Simple Ham Radio Antennas

If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser searchbox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atRUzlvmPPc. How would you like to see how well your antenna performs for DX contacts? You can get a good analysis of antenna effectiveness by using WSPR (Weak Signal Propagation Reporter) software from Joe Taylor (K1JT). In this video, Randy Hall (K7AGE) shows how he used WSPR to gauge performance of his "Super Antenna MP-1" using a Yaesu FT-817 and the MFJ-1976. According to Randy, WSPR "sends your call sign, power level and grid square during a nearly 2 minute transmission--Receiving stations can decode your transmission and post results to an online data base."  WSPR can be a valuable operating aid for DX chasers and Contest followers. Randy does an excellent job of demonstrating how WSPR works and how the software can help you improve antenna performance. For the latest Amateur/Ham Radio news and information, please visit thes...

ZIf you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SBGdPMnH-E. Now that propagation is favoring the lower HF bands (160 meters, 80 meters, and 40 meters), you may want to build an antenna that addresses your favorite lower HF band.  May I suggest the 80 meter half square antenna built by Don Johnson (N4DJ)? The half square antenna is ideal for DX chasing without investing in a very tall tower or buying an "aluminum forest" for radiation purposes.  There's no need for a tower, antenna rotor, or an expensive beam. A half square antenna is a wire antenna with two vertical radiators fed in phase.  The antenna exhibits a bit of gain, a broadside pattern, a low angle of radiation (around 15 degrees), and needs no ground.  If you feed the antenna at the top left or right edge, the antenna shows a good match to a 50 ohm coaxial feed cable. Don takes us step-by step through the design, construct...

If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j3BsYbzwvw. If you want your HF dipole to have better gain and some directivity, try this "classic" Extended Double Zepp Antenna. The EDZ antenna described by Stan Gibilisco (W1GV) is a "collinear array of two 5/8 waves in phase", which delivers approximately 3 dB gain broadside to the antenna.  According to Stan, construction of this antenna is simple and uses locally available materials. Just follow the diagram provided, and you should have a dipole with a bit more"punch" for your ham station. For more antenna ideas from Stan, please visit his website at: http://sciencewriter.net. For the latest Amateur/Ham Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. http://www.arrl.org. http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news (a weekly podcast which is updated each Friday afternoon). https://oa...

If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpl3TRXqaoM. Every Amateur Radio Operator should have lightning and static electricity protection as outlined in this well-made, to-the-point video from "North Carolina Prepper." The video takes us through basic lightning and grounding procedures that will shield your equipment from static charges and lightning strikes near your QTH. In addition to the above steps, I'm able to lower my vertical antennas and disconnect all feed lines after use.  A little prevention now will save you grief later. For the latest Amateur/Ham Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. http://www.arrl.org. http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news (a weekly podcast which is updated each Friday afternoon). https://oahuarrlnews.wordpress.com. https://hamradiohawaii.wordpress.com. https://bigislandarrlnews.com. https://ww...

If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18FGuuaif9c. In this video, "Outdoors on the Air" discusses a fascinating ham radio dipole offered by Tim (N9SAB) on his ebay store.  The original idea for this 20 meter off-center fed dipole comes from Dennis Blanchard and his video entitled "Ham Radio Hiking Gear." This 20 meter dipole requires no coax as it is designed to connect directly to a transceiver jack.  According to the video, no assembly or antenna "tuner" is required.  The antenna accepts a PL-259 connector.  The off-center fed antenna is integrated with a 4:1 balun.  The cost of the antenna is approximately $20 (USD). For the latest Amateur/Ham Radio news and information, please visit these websites: http://www.HawaiiARRL.info. http://www.arrl.org. http://www.arrl.org/arrl-audio-news (a weekly podcast which is updated each Friday afternoon). https://oahua...

If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jVVQ8ReQXA. If you want multiband HF coverage from 160 meters through 10 meters and you can have only one antenna, why not try the "classic" doublet antenna? In this video, Steve Ellington (N4LQ) show us his doublet antenna which covers 160 meters to 10 meters, using 60-ft/18.29 m of 450 ohm ladder line and a MFJ-998 automatic "tuner."  Steve says his length of balanced feed line, coupled with the "tuner" allows, him to cover a wide range of amateur/ham radio frequencies. If you want to follow Steve's design, please cut the doublet for the lowest frequency of use.  In this case, you will be able to cover 160 meters to 10 meters with each dipole segment measuring approximately 135-ft/40.76 m.  You may have to adjust antenna length to accommodate local conditions. For the latest Amateur/Ham Radio news and information, ple...

If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0mWdNlHw5E . One of the toughest parts of a vertical antenna installation is the preparation, building, and installing of a ground radial or counterpoise system.  The ground radial system supplies the "missing half" of a vertical antenna and is needed to improve signal strength and boost efficiency. In this video, we see one way of putting that "missing half" in the ground without too much effort. As suggested by "dixielandfarm", more short radials are preferred to fewer, longer radials.  Although there is no ideal number of radials for a vertical antenna (some AM broadcast stations use up to 120 quarter wave radials). try building a radial field using 16 to 20 buried radial wires.  Another possibility is using four to six elevated radials for your vertical antenna.  I've used this solution for frequencies between 20 and ...