Low profile operating APARTMENT ANTENNAS
Successful apartment operating starts with an evaluation of the location.
Are you lucky enough to be on a upper floor? Is there trees outside? How about a deck?
Maybe even access to the roof. Any of these situations can be advantageous. One thing to remember with apartments is to try to get the antenna outside if possible.
There tends to be a lot of electrical noise, attenuation from steel frames, and RFI problems inside.
WIRE ANTENNAS Dipoles either vertical or horizontal can be run on the roof, around decks, up and down the side of the building, to trees (small gauge), in the attic, and even in your apartment. Runs as close to the 1/2 wave of the lowest band you are using when using a tuner. Feed with twin lead if possible as long as you pick up little noise.
VERTICALS UHF And VHF antennas can be made of “antenna tape” available commercially or from car antenna windshield kits from Radio Shack. These can be taped to your windows in the form as a J pole and can work quite well. Top Closet shelf’s and of course attics are good places for full size antennas on these frequency?s too. On HF verticals can be used as flag poles or on decks or inside, feed against a radial system under rugs ect. A lot can be done with mobile antennas such as “hamsticks” feed against a counterpoise maybe disguised as in a planter on your deck.
DIPOLES: If you have room for a full sized dipole, have at it but shortened dipoles can do well. Mobile antennas pared as a dipole can work well, also short dipoles wound on pvc pipe and hidden in a deck {maybe the one above you} may suppress you. Antennas built with “slinkys” have been around for a long time and have the advantage of hiding away quickly. They can be strung on fishing line and feed as a dipole in pares or feed in the middle with a matching system. When you are done just slide it away in a corner.
SMALL LOOPS: These antennas can work real well on the upper bands. There are several commercial versions and kits too. At only about 3-1/2 feet or so in diameter they are small and easily hidden. They have the advantage of being hi Q, this means that they reject signals and also noise outside of there narrow but tunable bandwidth. This also can help with RFI problems with your neighbors.
BEAMS On VHF a beam antenna can work well in the apartment or hidden in a deck, even a rotator can be used. I have seen a commercial version that hangs from you ceiling.
Again stay away from metal and wires to maintain your pattern.