Simple Ham Radio Antennas

An unusual stealth antenna one foot above ground (http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2017/february/an-unusual-stealth-aerial.htm#.WJJMLv8rLIU). Accessed on 01 February 2017, 21:35 hrs, UTC . Author:   John Allsopp (G4YDM). Please click link or insert title URL into your web browser to read the full article. Comment: For those of us who live in deed-restricted homes or "space challenged" urban lots, the use of a full length dipole or vertical antenna is often out of the question. Your antennas of choice will be limited to what can't be seen or removed quickly as the situation demands.  Often, your antenna will be a highly compromised version of a dipole, vertical, or even a magnetic loop.  You can certainly make contacts with these antennas, but what you need is a full performance dipole on a deed-restricted lot.  Impossible? Not really, if you follow the instructions presented in this post from John Allsopp (G4YDM). According to John, just build a standard le

5/8 Wave Vertical Antenna Calculator (http://www.qsl.net/w4sat/five8th.htm). Accessed on 01 February 2017, 04:50 hrs, UTC. Author:  W4SAT. Please click link or insert title URL into your browser search box to read the full article. Comment: You can design, build, and operate your own 5.8 wavelength vertical antenna by using this simple javascript antenna calculator. An antenna matching device, such a wire-wound coil, must be added between the vertical antenna element and the coaxial cable feedline so that the antenna can match the impedance of the coax feedline.  The addition of 3 to 4 quarter wavelength radials will make the antenna more efficient and easier to adjust. As you can guess, the 5/8 wave antenna is a bit more complex to build than the simple ground plane antenna using a 1/4 wavelength vertical element.  So, why go to all the trouble of building the 5/8 wavelength vertical antenna?  W4SAT gives us several reasons to build this larger vertical antenna: "So

If you're having trouble viewing this video, please insert this title URL into your browswer search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocPxYkOTD24. Interesting video from VK5STU on how to install an end fed HF antenna in a space restricted area.  Despite a few frustrating moments, the antenna and its "squid pole" supports (fiberglass masts) were installed without incident. Hopefully, this video will give you some ideas on how to design, build, and install an end fed HF antenna. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these sites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. https://bigislandarrlnews.wordpress.com. http://www.kh6jrm.info ( breaking news for radio amateurs ). Other sites you may enjoy: http://hawaiisciencedigest.com (science and technology news for radio amateurs). https://hawaiiintelligencedigest.com (trends in geopolitical intelligence, strategic forecasting , terrorism, and cybersecurity).

Ground System Performance for HF Verticals, Part 4, How Many Radials Does My Vertical Really Need? (http://www.dxzone.com/qsy32482-radials-on-vertical-antenna). Accessed on 30 January 2017, 00:10 hrs, UTC. Author:  Rudy Stevens (N6LF). Please click link or insert title URL into your browser to read the full article. The article takes you to a downloadable link which displays all five pages of the antenna study.  The original article appeared in "QEX", May/June 2009, pp.38-42. Commment: One of the drawbacks to most 1/4 wavelength verticals is the need for an extensive ground radial or counterpoise system.  In this exhaustive study done by Rudy Stevens (N6LF), we get an idea of how important ground radials are for the efficient operation of a 1/4 wavelength vertical antenna. Rudy based his experiments on the pioneering work of the late Jerry Sevick, with results closely matching those of Sevick's original investigations.  Rudy's analysis offers several conclusi

Online Dipole Antenna Calculator (http://www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump2.cgi?ID=22713). Accessed on 28 January 2017, 23:50 hrs, UTC. Author:  Kitchener Waterloo Amateur Radio Club. Please click link or enter title URL into your browser search box to read the full article. Comment: Here's a handy and easy-to-use dipole antenna calculator from the Kitchener Waterloo Amateur Radio Club.  Just plug your desired center frequency into the blank provided, and you'll get the total length of your dipole, as well as the length of each dipole element.  The measurements are presented as feet. The computer generated length will give you a good starting point for making your simple dipole antenna.  You may have to trim wire to keep SWR low or to accommodate the antenna to the layout of your property. The choice of feed line is up to you.  According to this post from the Kitchener Waterloo Amateur Radio Club, a variety of feed lines is available: "The half-wave dipole is