Subj : Taking the plunge
To   : SEAN DENNIS
From : STAN PHILLIPS
Date : Mon Mar 19 2001 06:39 am

Hi Sean,

SD> What's cool is my apartment manager said he didn't mind my
SD> putting up an antenna in my room to work with.  I'd like to get an ICOM 
mobile
SD> I saw though for my home use (it's mostly all 2M here)... $170.
SD> 
SD> Speaking of antennas, I used to have a paper with a simple J-pole for 2M 
made
SD> out of 300 ohm TV antenna wire.  Ever heard of it? 

Two comments, an Icom mobile will probably put out 50 Watts or so.
With an antenna inside your room, you are putting a LOT of RF into
the local enviroment.  Apart from personal health, the AC mains
wiring, telephone, TV antenna wiring will pick up a lot of signal and
could cause a LOT of local interference, and a very poor transmitted
signal.

It would be MUCH better to get the antenna outside somehow.  There
are quite a number of articles you can read about so-called 'stealth
antennas.  Some designs use capacitive coupling through a window to
avoid drilling holes.

All the best.

Stan   

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