Simple Ham Radio Antennas

If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwH8HUCjBDE. If you can't join a local Amateur Radio club for the upcoming ARRL Field Day (23-24 June 2018), why not operate solo from your backyard or the nearest public park?  Over the past several years, I've done just that because of employment conflicts or family matters. In this video from "Outdoors On The Air", we see what can be done with a simple, portable antenna, some good camping gear, and a small QRP rig such as the Yaesu FT-817 ND.  You can opt for the antenna described in this video or you can bring along a pre-made dipole or inverted vee antenna for your station.  You don't need much to get on the air and enjoy this annual Amateur/Ham Radio event.  Of course, there's not much you can do about hot, sticky summer weather or the persistent problem of biting insects.  Bring some insect repellant, some extra food, and p

Portable HF Antenna For Field Day. Post 1472. https://www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/jump.cgi?ID=33063. http://www.hamradio.me/asymmetrical-hatted-dipole-antenna-prototype.html. Author:  John Huggins (KX4O). Accessed on 24 April 2018, 2004 UTC, Post #1472. Please click link  or enter title URL into your browser search box to read the full article. Comment: I'm always looking for new antenna ideas, especially when the ARRL Field Day rolls around (23-24 June 2018).  I discovered this fascinating article by John Huggins (KX4O) during a cursory glance through the https://www.dxzone.com website. According to John, this post is a "discussion of (the) asymmetrical hatted-dipole antenna, a portable antenna that can be used for field day, sota, campings, or even for fixed installations..." John adds that the AHDA is a "free standing 20-10 meter antenna that is really easy to build...and easy to carry." John takes you step-by-step through the de

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