Simple Ham Radio Antennas

If you're having trouble viewing this video, please insert this title link into your browser search box: https://youtu.be/wMPk45MVFp.  Well-done, easily understandable tutorial on the theory, design, and use of an open-wire dipole antenna for the HF amateur radio bands.  This antenna is a simple, efficient, and proven HF antenna design that will give you many hours of pleasure as you search for contacts on the amateur radio bands.  Cut the antenna elements for the 80 meter band, feed the antenna with open-wire, and use a balanced tuner or tuner with balun combination, and you'll have an antenna that will cover all amateur radio bands from 80 meters through 10 meters.  If you can only build one HF antenna on your property, go for the open-wire dipole with open-wire feeders.For more information on this dipole antenna, contact Stan Gibilisco (W1GV) at http://www.sciencewriter.net.  For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars....

I'm still in the process of restoring my "antenna farm" after the passing of Tropical Storm Iselle on 07-08 August 2014.  I lost a few trees on my Orchidland Estates property, most of which were supporting several HF wire antennas.  I salvaged most of the wire and the 450 ohm feedline from the storm.  While I cleaned up the mess, I erected a simple multiband vertical antenna using a tall Norfolk Pine Tree as an antenna support. Next on the list is the restoration of my approximately 134-ft/40.85 meters  center-fed horizontal dipole.  The antenna is fed with 450 ohm ladder line which goes into a W9INN 4:1 balun and then via a short length of RG-8X coax into a MFJ 941E Versa Tuner II.  This feed arrangement allows multiband coverage from 3.500 MHz through 29.000 MHz. Although the antenna requires two tall supports (trees or masts), construction of the antenna is simple and the dipole doesn't require a ground radial system. Using the general form...