Simple Ham Radio Antennas

If you're having trouble viewing this video, please enter this title link into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAoK32BL4MQ.  If you need a strong, easily-assembled, and compact portable or emergency antenna, then the new Alpha Multiband Vertical Antenna may be what you're looking for.  In this video from "videosbymike", we see how easy it is to unpack, assemble, and use this antenna in a portable operation.  In this case, mike sets up his portable operation at the New Smyrna Beach in Florida and gets some interesting contacts using his Yaesu FT-857D and the LDG YT-100 auto tuner. The antenna comes with a tripod, a field bag, an aluminum MIL-SPEC mast, mast sections, a jaws mount, active wire, elements, and a counterpoise. This is post #916 in a continuing series on Simple Ham Radio Antennas. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit my news site at http://www.kh6jrm.info. Hawaii hams are invited to visit my local

If you're having trouble viewing this video, please insert this title link into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzFJ=KGB6qkXs. Making your own ladder line to feed your antennas is easy if you follow Steve Ellington's (N4LQ) step-by-step video.  Most of the wire and ties can be bought at your neighborhood hardware store or building supply outlet. You can use your home made ladder line and a balanced antenna transmatch (i.e. "tuner") to turn your dipole into a multi-band antenna.  You can also use a 4:1 current balun to connect your ladder line to your regular "tuner".  Be sure to spray all connections with a UV-resistant paint. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit my news site at http://www.kh6jrm.info. Hawaii hams are also invited to check into my Hawaii ARRL News site at http://bigislandarrlnews.wordpress.com. Opinions expressed in this blog are mine unless otherwise stated. Be sure to check out

If you're having trouble viewing this video, please insert this title link into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QwBiz_LB9M. Here's a simple, basic, but effective antenna transmatch or "tuner" for feeding random wires, especially half-wave end-fed antennas. Stan Gibilisco (W1GV) does an excellent job of explaining the theory, design, construction, and use of this simple device that will match the impedance of a long or random wire antenna to the impedance of your HF transceiver.  Be sure to use a good ground radial system with this type of antenna. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit my news website at http://www.kh6jrm.info. Be sure to check out the blog sidebars for more antenna and propagation information. Opinions expressed in this blog are mine unless otherwise stated. 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-JqK7w_1d8.  This is post #913 in a continuing series of simple ham radio antennas.  Improving the performance of your VHF/UHF HT may be as simple as attaching a "rat tail" quarter wave length wire to the base of your HT's "Rubber Duck" antenna.  The extra wire supplies the missing half of the HT's antenna.  The slightly modified antenna now becomes a VHF/UHF dipole antenna with significant gain over the highly compromised "Rubber Duck" antenna.  This video clearly explains the process of making a "Rat Tail" antenna extension for your HT.  The "Rat Tail" is simple, inexpensive, and efficient. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit my news site at http://www.kh6jrm.info. Be sure to check out the blog sidebars for more antenna articles and reference sources.

If you're having trouble viewing this video, please insert this title link into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuaTCZG2EBs. Here's another interesting magnetic loop antenna that is a bit more complicated than other magnetic loop antenna videos online.  According to Rob (dx2hunt), this dual magnetic loop antennas covers amateur radio frequencies between 80m and 17m continuously.  The 3/4-inch (19 mm) copper loops are arranged in a parallel fashion and are separated by 2.5 to 3 diameters of the copper tubes.  The most expensive part of the antenna is the vacuum variable capacitor which has a range of 25 to 1,000 pF with a 7,500 volt rating.  Rob says he has made some good contacts between Australia and New Zealand with this dual loop magnetic antenna.  If you've got the time, you may want to build one of these intriguing antennas. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit my news site at: http://www.kh6jrm.info. Radio amat