Ham Radio Antenna On Metal Roof

Long wire antennas look at the long wire antenna on the roof.

Ham radio antenna on metal roof.

I would consider a vhf uhf antenna over a huge metal roof ground plane similar to an hf antenna over earth ground. For mounting i d leave the 18 pole alone. You can use the metal parts of your structure as part of the antenna if that makes things easier. A 5 6 tripod with cement block weighted legs and a 10 pole in the center of the roof would work since the bottom of the antenna only needs a few feet of clearance.

As an ultra beginner without a lot of investment in the hobby it was perfectly acceptable to have to climb onto the roof to get any signal on my portable radio s antenna. When its lower than a few wavelengths and at multiples of 1 4 wavelength like 1 4 3 4 etc the pattern of a vertical antenna can be pushed upward and away from the horizon a bit lowering its gain at the horizon. For the antenna to be really in the clear two wavelengths is a good rule of thumb. You can probably get as close as a quarter wavelength and still make things work with some adjustments to the tuning.

On using a metal roof as an antenna the joints between panels are likely not soldered and are likely to form corroded diode junctions that generate rfi. I am concerned about the impact a metal roof will ham radio antennas and metal roofs 11 30 2004 within the reception discussion of the residential metal roofing forum. It would likely make a lousy antenna. It runs up the front of the roof on the left as you face the house then runs across the roof along the ridge vent plastic construction then down the back of the roof to the eaves at an angle.