Simple Ham Radio Antennas

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...

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...

PURPOSE OF THIS SITE Over the past few days, some of my readers have asked why I put this site together and to whom  the information is directed.  These are fair questions, since my interest in Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) may be far from your concerns. I have two reasons for writing this blog: 1.  The blog serves as a personal journal about my journey through interpersonal communications and my love for all things electronic.  I've been a licensed amateur radio operator for 35 years.  I've enjoyed every moment of the experience, from building equipment to designing my own antennas (the things that launch signals into the atmosphere).  I was fortunate to have had a good electronics background courtesy of the United States Air Force and over 40 years in the commercial broadcast business.  Very early in my radio journey, I helped design and build the student FM radio station at the University of Hawaii (Manoa), worked at various radio stati...

A NEW ANTENNA FOR APARTMENT DWELLERS The July 2012 issue of "QST" contains an interesting antenna article by Jeffery Brone, WB2JNA.  The article entitled "A Dipole Doesn't Have to be Straight--There's always a way to put some kind of antenna into service" runs from page 36 to page 37.  Brone's idea may give you another way to get on the air despite severe space restrictions. Simply put, Brone ran approximately 35 feet of light gauge wire (#22 or #24 AWG) to  a balcony of his third floor apartment and ran another 35 feet around the apartment, "tacked up along the ceiling and corners, resulting in a full size dipole for 40 meters."  He fed the antenna through a MFJ manual tuner with  3 feet of homemade laddder line (2 inch spacing between the wires)  "and it loads up on all bands--40 through 10 meters."  Running low power (15 watts cw), Brone has been able to work Chagos Island, Africa, and South America. Brone says common sense ...

STEALTH ANTENNAS During the past few weeks, I've read many articles from amateur radio operators who are facing restricted options because of HOAs, CC&Rs, and limited space.  Although I'm not in a restricted zone, my small lot and proximity to power lines makes me feel some of their pain.  People move into restricted quarters for a variety of reasons, so I'm not going to rehash the obvious arguments presented in the media.  Suffice to say, we amateurs must use our creativity if we are to enjoy our hobby to the fullest. I've made a practice of reading as much information as I can about stealth and hidden antennas to get an idea of what's possible for my hobby.  Every once in a while I come across articles which peek my interest and get the creative juices flowing.  Today, for example, I ran across WB0DGF's Antenna Site (wb0dgf.com/stealth.htm), which provides a practical antenna plan for a home and various links to antenna designs and options.  Amon...

ANOTHER SIMPLE ANTENNA PROJECT How would you like to make a simple, portable antenna that you can use on vacation or in your home?  Such an antenna would be useful for those in restricted operating environments.  I ran across an article by Craig La Barge, WB3GCK, while I was researching limited space antennas.  As you know, my antenna farm is confined to a small backyard, and limited space antennas are what I'm accustomed to using.  Anyway, the article called "The Up and Outter Antenna" gave me a few ideas for stringing up yet another skyhook to warm the ether. La Barge used approximately 30-feet of light gauge wire attached to a long pvc pole with another 30-foot piece of wire running through his vacation home on the Outter Banks of North Carolina.  That wire served as a counterpoise for the vertical element.  He fed the antenna system with open wire to minimize losses.  La Barge said the design may go back as far as the 1920's or 1930's.  H...

What do you do if you can't erect an outside antenna?  You could just give up and let the CC&Rs,  HOAs, and space restrictions win.  But that's not what creative amateur radio operators do to stay on the air.  I ran across this problem a few days ago when one of my younger amateur radio friends said he couldn't put up an outside antenna because of the restrictions of his area.  He lives in a crowded subdivision with neighbors all around.  Besides the restrictions imposed by his CC&Rs, space around his home is very limited.  So, without getting into the sticky area of tenant leases, housing committees, and noisy neighbors, I offered to do what I could to get him back on the air.  Fortunately, my friend can operate mobile and portable from parks and other public areas.  At first I suggested that he continue that type of operation until I could find a few hints for indoor antennas. While I'm not a strong advocate for indoor antennas, ...

One of the joys in making your own antennas is to discover what others have done in similar circumstances.  A visit to the antenna forums on QRZ.com and eham.net can give you a lot of useful information, particularly if you must operate from a deed-restricted area or from a small backyard as I do.  I am amazed at some of the clever antenna designs that my fellow amateur radio operators have used to get around HOAs, CC&Rs, and lack of space. Another good source of ideas for those of us in space-restricted areas are books and articles dealing with small antennas, stealth antennas, and concealed opertions of various sorts.  Although most of us can get by with the antenna books published by the RSGB, ARRL, and CQ Communications, there are a few sources I would recommend from personal experience. The first book on my list would be "The Short Vertical Antenna and Ground Radial" by Jerry Sevick (SK), W2FMI.  This small volume offers several useful and effective desi...

While I was searching through some boxed electronic parts in the garage this afternoon, I discovered an old Hustler mobile mast, bumper mount, shock spring, and coils for 40 meters, 20 meters, and 15 meters.  When I first became an amateur radio operator back in 1977, I used the Hustler system on my then almost new 1976 Toyota Corolla.  That was a very small vehicle and I had to be creative in placing an old Swan 260 Cygnet transceiver in front of the passenger's seat.  Fortunately, the Toyota had a metal bumper which was able to hold the mobile mount and antenna.  After I bonded all the body and engine bolts with copper braid and installed special spark plugs, the system became a cumbersome, but successful mobile installation.  When I moved to my present location in Laupahoehoe and bought a new car, I cleaned and stored the old mobile antenna in the garage and gave the old Swan transceiver to a new ham who didn't have a rig.  Since that time, I haven't don...

Thanks to a Good Friday holiday and some decent weather, I've been able to re-erect my "antenna farm" in the backyard of my small lot.  Both the 40-meter vertical (with its tuned counterpoise) and the 20-meter vertical dipole went up without problems thanks to the fiberglass poles I used for masts.  The antenna was was replaced because of storm damage.  Fortunately, I had some wire left over from a studio rebuild at my former radio station.  So, I didn't have to make a 30-mile trip to Hilo for wire and connectors.  The under the house 40-meter loop survived the storms and didn't require any repairs. Once I got my skyhooks in the air on Thursday afternoon, I decided to try 15 meters, since that band is usually busy around 2100 hrs UTC in my location.  As luck would have it, conditions were only fair with considerable QSB and other annoyances.  However, I heard a CQ from Dick, W8PW, in Las Cruces, New Mexico and decided to hit the transmit switch on th...

It's been awhile since I jotted down a few notes about antennas.  This is one of those cases where "one should be careful about what you wish for."  Until March, most of Hawaii Island was gripped in an extended drought which began 3 years ago.  Although West Hawaii (including Kailua-Kona) has been struggling with a prolonged dry spell for several years, those of us living on the windward usually received sufficient trade wind showers to stave off any water shortages.  Until March, many East Hawaii residents got by with diminished water supplies, hoping that the weather would change.  March has turned out to be quite wet on the windward side, with rain totals in Hilo exceeding 25 inches for the month.  All of this moisture was accompanied by strong 20 to 30 mph winds, mudslides along major highways, and several power outages.  As April Fool's Day approaches, the weather is improving and only scattered showers will herald the arrival of our spr...

Thanks to the recent CME and flares from the sun, my operating time was brief today.  Everyband was noisy and all I did was listen to a few strong signals on 20-meters.  I made a few calls, but with only 10 watts to the vertical dipole, I didn't work many people.  So, I spent the day cleaning and tightening my loop, 20- meter vertical dipole, and the inverted vee in the backyard.  When I finished with basic maintenance, I was once again on the prowl for interesting, homebrew antennas that even I could build.  One of my favorite antenna books is "Simple and Fun Antennas for Hams" published by the ARRL.  The book is loaded with real-world, practical antennas you can build yourself with a minimum of cost and time.  I came across an interesting antenna that may appeal to those of us restricted by space and CC&Rs. Jeff Brone, WB2JNA, adapted a design by Robert Johns, W3JIP, which appeared in the August 1998 issue of "QST".  Jeff's article is foun...

It's been a busy week of teaching for me and my xyl at Laupahoehoe High and Elementary School.  As substitute teachers, we have a variety of assignments ranging from special education to agriculture.  Variety is the spice of life at this rural school on Hawaii Island.  Both of us enjoy doing something positive for our community in our "sunset years."  Now that the school week is over, I can focus my attention on amateur radio and my favorite aspect of the hobby--building antennas from commonly available materials.  A good, effective homebrew antenna is what you need to join the ARRL International Phone DX Contest, which begins 03 March 2012 at 0000 Z and ends 2400 Z on 04 March (this weekend).  I plan to do a lot of listening and get what contacts I can as a QRP station. My limited contest participation will rely on the homebrew 20-meter vertical dipole in back of the garage and the trusty 40-meter inverted vee along the hedge line fronting my neighbor's ...

Those of us who are forced by circumstances to operate with compromise antennas may be interested in a new self-published book by Tom Schiller, N6BT, called "Array of Light" (3rd edition).  I found a review of the book in the February 2012 "CQ", p. 74.  Tom is a co-founder of Team Vertical and, along with his father, co-owned and operated Force 12 Antennas.  Tom's basic idea is that "everything works" to some degree in the antenna realm.  A quick review of the July 2000 issue of "QST" quickly refreshed my memory about Tom's seemingly outlandish experiment using a 150-watt light bulb mounted on a 4-foot fence post as an antenna.  Using his Kenwood TS-850S, he proceeded to work the world using the light bulb as an antenna.  The project was good enough to land Tom a "Cover Plaque Award" for that issue.  Tom easily convinced me that "everything" does "work", even in such a crude model as a light bulb.  Tom goes f...

I've managed to get a few days off from my substitute teaching position at Laupahoehoe High and Elementary School.  The state Department of Education was able to hire a full-time Special Education Teacher this term, thus ending a full-month of my emergency service to the school.  I'm due for another assignment Friday.  Eversince I retired from the commercial broadcast business last September (2011), I've been busy doing substitute teaching at the high school and doing a small amount of special projects for my former employer (Pacific Radio Group).  All told, retirement has been a shift to other work with more amateur radio mixed in.  At least I don't have to get up each morning at 0230W and drive into work.  I followed that routine for 36 years.  The old job was great, but it was time for a change.  Nowadays, my schedule is a bit more free and my amateur radio pursuits a lot more fun.  As I eased into semi-retirement, I began to reenter the...

This has been an exciting two weeks.  First, my long-term substitute teaching position has been confirmed until June.  Laupahoehoe High and Elementary School is converting to a charter school, so many faculty associated with the state of Hawaii Department of Education may be transferring elsewhere.  So, until the new school board gets in place, there will be no new hires, and that means substitute teachers such as I will be in demand until the change over at the end of the school semester.  So much for an easy retirement.  The work with special education students is demanding, but, on the whole, very satisfying--especially if a student finally "gets it" and begins to learn on his/her own.  During the past few weeks, I haven't been able to run the old Swan 100-MX very often, with the possible exception of a few hours of cw late at night. And second, the weather has been unusually warm and dry these past three weeks--a perfect time to work on antennas and m...

This has been a busy teaching week at Laupahoehoe High and Elementary School.  Eversince I landed a long-term substitute teaching position at the school, there hasn't been too much time to chase radio signals.  My position involves working with several special education students--a real challenge.  My heart goes out to parents who are trying to bring their special needs children into the main stream of education.  The job is frustrating at times, but I get a lot of personal satisfaction helping these students get an education.  So much for an easy retirement. As for amateur radio, I manage to get on late in the evening after lesson plans are done and student progress reports are compiled.  The time before my venerable Swan 100-MX and Kenwood TS-520 provides a way of escaping the pressures of the day.  I find cw relaxing.  I never thought I would look at cw that way, but, after all these years, the old J-38 key has become a real tension reliever....

Final step completed--new career awaits After 3 weeks of intensive study and three exams, I finally finished my substitute teacher course and submitted all of the necessary paperwork.  In a short time I should be getting my certificate and the opportunity to end this lifetime as a teacher.  It's sort of ironic.  Before I became an amateur radio operator back in 1977, I started out as a teacher.  Life took its inevitable twists and turns, with work ranging from an air force officer to a radio newsman and broadcast engineer.  And now, I've come full circle.  I'll end my days as a teacher.  The circle is closed. More time for Amateur Radio Between teaching assignments, I can devote more time to my main diversion all these years--Amateur Radio.  I hope to get on the air more often and build more antennas.  Speaking of which, I was reading a 1978 edition of "The ARRL Antenna Anthology" and came upon a simple ground plane antenna that sh...

How the time flies--the busy Labor Day Weekend is upon us. For those of us who call a radio newsroom our "home away from home", the next few days will be busy indeed.  While I've got the Labor Day Drag Races to run (I'm the tower announcer), the rest of the staff at KKBG-FM/KHLO-AM will be occupied with remote broadcasts, UH-Hilo women's volleyball games, and a variety of cultural activities.  Hawaii Island may be a large rock in the middle of the Central Pacific, but residents do their best to keep their history and traditions alive.  Once you add some excellent tropical weather,  the Labor Day Weekend will be a genuine pleasure. With all of the above mentioned activities, there won't be much time for amateur radio until after Monday.  Between all of this activity I'll squeeze in some more antenna research and perform the weekly maintenance on the inverted 40-meter inverted "vee" and the 40-meter loop under the house.  Antenna maintenance and ...