Simple Ham Radio Antennas--2 Meter Loop Antenna. Post #798.


If you're having difficulty viewing this video, please insert this title link into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEzSlUqPEWw.  Sometimes, a mistake can turn out to be something interesting and useful.  In this video from KB3TQO, an experimental 70 cm loop antenna was enlarged by accident and turned into a nice, wide banded loop antenna for 2 meters.  As some readers have pointed out, the antenna may be wide banded because of the ferrite balun used in the antenna.  At VHF frequencies, this balun will serve as a dummy load, leaving only a few watts or less to become a usable signal.  The antenna would be more efficient if the 4:1 balun was made from coaxial cable. However, the antenna tunes nicely, presents a good load to the transceiver, and does get contacts on the 2 meter band. Part of the fun of amateur radio is designing antennas such as this, even if there are significant losses in the design.  We learn from our mistakes. With a few minor changes, this antenna will be a winner.

When I was a novice licensee in 1977, my first HF contact on 40 meters (7.125 MHz) was made using a Heathkit Dummy Load.  I was testing my HW-101 and was trying to adjust the drive and plate current by transmitting CW into the dummy load, not expecting anything unusual.   Lo and behold, a ham a few miles away answered my shaky "CQ" and gave me a 549 report!  I was quite surprised by all of this. I managed to carry on a very slow conversation for 10 minutes or so and got a chuckle from the other ham when I told him my antenna was a dummy load.  One never knows where your signal will go, even if you use a dummy load just to tune up.  So, congratulations to KB3TQO for daring to experiment and having some fun.  His antenna works, despite the ferrite balun.

For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily.  Thanks for joining us today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

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