Simple Ham Radio Antennas--going stealth mode. Post #250.
For most of my 36 years as an amateur radio operator, I've had to operate under the limitations imposed by HOAs, CC&Rs, and postage stamp sized backyards. Like many of you, my creativity was sorely tested as I tried to get reasonably efficient antennas erected for my home station. In many cases, one antenna had to suffice for multiband operation. And that antenna had to be inconspicuous, easy to erect and take down, and not present an "eyesore" to the neighbors. Over the course of those years, I managed to enjoy ham radio despite the highly compromised antennas and low power employed at the shack. There were a few multiband designs which proved successful for local and occasional DX. Among them were inverted vees and 1/2 wavelength horizontal dipoles fed by 450 ohm ladder line connected to a 4:1 balun and a Drake MN-4 antenna transmatch. When I did have a bit more space, I used full wavelength loops fed by ladder line for 20, 15, and 10 meters. Height abo