Simple Ham Radio Antennas

I ran across this excellent "homebrewed" antenna video by Australian amateur radio operator Margaret (VK4MH) while I was searching for a replacement for my old Larsen 2 meter mobile antenna which has seen better days. The project appears to be a simple, basic design that can be made from readily available parts available at a home improvement or hardware store. If you want to take a shortcut, you could use an old Firestick CB antenna as the fiberglass form for the antenna. Just unwrap the old wire, leaving the fiberglass rod intact. You can use the base to attach to a CB mount and the adjustable tip at the top for tuning the antenna. Wind your coil and helix along the rod as specified in the video. Adjust the "stinger" at the top for tuning, and you're ready to go. Nice project from a few years ago (2008). For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog commun...

A nice, simple, uncomplicated, and easy to understand tutorial on how to make a "Non-Resonant Random Wire" Antenna from Stan Gibiliso (W1GV). I've built a few of these non-resonant antennas of varying lengths, each using materials I found around the shack or at the nearest home improvement outlet. For the purpose of Stan's lesson, he chose a length of wire measuring approximately 250 feet/76.21 meters. If you follow Stan's simple instructions, you'll find this distant relative of the beverage antenna works very well on 160, 80/75, 40, and even 30 meters. Stan stresses the importance of having both a good electrical ground and a RF ground. Stan shows you how to avoid current loops and nodes, things that create RF problems in the shack. You will need an antenna transmatch ("tuner") to make this antenna work properly. I have a similar antenna at my vacation home in the Puna District of Hawaii Island and it works very well on 80, 75, and 40 met...

This is an excellent antenna tuner tutorial from Gaynell Larson (KK4WW) and Dave Larson (N4USA). Dave covers all the basics, including SWR, basic tuner design, and proper use of antenna tuners. This video is a useful addition to your Amateur Radio Library. While it's possible to make antennas that don't require some kind of system to match the antenna impedance to your rig's impedance, most amateur radio operators I know use antenna transmatches ("tuners") to provide the best possible match between rig and antenna. This is especially important if the antenna is used for several amateur radio bands. The use of an antenna tuner is required if you use balanced feed lines, such as 450 ohm ladder line, 300 ohm television twin lead, or homebrewed balanced feed lines. A balanced tuner will do the job of matching antenna to rig. You could also run your balanced feed line into a 4:1 balun and then onto your tuner with a small length of 50 ohm coaxial cable, such a...

Graphene-Based Nano-Antennas May Enable Networks of Tiny Machines - Department of Electrical Engineering : "Graphene-Based Nano-Antennas May Enable Networks of Tiny Machines Networks of nanometer-scale machines offer exciting potential applications in medicine, industry, environmental protection and defense, but until now there’s been one very small problem: the limited capability of nanoscale antennas fabricated from traditional metallic components. Assistant Professor Josep Jornet's research with his advisor, Professor Ian Akyildiz on graphene based nano antennas has been featured by the Science andTechnology News Center of Georgia Tech. The project shows that "the concept of graphene-based nano-antennas is feasible, especially when taking into account very accurate models of electron transport in graphene. Many challenges remain open, but this is a first step toward creating advanced nanomachines with many applications in the biomedical, environmental, industri...

Pyramid nanoscale antennas beam light up and down : "Researchers from FOM Institute AMOLF and Philips Research have designed and fabricated a new type of nanoscale antenna. The new antennas look like pyramids, rather than the more commonly used straight pillars. The pyramid shape enhances the interference between the magnetic and electric fields of light. This makes the pyramid-shaped antenna capable of enhancing light emission and beaming different colours of light towards opposite directions. This finding could lead to more efficient light emitting devices (LEDs). The researchers published their results online on 12 December 2014 in Physical Review Letters. Individual antennas A straight nanoscale antenna will mainly respond to the electric field of light. This means that the effects of the magnetic field of light, which holds half of the energy of light, are disregarded. For a long time this was not considered as an issue that could be solved, because most of the metals use...

Thanks to Javier Anderson for sharing this classic military training film on antennas. This video is the final segment of an antenna study course produced by the National Film Board of Canada for the Royal Canadian Air Force. This film dates from the mid to late 1950s and contains the basic information necessary to discuss antenna bandwidth. The explanation is clear, uncluttered, and thoroughly understandable. This video could be made part of a basic Amateur Radio License Course. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated frequently. You can find more Amateur Radio News at my news blog: http://kh6jrm.net. Thanks for joining us today! Happy Holidays to you and your family. Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

This video is part of a Royal Canadian Air Force Training Film series produced by the National Film Board of Canada. Thanks to Javier Anderson for the tip. This classic film, most likely produced in the mid to late 1950s, does an excellent job of explaining important reception basics when using a radio. This series of videos would make an excellent feature for Amateur Radio License Classes. The dialogue is direct, uncomplicated, and thoroughly understandable. Great video. For the latest Amateur Radio News and Events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. If you want more Amateur Radio news, please visit my news site at http://kh6jrm.net. Thanks for joining us today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

I'm surprised just how good some of these old armed forces technical training films were. This video, probably dating from the late 1950s, gives a brief, well-organized overview of important propagation fundamentals when using radios. This excellent, simple, and completely understandable film was produced by the Film Board of Canada for The Royal Canadian Air Force. I'll keep a copy of this video for my reference library and for helping new ham operators get "a handle" on propagation basics. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. For more Amateur Radio news, please visit my news site--http://kh6jrm.net. Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

I'm afraid the title of this post is a bit misleading...nothing about Don Wallace's (W6AM--SK) life was simple. He lived a huge life and was one of the top DX chasers of all time. Until his death, he operated a multiantenna "farm" from the old Press Wireless site overlooking Palos Verdes, California. As a youngster, I remember his "booming" signal into Hawaii during the day. As this video shows, his station was better equipped and maintained than most commercial AM stations of that time. In this video from the California Radio Historical Society, Wayne Overback interviews Don Wallace for the PBS series "Radio Collector." The highlight of the interview is a tour of Don's mammouth antenna system. Nowadays, the antenna site once used by Wallace is now a condo development. I learned a lot about dedication and determination from viewing this video. I wish I could have met Don Wallace face-to-face. He sounded like a truly unique individual...

Here is another one of Dave Casler's (KE0OG) excellent, well-paced tutorials on amateur radio antennas. This time, Dave discusses antenna theory and design basic to passing the FCC Amateur Radio General Class License exam. Dave focuses his attention on Ground-Planes, Random Wires, and Dipoles--all of which can deliver plenty of contacts if they are built correctly. While Dave's advice on coaxial cable feedlines is quite good, I feel the use of balanced feeders (450 ohm ladder line or 300 ohm TV ribbon cable), coupled with a balanced antenna transmatch ("tuner"), will deliver comparable performance at less cost. A 135-foot/41.15 meters doublet (dipole) fed with 450 ohm ladder line or 300 ohm TV ribbon cable connected to a balanced tuner will cover all amateur radio bands between 80 and 10 meters. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free e...

Ham Radio - Ancestor of the Internet | Southgate Amateur Radio News This video by producer Mark Svoboda is one of the better historical programs related to Amateur Radio.  In this video, Svoboda provides a fascinating overview of Amateur Radio--its history and relevance to communication today.  Svoboda uses interviews with amateur radio operators and selected voice overs to show how Ham Radio became the first social network uniting electronics enthusiasts in the early 20th Century...a precursor to what we know today as the Internet. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

This is part of a continuing series of antenna videos produced by Dave Casler (KE0OG). This discussion on Feed Lines and SWR is aimed at newly licensed hams or those thinking about taking the Technician Class License Exam. Dave's presentation is smooth, simple, and completely understandable. This video would be an excellent way to supplement the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual (Technician Class). For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please visit the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed . Thanks for joining us today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM). Related articles ARRL Introduces Kindle Edition of Ham Radio License Manual Ham Radio Morse Code Channel! New ham radio promotional video

This excellent, well-paced video was part of a junior electromagnetics course for electrical engineering students at Bucknell University . The video is designed to be used as the out-of-the-classroom component and combined with active learning exercises in class. The video covers some of the terminology and basic equations that engineers will use to define the properties of antennas . This antenna tutorial should be part of your reference library . The video could also be used in Amateur Radio License classes to supplement live instruction. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. For more Amateur Radio news, you can visit my news site at http://kh6jrm.net. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed . Thanks for joining us today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM). Related articles Melting Glacier Threatens Population of Rare Aquatic...

Nice, basic antenna tutorial for those aspiring to a Technician Class Amateur Radio License. Dave Casler (KE0OG) has produced a comfortably paced antenna introduction that follows closely the ARRL Technician Class License Manual. This video is part of an antenna series designed for newly licensed amateur radio operators or for those thinking about becoming amateur radio licensees. For more information, visit Dave's website at http://ke0og.net/training. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. For more Amateur Radio News, please visit my news site at http://kh6jrm.net. Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

. Excellent antenna tutorial. The video is part of a series covering electromagnetics given to electrical engineering students at Bucknell University . The video is clear, well-organized, and thoroughly understandable. This video would make an excellent self-study assignment for those preparing for Amateur Radio License examinations. You could also download a copy of this video for your own antenna reference library . All of us get a little "fuzzy" on antenna theory as time marches on, and this video will serve to reaquaint you with some of the antenna basics needed to enjoy Amateur Radio. For the latest in Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed . For a more detailed look at Amateur Radio News, please check out my Amateur Radio News Blog--http://kh6jrm.net. Thanks for joining me today! Aloha es ...

How About a New 12 Volt Automotive Connector? - The K0NR Radio Site : How About a New 12 Volt Automotive Connector? Posted on 2 December 2014 by K0NR — 3 Comments ↓ Standard power connections are a great thing. A while back, I wrote about how the micro-USB connector became the standard power/data connector for mobile phones. (Well, that is unless you own an iPhone .) The good news is that we do have a standard power connector for 12 VDC in automobiles. The bad news is that it is an ugly behemoth derived from — can you believe it? — a cigarette lighter . For some background and history, see the Wikipedia article.The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) even has a standard that describes this power connector (SAE J563). Alan K0BG correctly warns us to “never, ever use existing vehicle wiring to power any amateur radio gear” including the 12 volt accessory plug. (I always follow this advice, except in the cases when I don’t.) I also found this piece by Bill W8LV on eham.net that ...

This antenna tutorial from David Casler is one of the better explanations of antenna theory on the internet. David made this video to prepare potential ham operators for the General License Class FCC test. His graphics and presentation are first-rate. This video should be part of your Amateur Radio library. For more information, visit http://ke0og.net/general. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. Thanks for joining us today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

The MFJ-1622 is a close copy of an apartment antenna originally marketed by Barker & Williamson (B & K). I bought one of these after I was first licensed as a novice operator (circa 1977). Like the author, "North Carolina Prepper", I replaced some components after a short period of use and found the antenna performed well as small, based-loaded vertical. An angled mounting bracket enables you to stick the antenna from an apartement window or balcony. To cut losses, replace the original coaxial cable with RG-8 or RG-8X and add a separate "counterpoise" wire for each band. The counterpoise wire can be spread around your apartment or along the ground if you're running your rig from a public park or beach. Performance will be enhanced if you add several radials or "counterpoise wires" for each band of use. This video can help you increase performance of this simple, fairly inexpensive apartment antenna. This antenna is inconspicuous, easy to...

The Long Road to Maxwell’s Equations Source: http://spectrum.ieee.org/telecom/wireless/the-long-road-to-maxwells-equations. Comment: A fascinating article on the life and times of James Clerk Maxwell, who developed the first unified theory of physics and who showed that "electricity and magnetism are intimately connected." The article also discusses the work of his contemporaries (Lodge, Heavyside, and Hertz) and how they used some of Maxwell's ideas to formulate their own theories of electromagnetism. Shortly before he died in 1879, Maxwell encapsulated his ideas into four equations which formed the basis of modern-day communications. The contributions of James Clerk Maxwell make him, in my humble opinion, one of the giants of radio. He belongs on the same podium as Tesla, Marconi, and Popov. For the latest in Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free ema...

Excellent idea for a stealth antenna for those of us operating under burdensome HOA rules and CC&Rs. Just make sure the gutter is bonded together with pop rivets or screws to maintain integrity and electrical conductivity. I've built several versions of this antenna for various bands, all fed with fairly cheap RG-6 coaxial cable available as "end of reel" pieces from cable company installers. This 75-ohm coax is also available from the TV or cable accessories department of Walmart. My old Drake MN-4 antenna transmatch ("tuner") handled the slight mismatch between the cable impedance and the nominal 50-ohm impedance of my trusty Ten-Tec Argosy II. I also attached "counterpoise" wires (one for each band of use) to the ground lug of the Drake MN-4. This antenna is simple and it works. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a f...

- How will the 5G network change the world? - via Eagle Averro - Newsvine : 1 December 2014 How will the 5G network change the world? By Ed Ram BBC News The global race is on to develop 5G, the fifth generation of mobile network. While 5G will follow in the footsteps of 4G and 3G, this time scientists are more excited. They say 5G will be different - very different. If you're thinking, "Great, that's the end of my apps stalling, video faltering, and that everlasting load sign," then you are right - but that's only part of the story. "5G will be a dramatic overhaul and harmonisation of the radio spectrum," says Prof Rahim Tafazolli who is the lead at the UK's multimillion-pound government-funded 5G Innovation Centre at the University of Surrey. That means the opportunity for properly connected smart cities, remote surgery, driverless cars and the "internet of things". So, how best to understand this joined-up, superfast, ...

Here's another idea for an antenna system in a restricted housing area (HOA). This ham used a LDG S9V31 telescoping fiberglass mast vertical with 24 ground radials using CAT 5 cabling. He raises the mast from ground level when he uses it and lowers the mast when he is done. The vertical is colored green so it blends in with the surroundings. It also helps that he knows when HOA inspectors make their rounds. Not a perfect solution, but it works for this amateur radio operator . Of course, the best solution is not to live in a home governed by HOAs or CC&Rs. That option, however, is being reduced every time a new housing development opens for business. So, finding a home with no antenna restrictions is getting more difficult by the day. For most of my amateur radio "career", I've had to operate under restrictions, so, I'm aware of the difficulty of getting a decent antenna built without the housing police coming down on you. I've used indoor ant...

SocialHams.Net: another place for hams to hang out - KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog : SocialHams.Net: another place for hams to hang out december 1, 2014 by dan kb6nu. This morning, I got an e-mail from Andreas , OE8APR. He’s the guy behind SocialHams.Net, a new social networking site for amateur radio operators. According to OE8APR, you can “You can meet people; chat online; check our top rated, featured items; read about popular topics; wish someone special on his/her birthday; match your interests; and even take advantage of our elaborate people search option.” SocialHams.Net includes several apps that you can use to make your amateur�radio operating more enjoyable: DX Cluster. This�tool, which Andreas claims is the�first HTML5 web socket based DXCluster client, allows you to monitor DX spots and spot DX stations that you hear on the air. Logbook . The�logbook allows you �to add, edit, organize and sort their contacts all in one convenient location. APRS Map.�The APRS featu...

History This Week | Southgate Amateur Radio News : Page last updated on: Sunday, November 30, 2014 History This Week A look back at events that made history this week - compiled by the Summerland Amateur Radio Club of Lismore, NSW Monday, 1 December, 2014 1732 James Blair was�rescued from a fire in a coal mine. William Tossach, a Scottish surgeon revived him using mouth to mouth ventilation. 1799 Metric System established in France. 1876 Daniel Stillson (Massachusetts) patents first practical pipe wrench. 1893 First Electric Car built in Toronto, could go 15 miles between charges. 1909 George Taylor makes first free flight in a glider at Narrabeen Beach, New South Wales . 1941 Japanese attack Pearl Harbor , brings the USA into WW2. 1942�First controlled nuclear chain reaction (Enrico Fermi - University of Chicago). 1996�NASA's first Mars rover launched from Cape Canaveral . • Read last week's 'History This Week' • Visit the Summerland Amat...