Simple Ham Radio Antennas

Would you like to build a simple, effective antenna covering 80 through 10 meters that won't tax your budget or get strange stares from you neighbors? How about an easily erected inverted "L" that only requires some house wire, a few insulators, basic tools, a simple fiberglass telescoping mast, a roll of 450 ohm ladder line , a 4:1 current balun , an antenna "tuner", short lengths of 50 ohm coaxial cable , and a few wooden garden stakes?  The inverted "L" is basically a quarter wavelength of wire divided into an 1/8 wavelength vertical segment and a horizontal 1/8 wavelength segment.  Like all verticals, the inverted "L" requires a ground radial system. This antenna can be built over the course of an afternoon and won't cost you much money.  The antenna will deliver excellent local and DX contacts. As with all my homebrewed antennas, I try to use materials I have around the house, shack, or garage. The nearest hardware store or ...