Hidden Antennas for HOA restrictions (Part 1 & 2)

@kellory
If you want to use the pole as a radiator, it must metal and be insulated from the ground. If the pole is made of metal; inside it is not a good place for an antenna.

 

That would be why I'm asking questions. Antennas are something new to me, and I do not yet understand half the designs I see. Thanks for your patience with an amateur. (My elder moved out of state for a job. Good friend, and I never knew he was a ham)

 

@kellory
Helping other Hams is part of being a Ham. It is not a requirement; but a way a giving something back.

My interests or better said focus is HF and DX. 2 meters and higher to me has always been a club activity and for community service.
As the FCC's rules with output power make all Hams equal; the legal way to get around that is to make the antenna radiate every watt.

 

I can appreciate that, but I have no wish to join any clubs. I don't want to have to explaine it, or spend the time away from home. This is a single income househild, and the wife can not work or do any heavy work. That falls to me.
I'm not really looking for much out of this besides communication if needed. I just heard two guys spend half an hour discussing making a sandwhich. I really have no drive to join into that kind of discussion.
I need it to work. Be hidden, and feasible. Otherwise, I will have to stick to the truck for ham.

 

At this time in my life; I have no interest in clubs either. Which is why my mid-1980s era 2 meter multi-mode mobile and HT are in a dust covered box somewhere. The club and CD were fun at the time. My interest is HF DX and my chosen mode is CW. That is the neat thing about Ham radio; it is the person's interest that counts.
If all you want is VHF and UHF, there is one answer. If you want HF it's quite another answer.

VHF and UHF are local or line of sight unless one gets into EME.

 

I have a few repeaters near me, so once I learn to use them fully, I should have a better range.

 

That is a lot of repeaters.

For emergencies, unless they are hardened and have UPS; as soon as anything happens, they are down.

A local lady wanted me to set up a repeater. Sure, who pays for the cabinet (rx-tx), the Phelps-Dodge antenna and the cavities?

 

Yep. Everyone seems to want someone else to do something, and usually unpaid.

 

@ghrit
Actually she isn't licensed so she could not own it and she has a friend who lives on a mountain top.
To be honest, I'm not interested in maintaining it etc. We've invested 2 years of time and money in our campsite, this is the first year we will be able to fully enjoy it.
The easiest and least expensive way is buy used and re-tune it (tx, rx, antenna and duplexers, aka cavities) for Ham freqs, There are people who buy pulls and resell them. Buying a running pull from a trusted source avoids a money pit that so many clubs/individuals fall into.
Back in the 80s, my old club bought one; it was used by the Secret Service who upgraded. We thought that was neat, LOL. It is still in service.