Simple Ham Radio Antennas

If you're having trouble viewing this video, please insert this title link into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9KSDvjycyw. This is post #977 in a continuing series on Simple Ham Radio Antennas. Experimenting with antennas is one of the fun things to do with Amateur Radio .  One never knows how a project will turn out until the creation is tested on the air. Such is the case with this 1-foot/.304 meters miniloop transmitting antenna designed by Kevin Laughin (KB9RLW).  Despite the antenna's small size, it works fairly well. Not bad for an experimental concept.  This antenna would be ideal for deed-restricted housing controlled by HOAs and CC&Rs.  Kevin's miniloop transmitting antenna is not efficient, but it works! Why not build one for your shack? For more Amateur Radio news and information, please check out these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. https://bigislandarrlnews.wordpress.com. http:/

Zip Cord Antennas--Do They Work? (http://www.w1npp.org/events/2010/2010~F~1/ANTENNAS/WIRE/790303~1.PDF) ( Jerry Hall , K1TD, QST , March 1979, pp-31-32). Author:  Jerry Hall (K1TD).  Republished by W1NPP. Please click title link to read the full article.   ARRL members can locate the article in the "QST" archives. Comment: Amateur radio operators have been using lamp or "zip" cord for decades to make emergency antennas and feed lines.  Zip cord is usually 18 gauge AWG stranded copper wire, although other thicknesses are available.  Zip cord is lightweight, easy to work with, and fairly cheap. There are really two answers to the question posed by Jerry Hall (K1TD). First, as elements for HF wire antennas, such as dipoles, inverted vees, slopers, and verticals, zip cord does an excellent job. The plastic insulation provides some weather protection, and the cord can be "zipped" apart to form two antenna elements with one piece of parallel wire.

If you're having trouble viewing this video, please insert this title link into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPk45MVFpY. This is post #975 in a continuing series on simple ham radio antennas . Here's another great idea for an inexpensive, efficient, and easily made antenna suitable for either home or portable use. In this video, science writer Stan Gibilisco (W1GV) shows us how to design, build, and use an open-wire dipole antenna .  This antenna, designed for the lowest HF band of your choice, and fed with 450 ohm ladder line , 300 ohm television twin lead, or 600 ohm balanced feeders and attached to your transceiver via a balanced ATU or a balun/"tuner" combination will cover several HF amateur radio bands with only one antenna. This particular antenna uses 450 ohm ladder line to feed two equal horizontal antenna elements, each measuring 20 meters/65.6 feet.  Used with a suitable ATU, this antenna will cover all amateur radio ban

If you're having trouble viewing this video, please insert this title link into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=josWRM_L2-k. This is post #974 in a continuing series of articles on simple ham radio antennas . In this video, G6URM gives us a quick look at his home made magnetic loop antenna which covers the 7-10-14 MHz portion of the radio spectrum . Radio amateurs know these segments as the 40, 30, and 20 meter bands. The construction is straight forward, using available materials found in the shack. In this case, G6URM made this mag loop "from a lump of HELIAX and some junk box stuff." You could also find much of the antenna's materials at the nearest hardware store , building supply outlet, or a neighborhood garage sale. Despite calling this antenna a "delta loop" (he admits to the error), the project is well made and seems to work very well from G6URM's location. Magnetic loop antennas are small, compact, and suita

N4KC's Top Five Multiband Antennas (http://www.eham.net/articles/37986). Author:  Don Keith (N4KC). Accessed on 06 December 2016, 00:25 hrs, UTC . Please click link or insert title link into your browser search box to read the article. Comment: Don Keith (N4KC) is one of my favorite amateur radio authors.  He has a genuine talent for making the overly complex simple for us non-technical folks. Such is the case for his latest article on the eham.net website.  In this article, Don lists what he considers the top five five multiband HF antennas for radio amateurs.  He also includes two honorable mentions that are gaining in popularity.  The best part of this essay is Don's encouragement for you "roll your own" antenna and just have fun experimenting with antenna designs. Based on Don's personal experience, here are the top five HF multiband antennas for ham radio operators: The G5RV antenna designed by the late Louis Varney (G5RV). While this antenna

7dB Collinear Antenna (213.114.137.49/ antenna /7db-collinear.htm). Author:  Harry Lythall (SM0VPO). Accessed on 05 December 2016, 00:50 hrs, UTC . Please click link or enter the title URL to read the article. Comment: Are you having trouble reaching that distant 2 meter repeater or finding parts of your "geographically challenged" neighborhood living in a VHF "dead zone?" This high-gain VHF Collinear Antenna from Harry Lythall (SM0VPO) will help you eliminate weak signal reports in your shack. According to Harry, this easily made VHF Collinear Antenna can be assembled with material available at the nearest hardware store or building supply outlet. All you need are some stranded power cable , 3 sections of PVC pipe , four coil forms, a balun, small lengths of 50 ohm coaxial cable , and a length of coax for your feed line . Harry explains the design and construction process step-by-step, complete with photographs, illustrations, and a full list of mate

Ultra-compact Multi-band Wire Antenna (http://www.nc4b.org/wordpress.org/ultra-compact-multi-band-wire-antenna). Author:  NC4B. Accessed on 03 December 2016, 17:30 hrs, UTC . Please click link or insert title URL into your browser search box to read the full article. Comment: Here's a fascinating multi-band HF antenna for those radio amateurs facing severe space restrictions or who live in HOA/CC&R-controlled housing. According to NC4B, as long as you have at least 12 feet/3.65 meters of free horizontal or vertical space, you can build an antenna that will get you on the air at minimal expense and exposure.  The design is based on an antenna originally built by WB2JNA and can be found in various Amateur Radio publications. The antenna is simple and can be made from locally available PVC pipe , #14-#16 AWG wire, various screws, and alligator clips.  NC4B says an automatic antenna "tuner" will help tame SWR , although adjusting the coil tap and the leng