Simple Ham Radio Antennas

If you're having trouble viewing this video, please insert this title link into your browser search box: https://youtu.be/1Da43_y_OMw.  Great mobile antenna idea from Duncan (EA5ON).  A simple, cheap, and efficient set up for using your HF rig while you are parked or using your vehicle as a support for a portable station. The equipment list is fairly basic:  a ball mount from Hustler; the 12-foot/3.65 meters extendable whip and screw driver antenna are from MFJ; and the extension mast is from DX Engineering.  You could even use this arrangement as a quasi-stealth antenna in a HOA/CC&R situation.  For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars.  These news feeds are updated daily.  Thanks for joining us today!  Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

If you're having trouble seeing this video, please enter this title link into your browser search box: https://youtu.be/2WICcYCMJHM.  I've always enjoyed portable operations because they get me into the great outdoors, prepare me for emergency communications situations, and provide plenty of practice for the ARRL Field Day event.  In this video from Anthony ("biblesnbarbells"), we see how easy it is to organize, set up, operate, and tear down a fully functional portable amateur radio station.  Anthony selected Markham Park in Sunrise, Florida for his "mini dx-pedition."  His equipment was simple:  A Yaesu FT-817ND transceiver, a MFJ 1910 telescoping mast, an end-fed antenna, a LDG automatic tuner, and a Goal Zero solar power system.  Now's the time to practice for Field Day and have some fun on the side.  Good Luck!  For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars.  These news feeds are updated daily.  Thanks for joini

If you're having trouble viewing this video, please insert this title link into your browser search box: https://youtu.be/3mj2n-HOP2g. A great video showing a father (VK2FJC) and his son, Corey (VK2FCOR) making and testing a homebrew 8 element log periodic dipole array.  Corey and his dad salvaged parts from 2 ANT, 4 element 20 meter antennas to make this homebrewed antenna. This video shows the pair testing the newly constructed antenna with a Rigexpert AA-520 antenna analyzer.  The analyzer is doing a sweep from 14 MHz to 30 MHz.  Log periodic antennas are a bit large and heavy for the HF bands, but many radio amateurs have managed to make a few with outstanding results.  Log periodic antennas are also used on VHF and UHF segments of the radio spectrum. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars.  These news feeds are updated daily.  Thanks for joining us today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

If you're having trouble viewing this video, please insert this title link into your browser search box: https://youtu.be/gc3ITr2swgU.  Thanks to George Becht for this video demonstrating and reviewing a multiband HF magnetic Loop Antenna designed by N2SQ.  The video gives us a good look at the capacitor box, plus some actual contacts on 17, 20, and 15 meters.  The antenna also works on 30 meters.  The coax is RG-8 with a solid Teflon dielectric using only the shield of the coax.  The center conductor is not connected.  The capacitor is a 25-100pf air variable gear type bought for $2.00 at the 2014 Orlando HamCation.  This magnetic loop antenna would be useful in HOA/CC&R controlled homes and apartments, as well as for portable and emergency use.  For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars.  These news feeds are updated daily.  Thanks for joining us today!  Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

ICQPODCAST--Erecting Antennas Released (http://www.icqpodcast.com/download-the-show/2016/4/17/icqpodcast-episode-209-erecting-antennas). Accessed on 19 April 2016, 00:24 hrs, UTC. Reporters:  Martin (M1MRB/W9ICQ; Chris (M0TCH); and Colin (M6BOY). The "ICQPODCAST" is one of my favorite programs focusing on amateur radio. Martin, Chris, and Colin do an excellent job of presenting current amateur radio news, various technical topics, and presenting special features of interest to the amateur radio community. In this episode (#209), Martin, Chris, and Colin explore two interesting antenna topics:  Erecting Antennas and how a new radio antenna avoids unwanted signals. In the news section, the program explores the Shakespeare 400 Special Event Station, ARRL's "Youth Net" website, the DSTAR satellite in space, and the accomplishments of K1JT, who was named Amateur of the Year. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars.

If you're unable to view this video, please insert this title link into your browser search box: https://youtu.be/SOpdXHnzwIA.  Here's another interesting antenna idea from Stan Gibilisco (W1GV)--something he calls a "Backward Inverted L Antenna."  While this antenna is designed primarily for receiving purposes, it can be modified to transmit on all amateur radio bands between 160 to 10 meters.  As with all verticals, a good ground radial or counterpoise system is necessary. I've built a few of these antennas and they work very well on 160 meters and on the MW standard broadcast band.  You can also use this antenna for general short wave listening when your amateur radio activity is done for the day.  For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars.  These news feeds are updated daily.  Thanks for joining us today!  Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

An All Band Loop Antenna (http://www.eham.net/articles/36087). Accessed on 17 April 2016, 05:37 hrs, UTC. Author:  Howard Walker (KI4VEO). If you have a large lot and want to experiment with the properties of loop antennas, then this article from Howard Walker (KI4VEO) may be what you need. Since Howard was blessed with several tall trees on his 4-acre property, he decided to string up a full wave loop antenna covering the amateur radio bands between 160 meters and 10 meters.  Howard ended up with a 570-foot/173.78 meters wire loop antenna that brings in plenty of DX during his time on the air. In this article published on eham.net, Howard discusses the construction techniques and the equipment needed to erect this large loop antenna. I've used full wave loop antennas in the past, albeit not as large as Howard's project.  My current 40 meter delta loop is fed with 450 ohm ladder line into an antenna transmatch (i.e. "tuner").  This modest antenna does an excelle