I live in an HOA so any permanent antenna has to be either disguised or indoors. Our attic storeroom over the garage is roomy, but not enough for a LEO pack. Instead, I have two duoband Yagis on the G5500. One is h-pol and one v-pol. A uhf coax switch in the attic allows me to flip between the two from the basement shack. On some sats, like JO-97, I change polarity frequently. On others maybe a couple of times in a pass at most. The h-pol also can be used for 2m/70cm weak signal terrestrial and the v-pol for FM, repeaters, packet, etc.

Can email a photo to anyone interested; I don’t think the bb will let me post the photo.

Ray KN2K 


Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS

On Friday, November 8, 2024, 12:00 PM, DOUG WHITE via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb@amsat.org> wrote:

This is a timely thread. I have no choice but an attic antenna. I have acquired a GS5500 and 2 (big outdoor)cross polarized Yagis to match, but they definitely don’t fit the attic. I have looked and looked for smaller cross/circularly polarized antennas to use (including M2 Leo Pack) on the rotor in the attic and can’t find one.  Now I’m planning to purchase an M2 Satpack eggbeater with pre-amp because it seems my only choice. 

One thing I don’t understand is how something that is NOT circularly or cross polarized will work on a rotor or fixed elevation setup. Using a handheld Arrow antenna which can also be twisted seems to often make all the difference in a viable signal. 

New to all this. 

_____________________________
Doug - KC3VJS 
Odenton, MD
dw_skyjockey@msn.com
KC3VJS@arrl.net 
KC3VJS@winlink.org
Ham shack Hotline: 6101851
From: Frank Karnauskas (N1UW) via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb@amsat.org>
Sent: Friday, November 8, 2024 11:18:44 AM
To: Amsat BB <amsat-bb@amsat.org>
Subject: [AMSAT-BB] Re: Attic antennas or other options
 

What the world needs for this situation is a “LEO Pack Lite.” Use the back half of the LEO Pack beams and someone who knows what they are doing recalc the element lengths. This is a simplification, of course, but any compromise would be better than nothing. Would also be a great improvement to rovers instead of handheld antennas.

 

Having said that, I have used Egg Beaters and Lindenblads successfully but they do need preamps. Sure, preamps add noise but the bottom line is:

 

THE BEST ANTENNA IS THE ONE YOU CAN PUT UP!

 

Cheers,

Frank Karnauskas, N1UW

3670 E. Kingler Spring  Pl.

Tucson, AZ 85718

(612) 644-9174

f.karnauskas@amsat.org

 

 

From: Scott McDonald via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb@amsat.org>
Sent: Friday, November 8, 2024 9:01 AM
To: Richard Lawn <rjlawn@gmail.com>; Peter Goodhall <peter@2m0sql.com>; mikflathead@aol.com
Cc: Amsat BB <amsat-bb@amsat.org>
Subject: [AMSAT-BB] Re: Attic antennas or other options

 

Rick, I ran eggbeaters in my attic before installing an el-az system there.

 

I think the bottom line is the eggbeaters are doable, but they are pretty marginal receive performers below 30 degrees on a good day, and if you compound that by any significant attenuation from the roof or sidewalls it might be a pretty disappointing move.

 

The suggestion to go with something steerable I'd think is really the route to go if you have room.  There's a pic of my homebrews on my QRZ page, but if you Google around a bit there are several examples of folks using smaller almost Arrow-sized antennas at a fixed elevation.  That takes a lot less space, is simple, and will really outperform the eggbeaters on the passes nearer the horizon.  OTOH if you have a lot of room, I think N0JY had a pretty impressive set up documented on the internet a while back that might be worth checking out.

 

In any event you might want to do an attenuation test in the attic on a few passes before making any decisions. I know I'm only losing a few dB when it's dry, but I have no foil-backed roofing materials to contend with, and I did find when I rotate past a large aluminized HVAC duct, I lose gain and directivity for 30 degrees or so.

 

But there is a huge amount of joy in having the system indoors out of the weather, and in my case, out of view of the zoning police :)  In ten years - zero maintenance other than to tighten a connector.

 

Good luck.

 

73 Scott ka9p

 

 

 

On Friday, November 8, 2024 at 09:10:32 AM CST, mikflathead--- via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb@amsat.org> wrote:

 

 

Another idea if you have enough room in the attic. Get the azimuth rotor repaired, move your outdoor antennas to the attic. May need to shorten antennas to clear the roof.

 

On Friday, November 8, 2024 at 09:41:35 AM EST, Peter Goodhall via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb@amsat.org> wrote:

 

 

Rick,

 

I'm in a single-story house and have health issues, my solution was to

keep the antennas low my M2 LEO Yagis/Rotators are only 8ft off the

ground and easy to manage and maintain

 

Maybe worth considering before going the eggbeater route.

 

Peter, 2M0SQL

 

On Fri, 8 Nov 2024 at 14:34, Richard Lawn via AMSAT-BB

> 

> Now that I’ve diagnosed that my AZ rotor has failed I’m wondering, at age 75, if I shouldn’t begin to make life a little easier. We do have a one story house but getting up and down from the roof and managing large antennas is getting more challenging and probably dangerous for me.

> 

> I have an old pair of eggbeaters in the garage and I’m wondering if anyone has had any experience in using them, or something else, in an attic? This would make satellite operation more manageable for me, shorten my coax run and put me in a position of not having to find younger club members to help, and those are few and far between!

> 

> 73

> Rick, W2JAZ

> 

> Sent from Gmail Mobile

> 

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