Simple Ham Radio Antennas: "The Poor Man's Beverage" Antenna. Post #265
Like many amateur radio operators, I've collected many boxes of electronic parts, various lengths of coaxial cable , and assorted rigs over the past 38 years. I suppose my "shack" is testament to my "pack rat" tendencies. I rationalize this collective habit by saying all of this material will become useful some day. That some day was Thursday, 13 March 2014. I had several lengths of RG-58 coaxial cable that had seen better days. The assorted 100-ft/30.48 meters and 50-ft/15.24 meters lengths were gathering dust in the corner of the garage serving as the storeroom for my radio room. The connectors were in good shape and the vinyl covering was intact, although a bit grey from sun exposure. I wanted to find a use for the old cable ,now that it had been "retired" from active service. Why not use the old coax as a low noise receiving antenna for 80 meters, which was a very noisy band even in my remodeled home in the Puna District of Hawaii Islan