NVIS antenna on an LDS chapel???

[VE6AYU]

Greetings,I am looking for suggestions and experiences from anyone who has put a 40M-80M antenna for NVIS work (that has functioned as intended) on a LDS chapel without detracting from the building and with smiles from the leaders. This could be a permanent installation or only put up when needed antenna. ThanksVE6AYU

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[KI6DKC]

I was under the impression from our folks that the church does not want any antennas on the chapels, hidden or otherwise.  You can check with your facilities management people for clarification but I think you are out of luck wanting to put something up in advance.  I would think a simple dipole that could be thrown up in the case of an emergency would be the best bet.  Just put it up low to the ground, perhaps over a couple trees if you need it in an emergency.  If you make sure that a few of the wards communicators have them in their grab and go kit then it should all work out.

[N6JJM]

KI6DKE, that is the same information we have gotten. So when we do our practice drills we set up a J-pole for 2m on the lawn outside of the Stake Office door.

[AJ5BS]

I have been in the Emergency Communications program of 2 Stakes and both times we have discussed antennas with the stake or facilities management, we have been told we can not have a permanent antenna of any type in or on the building. What I have always done is make a pass through board that can be set in the window sill of a room very near the Stake Offices, removed the screen from the window and set up my antennas outside, just like I would for Field Day. Jim Stafford AJ5BSDerby Kansas Stake Emergency Communication Director

[KC7WVS]

I installed a two meter antenna on our stake House in the Salt Lake Valley and have had no problem with it.  Also when the building was re-roofed, they installed a roof jack like the ones that goes around a vent pipe for the coax cable to be feed into the attic below.  The antenna was a Comet GP-1 so it is only about 6' in length.  It is also not mounted on the highest point of the building but has served us well for our emergency drills with ham radio.  The antenna has been up since 1997

[AJ5BS]

That installed antenna – whose permission did you have to obtain, or did you just do it? And you know what they say about the Salt Lake Valley – Conference talks are based on what's going on there ;D 😀 😉

[KC7WVS]

GreetingsI installed the antenna in the late summer of 1997 and the Stake President knew that it was going to be placed permanently on the building.  As I reported in the last post, the PM group replaced the roof and the coax was rerouted and a nice roof jack was installed.  All the times the building has been inspected, the antenna has never been an issue.  I was also a stake PFR for 20 years and never seen anything in writing that stated that antennas were not allowed.  I'm sure the Church would not want a 90 foot inverted V wire installed from one end of the building to the other, but I would bet if you approached the maintenance group and requested permission to put up a simple 2 meter antenna, they might allow it.  Show them what it looks like and where you would like to install it.  If your Stake President is on-board with the need for an emergency communication center in your stake building let him request it in writing from the maintenance group.  SP's carry a lot of weight when working with the maintenance groups.  It might just happen.

[AJ5BS]

From previous posts about placing antennas on the church buildings, I went to our facilities management group and asked for direction as to what the  Church headquarters stand was. He came back and in no uncertain terms said that Salt Lake will not Knowingly let any radio antennas be permanently erected on Church Meeting houses. For practice purposes, I have used a 40 meter inverted V with the V at 20 feet off of the ground erected in the side yard of the building and the coax run through a window into a room near the Bishop's or Stake offices.

[AC5WA]

I have not used a window as the windows do not open in our ward building.  I was given access to a mechanical room and easily temporarily routed coax through there under a door into a class room.  The feed line (RG58) goes through a fresh air louvered vent that connects the mechanical room to the outside.  The outside end of the cable is hidden in the louver when it is not in use.Three or four 5' sections of TV mast get a J-pole up high enough to reach the stake center with a full quieting signal.  The TV mast is easily attached to the fence around the ac equipment with a couple of black rubber tarp straps.The feed line stays in the equipment room invisible to anyone except the facilities AC guy.  Nothing is visible inside or outside unless the antenna is up and the radio is connected to be used.Nothing is permanently installed.  No church buildings were injured in this temporary installation.  73 de AC5WA

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