Simple Ham Radio Antennas

If you have difficulty viewing this video, please enter this URL into your browser--https://youtu.be/pi8ysNBDDBg. Here's an example of a simple, no-frills vertical antenna that will provide hours of fun at your ham station. This antenna design from N0ECK and the folks at resistance hams can be assembled from materials you may already have in your shack or garage. You can also find these materials at your local hardware store or building supply outlet. The steel shed serves as a ground plane. I've built a few mono-band antennas using the same principal. Currently, I have a 20 meter vertical attached to my garage with the ground wire attached to the metal roof using a stainless steel bolt and screw assembly. The antenna works quite well for a vertical. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebar. These news feeds are updated daily. You can find more Amateur Radio news on my two news sites--http://kh6jrm.net and http://www.myalltop.com/

A comprehensive review by Rob Wagner (VK3BVW) of the 40 meter Double Bazooka Antenna made by IAC Antennas (http://www.iacantennas.com). Rob's video explains the theory behind the bazooka antenna and how it can be erected safely. The 40 meter version of the antenna is 51 meters long (167.28 feet) and is made from RG-58 coaxial cable and 300 ohm twin lead. The antenna is fairly immune to noise and offers some gain over a dipole antenna. There are two caveats concerning this antenna: The antenna is longer than a half-wavelength 40 meter dipole and is a bit heavier than its half-wave cousin. You will need two strong end supports for the antenna, since it tends to sag in the middle. You may also need another person to help you erect the antenna. My experience with the double bazooka antenna is limited to a 10 meter version I made as a general class operator back in the late 1970s. That antenna was homebrewed and performed very well. If you wish to build this type of antenna,

A clean, simple tutorial by Hiram Varquez on how to build a delta loop antenna and a Q-Match for it. According to Varquez, "The Q-Match will make the antenna resonant at 50 ohms at the feedpoint. This eliminates the need for an expensive balun." The delta loop antenna is bidirectional and exhibits some gain over a dipole. The loop is compact, easy to build, and inexpensive. Although Hiram's delta loop is designed for 20 meters, you can scale the loop for any amateur band between 160 and 10 meters, depending on the space available. If you want to use the delta loop for HF bands above 20 meters (12, 15, 17, and 10 meters), replace the coaxial cable and Q-Matching Section with 450 ohm ladder line and a balanced tuner. Delta Loops are excellent antennas for home or portable use. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can find more Amateur Radio news at my two news sites: http://kh6

If you're new to Amateur Radio satellite communications, then this classic video by Randy Hall (K7AGE) is for you. Randy explains what the antenna is, where to buy it, and how to mount it on a simple camera tripod. I have a friend who uses this antenna for ham radio satellite contacts and it works quite well. Even a basic HT will get you many contacts with this antenna. According to the hams who use this antenna, it is easy to assemble and break down and makes a good portable antenna for field day or special event stations. The Arrow antenna is a quality product that should serve you many years. 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, please visit my two Amateur Radio news sites: http://kh6jrm.net and http://www.myalltop.com/KH6JRM. You can follow our blog community with a free e-mail subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. Thanks for joining us today!

Here's the final segment of Dave Tadlock's (KG0ZZ) excellent tutorial on how to build a 10/15/20 meter trap vertical antenna. In this video, Dave finishes his 20 meter and 40 meter traps, assembles the vertical, and runs a few tests of the newly-made antenna. Responders to this series say this trap vertical works well. The video is well-produced and logically organized. 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 e-mail subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. Thanks for joining us today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

Dave Turlock (KG0ZZ) continues his tutorial on how to build a 10, 15, and 20 meter Trap Vertical Antenna. In part 3, Dave shows us how to build a 15 meter trap for the antenna. You can use a trap calculator to figure out the measurements. In part 4, Dave makes traps for 20 meters and 40 meters and finishes the final touches on this 3-band HF antenna. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, be sure to check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free e-mail subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. Thanks for joining us! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM). Note:  If you have difficulty viewing this video, please insert this URL into your browser: https://youtu.be/1Ff4_4T9RiI.

Dave Tadlock (KG0ZZ) continues his discussion on how to build a trap vertical antenna covering the 10/15/20 meter Amateur Radio bands. In part 2, Dave shows you how to adapt the coaxial cable trap to the aluminum tubing. Please be advised that aluminum tubing may be expensive in your area. Check metal recyclers, a scrap metal dealer, or a plumbing repair business for scrap aluminum tubing. With a little care and a few tools, you can make low power traps out of coaxial cable and door knob capacitors. Like aluminum tubing, door knob capacitors may be a bit expensive. You may find these capacitors at Fair Radio Sales in Lima, Ohio. 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 e-mail subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. Thanks for joining us today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).