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.

Gutter antenna counterpoise.

While i was cleaning up i noticed something sitting on top of the antenna coupler. I went back up to the roof to work out a more orderly arrangement for the counterpoise. Counterpoise will improve your receive its the other side of the antenna. 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.

A ham friend of mine recently asked me for the details of how i use my rain gutter and downspout as an antenna. The counterpoise wires are made from garden variety stranded hookup wire cut to a quarter wavelength. Counterpoise will improve your receive its the other side of the antenna. For good measure i attached counterpoise wires to the ground stud of the transmatch.

It was a half eaten slice of pizza. If your longwire is close you might want to try the gutter as a counterpoise ground. First you have to use a tuner. One each for 40 30 20 and 15 meters.

I originally did a write up on it in 1994. Most of the original article is still relevant but i have. This gutter antenna is connected via an upper roof level downspout where no personal contact is possible. Mine was a mfj travel tuner.

I went over to see what it was. Pic courtesy of n6cc website. Very simple and the system worked for me. Apparently a bird had scavenged it from someone s trash and had put it up on the antenna coupler for safe.