In my HOA I converted a light string to a real antenna...

Ok now, this isn't about HOA's this is about antennas and how those who choose to live in an HOA, or must because of circumstances, are able to get up an antenna in spite of the restrictions.

 

A 'bad' antenna is better than NO antenna. Thanks for sharing the idea.

 

Interesting concept, and I see what you're doing there....camouflaging the antenna wire underneath the sting of lights. But I have to ask...is that really necessary? I mean...if you were to use wire that is the same color as your shingles, would anyone really see it? In fact, you could probably spray paint the plastic clips to match shingle or gutter color as well, making everything just blend together. That long tail length of wire that lays on the roof is plainly conspicuous as white on top of gray, but if the wire was gray itself...I doubt anyone would see it. Having never lived in an HOA, I don't know how precise or in-depth their scrutiny of a house is for possible violations; do they walk around the perimeter of your house and view it from top to bottom? Because it seems to me, from street level, if the wire and clips were the same color as roof shingles...it would be pretty hard to see without binoculars or such. My other thought would be: if you have Christmas/party lights on your house but they are never turned on or used, wouldn't someone notice that and raise a fuss? If I watched my neighbor get out a ladder and put up "Christmas lights", then never turned them on, and then never took them down...I'd be wondering what's up with that.

Still...if concealment underneath the Christmas lights is needed...excellent way to fool "the man"!

 

Fun and creative!

 

Spot on in your thoughts. I do multiple videos showing many ideas, and one on the list is precisely as you describe, use wire that matches your shingle color, and or the color of your facia. That is perfect concealment as well, and I actually have that video in process using a commercially available antenna. Appreciate the feedback.

 

suppose with some rf chokes and caps you could actually use lights lite up as the ant. be creative...

 

if i had HOA issues, i would put up vinyl rain gutters with antenna wire in the inner lip and down spouts

 

The reason why this cable works is the structure. The cable itself is a fine multicore cable. If there is just one fine metalline, like in switchoard cable, the whole thing stalls.

In cause of the multicore cable, every thin line acts like an antenna.

 

Great suggestion!

 

14G insulated color black marine wire is invisible, handles current. I was in an HOA myself. Try it out. Plus marine wire is really, really hard to break or compromise with heavy winds, rain, etc

 

When deceiving the local HOA becomes an olympic sport! Kudos!!!

 

I am an enthusiast of survivalist solutions. I myself use an antenna that takes advantage of the support from my own house. It's a dipole terminated in a resistive load that built by myself.

I have a bad feeling about these times. We must be prepared to improvise.

 

Thanks for sharing, Bob! I'm looking forward to trying something like this, once I get an HF-capable rig.

 

Is there an HOAOTA?