Simple Ham Radio Antennas

If you can't view this video, please enter this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEDneotW3ko. Here's an interesting, if somewhat complicated antenna worth trying for Field Days or any portable operation dedicated to the 160 meter Amateur Radio Band. In this video from "HAMPREPPER.COM", we see how a few friends prepare a set of helium balloons to support a full 1/4 wavelength 160 meter antenna (around 135 feet/41.158 meters).  This project will take some coordination and excellent weather to make this antenna work.  With propagation favoring the 160, 80, and 40 meter bands this year, you may want to consider a balloon-supported antenna for Field Day, which happens on 24-25 June 2017. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these web sites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. https://bigislandarrlnews.wordpress.com (becomes https://bigislandarrlnews.com on 25 June 2017

If you can't view this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP9Arp7V9RA. Thanks to Al (VE3RDD) and his fellow hams from the Bernie Amateur Radio Club for this refinement of an old antenna launching technique.  Al has paired a common slingshot with a fishing reel, fishing line, and a sinker to launch a Field Day antenna into nearby trees.  After a little practice, you'll be able to launch antennas into tree cover with few problems.  Be sure to participate in the 2017 ARRL Field Day Emergency Communications Exercise on 24 and 25 June 2017. You don't have to belong to an amateur radio club to take part of the festivities. You can even run a portable ham station from your vehicle or from your own backyard. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. https://bigislandarrlnews.wordpress.com. http://www.kh6jrm

Random Wire Antennas (http://www.arrl.org/random-wires). Accessed on 21 June 2017, 23:50 hrs, UTC. Please click link or insert title into your browser to read the full article. Comment: Random wire antennas have been around since the dawn of Amateur Radio early in the 20th century.  Properly designed and attached to a suitable ground radial or counterpoise system, a random wire antenna will perform well and give you many contacts on Field Day or any other portable operation. This article from the ARRL, gives you all the information you need to make a simple, inexpensive, and efficient random wire antenna. The best length of a random wire antenna seems to be around 1/4 wavelength of your chosen band.  If you want to operate from 80 through 10 meters, make the wire length to accommodate the 80 meter band (around 135-feet/41.158 meters). For multiband HF use, an antenna "tuner" and a ground radial/counterpoise system are required. According to the ARRL, a counterp

If you can't view this video, please enter this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v-MQI2G6uqQhw. A good, basic introduction to HF mobile antennas and their installation from the staff of Waters and Stanton Ham Store in the UK.  Before you commit to HF mobile operation, please review the suggestions given in this video.  If you already have a HF mobile Amateur Radio Station, consider using it in the upcoming ARRL Field Day event. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. https://bigislandarrlnews.wordpress.com. http://www.kh6jrm.info (breaking news for radio amateurs). http://www.arrl.org. http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news (podcast updated every Friday). Other sites of interest: http://hawaiisciencedigest.com (science and technology news for radio amateurs). https://hawaiiintelligencedigest.com (trends in geopolitical intellig

If you can't view this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH0RiRHp2Bc. If your amateur radio operations are confined to the inside of your apartment or home governed by deed-restrictions (CC&Rs and HOAs), you may want to consider these MFJ antennas tested by Mark Elzey.  He does a good job of explaining how the MFJ-1661 and the MFJ-1668 work and what can be expected from them inside  your home.  Of course, it would be preferable to mount these antennas outdoors, but they do a reasonably good job inside.  A compromised antenna is better than no antenna. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. https://bigislandarrlnews.wordpress.com. http://www.kh6jrm.info (breaking news for radio amateurs). http://www.arrl.org. http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news (a weekly news podcast issued each Friday). Other sit

If you can't view this video, please enter this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ijIICTN391. Helically-wound antennas can be a lot of fun to design, build, and use.  In this video, Bob (KC4FNE) shows us his home-brew 20 meter rotatable dipole antenna during a presentation before the Virginia Tech Amateur Radio Association meeting on 05 February 2014.  The only drawback to these helically-wound antennas is a fairly narrow bandwidth.  I've built a few vertical helix antennas for 40 and 80 meters where vertical space was limited.  All of them performed well, given the narrow bandwidths inherent in the design.  In Bob's design, a ground radial or counterpoise system is not required for operation. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. https://bigislandarrlnews.wordpress.com. http://www.kh6jrm.info (breaking news for radio a

If you can't view this video, please enter the title URL into your browser search box--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wBDEYiIsyM. If you're thinking about adding a VHF/UHF station to your 2017 ARRL Field Day site on 24-25 June 2017, you may find this video by "DENMONKEY" useful.  In this video, DENMONKEY assembles his VHF/UHF station using a simple aluminum push up mast, a dual band vertical, and a small dual band yagi beam.  The antenna package is lightweight, easily assembled, and portable. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. htps;//bigislandarrlnews.wordpress.com. http://www.kh6jrm.info (breaking news for radio amateurs). http://www.arrl.org. http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news (podcast issued each Friday). Other sites of interest: http://hawaiisciencedigest.com (science and technology news for radio amateurs). https://hawaiiintelligencedi