Simple Ham Radio Antennas

If you can't view this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcnWkbiD79c. Designing, building, and using a 160 meter antenna for a small urban lot is quite a challenge, especially if you live in a deed-restricted area.  "HamPrepper" made this "junk bin" special to see if he could get on 160 with a decent signal with just some material he had around his ham shack.  The antenna works, aided by the use of 300-ohm feed line and a sturdy MFJ-989c "tuner."  The privacy fence does a lot to hide the antenna from prying eyes.  If you use this type of antenna, be sure to place as many ground radial as you can to reduce RFI and SWR, as well as increase antenna efficiency.  The old tale is true:  a compromised antenna is better than no antenna. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. https:/...

Quick 6-Meter Mobile Antenna. Source: QST, February 2018, Vol. 102, No. 2, p. 94. This short post is a follow on to the 6-Meter video tutorial posted on 29 Janaury 2018 (Post #1387) by Randy Hall (K7AGE). While I was searching for some 6-meter mobile antenna ideas, I ran across this article in the February 2018 edition of "QST" published by the ARRL (American Radio Relay League).  This brief article was part of "The World Above 50 MHz" column, pp. 93 to 96. According to the article, you can find a quick, cheap, and effective 6-meter mobile antenna by using a 5/8 wave 2-meter mobile antenna.  The column states that "the 2-meter 5/8 wave whip is about 1/4 wave long on 50 MHz.  The loading coil is essentially invisible at 50 MHz.  Thus, you have two bands--50 and 144 MHz--mobile with one antenna.  You may have to adjust the length a little to optimize the standing-wave ration (SWR) on 50 MHz." If you choose to use your 5/8 wave 2-m...

If you can't view this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR3MSQw7iZo. If you've ever wanted to get on the 6 meter amateur radio band, then this video produced in 2009 from Randy Hall (K7AGE) is just what you need.  Despite the passage of a decade since Randy's video became available online, much of what he says about "The Magic Band" still holds true. The 6 meter band (50 MHz)  has a dual personality, sharing some characteristics of both HF and VHF.  Most of the time, 6 meters is a good local or regional band, with many areas of the country having repeaters for the band and clubs dedicated to exploring the features of this segment of the radio spectrum.  Although popularity of the band has suffered a bit over the past few years because of reduced propagation, Sporatic E-Skip can boost coverage to almost 1,500 miles/2430 kilometers or even more. In this video, Randy describes the type of trans...

If you can't view this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch>v=tafy51yUzQo. Thanks to Kevin Loughin (KB9RWL) for this excellent presentation of a classic emergency antenna using coaxial cable.  The antenna comes in the form of a vertical dipole or "sleave dipole" for the 2 meter Amateur Radio Band.  Kevin shows how easy it is to make this great emergency antenna with a minimum of tools and expense.  Kevin offers a step-by-step tutorial on this simple, effective antenna which can be used at home or in the field.  You might want to make a few for emergency use, by putting one in your vehicle or in your "go-box."  If you have the space, you can also make a coax antenna for the upper HF bands (20 through 6 meters). For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. https://bigislandarrlnews.com. http:...

If you can't view this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jg4Agf3AqQ. A truly inspirational video from Ray of the "Radio Workshop" in the UK.  Many radio amateurs who share the extreme antenna limitations posed by deed or space-restricted homes will find a sympathetic ear in this video.  Rather than surrender to space limiting scenarios, Ray has taken a potential liability (he has only a small garden space for an outdoor antenna) and turned it into a workable alternative to "no antenna at all."  Ray says he was surprised by the  performance of this highly compromised antenna, which gives him a decent signal on 160 meters as well as coverage on frequencies between 80 and 10 meters.  Follow Ray's example and you won't stay off the air for long. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress....

If you can't view this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch/v=RRkbdTadmUU. Another clear, well-produced video tutorial from Dave Casler (KE0Og). In this program, Dave shows how to tune a manual antenna "tuner" with both an external SWR meter and with the SWR meter built into your transceiver.  Manual "tuners" are less expensive than automatic ones and are "perfectly okay" for your station.  At my home station, I use an old Drake MN-4 antenna "tuner" for most of my work on 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters.  Coupled with a 1:4 current balun and a balanced feed line (450 ohm ladder line), I can use my 40 meter inverted vee on several HF bands.  Dave's suggestions are clear and easy to follow--an excellent tutorial for any radio amateur. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. h...

If you can't views this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGyAveQsf60. An end-fed antenna is capable of excellent performance if you carefully consider its length, ground radial system requirements, and a balun/"tuner" combination to reduce SWR and RFI problems. In this video, "Outdoors On The Radio" shows us how he installed a 75-ft/12.86-m end-fed antenna in a small backyard.  According to the video, "the antenna is performing well, even in a compromised situation."  This video should give you some useful antenna ideas for your location. For the latest Amateur Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. http://www.arrl.org. http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news (a weekly podcast which is updated each Friday). https://bigislandarrlnews.com. http://amateurradionewsinformation.com (Amateur Radio News...