Simple Ham Radio Antennas

Inverted L Antenna for the TOP Band. Post #1471. http://www.ai4ji.com/Projects/160minvertedl.htm. Author:  AI4JI. Accessed on 23 April 2018, 2129 UTC. Please click link to read the full article. Comment: Now that the solar minimum is with us, radio amateurs are exploring contacts on the lower HF bands, such as 40, 80, and 160 meters.  LF and VLF enthusiasts are equally busy experimenting with antennas for 630 meters (472 kHz) and 2200 meters (137 kHz). Antennas for these bands tend to be large and present coil and matching problems, resulting in low efficiency and power loss. According to AI4JI, an inverted L Antenna designed for 160 meters (the TOP Band) can circumvent some of the more difficult matching problems.  In this brief post, AI4JI outlines a simple 160 meter inverted L Antenna built with commonly available parts, including 14 AWG stranded copper wire, three insulators, a 300pf-500pf variable capacitor, and a simple ground radial system.  For single band, 1

If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqh0Ntus5G0. A field portable or emergency HF antenna doesn't have to be fancy, expensive, or heavy.  In this video from KG6HQD, we learn how an antenna designed for SOTA operations (Summits On The Air) evolved into a simple, practical, and inexpensive HF antenna for both home and field use.  Although the speaker wire antenna was designed for the 20 meter band, KG6HQD says his new Elecraft KX2 can work stations from 40 through 10 meters "with ease."  If you're looking for a good portable HF antenna, consider using ordinary speaker wire for the antenna elements.  You can make one of these antennas for emergency home use and another for portable or field use.  For the latest Amateur/Ham Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. http://www.arrl.org. http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news (a weekl

If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser searchbox: https://www.youtube.com/watch/v=oFE142IMo-s. One of my favorite HF antennas is the classic inverted vee dipole--simple, effective, and inexpensive.  In this video from David Cassler (KE0OG), we get a full tutorial on this basic antenna which still serves radio amateurs today. Dave says a few basic antenna modeling tools, such as EZNEC+, reveal a lot of vital information about this popular HF antenna, including the effect of height over ground, the amount of spreading between elements, and the type of mast used to support the inverted vee.  A properly designed inverted vee is the perfect antenna for both portable and home station use. For the latest Amateur/Ham Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. http://www.arrl.org. http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news (a weekly podcast which is updated each Friday afternoon). https://hamradiohawaii.w

If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHK7kKsVVw0. Here's an interesting, unconventional antenna that could open an entire new world of radio listening.  In this video from Kevin Loughin (KB9RLW), we learn how to use what Kevin calls a "Ground Spike Antenna" to tap directly into the earth for LF and VLF signals.  Now that radio amateurs in the U.S. and elsewhere are able to transmit in the 630 and 2200 meter bands, antennas such as the "Ground Spike" could help you explore the largely untapped universe below the standard AM broadcast band.  Kevin does an excellent job of showing just how easy it is to tap LF and VLF signals by using the earth as a key antenna element.  Build one of these antennas and prepare for some unusual listening, courtesy of the earth itself. For the latest Amateur/Ham Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARR

If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uUVMaRFMv4. In this well-made video tutorial, Hiram Vazquez takes us step by step through the design, construction, and use of a Delta Loop HF Antenna.  As Hiram explains, delta loop antennas are fairly quiet on receive, show a bit of gain over a dipole antenna (about 3dB), take up little space, and are cheap to build.  Delta Loops can be both mono band and multiband, depending on how you feed the antenna.  If you use balanced feed line (300 ohm tv twin lead, 450 ohm ladder line, or home made 600 ohm balanced line) with a balanced "tuner", multiband use is possible. If you can use only one HF antenna on your property, the delta loop may be what you're looking for. For the latest Amateur/Ham Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. http://www.arrl.org. http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news (a week

If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch/v=uymwEzqgVAc. Over the next few weeks, I'll be featuring some interesting antennas that you can use for the upcoming ARRL Field Day on 23-24 June 2018.  Although many of my fellow radio amateurs will join their club at public parks, schools, and emergency operations centers for this annual communications exercise and popular contest, some of us (including yours truly) will be operating a single station on battery or solar power in whatever space we can find. In such situations, our antennas must be versatile, sturdy, and easy to erect.  In this report from "VideosByDPF", we see an excellent "one-man" ham station using a variety of antennas, including the Chameleon Hybrid Mini and the P-Loop Magnetic Antenna.  This video was shot at the 2016 ARRL Field Day when propagation was beginning its slow decline from previous years.  Despite t

If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwMb6dHEnII. Vertical antennas are a good choice for many portable and home ham radio stations. But, how well do these antennas actually perform in the field?  In this video, N5CFB, KG5PWA, and K5ACL test three popular vertical antenna designs.  While all antennas performed well, some were easier to match and operate than others.  Interesting "live" test. For the latest Amateur/Ham Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. http://www.arrl.org. http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news (a weekly podcast which is updated each Friday afternoon). https://hamradiohawaii.wordpress.com. https://bigislandarrlnews.com. https://amateurradionewsinformation.com (Amateur Radio News & Information). Be sure to check the blog sidebars for more antenna and propagation articles. Thanks for joining us today. Alo