Simple Ham Radio Antennas

On Friday, 09 August 2013, I built my first 40-Meter Half Square Antenna.  Several hams I know have used this simple antenna to increase their contacts on 80 and 160 meters.  The antenna provides some gain over a single vertical antenna and offers some signal rejection off the sides. According to my preliminary research, the half square is a wire antenna with 2 vertical elements fed in phase.  One quarter-wave vertical is fed at a  top corner where its attached by a coaxial center connector (such as the Budwig HQ-1).  The other end of the coaxial connector is attached to a horizontal half-wave phasing line and then connected to another quarter-wave vertical aiming down to the ground.  Both vertical segments are insulated from ground.  The vertical elements are supported by masts or other objects such as trees.  With the antenna being fed at a top corner, the current portion of the antenna is high with a good match to 50-ohm coaxial cable.  No ground radial system is required.

Sometimes the simple things in life are best.  This reasoning can be applied to amateur radio antennas, where cost and ease of assembly are factors for your "antenna farm". As much as I like towers and 4-element monoband HF antennas (I've used them during Field Day events), the cost of such structures can really ruin my retirement income.  So, as I've done in the past, I've designed and built simple antennas that "do the job" without depleting my bank account.  In most cases, limited funds, restrictive operating conditions, lack of space, and proximity to neighbors have dictated easily built antennas such as verticals, inverted vees, delta loops, and small flat-top dipoles. Recently, my xyl and I were clearing some of her property in the Puna District when I saw two Norfolk Pine Trees separated by approximately 120 feet/36.58 meters.  There was a branch on each tree approximately 50-feet/15.24 meters above ground.  These branches would make a suitab

Today at 1700 hours local time, The National Weather Service downgraded Tropical Storm "Flossie" to a tropical depression.  The weakened storm swept over Hawaii Island, leaving heavy showers, gusty winds, high surf, and power interruptions in its wake. Thankfully, no one was injured.  Damage from the storm was minimal. During the warning period, members of the Big Island Amateur Radio Club stood by to help at Hawaii County Civil Defense, the Hilo Medical Center, and at various American Red Cross stations across the island. The Hilo International Airport reported winds between 30-35 knots early this afternoon (Monday) with rainfall gauges registering 2 to 4 inches (5.08 to 10.16 cm) of rain.  The situation could have been a lot worse, with early forecasts predicting up to 10 inches (25.4 cm) or more of rain by this evening. The remaining portions of "Flossie" will move past West Maui, Molokai, Honolulu (on Oahu), and Kauai later this evening.  Rainfall is expe

During the past few weeks, I've been experimenting with the versatile inverted L antenna for my small house lot.  I find the antenna simple, inexpensive, and easily concealed. An inverted L is a bent quarter-wave Marconi vertical fed against a system of surface, buried, or elevated radials.  The vertical segment should be as high as possible, with the remaining length running horizontal to a nearby tie off point.  Coaxial feed line can be used for monoband operation or 450-ohm ladder line can be employed if multiband use is planned. MATERIALS: Two vertical structures to support the antenna--one for the vertical segment and the other to tie off the horizontal wire running from the top of the mast.  I had a homemade 20-foot/6.09 meters pvc mast under the house and a convenient Norfolk Pine Tree at the edge of my property to support the horizontal portion of the antenna. Sixty-six feet/20.12 meters of #14 AWG house wire for the radial system and the antenna element. Three,

One of my favorite antenna guides is a book by the late Doug DeMaw (W1FB) titled the "Novice Antenna Notebook."  Although it is a slim volume, it contains most of the facts, construction principles, and modifications needed to erect simple, inexpensive, and effective antennas. I bought the book 25 years ago while I was mentoring (elmering) a newly licensed ham in my neighborhood.  Since I'm not a technical genius, I decided to consult a basic antenna primer that could be used by the new licensee as well as myself.  I wasn't disappointed.  DeMaw's writing is down to earth, clear, and largely without complicated formulas for the beginning ham.  I still have this wonderfully simple volume squeezed in between other antenna tomes, including the ARRL Antenna Book, the ARRL Handbook, and various RSGB publications. What prompted me to consult DeMaw this late in my amateur radio "career" (I was licensed as a novice back in 1977), was the need to erect a simp

Sometimes knowledge comes from the strangest places.  Take today, for instance. While my van was having a routine maintenance check at my local Honda dealer (I have an Odyssey van), I ran into an Dean Manley (KH6B), one of my oldest friends and former station engineer at Hilo radio station, KHLO-AM.  I worked at this station from 1976 to 2011.  We discussed a variety of antenna ideas, including improving the homebrewed antennas we use at our stations.  I consider Dean an expert in this area.  He has spent many years building and upgrading antenna systems for  AM and FM stations, both commercial and nonprofit. Anyway, we spent a good half-hour discussing some ideas, including his current project--a 40-meter vertical beam which Dean uses for the Hawaii Afternoon Net.  Before we parted, he gave me a copy of a handout he made for members of the Hilo Amateur Radio Club.  The one-sheet article, entitled "HF Antennas 101" by Van Field (W2OQI), appeared in the September 2004 iss

One of the easiest and least expensive antennas for the amateur radio operator is the sloping dipole or "sloper."  Ed Noll (W3FQJ) defines the sloper as "a slanted half-wave antenna with one end of the antenna attached to (a) mast top and other end near to ground level."  According to Noll, the sloper shows "a modest directivity in the direction of its slope and considerably less signal pickup from its rear."  A well-designed half-wave sloping dipole can fit in a small city lot using a mast between 20 to 30 feet (6.09 to 9.23 meters), two dipole elements cut to your preferred frequency, a few insulators, a couple of tie-down stakes, and sufficient 50/72 ohm coaxial cable to reach your shack.  Multiband operation is possible using 450 ohm ladder line, a 4:1 balun, and an antenna transmatch. Since most of my ladder line was being used for other antenna projects, I decided to use 50 feet (15.24 meters) of RG-8X coaxial cable with UHF connectors for my feed

Amateur radio operators who live in deed restricted homes and apartments face a variety of antenna problems.  The amateur radio press is full of stories describing the "no outdoor" antenna rules of OHAs and CC&Rs. Despite these reports, many amateurs have been able to build effective indoor and outdoor antennas to pursue their radio interests. From flagpole antennas to attic beams, hams have used creativity and "stealth" to get and stay on the air. In my case, the adoption of "stealth" antennas was forced on me by natural circumstances and not necessarily by highly critical neighbors.  In fact, my neighbors are good people who tolerate my amateur radio pursuits as long as I don't ruin their television reception or interfere with their entertainment systems.  Although many people in my neighborhood get excellent television via cable television providers, my immediate neighbors get their tv programming over the air using the familiar deep fringe

Like many amateur radio operators, I live on a small lot surrounded by neighbors, utility lines, and civic-minded citizens concerned about the "attractiveness" of my community.  Whether by design or outright fear, I've adopted the "stealth" approach to ham radio antennas.  It's the old "out of sight, out of mind" idea applied to amateur radio antennas. The amateur radio press is full of articles describing the struggle of amateur radio operators to pursue their hobby under the burdensome regulations of CC & Rs, HOAs, and other civic minded citizens who object to antenna farms.  So far, my modest verticals, loops, and inverted vees have blended well with the vegetation and trees bordering my small backyard.  Vertical antennas have always been a problem because of the limited space for a radial system.  There are times, however, where a shortened vertical for the lower HF bands (such as 80/75 meters) is necessary where horizontal space is lack

How would you like to boost your 20 meter signal by 3 dB with only 84.5 feet/25.76 meters of wire, two supporting masts, some 450-ohm ladder line, ordinary 50-ohm coaxial cable, and a few miscellaneous parts? Today, I ran across a fascinating article by Paul E. Fuller (N8ITF), who designed a simple data sheet to help you build what is called "an extended double zepp antenna."  The double extended zepp is a dipole type of antenna consisting of two collinear 0.64 wavelength elements fed in phase, providing approximately 3 dB gain over a dipole on its intended frequency.  By following Fuller's advice, you can build an antenna that will give you some gain and more DX in the process. Although my backyard is a bit cramped, there are numerous tall Norfolk Pine trees in an adjacent lot which could serve as a temporary support system for the 20 meter extended double zepp antenna. With Fuller's article in mind, plus a few other ideas from several amateur radio operators,

Because my back yard is rather small, I haven't been able to erect a decent 80 meter dipole antenna.  In the past, I've used an inverted vee with elements measuring 67 feet/20.42 meters on a side.  Although the antenna worked reasonably well, it barely fit in back of my house and was clearly visible to my neighbors.  Another approach was needed. I decided to build an inverted "L" antenna, since I had some room to go up (vertical) and some room to go horizontal (flat top segment).  If I used a lightweight wire (#20 or #22 gauge wire) and placed a mast among some trees bordering my lot, I could have a working 80 meter antenna with some degree of stealth. An inverted "L" is a form of bent vertical, with the vertical section running up a mast for 1/8 wavelength (or more, if possible) and a horizontal wire running for 1/8 wavelength from the top of the mast.  Like all verticals, I would need a ground radial system to maximize efficiency and cut losses. Alt

Every now and then I feel the need to get away from the crowded amateur radio bands and just relax with an easy-paced conversation on 30 meters.  The band, which stretches from 10.1 MHz to 10.150 MHz, is quite narrow and is restricted to cw and data transmissions. The pace of communications is generally more relaxed on 30 meters than in any other amateur radio band.  And since I need more practice in cw, this band is perfect for sharpening my skills.  Along the way I also meet some interesting and helpful people. In order to use 30 meters, I have to change rigs.  My old Swan 100 MX, Yaesu FT-7, and Kenwood TS-520 don't cover this band, so I rely on another excellent transceiver--the Ten Tec Argosy II.  This rig can run up to 50 watts output, but I prefer the 5 watt setting for most of my cw work.  I can run the Argosy II off my solar charged deep cycle marine battery all day without depleting the battery. Although I could use my 40-10 meter inverted vee fed by 450-ohm ladder

Like many regions of the northern hemisphere summer has come to Hawaii Island.  Although this tropic paradise is known for its gentle climate, there are occasions where severe thunderstorms and lightning plague Hawaiian hams just like our fellow amateur radio operators on the U.S. Mainland.  Every now and then, a small sea-spawned tornado (waterspout) comes ashore in Kailua-Kona and does some minor damage to beach areas.  Most of these unwanted guests arrive on the strong winds of a frontal passage which begins north of Kauai and runs down the island chain to Hawaii Island.  While most of these severe storms occur during the winter months, it's not unusual for a bad thunderstorm to strike in mid-summer and cause damage to utility poles, transformers, and other electrical equipment. Now that I'm mostly retired, I tend to stay at home and can keep watch on the weather. With adequate warning, I can safely disconnect  my antennas and get my rigs out of danger before any storm st

I've been a "radio junkie" since age 8 when my father and I built a crystal set in the garage.  I was amazed what a Quaker Oats cardboard cylinder, some enameled wire, a crude slider, a piece of pyrite, a "cat's whisker", and a pair of high impedance headphones could do.  With about a hundred feet (30.48 meters) of #14 AWG house wire and a good ground, I was able to capture many AM broadcast stations, many all at once.  The pyrite crystal wasn't too selective, but I did have fun. From there I graduated to better receivers and some homebuilt Heathkit audio equipment.  Although my father was a "stereophile" and appreciated good jazz and classical music, he never did become an amateur radio operator.  I kept putting off getting my amateur radio license until I left the Air Force and became part of a commercial broadcast station.  One of the engineers at KHLO-AM (Hilo, Hawaii) finally persuaded me to take the novice examination.  Once I got the

Most of us who use the general formula for a half-wavelength flat top dipole (468/f (Mhz)=L (ft), rarely give much thought on how accurate the dipole length really is.  We cut the dipole to its calculated length, cut the wire in half, attach center connector and insulators, attach a length of 50 or 75 - ohm coaxial cable, suspend the wire between two tall supports, and prepare for a day of radio fun.  In most cases, your dipole will work well, although a little trimming or pruning may be necessary to bring the wire antenna into resonance. I'll admit to being lazy in this department.  As long as the SWR falls below 1.5 to 1, I don't bother trimming.  Even if the SWR hovers around 1.7 to 2.0 to 1, I always can use my trusty Drake MN-4 to bring the SWR below 1.5 to 1. Suppose you wanted to make your antenna (in this case for 40 meters), as resonant as possible and do without a tuner altogether?  Instead of cutting and trimming, wouldn't it be nice just to cut the dipole l

An article by retired ARRLTechnical Editor Joel Hallas (W1ZR) in the July 2013 issue of "QST" offered me another idea of operating in "stealth mode."  Hallas outlines a simple way to use your mobile antenna as a base antenna in areas where restrictive CC&Rs and HOA's prevail.  With a few simple components, you can use your vehicle-mounted antenna as your main antenna when everything else fails. Thanks to the use of two Bias Ts (devices that allow dc to share a coaxial cable without interferring with the RF), " you can easily supply power from your home shack to the vehicle's antenna system."  Hallas continues by saying that "the bias T at the end of the coax removes the dc.  The dc can either be used to power an automatic antenna tuner, or provide power to run a motorized antenna."  Hallas says "the usual  'monoband' mobile whip, either those with lumped loading inductance or helically loaded types, can be used on lowe

While I was searching for some antenna projects on Thursday (20 June 2013), I came across an antenna book I bought 25 years ago to help a new amateur radio operator make his first HF antenna.  The "Novice Antenna Notebook"  by Doug DeMaw, W1FB (SK) contains a wealth of simple, effective antenna ideas suitable for any license class.  I was drawn to this book a quarter century ago because it explains complex antenna theory and design in a simple, easy to understand manner.  I've used several of DeMaw's designs for my portable and emergency antennas.  All have worked successfully. I decided to return to my own novice/technician days (1977-1978) and create one of the simple antennas that got my friend on the air. The simple multiband vertical antenna described by DeMaw is easily made, cheap, and performs very well. As DeMaw says, "you may want to keep things simple when you erect your first multiband vertical...simplicity denotes reduced cost for materials, an