Simple Ham Radio Antennas

Those of you who follow my Amateur Radio News Blog (http://kh6jrm.com) on a regular basis may be aware of two related radio stories that will have a significant impact on the future of amateur radio and the rf spectrum that we share with other services. The first article relates to comments made by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler at the annual NAB convention today in Las Vegas, Nevada. In his speech before NAB delegates, Wheeler urged television broadcasters to abandon over-the-air transmissions in favor of streaming over the internet.  Wheeler says the migration to broadband internet would free up spectrum for the ever increasing demands of consumer electronics, from cell phones and iPads to mobile radio and other public services.  Already, VHF analog channels between channels 2 and 13 have moved to higher frequencies and now employ digital signals.  The now vacant channels won't remain idle for long, since these VHF allocations will be assigned to other services. The gra...