Simple Ham Radio Antennas

If you're having trouble viewing this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2k8VIZ9X8. An interesting video from Stan Gibilisco (W1GV) about an excellent, but lesser known VHF/UHF antenna.  The Biconical Antenna derives from the more popular discone antenna used to monitor public service radio bands .  The antenna is broad banded, easy to make, and offers better performance that a vertical antenna.  If you want to experiment with a truly fascinating antenna, try the biconical antenna.  You won't be disappointed. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these sites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. https://bigislandarrlnews.wordpress.com. http://www.kh6jrm.info (breaking news for radio amateurs). http://hawaiisciencedigest.com (science and technology news for radio amateurs). Be sure to check the blog sidebars for more antenna and propa...

An introduction to HF propagation (http://www.dxzone.com/qsy32036-an-introduction-to-hf-propagation). Author:  Sean D. Gilbert (G4UCJ). Accessed on 18 January 2017, 04:10 hrs, UTC . Please click link to read the full 13-page document.  Sean gives a link to download the entire report. Comment: Everything you need to know about propagation in an easily understood and clearly explained tutorial from Sean D. Gilbert (G4UCJ). Sean provides helpful maps, graphs, and photos to explain key concepts involved in propagation--the way our radio signals travel through the atmosphere and reach our target areas. The report has several sections, including: What is propagation What are the layers of the atmosphere What is MUF and the angle of radiation What are NVIS , groundwave, and skywave The IARU Beacon System Multihop signals Short and Long path propagation Grey Line propagation Sunspots and the solar cycle Sporatic E and Backscatter A & K Indices Flares, ge...

If you're having difficulty in viewing this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qEQN_FV0Pk. This is post #1014 in a continuing series on "Simple Ham Radio Antennas." Now that propagation is beginning to favor the lower HF bands (160 through 40 meters), this may be a good time to build a simple antenna dedicated to the 40 meter amateur radio band (7 MHz ).  Forty meters has something happening most of the day, with local, state, and regional coverage during daylight hours and some good DX after the sun goes down. In this video from K8YIO, we see a simple vertical antenna designed to cover the 40 meter band .  The construction is simple, inexpensive, and sturdy.  The important thing to remember about  1/4 wavelength vertical antennas is the absolute necessity for a decent ground radial or counterpoise system.  Although this antenna uses only 8 radials, it seems to perform very well for K8Y...

If you're unable to view this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nffrrFmf0XE. This is post #1013 in a continuing series of "Simple Ham Radio Antennas." With propagation favoring the lower HF bands (160, 80, and 40 meters), it may be worth the time to design, build, and use an antenna specifically for each band. In this video from the "NZRadioGuy", we see a simple, effective 40 meter dipole that is easy to make, sturdy enough to withstand the weather, and suitable for either home or portable use.  Get this 40 meter dipole about a half-wavelength above ground (66-ft/20.12 meters) and you'll have a decent antenna capable of working both local and dx stattions. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. https://bigislandarrlnews.wordpress.com. http://www.kh6jrm.info ( breaking news...

If you're having trouble viewing this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfh7LcLDqH4. This is post #1012 in a continuing series of "Simple Ham Radio Antennas." Here's another great and somewhat curious antenna idea from Peter Parker (VK3YE).  Peter has adapted his "wadeantenna" to operate as a "Water's Edge HF Pedestrian Mobile...with a 7 MHz loading coil ."  The antenna support is a fiberglass whip carried on a backpack.  An easily made 7 MHz coil mounted midway up the mast is used to cover the 40 meter amateur radio band .  Peter says the antenna without the coil can be used between 10 MHz and 50 MHz. In the water adapted antenna, there is no trailing counterpoise wire common to most pedestrian mobile antennas.  Instead, Peter attaches the counterpoise wire to his ankle with a strap, using the tidal wash to establish a rudimentary ground system for the antenna.  It's...

W0BTU Beverage Receiving Antennas (http://www.w0btu.com/Beverage_ antennas .html). Author:  W0BTU. Accessed on 13 January 2017, 20:25 hrs, UTC . Please click link or enter title URL into your browser search box to read the full article. Comment: Now that propagation is favoring the lower HF bands (160, 80, and 40 meters), you may want to consider building a Beverage antenna for receiving those often faint signals on "The Gentlemen's Band" (160 meters).  The major drawback of this exceptional receiving antenna is its length, averaging more than 500-feet/152.43 meters for the 160 meter band .  But if you do have some space, try one of these antennas.  You may be surprised just how great it is in making noisy, faint signals listenable. In this post, W0BTU describes the theory, construction, and use of this antenna, which was designed and patented in the early 1920s by RCA engineer Harold H. Beverage .  According to W0BTU, the Beverage antenna is usua...