Articles
Field notes from restricted-space installations. Specific problems, specific findings.
Measuring a Compromise Antenna: What the NanoVNA Shows That an SWR Meter Hides
A low SWR at the shack can mean a lossy feedline rather than a working antenna. What R plus jX tells you, and how to measure it for under $90.
Invisible Wire Antennas: Getting an End-Fed Half-Wave Into an HOA Yard
Visibility is an engineering spec, not a hope. Wire gauge and finish, tree launch technique, where the feed point hides, and what a drive-by inspection actually resolves.
The Capacitor Decides Your Magnetic Loop: Voltage, Arcing, and the 25 Watt Ceiling
A magnetic loop's power rating is a statement about its tuning capacitor, not about its loop. Here is the voltage math, why loops arc, and what to check before you buy.
Your Neighbor Says You Broke Their TV: Handling an Interference Complaint
A neighbor's interference complaint is almost never a fault in your transmitter. Here is the overload mechanism, who the FCC holds responsible, and the fixes that end the argument.
RF Exposure in an Attic Install: Running the Evaluation You Are Required to Do
The FCC removed the amateur power exemption in 2019. Here is the MPE math for an antenna above a bedroom, worked band by band, and where a 100 watt attic wire actually fails.
Separate Receive Antennas: When a Worse Antenna Hears Better
Why a receive-only loop out-hears your transmit antenna on a noisy lot: the near-field mechanism, loop-on-ground builds, T/R switching, and what to buy.
Antenna Tuners for Compromise Antennas: What a 1:1 Match Does Not Tell You
What a tuner actually fixes on a restricted-space antenna: where to mount it, how much power the match really costs, and which units suit an indoor or stealth wire.
Hunting RFI in an Apartment: Finding the Noise You Cannot Unplug
A method for locating and killing receive noise in a condo or apartment: how to find the source, what you can fix, and what you have to null out instead.
Field Day From an Apartment: The Scoring Favors the Small Station
How a restricted-space operator plays ARRL Field Day: the power multiplier that rewards low power, running Class E from home versus going portable, and the battery and antenna that fit.
Buying a Used HF Rig on eBay Without Getting Burned
What to check before bidding on a used HF transceiver: finals damage, missing accessories, seller reputation, and which rigs are worth the risk.
FT8 and the Compromised Antenna: How Digital Modes Buy Back Lost dB
How FT8, FT4, and JS8Call recover the signal a compromised antenna loses: the modes, interface hardware, and software for a restricted-space station.
Stealth Coax Routing: Getting the Feedline From the Antenna to the Shack Without Anyone Noticing
How to route feedline invisibly for restricted-space ham installs: coax selection, buried yard runs, existing wall penetrations, grounding at entry, and weatherproofing every connector.
RF Grounding in an Apartment: Counterpoise, Radials, and Artificial Grounds That Work
Why apartment antennas have no earth ground and what replaces it: counterpoise wires, radials, and artificial ground tuners that cure RF in the shack.
The Renter's Ham Radio Setup: Full HF With No Drilling and No Modifications
Getting on HF from an apartment you do not own: window feedthrough panels, antennas that come down in a minute, and the lease language that keeps you clear.
Attic Ham Radio Antennas: What Actually Works Above the Drywall
The honest attic-antenna picture: which wire antennas fit between rafters, what your roof and insulation do to the signal, and how to keep RF out of the shack.
Indoor HF: Why QRP Is Probably Your Ceiling
The honest case for running QRP indoors: RF safety math, neighbor-RFI reality, and the rigs that make 5 watts work.
Magnetic Loop Antennas for Restricted Spaces: A Practical Roundup
Current magnetic loop options across price points and operating scenarios: what works, what is discontinued, and what the bandwidth trade-offs actually feel like.
The Parity Act Failed Again. Here's Your 2026 HOA Plan.
The Amateur Radio Parity Act has failed six times since 2014. A sober look at the current legal landscape and what HOA hams can realistically do in 2026.
Restricted-Space Antenna Decision Tree
Map your CC&R constraints, state law, and physical space to the realistic installation options: a step-by-step guide for HOA and apartment operators.
smallspaceham is live
Restricted-space ham radio has a dedicated site. What we cover and where to start.
Stealth Flagpole Antennas: An Honest Comparison for HOA Lots
Performance trade-offs, price ranges, and which flagpole vertical fits your HOA lot: the top multiband options designed for dual-use installs, compared honestly.