07/06/2026
Fred Johnson, K6FRD, is an amateur radio operator in Riverside, California. Like
many hams, he lives in an HOA-controlled neighborhood. For Johnson, finding
practical, low-visibility, antenna solutions has become part of the fun over the
years.
"For years I struggled to enjoy HF because, like many amateurs in an HOA, towers
and conventional outdoor antennas simply aren't an option," said Johnson. "I
tried several radios over the years, but without an effective antenna I rarely
heard much activity and had very limited success making contacts. A few weeks
ago, I decided to stop chasing radios and instead focus on building the best
stealth antenna I could."
Johnson said that after returning to HF last year, he enjoyed experimenting with
antennas, portable operating, FT8, and station design to see what's possible
from a suburban backyard.
"The result is a simple 145-foot horizontal loop made from 14 AWG THHN wire,
mounted on stainless cup hooks around the top of my backyard fences about six
feet above the ground. The wire is insulated from the hooks with short pieces of
clear vinyl tubing and is fed with a 4:1 current balun and approximately 25 feet
of RG-8X coax. I also added ferrite chokes at both the antenna and radio ends of
the feed line to help minimize common-mode current and noise."
"The results have honestly exceeded my expectations," he said. "My noise floor
is typically only S1 to S2, allowing me to hear stations I would have completely
missed before."
ARRL Field Day 2026 gave Johnson a chance to operate entirely on battery power
using his IC-7300 and his new antenna, making contacts on 10, 15, and 20 meters.
Since installing the loop, he has worked 39 states, 24 countries, and stations
throughout Japan, Hawaii, Samoa, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, South
America, and across North America-all from his HOA backyard!
Johnson went on to say he hopes that sharing his successes, and the occasional
lessons learned along the way, encourages other operators, especially those with
HOA restrictions, to get on the air and enjoy this amazing hobby.
Johnson has created a Google photo album with all of the photos of his antenna
design: photos.app.goo.gl/qeF1eToA4q7cAj5PA[1]
Editor's note: Thanks to Fred Johnson, K6FRD, for sharing his story, his
HOA-proof antenna, and his effort to return to amateur radio and Field Day!
[1] https://photos.app.goo.gl/qeF1eToA4q7cAj5PA
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