Often, amateur radio operators are looking for alternative locations to install their antennas. If you live in a space restricted location or are under a HOA restriction, you may be able to mount an antenna outside. This calls for a little creativity; if the space allows, consider mounting your antennas in the attic.
The advantages of mounting the antenna in the attic are twofold. Your antennas will be hidden from view, thereby not raising any issues with neighbors or others that would want to enforce any Home Owners Association restrictions that may be in your neighborhood.
A second advantage to mounting the antenna in the attic is that you will be protected from lightning strikes in the event of severe weather. the house will act as a natural shield and as long as your attic mounted antenna system is independent to the rest of your antennas, lightning won’t be an issue. This is great for the amateur radio operator that is providing net control activities during a SKYWARN severe weather activation.
Attic mounted antennas will work just fine and you will receive pretty close to the same results as you would if the antenna was outdoors. Most roofs have asphalt shingles on them, which won’t appreciably block RF radiation. If your house has a tin or steel roof, then the attic wouldn’t be much of an option.
The only concern with attic mounted antennas is the space available to you for mounting. The KB9VBR 2 meter J-Pole antenna is 69 inches tall overall. You will need a peak in your attic that is tall enough for the antenna to fit. If the top of the antenna touches the walls or roof, the performance may be affected slightly. If you attic isn’t tall enough, you could angle the antenna mounting to make it fit. Angling will affect the radiation patter slightly, so you may need to consider which directions to favor the antenna for the best reception.
Attic mounted antennas are a great solution for amateur radio operators looking for an effective VHF/UHF antenna system installed in a limited or restrictive situation.
Nice site. I will be doing biz with you in the future! 73s de wa 1ufo Radio Spacejunk in the White Mountains.
The article about installing a J-pole is encouraging, as I have a large attic that could be used. However, it did not address the issue or radiation in the living areas below for a 2 meter J pole. And it did not address the issue of placement near existing electrical wiring. Could those subjects be addressed? I would be most grateful.
GH
Great questions. I don’t believe electrical wiring should be an issue when mounting this antenna in the attic; especially if the wiring will be below the plane of the antenna. The base of the antenna is at DC Ground, so any metal or wire below the antenna will be ‘invisible’ to it. Wiring would be more of an issue with horizontally mounted antennas, like dipoles, as parallel wires could interact with those types of antennas.
As for RF safety. This is a complex subject and I have written a separate article that addresses the issue of RF radiation safety and how to evaluate your setup to make sure you are within the FCC guidelines. Details are at the link below.
http://www.jpole-antenna.com/2012/06/17/rf-energy-safety-and-exposure/
What about tile roofs? Would the tile make the attic antenna useless?
The tile roof itself shouldn’t be much of an issue. Roof tiles are thin enough that they aren’t going to block the signal much at all. But the signal could be attenuated if the underlayment contains metal foil or mesh.
I have the J-Pole in my attic due to HOA restrictions. My attic space is only 65 inches tall and I have the antenna at a slight angle, which provides fair results when leaning toward the local repeater. Is cutting 4 inches off the bottom of the J-Pole advisable?
Dennis,
The bottom of my J-Pole antennas have approximately 11 inches of mounting section. The mounting section of the antenna can be any length and shortening it so the antenna fits in your attic will have no effect on the performance of the antenna.
Michael
Michael,
Thank you for the ‘shortening the mounting section’ info and the quick response.
Dennis
How about a discussion about how to mount the J-Pole in the attic.
I can only get my head and 1 shoulder thru the attic opening, so climbing up and hanging something from the ceiling joist won’t happen. But, what about fabricating some type of stand for the J-Pole to sit in — like a old Christmas Tree stand? Anyone had any experience with that?
Ashley:
Attics can be a tight fit for placing an antenna. You may want to check out this article on mounting ideas for VHF/UHF antennas. It has some suggestions for portable antenna stands that may work for your situation:
http://www.jpole-antenna.com/2014/08/18/mounting-ideas-for-vhfuhf-antennas/
Michael
What about attics with radiant barrier film on the back of the sheeting? It’s a foil type sheeting which reflects heat.
Rodney,
Mylar or metallicized vapor barriers will have the same effect on the antenna as a metal roof. It will attenuate the signal, so you will notice a loss of performance.
Michael
I bought a collapsible 2 meter j-pole from this gentleman directly before getting my tech license back in 2014. I’ve been using the same antenna for everything from rtl-sdr usage and 2 meter rag chewing ever since. Worth every single penny now that I’m in a new home, and it’s conveniently placed in my attic where I had rg8x ran as we built the house. Now, I just need to get some basic HF equipment, after I win a lottery of some form ha! Thanks for this service and this fine product!