Simple Ham Radio Antennas

KH6JRM's Amateur Radio Blog Post #172 A homebrew 20-meter loop For the better part of two days (Saturday and Sunday), conditions on 20-meters from the Laupahoehoe qth have been poor.  Apparently, a near class X solar flare from our sun has made severe inroads on HF propagation.  So, once my xyl and yours truly finished our daily routines, I decided to work on my modest "antenna farm" in the backyard. Although my hastily-built 20-meter delta loop worked fine, it was low enough to cause problems with neighborhood pets, wild pigs (we have many here), assorted birds, and other furry creatures (feral cats, goats, and even a lost cow or two).  Living in an agriculture zone does present certain problems. I took down the delta loop and looked around for an alternative location--not an easy task on a small lot.  While I was creating my replacement antenna scheme, I glanced at my wooden garage.  It measured 17-feet by 16-feet, if I included the laundry room.  Aha! Why no

KH6JRM's Amateur Radio Blog Post #171 ANOTHER APARTMENT ANTENNA Thanks to some good weather today, I was able to get out of the house and work on my modest antenna farm in the backyard.  In my last post, I described a hastily built 20-meter delta loop fed by RG-6 coax.  The loop is working fine and I plan to keep it up for awhile.  Later, I will connect the loop to my station with 450-ohm ladder line, so I can use the antenna for 15 and 10 meters. After that small antenna project, I was once again on the lookout for other simple antennas that even I could build.  It's true...I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to building things, but I do better with each new project.  My fingers have solder burns to prove it!   Anyway, I wanted to improve my emergency indoor antenna without creating problems with RF emissions or TVI.  As I was searching antennas through the internet, I came across an article by Zachary Flemming entitled "How to make an indoor

KH6JRM's Amateur Radio Blog Post # 170 A Simple 20-meter loop antenna I've always had a fascination with full-wave loop antennas for the amateur radio bands.  While loops take up a lot of space, they are easy to make and generally quieter antennas than verticals.  Most of the materials for loop antennas can be found at your nearest hardware store or in your garage.  If you're a radio packrat such as I, you probably have extra wire and coax stashed somewhere near your shack.  While there was a break in the rain showers that have soaked Hawaii Island for the past few days, I ventured into my flooded backyard to examine my antennas for signs of damage or loose connections.  Apparently, a tree branch struck the 20-meter vertical dipole in back of the garage, necessitating lowering of the fiberglass mast and the removal of the wire elements.  I decided to restring the 20-meter antenna as a full-wave loop fed by approximately 40 feet of RG-6 coax.  I cut three, 23-foot l

KH6JRM's Amateur Radio Blog Post #169 NOVICE ANTENNAS The remnants of Hurricane Emilia are sweeping Hawaii Island with frequent showers and gusty winds--not the sort of weather conditions I prefer to do antenna maintenance.  So, bowing respectfully to the wiles of Mother Nature, I continued my antenna research via my personal library and notes from years past. One of my favorite amateur radio magazines besides Radcom (RSGB), QST, and CQ is the quarterly volume issued by the Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA Journal).  The magazine features interesting articles about hams who have been licensed 25 years or more and have contributed to the "radio art" in both their professional and personal lives.  The current issue (Summer 2012, Volume 61, Number 2) has several intriguing articles articles including a review of the venerable Barker & Williamson 6100 SSB, AM, and CW 80-10 Meter Transmitter and a continuing series of articles on Amateur Radio Novice Ope

KH6JRM's Amateur Radio Blog Post 167 A MINI-EXPEDITION I've always wanted to go on one of those heavily funded DX-peditions to some exotic place and be on the receiving end of a DX pileup. I'm sure I could enjoy myself, even after days of stress, QRM, and unforeseen operating problems in some isolated locale.  For now, those fantasies will be explored in the pages of QST or CQ until I become sufficiently rich to afford such a trip. Meanwhile, many amateur radio operators (including yours truly) will try to live life as it comes and operate whenever circumstances permit.  Such was the case over the past weekend, when I did my regular assignment of being the tower announcer at the monthly drag races held by the Big Island Auto Club.  Unlike past weekend stints at the Hilo Drag Strip, I brought along my HF "Go Kit" and decided to operate at the track before and after the regular races were run.  Since I arrive very early on Saturday and Sunday morning (0500