HOA and CC&R's

Hi,

I also live in an area with CC&R but the covenants do not specifically prohibit antennas. The wording here is "no structure may be constructed on any property except with the approval of the neighborhood review board.".

I suggest you contact your neighborhood association president and discuss this. From what you describe (except for the two kids which shouldn't be relevant to this issue) the impact to the neighbors will be negligible.

I was president of our association and facilitated many requests for decks, driveway improvements, home additions, etc.. Associations like to be in the loop and probably will not give you any problem if you are up front and honest about what you want to do. They like to see drawings and site diagrams. Don't assume they will tell you no. Ask and see what they say.

Neil

The kids are relevant - kids get into things. touch stuff, etc.

The HoA specifically says "no antennas other than those used for recieving satellite and television signals" When I asked, I was given a very blunt "no."

Our neighborhood is new enough that the association has not yet been turned over to the residents.

MLR, Be creative. Paint the 10 foot copper pipe radiator either flat black or aluminum. Place one of Radio Shack's cheapest TV antennas at the top. If you want to be honest with the FCC insulate the TV antenna metal from the radiator, otherwise it may act as a nice capacitance hat. Have the loading coil and transmitter just below the roof line and enclose it in some way so that it can't be seen. As they say "more than one way to skin a cat." Jim B

I understand your comments about the kids.

Our HOA was impossible to deal with and not open to anything while still controlled by the developer. When the homeowners gained control, things got a lot better. The original "design guide" here prohibited antennas, but they are not mentioned in our CCRs except that they can be considered a structure. The city building code regulates antennas but only from a safety perspective.

So, wait it out and hope it gets better or be creative as someone else here suggested.

Maybe an indoor antenna system would work.

Neil

With a little refinement that could be a clear winner - nothing wrong with a 10 foot TV mast, and the "tv antenna" could even be spray painted plastic.

Heh Heh...

by MRAM 1500 kHz

There's always the disquise flag pole option. A nice way to hide a vertical antenna and display your colors at the same time.

If you can't devise and insulated base for a metal pole, make it out of schedule 80 PVC and run your antenna wire up the inside of the pole.

One of those plastic ball-type fence post toppers painted gold on the top, a pulley and rope and your in business. The weather-tight box at the base could be hidden by plantings or other decoration.

Seems I've seen similar projects in the ARRL handbook.

I was also going to suggest the flag pole option. It's been used by many a ham to disguise a 75 meter vertical.

Frank
www.easthillradio.com

I really like the PVC Fake TV Antenna the best so far... I think I'm going to talk to the contractor down the street and see what he says..

My first shot was to try the flagpole idea - it was the most obvious to me, however we actually have a "No Flagpole" clause as well.

by MRAM 1500 kHz

I've seen Cell towers disguised as Palm trees and Pine trees.

No flag poles? I suppose you're only allowed to put a flag out temporarily for holidays and to be removed soon after. How unpatriotic. At least you could've had a good ground plane system around a flag pole.

The TV antenna idea would get you up in the air but then there's the age old question about grounding. Most argue that the gound wire radiates and is considered part of the antenna making it non-compliant but I don't want to get into that discussion.

Are you allowed to fly kites?

My Kajukenbo Instructor is letting me have the office at the Dojo for the Radio Station.

🙂