great for you
73 n4jrs
Good work. 73 & 88 - KøFTB
So is this some kind of repeater?
No it's an antenna
🔥
BOOM! -k5hip
Now to set-up your 160/80/40/20meter antenna.
What part of the Bronx are you at? What repeater are you on usually?
I live in Brooklyn, and I'm usually listening to the NY4Z repeater. It's pretty quiet tho 🙃
I'm located in Queens and have invested in similar hardware. I would like to install an antenna on the chimney of my semi attached home. My chimney is shared with my neighbor who wont have a problem putting an antenna strap on it. I do not see the antenna strap listed in the description. Can some point me to a link for what is needed to clam the pole to the chimney?
I just updated the links to include a link to the chimney mount that we used!
Is that RG-8X? Pretty high attenuation especially on UHF... some day when you feel up to it I'd consider replacing with LMR-400 especially if you're going to be using HTs.
Links to my supplies in the description. Not sure if I used one of the ones you listed or something different.
I used 75 ohm satellite cable, sure the losses are high, but with only 0.5W needed for the repeater it works fine.
You could had got any high gain antenna on the market. Why did you choose a Discone?
Why not? David picked it out
@@BeckyStern All the same. Congratulations on your ham ticket.
What part of Brooklyn. Nice antenna not to big
North Brooklyn, Greenpoint and Fort Greene