Simple Ham Radio Antennas

. This informative and somewhat complex explanation of the Smith Chart from UCLA faculty member Philip Hon explains all you need to know about this useful antenna design tool. Hon illustrates his graphic with an example of a matching network using a single open stub. This video will join my amateur radio reference library. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated frequently. You can follow our blog community with a free e-mail subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. Thanks for joining us today! If the video fails to load properly, you can use this youtube address: http://youtu.be/neHB0_C1zYE. Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

Excellent video tutorial from Randy (K7AGE) on how to build a simple, yet effective antenna for the 6 meter Amateur Radio Band. I have a similar antenna mounted on my garage roof. Although there isn't much 6 meter activity on Hawaii Island, some DX comes through when the sun gets active. Now that most lower television channels have moved away from the 50 MHz band (mostly the old analog channel 2), the band is a lot better for amateur radio contacts. Randy's instructions are clear and easy to follow. 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. You can find more Amateur Radio happenings at my news site--http://kh6jrm.net. Thanks for joining us today! If you have trouble loading the video, please enter the title link in your browser and try again--http://youtu.be/4K5Vj6wtpE0.  Aloha de Russ (KH6JRM...

Excellent video from Kevin Reeve (N7RXE) on how to set up a MESH node for Amateur Radio using the Linksys WRT54G wireless router. Kevin says there have been a few changes since the video was produced. In late 2013, a new version of the firmware for HSMM-MESH was released. The name was also changed to Broadband-Hamnet, and there are a few changes from what is described in this video. You can get the changes here: http://hsmm-mesh.org/images/stories/hsmmmesh-step-by-step.pdf. Otherwise, the video is easy to follow and will get you and your MESH Node operating in a minimum of time. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can also 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).

Another challenging and desperate year for "CQ" Magazine. "CQ" editor Rich Moseson (W2VU) discusses the future of the troubled publication with HamRadioNow reporter Gary Pearce (KN4AQ). Moseson "comes clean" and admits there are no easy solutions to "CQ's" list of problems. As the amateur radio community has reported, "CQ" has delivery problems, unpaid authors, and a disappointed ham community within the United States. Perhaps, "CQ" needs to better identify its audience and seek readers just outside the amateur radio community, such as electronics enthusiasts, "preppers", do-it-yourselfers, computer techs, and "makers." The magazine could also do some more retro articles, focusing on restoration of old equipment and emergency communications. Perhaps "CQ" has lost its way in the rapidly expanding digital communications explosion. ARRL's "QST" has found its niche in contest...

I like this antenna idea from AF5DN. If you're stuck in a CC&R/HOA situation, this simple copper J-Pole antenna can get you on 2-meters with out attracting notice from nosey neighbors. Many years ago, I used a "homebrewed" 2-meter J-Pole made from 300 ohm television twin lead. It was ugly, but it worked. I also fitted this quickly-made antenna to a collapsable fiberglass fishing pole for portable or emergency use. AF5DN's craftsmanship and disguise routine are much better than my attempt at a "stealth" antenna. This would make an excellent weekend project. 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, visit my news site at http://kh6jrm.net. Thanks for joining me today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

Ham Radio Exam Courses : Ham Radio Exam Courses Posted date: February 14, 2015. Ham Radio Exam Courses What is it? Online courses for the U.S. ham radio license exams. How long does it take? Depending on your background and memory, most students pass easily after: Technician (entry-level) class license exam: 10 hours General class license exam: 20 hours Extra class license exam: 30 hours How does it work? Like books, we provide study materials. Like practice tests, we drill the actual exam questions and answers. Our cyber-tutor tracks your progress and focuses on your personal weak areas. It’s a powerful combination. Just ask our students! What does it cost? A 2-year subscription to the Technician course is $24.95. See price list for other courses. We cost about the same as the amateur radio license manuals, and we provide a lot more value. How do I know it works? Read awesome feedback from our students. We have more 5-star user reviews on eHam.net than all ot...

Here's a nice experimental monoband antenna that is easy to build and provides a bit more bandwidth than a single wire dipole. Stan Gibilisco (W1GV) reviews the basic theory and construction practices used to build this antenna. All you need is enough 300 ohm tv twinlead to build the dipole for your chosen frequency, some additional 300 ohm twin lead for the feed line, and a balanced tuner or a 4:1 balun to tuner combination to connect the feed line to your rig. I've built a version of this antenna for 40 and 20 meters, supported by a single fiberglass vertical mast using a sloper configuration. The folded dipole makes an excellent portable or emergency antenna. The antenna breaks down easily and can be rolled up and stored in a small plastic bag or container. For more information on this antenna, please visit http://www.sciencewriter.net. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebar. These news feeds are updated daily. You can fo...

This is the final installment of Dave Tadlock's (KG0ZZ) 10 meter loop antenna project. With the aid of his daughter Lisa (KC0OHQ), the antenna was tested in the June 2013 ARRL Field Day. Although propagation at that time wasn't very good, Lisa managed to collect quite a few contacts during the daytime hours. This simple loop antenna would make an excellent weekend project. If you feel more ambitious, you could design a loop for any amateur radio band. I have an 80 meter delta loop fed with 450 ohm ladder line that does an excellent job from 80-10 meters. Good luck in your next antenna project. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebar. 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).

Here's part 3 of 4 on how to design, build, install, and use a Ham Radio 10 Meter Loop Antenna by Dave Tadlock (KG0ZZ). Having built the 10 Meter Loop Antenna on the ground, Dave shows us how to install the antenna on a tower and how to check the antenna with a SWR analyzer. Dave's step-by-step assembly procedures are clear and easily followed. Part 4 of this project will be the subject of my next post. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated frequently. 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 Students learn about ham radio ARRL Board Names Award Recipients Andamans to host global ham radio operators meet How To Get Your HAM Radio License In 7 Days The Best Way To Communicate When The Power's Out

Here is part 2 of Dave Tadlock's (KG0ZZ) video tutorial on making a loop antenna for the 10 meter Amateur Radio Band. In this lesson, Dave gets down to assembling the necessary parts for the antenna, including the wire elements, insulators, feed lines, and pvc pipe needed for the loop frame. If you follow Dave's step-by-step plan, the antenna will go together fairly easily. Most of the materials can be obtained from the nearest home improvement or hardware store. This is a fun project. Stay tuned for parts 3 and 4. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated frequently. 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).

One of my favorite amateur radio activities is making my own wire antennas out of available materials. Among the antennas in my modest antenna "farm" are full-wave loops for 80, 40, and 20 meters, usually made out of #12 AWG household wire and fed with RG-8X coaxial cable . My 80 meter loop is configured as a delta loop with the apex of the loop set on a Norfolk Pine branch approximately 50-feet/15.24 meters above ground. I can feed this loop with either coaxial cable for single band use or with 450 ohm ladder line , a 4:1 balun, and a transmatch for multiband use. The one loop I didn't have was one for 10 meters. I came across this excellent four-part series by Dave Tadlock (KG0ZZ) on making a loop antenna for 10 meters. I decided to incorporate Dave's ideas in making my 10 meter loop, including the important planning phase, as described in part 1. Although it may appear tedious to proceed this way, I found having a clear idea of what you want the antenna ...

An excellent video tutorial by Dave Sarti on how to support your wire antenna in a tree without snapping the antenna elements. Dave uses counterweights on each end to keep the wire taught, allowing trees to move in the wind without breaking the wire. Your choice of antenna wire will also contribute to the durability of the antenna. When I've launched similar antennas into trees, I've used #12 AWG house wire as the antenna elements. That wire thickness seems to hold up under many weather conditions . 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 blog: http://kh6jrm.net. Thanks for joining us today! Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM). Related articles ARTSAT2:DESPATCH 3D Printed QSL Card Antenna Theory For Wardriving And Penetration Testin...

Study ordered for controversial ham radio antenna : " MIKE BLASKY mblasky@napanews.com(9) Comments City puts curbs on towering backyard antenna For several residents of Coombs Street in Napa, Jeff Hullquist is their least favorite neighbor – or rather, the 55-foot-tall antenna outside … Read more Neighbors protest radio antenna in historic district When Napa resident Kathleen Wolf returned to her Randolph Street home in April, following a three-month trip to France, she was surprised to s… Read more A yearlong neighborhood dispute over the appropriateness of a 55-foot amateur radio antenna in the backyard of an Old Town home will drag on for at least a few more months. The City Council on Tuesday asked for a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review to determine what impact – if any – Jeff Hullquist’s tower at his Coombs Street home has on the cultural integrity of the historical Napa community. “I believe there is some substantial evidence in the record tha...

An excellent tutorial on how to make a waterproof and weatherproof feed-point connector for an Inverted V dipole antenna . Dave Turlock takes you through a simple series of mechanical steps which will give you a professional looking center connector. Of course, you could always buy dipole center connectors if you don't have the necessary materials around your QTH. I have several Budwig HQ-1 center connectors that I keep just in case I need to build a dipole or inverted V quickly. But, in keeping with the homebrew theme of Dave's antennas, an on-site center connector built with a few tools, a pvc cap, and  a few stainless steel eye-bolts will give you the satisfaction of building your own wire antenna from start to finish. Dave's instructions are clear and easy to follow. 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 t...