Simple Ham Radio Antennas

A Low Cost Multi Band Antenna (http://www.dxzone.com/qsy31629-a-low-cost-multi-band). Accessed on 27 January 2017, 02:10 hrs, UTC. Author:  Len Paget (GMO0NX). Please click link or insert title URL into your browser search box to read the full article. Comment: How would you like to build a simple, inexpensive, trap dipole antenna that covers the Amateur Radio 80, 40 ,20, 15, and 10 meter bands without an antenna transmatch ("tuner")?  You can if you follow the instructions posted by Len Paget (GMO0NX).  Len's antenna is based on a proven design by W3DZZ. This trapped dipole is shorter than most monoband dipoles and requires two simple coaxial cable traps to make the antenna system work. Les says the SWR for each band is below 2:1 and often is better than 1.5:1.  You can configure the trapped dipole in a variety of ways, from a basic flat-top dipole to an inverted Vee, depending on the space available. The article has plenty of diagrams and pictures to help y

Title:  Get Ready for the Solar Minimum. Authors:  Steve Ford (WB8IMY), Joel Hallas (W1ZR), and Curt Luetzelschwab (K9LA). Source:  "QST", February 2017, pp.48-51. Comment: While I was searching for low-band HF antenna ideas (160 through 40 meters) suitable for our changing propagation, I ran across this article in the February 2017 issue of "QST"-- the official membership journal of the ARRL. Steve Ford (the "QST") editor does a good job of describing how our operating habits will change as the Sun reaches solar minimum.  According to Steve, "The solar minimum will have its greatest impact on the high- and medium-frequency bands, and we're already seeing hints of what is to come." In most cases, higher HF bands such as 12 and 10 meters will suffer the most fluctuation.  Propagation won't be entirely dead above 24 MHz, but it will rely on "sporatic E" to send signals to distant points.  As any 6-meter enthusiast will

Ground Plane Antenna Calculator (http://www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump.2cgi?ID=32475). Accessed on 24 January 2017, 20:30 hrs, UTC. Please click link or enter the title URL into your browser search box to read the full article. Author:  Glynn "Buck" Rogers (K4ABT). Comment: Ground plane antennas are useful for a variety of amateur radio operations from the upper HF bands (20 meters through 10 meters) to the 6 meter, 2 meter, and 70 centimeter amateur radio bands. This calculator from Glynn "Buck" Rogers (K4ABT) of BUXCOM (http://www.BUXCOM.com) is designed "to give the vertical length of a quarter wave ground plane antenna and the length of each of the four radials for the selected frequency you have entered." Element and radial lengths will be given in terms of meters, feet, and inches.  Some pruning of wire/rod lengths may be needed to keep SWR below 2:1.  A handy, useful guide for the antenna experimenter. For the latest Amateur Radio news

Antennas for portable operation (http://www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump2.cgiID=32473). Accessed on 24 January 2017, 00:45 hrs, UTC. Author:  MyHyEndFed Antennas. Please click link or insert title URL into your search box to read the complete article. Comment: A short, basic tutorial on the types of antennas best suited for portable operations.  The author does a good job of explaining the pros and cons of portable antennas ranging from verticals to half-wavelength dipoles. Although there is no "perfect" antenna for portable or emergency use, this post recommends the classic end-fed half-wavelength antenna with a matching unit as the most cost effective and simple to erect antenna for field operations. The original concept of the end-fed half-wavelength antenna goes back as far as 1928 when "QST" ran a series of articles on this multiband HF antenna. According to the MyHyEndFed Antenna manufacturer, the easily assembled end-fed half-wavelength antenna is

Moxon Antenna Design Calculator (http://www.dxzone.com/cgfi-bin/dir/jump2.cgiID=30540). Accessed on 23 January 2017, 02:45 hrs, UTC . Author:  Paul H. Evans (W4/VK9KF). Please click link or insert title URL into your browser search box to view the calculator. Comment: Thanks to Paul H. Evans (W4/VK9KF), you can now design your own Moxon Antenna online by simply plugging in wire diameter and resonant frequency . According to Paul, Moxon Antennas are fairly simple to make from commonly available materials and do very well on a wide selection of amateur radio bands . I've often assumed, incorrectly, that the popular Moxon rectangle antenna is strictly a HF antenna.  However, the small size and special far field pattern of this antenna lend it to some interesting VHF applications, including 6 and 2 meters. Paul's calculator derives from a public domain BASIC program written by L.B. Cebik (W4RNL)(SK).  That program can be found here: http://www.cebik.com/moxon