ADS-B antenna mounted inside attic?

[glen4cindy]

I remember the old days where folks mounted television antenna's inside their attics instead of outside on top of their roof.

I'm looking for a workable solution that will give me satisfactory signal strength and coverage without encountering the wrath of my HOA.

There might be a spot, in the back of my house, where I could mount it, outside, run the antenna inside, and then, if I had one of those FR24 boxes, run a long RJ-45 cable to my router.

I'd have to be able to conceal the antenna somehow so it didn't look like an antenna. If it was a white tube like some that I've seen on here, I might be able to get away with it.

I might also be able to hide a horizontal antenna that looks something like this:

pl482436-high_gain_2400_2483_mhz_18_dbi_2_4_ghz_wifi_horizontal_vertical_antenna_for_wireless_ap.jpg

Thanks in advance for any suggestions. I'd be interested in building something myself if it's not too difficult.

[peterhr]

This'll keep you busy - have a look at the best antennas thread http://forum.flightradar24.com/threa...1-best-antenna

For maximum range you need the antenna with line of sight clear to the horizon. There are some antennas that can be made from like 1/8" copper wire with a couple of twists in it that sit 20" tall that give good results and may not be "ever so noticeable".

[fungus]

I remember the old days where folks mounted television antenna's inside their attics instead of outside on top of their roof.

I'm looking for a workable solution that will give me satisfactory signal strength and coverage without encountering the wrath of my HOA.

There might be a spot, in the back of my house, where I could mount it, outside, run the antenna inside, and then, if I had one of those FR24 boxes, run a long RJ-45 cable to my router.

I'd have to be able to conceal the antenna somehow so it didn't look like an antenna. If it was a white tube like some that I've seen on here, I might be able to get away with it.

I might also be able to hide a horizontal antenna that looks something like this:

Thanks in advance for any suggestions. I'd be interested in building something myself if it's not too difficult.

For best reception you really do need an external antenna with (preferrably) unimpeded 360* 'view.' Also it needs to be upright (vertical, as the horizontal antennas are directional aimed at the transmitter or repeater). Here in SYD I have a UHF antenna pointed at Wollongong (down south) and a VHF antenna pointing towards SYD (east). I actually get better reception on the Wollongong UHF than the SYD VHF antenna. ADS-B works best with a vertical antenna which in your case could be advantageous as it might be easier to 'hide.' You'd notice that when an aircraft is directly overhead, you lose some signal due to the reception characteristics of the antenna. You also want the best cable with the lowest losses you can afford, otherwise it's a useless exercise.

As Peter has suggested, take a look at the other thread for some ideas on what's possible with some home-brew antennas. The most important thing- give it a go as it's very rewarding to see the results of your hard yakka.

I dont know where you are located but I'd recommend a scanner as well since it gives a much clearer picture as to how ATC (Air Traffic Control) get those birds onto the ground as you watch and listen to them on your very own receiver.

Regards,
Gregg

[Mike]

Installing the antenna inside is not recommended. Depending of what material your roof is made of, I would guess you will loose between about 30% and 60% of the signal compared of having it outside.