Simple Ham Radio Antennas

Graphene-Based Nano-Antennas May Enable Networks of Tiny Machines - Department of Electrical Engineering : "Graphene-Based Nano-Antennas May Enable Networks of Tiny Machines Networks of nanometer-scale machines offer exciting potential applications in medicine, industry, environmental protection and defense, but until now there’s been one very small problem: the limited capability of nanoscale antennas fabricated from traditional metallic components. Assistant Professor Josep Jornet's research with his advisor, Professor Ian Akyildiz on graphene based nano antennas has been featured by the Science andTechnology News Center of Georgia Tech. The project shows that "the concept of graphene-based nano-antennas is feasible, especially when taking into account very accurate models of electron transport in graphene. Many challenges remain open, but this is a first step toward creating advanced nanomachines with many applications in the biomedical, environmental, industri

This video is part of a Royal Canadian Air Force Training Film series produced by the National Film Board of Canada. Thanks to Javier Anderson for the tip. This classic film, most likely produced in the mid to late 1950s, does an excellent job of explaining important reception basics when using a radio. This series of videos would make an excellent feature for Amateur Radio License Classes. The dialogue is direct, uncomplicated, and thoroughly understandable. Great video. For the latest Amateur Radio News and Events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. If you want more Amateur Radio news, please visit my news site at http://kh6jrm.net. Thanks for joining us today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

I'm afraid the title of this post is a bit misleading...nothing about Don Wallace's (W6AM--SK) life was simple. He lived a huge life and was one of the top DX chasers of all time. Until his death, he operated a multiantenna "farm" from the old Press Wireless site overlooking Palos Verdes, California. As a youngster, I remember his "booming" signal into Hawaii during the day. As this video shows, his station was better equipped and maintained than most commercial AM stations of that time. In this video from the California Radio Historical Society, Wayne Overback interviews Don Wallace for the PBS series "Radio Collector." The highlight of the interview is a tour of Don's mammouth antenna system. Nowadays, the antenna site once used by Wallace is now a condo development. I learned a lot about dedication and determination from viewing this video. I wish I could have met Don Wallace face-to-face. He sounded like a truly unique individual

Ham Radio - Ancestor of the Internet | Southgate Amateur Radio News This video by producer Mark Svoboda is one of the better historical programs related to Amateur Radio.  In this video, Svoboda provides a fascinating overview of Amateur Radio--its history and relevance to communication today.  Svoboda uses interviews with amateur radio operators and selected voice overs to show how Ham Radio became the first social network uniting electronics enthusiasts in the early 20th Century...a precursor to what we know today as the Internet. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

This is part of a continuing series of antenna videos produced by Dave Casler (KE0OG). This discussion on Feed Lines and SWR is aimed at newly licensed hams or those thinking about taking the Technician Class License Exam. Dave's presentation is smooth, simple, and completely understandable. This video would be an excellent way to supplement the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual (Technician Class). For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please visit the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed . Thanks for joining us today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM). Related articles ARRL Introduces Kindle Edition of Ham Radio License Manual Ham Radio Morse Code Channel! New ham radio promotional video

This excellent, well-paced video was part of a junior electromagnetics course for electrical engineering students at Bucknell University . The video is designed to be used as the out-of-the-classroom component and combined with active learning exercises in class. The video covers some of the terminology and basic equations that engineers will use to define the properties of antennas . This antenna tutorial should be part of your reference library . The video could also be used in Amateur Radio License classes to supplement live instruction. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. For more Amateur Radio news, you can visit my news site at http://kh6jrm.net. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed . Thanks for joining us today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM). Related articles Melting Glacier Threatens Population of Rare Aquatic

Nice, basic antenna tutorial for those aspiring to a Technician Class Amateur Radio License. Dave Casler (KE0OG) has produced a comfortably paced antenna introduction that follows closely the ARRL Technician Class License Manual. This video is part of an antenna series designed for newly licensed amateur radio operators or for those thinking about becoming amateur radio licensees. For more information, visit Dave's website at http://ke0og.net/training. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. For more Amateur Radio News, please visit my news site at http://kh6jrm.net. Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

. Excellent antenna tutorial. The video is part of a series covering electromagnetics given to electrical engineering students at Bucknell University . The video is clear, well-organized, and thoroughly understandable. This video would make an excellent self-study assignment for those preparing for Amateur Radio License examinations. You could also download a copy of this video for your own antenna reference library . All of us get a little "fuzzy" on antenna theory as time marches on, and this video will serve to reaquaint you with some of the antenna basics needed to enjoy Amateur Radio. For the latest in Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed . For a more detailed look at Amateur Radio News, please check out my Amateur Radio News Blog--http://kh6jrm.net. Thanks for joining me today! Aloha es

Excellent idea for a stealth antenna for those of us operating under burdensome HOA rules and CC&Rs. Just make sure the gutter is bonded together with pop rivets or screws to maintain integrity and electrical conductivity. I've built several versions of this antenna for various bands, all fed with fairly cheap RG-6 coaxial cable available as "end of reel" pieces from cable company installers. This 75-ohm coax is also available from the TV or cable accessories department of Walmart. My old Drake MN-4 antenna transmatch ("tuner") handled the slight mismatch between the cable impedance and the nominal 50-ohm impedance of my trusty Ten-Tec Argosy II. I also attached "counterpoise" wires (one for each band of use) to the ground lug of the Drake MN-4. This antenna is simple and it works. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a f

- How will the 5G network change the world? - via Eagle Averro - Newsvine : 1 December 2014 How will the 5G network change the world? By Ed Ram BBC News The global race is on to develop 5G, the fifth generation of mobile network. While 5G will follow in the footsteps of 4G and 3G, this time scientists are more excited. They say 5G will be different - very different. If you're thinking, "Great, that's the end of my apps stalling, video faltering, and that everlasting load sign," then you are right - but that's only part of the story. "5G will be a dramatic overhaul and harmonisation of the radio spectrum," says Prof Rahim Tafazolli who is the lead at the UK's multimillion-pound government-funded 5G Innovation Centre at the University of Surrey. That means the opportunity for properly connected smart cities, remote surgery, driverless cars and the "internet of things". So, how best to understand this joined-up, superfast,

Here's another idea for an antenna system in a restricted housing area (HOA). This ham used a LDG S9V31 telescoping fiberglass mast vertical with 24 ground radials using CAT 5 cabling. He raises the mast from ground level when he uses it and lowers the mast when he is done. The vertical is colored green so it blends in with the surroundings. It also helps that he knows when HOA inspectors make their rounds. Not a perfect solution, but it works for this amateur radio operator . Of course, the best solution is not to live in a home governed by HOAs or CC&Rs. That option, however, is being reduced every time a new housing development opens for business. So, finding a home with no antenna restrictions is getting more difficult by the day. For most of my amateur radio "career", I've had to operate under restrictions, so, I'm aware of the difficulty of getting a decent antenna built without the housing police coming down on you. I've used indoor ant

History This Week | Southgate Amateur Radio News : Page last updated on: Sunday, November 30, 2014 History This Week A look back at events that made history this week - compiled by the Summerland Amateur Radio Club of Lismore, NSW Monday, 1 December, 2014 1732 James Blair was�rescued from a fire in a coal mine. William Tossach, a Scottish surgeon revived him using mouth to mouth ventilation. 1799 Metric System established in France. 1876 Daniel Stillson (Massachusetts) patents first practical pipe wrench. 1893 First Electric Car built in Toronto, could go 15 miles between charges. 1909 George Taylor makes first free flight in a glider at Narrabeen Beach, New South Wales . 1941 Japanese attack Pearl Harbor , brings the USA into WW2. 1942�First controlled nuclear chain reaction (Enrico Fermi - University of Chicago). 1996�NASA's first Mars rover launched from Cape Canaveral . • Read last week's 'History This Week' • Visit the Summerland Amat

An excellent video guide to building, erecting, and maintaining a simple 80-10 meter loop antenna . Lynn (NG9D) covers the basics in a short, well-produced video that can be applied to many home situations. With careful attention to detail and choice of wire, the antenna is fairly stealthy--something of concern to many of us "penned in" by neighbors and nearby buildings. Lynn uses commonly available RG-58 and RG-59 for the feedline. If you can't find two tall supports, try designing the antenna as a delta loop. A tall tree limb or a telescoping fiberglass mast could serve as the apex of the loop. If space is a concern, you could build the loop for 40-10 meter coverage. If you're worried about high SWR on the coax, feed the loop in a bottom corner with 450-ohm ladder line . Run the ladder line to a balanced antenna tuner or to a 4:1 balun. Fifty-ohm coax would then run from the balun to your antenna transmatch (tuner) and onto your rig. Either way, the

If you're looking for a basic, simple antenna transmatch ("tuner") for that "long wire" or random length wire connecting your transceiver to the "ether", you've found the right place. Stan Gibilisco (W1CV) provides an easy to understand tutorial on how to build a random wire antenna "tuner" for your QTH or for that portable operation on the weekends. The "tuner" can also work with end-fed half-wave antennas. It's important to have a good ground or radial system with this type of antenna. I built a similar antenna transmatch during my Novice License years (1977-1979) and got a lot of enjoyment and contacts with it. As I recall, I was using a Heathkit HW-101 transceiver attached to a 100-ft/30.48 meters wire strung up in a tall Norfolk Pine Tree. My radial system consisted of an 8-ft/2.43 meters copper ground rod with four, 33-ft/10.06 meters radial wires attached and buried about 1 inch/2.54 cm below the lawn. My feed

Helpful video by Dave (W0ZF) on how to build a simple portable antenna for the amateur radio bands .  The antenna, whether it be for 20 meters, or some other band , is simple, inexpensive, and easy to build.  I've built several 20 and 40 meter versions following Dave's general example.  All have worked very well with powers in the QRP range (1-10 watts).  I got my speaker wire from Radio Shack , the pole was a telescoping fiberglass fishing pole I found at The Sports Authority , and the nylon string, insulators, and coax I had around the shack.  Although you can get by with just a vertical element and a "counterpoise" wire lying on the ground, you will get better performance if you use several elevated radials below the base of the vertical element.  I have a 40 meter version of Dave's antenna which is erected in the backyard of my one-acre property.  I used a 33-ft/10.06 meters MFJ telescoping fiberglass pole, 32-ft/9.75 meters of #18 gauge speaker wire f

.If you need an emergency or portable antenna for 20 meters, then this video by Dave (W0ZF) will get you on the air quickly and inexpensively. The only materials I had to buy were some nylon rope and a telescoping fiberglass fishing pole from the Hilo " Sports Authority " outlet. The pole cost me $30.00. I followed Dave's instructions and soon had a light weight portable antenna that performed well in a local beach park I used for testing. The vertical element should be a quarter wavelength for the 20 meter frequency of your choice. I chose 14.200 MHz and cut my vertical element and my radial wires to a length of 16.47 feet (16 feet, 5.6 inches)/5.02 meters. My coaxial feedline was 50 feet/15.24 meters of RG-8X coaxial cable with UHF connectors. I used a spare Budwig Hi-Que center coax connector to attach the antenna elements, with the + side connected to the vertical element and the - side connected to the ground radial system. My antenna wire and radials wer

Another great video tutorial from antenna guru Dave Tadlock. This time, Dave designs, builds, and uses a simple ground plane antenna for 10 meters. Although Dave says his design can be ground mounted, a true ground plane antenna is always elevated to decouple the radials from the actual ground to eliminate ground losses. Dave's instructions are clear, precise, and often humorous. I've built several ground plane antennas following Dave's lead. The hardest of the lot was for 40 meters. In order to get the radial system off the ground, I had to use a slingshot and a length of weighted nylon rope to shoot the vertical element to a branch about 40 ft/12.19 meters above ground. With the bottom of the vertical element at 7 ft/2.13 meters above ground, it was easy to attach four, sloping quarter wave radials to the coax connector and tie them off at pre-positioned stakes. It's a lot easier to build a 10 meter ground plane. If you chose a frequency of 28.400 MHz (in t

Here's part 2 of Randy's (K7AGE) series on getting started on Ham Radio 2 meter FM . In this easy to follow video, Randy shows you how to program the popular ICOM IC-V80 Sport HT, how to get on the air quickly, and to how to use the basics of FM operating to your best advantage. Randy's videos can be used as basic a basic 2 meter tutorial for newly-licensed hams or to refresh the memories of some of us old timers who don't use 2 meters as often as we should. Overall, Randy has done a good job of covering the essential operating protocols for the 2 meter Amateur Radio band. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed . Until next time,Aloha de Russ (KH6JRM).

Are you a newly licensed amateur radio operator and want to get on 2 meter FM with a minimum of hassle and problems? Then, this well-produced video by K7AGE is for you! Even though I've been an amateur radio operator since 1977, I always learn something new about the hobby by consulting hams who've been in the hobby for many years. K7AGE is an excellent "elmer" (mentor) and takes you step by step into the world of 2 meter FM using the popular Icom IC-V80 Sport VHF hand held transceiver. This is part 1 of a three-part study of 2 meter FM. For the latest Amateur Radio News and Events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

This short video by M0VST covers most of the basics involved in making an effective longwire antenna, covering the amateur radio bands between 160 to 10 meters . I've built several of these "longwire" antennas and have found that an ATU ( antenna tuner ) and a good counterpoise system really help to produce a quality signal. Unlike M0VST's "longwire antenna", my version was cut to a length of 67-ft/20.42 meters, enough to cover amateur radio bands between 80 and 10 meters. My counterpoise system was a compromise arrangement consisting of four, quarter wave radial wires for each band of use (80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters). I also attached a "quarter wave radial bundle" to the ground lug of my trusty Drake MN-4 ATU. I used approximately 60 ft/18.29 meters of 450 ohm ladder line as the antenna feed line. The ladder line was attached to a W9INN 4:1 balun. A 6-ft/1.82 meters length of RG-8X with UHF connectors ran from the balun to the wi