Simple Ham Radio Antennas

Shortly after the passage of Tropical Storm Iselle (07-08 August 2014) through Hawaii Island, I rebuilt part of my damaged antenna farm with a simple, cheap, and portable 20 meter vertical antenna that could be used at home or in a portable or emergency situation. I adapted the design presented by W0ZF by making it suitable for a permanent operation at the QTH. I used a 33-ft/10.06 meter MFJ telescoping fiberglass mast secured to the edge of my garage. The center pin of my RG-8X feedline was attached to the vertical element, while the coax braid was attached to the garage's 30-ft/9.14 meters by 16-ft/4.87 meters metal roof using a stainless steel nut/bolt and a battery clip. The roof connection was coated with a caulking compound and varnish to protect the attachment point from the weather. The antenna works very well on 20 meters. My old Drake MN-4 antenna transmatch (tuner) can make this antenna work on 15, 17, 12, and 10 meters with a low SWR. The video is well-done an

This is post #298. Fugate spoke before some 800 guests at the Friday evening ARRL Centennial Convention banquet in Hartford, Connecticut. Earlier that day, he and ARRL President Kay Craigie (N3KN), signed a memorandum of Agreement (MOA) aimed at enhancing cooperation between the ARRL and FEMA in the area of disaster communication. In his remarks at the banquet, Fugate said that before he even became FEMA administrator, it became clear to him that Amateur Radio could support ad hoc and innovative communication without relying on conventional telecommunications systems. In his remarks, Fugate noted that "The more sophisticated our systems become, the more fragile they become...the relevancy of ham radio only grows...Amateur Radio is taking that hobby and turning it into saving lives." Earlier, Fugate upgraded to the General Class Amateur Radio License. After Fugate's talk, President Craigie presented him with the ARRL Medal of Honor. Aloha de Russ (KH6JRM).

Excellent, concise, and well-produced video about yagi antennas from Diana Eng (KC2UHB). The use of a flashlight to explain how beams work is quite effective. This video could be used in an introductory Amateur Radio course. Nice job! Aloha de Russ (KH6JRM).

I was looking for a quick and easy HDTV antenna for my new home in the Orchidland Estates area of the Puna District when I came across this video from Ross Voorhees. Rather than spend $40-$60 for a commercial version, I decided to use Ross's idea and build my HDTV antenna. Although my xyl and I don't watch much television these days, we do enjoy a few PBS specials and the evening news. Ross's antenna design is cheap and easy to build. There are more sophisticated designs available, but, for now, Ross's antenna does the job. This is a great construction project. I found most of the components around the garage or in my "radio room." Most neighborhood hardware stores can supply you with what you need. Good luck and have fun! For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the news feeds in the blog sidebars. These feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog

The Yaesu FT-450D is a popular HF transceiver that has proven its success since its introduction in 2011. I've used this rig on ARRL Field Days and in portable operations with my ham friends. The rig is simple to use and performs well, even in high interference conditions. This would make an ideal introductory rig for a new licensee or a dependable transceiver for the more experienced ham. Nice rig. Aloha de Russ (KH6JRM).

I'm still in the process of restoring my "antenna farm" after the passing of Tropical Storm Iselle on 07-08 August 2014.  I lost a few trees on my Orchidland Estates property, most of which were supporting several HF wire antennas.  I salvaged most of the wire and the 450 ohm feedline from the storm.  While I cleaned up the mess, I erected a simple multiband vertical antenna using a tall Norfolk Pine Tree as an antenna support. Next on the list is the restoration of my approximately 134-ft/40.85 meters  center-fed horizontal dipole.  The antenna is fed with 450 ohm ladder line which goes into a W9INN 4:1 balun and then via a short length of RG-8X coax into a MFJ 941E Versa Tuner II.  This feed arrangement allows multiband coverage from 3.500 MHz through 29.000 MHz. Although the antenna requires two tall supports (trees or masts), construction of the antenna is simple and the dipole doesn't require a ground radial system. Using the general formula, 468/f(