Gutter Antenna Counterpoise

So i just ran an appropriate length of 18 awg speaker wire inside the plastic downspout and horizontal section sealing the ends with waterproof silicone caulk and attached the antenna segment to the main wire of some rg 8 coax while i connected the.

Gutter antenna counterpoise.

This all aluminum gutter is fed with coax with an unterminated shield at this end shield connected to radio ground at the other to reduce nearby computer hash from inside the house. This gutter antenna is connected via an upper roof level downspout where no personal contact is possible. Apparently a bird had scavenged it from someone s trash and had put it up on the antenna coupler for safe. I went over to see what it was.

Unlike gregg s gutter antenna the spout and long horizontal section were made from plastic. I got this idea about writing about my antenna because i had one once in the condo that worked very well down to about 40 meters. If your longwire is close you might want to try the gutter as a counterpoise ground. I originally did a write up on it in 1994.

The counterpoise wires are made from garden variety stranded hookup wire cut to a quarter wavelength. Mine was a mfj travel tuner. Counterpoise will improve your receive its the other side of the antenna. Counterpoise will improve your receive its the other side of the antenna.

One each for 40 30 20 and 15 meters. Very simple and the system worked for me. For good measure i attached counterpoise wires to the ground stud of the transmatch. It was a half eaten slice of pizza.

Pic courtesy of n6cc website. First you have to use a tuner. That article found its way into several ham radio publications and newsletters. A ham friend of mine recently asked me for the details of how i use my rain gutter and downspout as an antenna.