Simple Ham Radio Antennas

If you can't view this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcnWkbiD79c. As the sun nears solar minimum, the lower HF bands (160, 80, and 40 meters) are showing their DX potential.  Perhaps it's time to build, erect, and use an antenna dedicated to 160 Meters--the "gentlemen's band."  If you live in a deed-restricted property governed by CC&Rs or HOAs, putting up an outside antenna for any ham radio band can be a challenge, especially if you want to experiment with the 160 Meter Band.  In this video, "Ham Prepper" uses his imagination to erect what he calls a "super expedient stealth 160 Meter Antenna." Thanks to 300 ohm twin lead and a MFJ-989C antenna "tuner", he can work any Amateur Radio HF band from 160 to 10 meters.  Granted, he may only have a NVIS (near vertical incident skywave) antenna, but he'll be able to contact fellow hams up to 300 miles/486 km fr

If you can't view this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIvwXNuK7RA. Here's a fascinating HF mobile loop antenna that can be used in your vehicle, inside your home, or at a portable field operation.  Timothy Drager (W3UE) has done an excellent job of explaining how this unique antenna works and how to assemble, use, and modify the antenna.  Tim claims this mobile HF loop has about 6% efficiency, compared to a "screwdriver" mobile whip antenna which is around 2% efficient.  There appears to be little interaction between the copper pipe loop and the metal roof of his vehicle. An intriguing antenna worth considering. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. https://bigislandarrlnews.com. http://www.kh6jrm.info ( breaking news for radio amateurs). http://www.arrl.org. http://www.arrl.org/arrl-

If you can't view this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBGSvI5Cgn8. You don't have to spend a lot of money and time building a simple 6 meter dipole antenna.  As "dafrogtoad" points out in his video, a surplus VHF/UHF outdoor television antenna in good shape can provide a good supply of aluminum and other parts for an efficient, inexpensive 6 meter antenna.  You might be able to salvage some more aluminum pieces for a 2 meter or 70 cm antenna after this project is done.  By investing a little time and securing a few pieces of locally available hardware, you can explore "the magic band" at minimum cost. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. https://bigislandarrlnews.com. http://www.kh6jrm.info (breaking news for radio amateurs). http://www.arrl.org. http://www.arrl.org/arrl-au

If you can't view this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01SePX-NPrw. Now that propagation is favoring the lower HF bands (160, 80, and 40 meters), you may want to design and build an antenna specifically designed for one of those bands.  In this video, "Lockemeister" chose a full-wavelength vertical loop for 80 meters, getting the best SWR on 3.913 MHz.  He can cover most of the band with his MFJ-Versa II antenna "tuner."  Fortunately, Lockemeister had a sufficiently large yard to contain this antenna.  A full-wavelength loop makes an excellent NVIS (near vertical incident skywave) antenna capable of reaching out to approximately 300 miles/486 km on 80 meters--perfect for working local, state, and regional contacts.  Multiband coverage is possible by feeding the antenna with 450 ohm ladder line, 300 ohm television twin lead, or 600 ohm balanced line in conjunction with a 4:1 balun and an anten

Amateur Radio Antenna Length Chart VE3ELB ham-radio.ch (http://ve3elb.ham-radio.ch/antenna%20chart.html). Accessed on 05 July 2017, 16:00 hrs, UTC). Author:  VE3ELB. Please click link to read the full article. Comment: I ran across this intriguing chart and its attached antenna information while I was searching for new antenna ideas.  By itself, the antenna length chart is a "keeper", but the additional data supplied by VE3ELB is a wonderful bonus, especially for newly radio amateurs. VE3ELB's package includes: A useful Amateur Radio Antenna Length Chart. Simple Wire Antennas that work (dipole, inverted vee, full wave loop, and a basic ground plane). The  W5GI multi-band mystery antenna. Standard Dipole Construction. You may want to keep this article in your file in case you want to build a simple, effective antenna in a short period of time. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info.