Simple Ham Radio Antennas

How the time flies--the busy Labor Day Weekend is upon us. For those of us who call a radio newsroom our "home away from home", the next few days will be busy indeed.  While I've got the Labor Day Drag Races to run (I'm the tower announcer), the rest of the staff at KKBG-FM/KHLO-AM will be occupied with remote broadcasts, UH-Hilo women's volleyball games, and a variety of cultural activities.  Hawaii Island may be a large rock in the middle of the Central Pacific, but residents do their best to keep their history and traditions alive.  Once you add some excellent tropical weather,  the Labor Day Weekend will be a genuine pleasure. With all of the above mentioned activities, there won't be much time for amateur radio until after Monday.  Between all of this activity I'll squeeze in some more antenna research and perform the weekly maintenance on the inverted 40-meter inverted "vee" and the 40-meter loop under the house.  Antenna maintenance and

Hawaii Island amateur radio operators are breathing more easily now that the Central Pacific Hurricane Center has downgraded Tropical Storm "Fernanda" to a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.  Remnants of this once potent storm should pass south of Hawaii Island Sunday or Monday, bringing a few showers and higher than normal surf.  It appears those of us on Hawaii Island have dodged the proverbial "bullet".  Local civil defense officials are keeping an eye on "Fernanda" just in case it pulls a switcher-roo like Hurricane "Iniki" did twenty years ago.  "Iniki" passed south of Hawaii Island as a weak tropical storm and then found warm water, regained category 4 strength, and flattened most tall objects on the Island of Kauai.  The "Garden Island" lost nearly all of its communications infrastructure, many homes, and several businesses.  It took months to rebuild the place, thanks to National Guard personne

This weekend has turned into a decent antenna day for amateur radio operators on Hawaii Island.  Since I completed most of my newsroom duties early this weekend, I was able to work on a few antenna ideas I first tried in my early days as a novice operator.  I pulled out my antenna notebook for 1978 and found a bunch of antenna ideas under the November category--a fairly wet month according to historical records.  That may have been the reason I fashioned a few "quick and dirty" verticals capable of being erected and taken down between drenching tropical showers.  One of my vertical helix antennas proved useful and fairly cheap to construct.  Borrowing freely from the "ARRL Antenna Book" and various publications from the RSGB (Radio Society of Great Britain), I assembled a compact portable unit that could be used in an emergency.  I decided to re-build this skyhook on Saturday.  It works well, considering its narrow bandwidth sosme high angle radiation.  I found

Over the past few days, I've been reviewing some of my old antenna notes.  Like the late Lew McCoy, I keep most of my ideas in an antenna notebook for future reference.  Any notebook will do, as long as you keep yourself organized and have sufficient room for drawings, meter readings, and other perameters.  Although there are many good, inexpensive antenna design programs, I prefer the old style of jotting down thoughts in a notebook.  I'm not a technophobe, but after immersing myself in the latest digital, whizz-bang equipment and programs at the radio station, I just feel the need to retreat to a simpler time as far as amateur radio is concerned.  Anyway, I've accumulated 20 or more student composition notebooks full of radio ideas, failed experiments, and occasional successes.  Some of my early antenna designs were quite pathetic, but that's how one learns. While I was going through a notebook dated October 1976, I came across a very simple 40-meter antenna that ha

Another exciting news day is coming to a close.  With all the stories about the government possibly defaulting on its massive debt and the potential delay in social security checks, my listeners have kept the telephone lines busy.  Throw in a few stories about local environmental and redistricting problems (spawned by the requirements of the 2010 census) and the usual lines about how Hawaii's state government must increase taxes to make ends meet and one gets an exciting week from the news room.  All of the hype, fear, and misinformation surrounding these issues makes me look forward to a relaxed few hours at the old Swan 100 MX or Kenwood 520.  Solutions to the above problems are not impossible--all it takes is for politicians to act like responsible adults and put the interests of the nation first.  I suppose that's asking too much from those who have lost what it means to be a "public servant."  At least in the amateur radio realm, one can always turn the dial to a

Have you recovered from the extended 4th of July holiday?  I think I'm on the road to recovery after a little too much to eat and drink.  In my "golden" years, I find it harder to snap back from the indulgences of youth.  I behaved myself most of the time, since the 4th was a normal workday for those of us in the radio news business.  I was able to take in the festivities along the Hilo bayfront, where Hawaii County had organized a family fun day with a classic auto show, games for the family, a wide selection of ethnic foods, and patriotic displays.  The Lehua Jaycees rounded out the evening with their traditional fireworks show.  I didn't stay for that display because of my early morning news shift.  There won't be much to do in the amateur radio realm until tomorrow (Saturday) when I can leave the news room around noon.  There is never an dull or idle moment around here.  About the only major attraction this week for Hawaii Island residents  will be the Moku O

The Fourth of July is fast upon us--a time of backyard barbeques, a little too much beer, good fellowship, and the celebration of our nation's independence.  The radio station staff is engaged fully in the weekend activities.  There are several parades, rodeos, community block parties, and county celebrations to keep all of us broadcast types busy.   The weather looks promising with only a few morning and evening showers to dampen the enthusiasm.  The holiday will give the news staff (only yours truly) a chance to get out of the normal "doom and gloom" news cycle and have some fun with the local community.  The weekend will provide a necessary boost to my spirits.  There is only so much negative news I can take.  So, I'll take in the antique car show, cover a few parades, and eat too many hot dogs....it's tradition.  On Tuesday, I'll increase the pace of my physical fitness program to burn off those calories accumulated over the past few days.  I'm sure my

Did you survive Field Day over the weekend?  The Big Island Amateur Radio Club held its Field Day at Hilo's Wailoa Visitors Center.  From what I could see during a break from my newsroom duties, the club had a small, but enthusiastic turnout.  Bob, AH6J, the Pacific Section Manager for the ARRL, had a nice public display complete with a grab and go communications system (we call it the "bucket" because all of the radio equipment fits in a padded bucket).  He spent most of Saturday evening talking up amateur radio with the local residents who stopped by for demonstrations and free snacks.  The club conducted FCC tests as well, netting one new General Class and one new Technician Class License.  I submitted a record of the public service announcements KKBG-FM/KHLO-AM aired during the run-up to Field Day.  Also posted was a Field Day article from the "Hawaii Tribune-Herald" newspaper.  I'm confident the club will get its 100 bonus points for public information.

During a brief break from the newsroom this morning I ran across an excellent antenna article by Don Keith (N4KC) in the 21 June 2011 edition of eham.net.  Keith is one of my favorite authors because he mixes a bit of humor with his view of amateur radio.  He never seems to take himself too seriously--which may be a good thing in a world tied to popularity, peer pressure, and political correctness.  His article, "What? You only have ONE antenna?", really strikes home for those of us restricted by space, CCR enforcement boards, and condo HOA groups.  Basically, Keith asks hams to use both vertical and horizontal polorized antennas to get more contacts from your limited radio operating hours.  Keith explains how simple verticals and dipoles can keep your operating productive and rewarding, despite the irregularities of propagantion. I've used both verticals, inverted "vees", and low-level loops to maintain both local and DX contacts.  The best part of Keith's

The wet, humid weekend is coming to a close on the Island of Hawaii.  As usual, the radio station staff has been busy with remote broadcasts and special events.  The big item was another round of the "Moku O Hawaii" outrigger canoe races on Saturday--always a well-attended affair.  Hawaii Island teams are preparing for the State of Hawaii Canoe Racing Championships which will be held 06 August on Maui. Most of the staff called in reports with their cellphones.  In days gone by, our remote broadcasts were sent to the radio station by small transmitters using business band frequencies near the amateur radio 70 cm (450 Mhz) band.  These units remain in a standby status, since cell phone coverage is quite good in the Hilo and Kailua-Kona area.  The air quality is excellent. If a remote broadcast is out of cell phone or UHF range, we use a TIE line system to send digital signals back to the main station.  Although the TIE line uses convential telephone lines, the air quality is qu

While I was taking a mid-morning break from the newsroom this morning, I ran across today's edition of the ARRL e-newsletter, which is directed to emergency responders and amateur radio operators serving in ARES and RACES groups.  The newsletter usually contains valuable material for those of us that can't devote much time to public service support.  I was especially interested in the response of amateur radio operators to the recent tornadoes and floods which have plagued the mid-west and southern states.  Hams serving in those areas provided valuable communications links for hospitals, police, fire, and civil defense officials.  Some operators are still on the job as volunteers with the Salvation Army SATERN network.  The work of these volunteers was underlined by FCC comments delivered at the recent meeting of VOAD  (volunteers offering assistance for disasters--I believe that's the proper title) groups.  Various communications experts acknowledged the role of amateur ra

This week has begun wet and windy--the sort of weather Big Islanders normally see in January and Februray.  The rain is welcome, since most places in the 50th state are experiencing periods of prolonged drought.  Even in rainy Hilo (135 inches per year), total rainfall is only 50% of normal.  Even with that in mind, antenna work has been a damp and breezy affair now that the trade winds have returned.  It was a good thing I erected the inverted "v" before the current showers began.  There have been a few thundershowers sprinkled throughout the day, so antenna work will be put aside until the weather clears.  Storms in the past few weeks have left a nice snowpack atop Mauna Kea, but most of that is gone to damp and drizzly weather on the summit of the 13,000-foot mountain.  The weather hasn't affected telescope operations much and exploration of the heavens continues unabatted.  A trip to the mid-level facility to take in a night of stargazing is quite a treat.  Just be su

I had an interesting experience on Saturday (04 June 2011) that proves that I'm not as smart as I thought.  Following a long day at the radio station news room, I looked forward to some relaxation at the amateur radio station.  Afterall , there is just so much "doom and gloom" one can stand in the news business.  Anyway, before I left, I picked up a flash flood watch and thunderstorm warning for Hawaii Island, something that occurs frequently from April to June around here.  Since the weather radar showed my Laupahoehoe QTH out of the danger zone, I figured I would squeeze in a few hours of relaxed cw until the storms were due to hit around 1900W.  Wrong...when I arrived home, I figured there was sufficient time to work the rig and still attend a small graduation party for one of neighbor's daughters at the Laupahoehoe Gym.  So, in my haste, I disconnected all cables, feedlines, and rigs just in case the QTH lost power due to wind and rain (that happens frequently her

The weekend is fast upon us.  Hopefully, that means a reduced newsroom schedule and an early voyage home to the amateur radio station.  After this week of economic doom and gloom, I need a break to recharge the ole batteries.  There's so much negativity one can take, especially with those supposedly in charge totally clueless as to what to do.  Anyway, if my amateur radio station falls short, I have no one to blame but myself.  I'm looking forward to a few hours of conversation, DX, and antenna work over the weekend. The ARRL Field Day is coming the weekend of 25/26 June and thousands of ham operators will take to the "field" in one of the largest emergency communications events conducted in North America.  The event combines contest, emergency communications, and survival aspects into one frantic weekend.  Nothing goes totally according to plan, and that's part of the allure of Field Day.  Because of work requirements, my participation with the Big Island Amate

Now that the Memorial Day festivities are over, it's time return to the "real" world and all of its troubles.  For a newsperson, strife and uncertainty are the basis of continuing employment.  Sad to say, good news really doesn't amount to much in world focused on immediate gratification, irresponsibility, and power.  I suppose this trend is not new--human foibles have been used for centuries to advance all kinds of political, social, and religious agendas.  Once in a while, I will include a humorous "kicker" in some of my newscasts to break the doom and gloom that seems to dominate the current news scene.  After shifting through 10 to 12 hours worth of generally negative stories, it's a real pleasure to run into an uplifting tale.  I ran across such a story when I read an ariticle by Jim Key (NT2 F) entitled "Q signals for Baby Boomers".  The story can be found in the 02 June 2011 edition of eham.net.  I enjoyed the article, although some of

Today is Memorial Day--a time to remember those who paid the ultimate price for our nation.  Despite a full weekend of drag races and other holiday events that kept our radio station staff busy, I welcomed a return to the news room this morning. This time gave me a chance to grace my newscasts with some heartfelt thanks to veterans and their families for their service to this still great country.  Like many vets, I don't care to share war stories...some memories are best forgotten.  I was fortunate to return alive with most of my faculties intact.  Others were not so lucky.  The tie between my service and amateur radio goes back some 40 years or more when many of us stationed in remote, deservedly forgotten areas of the world kept in touch with our families through MARS stations.  Those were the days before e-mail, skype, iPhones, or any other high tech communications marvels.  I owe a debt of gratitude to those MARS operators who kept us sane in a world gone crazy.  Perhaps the be

There remain only a few hours until the busy Memorial Day weekend breaks on Hawaii Island shores.  For those of us at KKBG-FM and KHLO-AM, the next few days will busy and filled with remote broadcasts, outrigger canoe races, the Honokaa Western Days Rodeo, and the traditional drag races at the Hilo Drag Strip.  By the time our staff reaches Monday, all of us should be tired, talked out, and ready for a vocal cord transplant.  My weekend will be spent in the track tower announcing the pro-gas and ET bracket races and sending live updates back to the station.  Although the next few days will be intense, the time away from the newsroom will give me a break of sorts from the usual panic of world events.  For the briefest of moments all of us at the track will be only concerned with elapsed times and getting closest to our indices (pro-gas).  Radio plays a huge role in coordinating and facilitating the complicated series of events that make a smooth running race.  All key personal (tower, s

In between a few jobs around the QTH over the weekend, I ran across an article in the eham.net website concerning the "Maxcomm Automatic Antenna Tuner".  The reviews of this product ranged from "0" to "5" depending on the experience of the amateur radio operator using the device.  I'm still amazed that anyone would use this product, which is just a 50-ohm resistor network and a torroid.  Back in the 1980s, the ARRL rejected the claims of the manufacturer because the tuner was just a dummy load.  Of course, the device protected the transmitter, since it presented a 50-ohm load to the transmitter.  I'm not saying the maxcomm won't give you a few contacts...even a dummy load with a wire attached can do that.  A few weeks ago I tried an experiment after I took down my Drake MN-4 ATU for some long-overdue cleaning.  I connected one end of a UHF "T" connector to my dummy load (Heath Cantenna) and the other end to my RG-6 coax going to 4:1 b

Another week has passed and the world is still here.  I must admit to a morbid fascination with the current crop of "end time" proponents.  I usually get a few calls to the news room everytime someone believes he/she has the exact time our planet will disappear and the faithful will be repatriated to paradise.  This week produced a bumper crop of the merely curious and the deeply concerned.  I treat these stories like any other event that crosses the news desk.  Most of the predictions are based on faith and little else.  You either believe or you don't.  The world is facing some real problems, any one of which could ruin your day.  Take your pick--the Middle East, natural disasters of various kinds, errant asteroids, and even the hotly debated climate change theories.  From what I've seen, humanity, with its propensity for both genius and stupidity, is quite capable of doing itself in without the help of the divine.  These radio and television preachers are free to e

As the news cycle comes to a close in the KKBG-FM/KHLO-AM newsroom, my thoughts are turning to a relaxing drive home, a daily walk with the XYL (about 2-4 miles depending how ambitious both of us are), a good home cooked dinner, and some time with the trusty Swan 100-MX and my basic, but workable "antenna farm".  All of my rigs have been given the monthly cleaning and other necessary maintenance needed to keep them functional.  The older rigs are fun to use, but one must keep them maintained, since spare parts are getting scarce and expensive.  The antennas are a no-brainer, considering what I use to keep them up and running.  My biggest challenge is keeping one step ahead of Hawaii's salt air, vog, and heavy rains.  This trio can ruin a homebrew antenna is just a few weeks.  But thanks to co-ax seal, electrical tape, and some home-brew plastic enclosures, I manage to keep most of the moisture out.  Coax takes a real beating as well--not only from the elements but also fr