[Antennas] Antenna help needed, please

Wed Mar 30 22:14:43 EST 2005

Hi folks,
I'm in the process of getting permission/approval from my 
landlord (Vanguard Properties) for my 1st floor apartment, at 
(Crestwood Terrace) the 2 storys behind HEB, to put antenna(s) on my (4
unit) roof. The roof is flat, about 52'x26', with 4 heat pump units on it.
Top floor has new ~10' metal siding all the way around and then bottom is
brick.
I already know there is a "no holes/attachments to the existing structure"
rule. What I am considering is a base plate of metal (unknown size) 3'x3'
maybe, with a vertical and perhaps a few radial wires off from it's
corners for hf. Perhaps another smaller one for vhf/uhf.
I would like to have a multiband vhf/uhf antenna 
(maybe even one for future sat work?)
Also 17m, 30m, and 40m hf capabilities. I figure I will have to do
verticles but I really don't think much over 10'-15' will be allowed. 
Currently the equiptment I have is a 440mhz Midland and a TS-430S (which
may have bad finals?) I've just used it to SWL with a MFJ 752B Audio
filter. I wanted to go QRP 10w or less as it might prevent any complaints
of TVI (all units have cable) and I can't the risk of afford any big guns
stuff.
I always worked with inverted 160m vees and horizontal loops, so I'm out
of my knowledge level here, and that was 7 yrs ago when I was last
active. I had thought of a horizontal loop around the top, maybe 5' off
the roof level, but that entails 4 supports. Also due to the metal siding
I doubt I could use ladder line to make it tunable?
Rear of HEB (50' nw of me) has transformers at 15' plus the level
with the roof. Lots of potential rfi on recieve end. But using 100' of
wire looped around my 1st floor bed room ceiling doesn't seem to indicate
much of a problem.
I understand there is an existing Satalite dish that was allowed in the
apt. complex and it (maybe) uses sandbags to weigh its base down??
My questions are:
If I get the ok for sandbags, what material can I use for them that will
not decompose under the westex sun? If the sand blows away a couple of
years from now .. not good.
What kind of hf antenna(s) (tunable from shack) could I use for say
17m and 40m? I know sunspot cycle is going down and it will be maybe 8 yrs
before things get good again. As I have emphazima I'm not sure I need to
plan that far ahead ;-)
Any and all ideas and comments welcome. TIA
God Bless,
Sam Morgan 
--
Linux _ the lifetime learning experience.