Happy Holidays !
Antennas in use, antenna designs
OCF dipole with a 4:1 Balun
160 meter dipole with a w2du balun
OCF dipole with a 4:1 Balun
The latest design built in the workshop finally lofted November 15, 2023. Off Center Fed dipole based on 80 meters design. It has had minor design alterations to resonate at 75 meters and 20 meters.
Hustler 5 -BTV antenna
160 meter dipole with a w2du balun
OCF dipole with a 4:1 Balun
Hustler 5 Band antenna set up for 75m, 40m, 20m, 15m, and 10m. It needs more ground radials to operate better. More later of the final results
160 meter dipole with a w2du balun
160 meter dipole with a w2du balun
160 meter dipole with a w2du balun
One very long antenna. I built for a 160 contest back in the early 2000's
Cobra antenna -retired
MFJ multiband antenna using hamsticks
160 meter dipole with a w2du balun
I purchased this several years ago. During Field Day 2020 after numerous setbacks in setting up, I pulled it out of the plastic bag and threw this on a 30 foot pole and into the trees. I found that my lack of faith was unfounded. It had performed very well.
MFJ multiband antenna using hamsticks
MFJ multiband antenna using hamsticks
MFJ multiband antenna using hamsticks
MFJ 2100 spider center with 75m, 40m, 20m, and 10m elements
G5RV and Cushcraft R3
MFJ multiband antenna using hamsticks
MFJ multiband antenna using hamsticks
For years I have used a G5RV and a Cushcraft R3, Both worked very well over their 20 years of my use. The R3 was used when I purchased it but in very good shape. The G5RV was one I picked up from another ham who had been less than pleased with its performance. A couple tweaks and strung over ledge, it has worked well and has only come apart twice after very heavy wet snow/thick icing. Ten minutes with some solder and a small torch and I was back on the air.
The hustler modified 4btv
Hustler 5BTv
This antenna started its life as a used Four band Hustler antenna.
A 75 meter section and coil have been added. With parts from DX Engineering, this antenna now has a much needed ground plane, a tolt over base.
I am experimenting with a 1:1 W2DU balun at the base of the antenna. I had significant trouble tuning the antenna with coaxal coils.
The wires for the ground plane are a work in progress. For this antenna I have discovered more is definitely better.
Links to More
Hustler 4BTV at DX Engineering: https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/hsr-4btvwhat
Parts at Dx Engineering: https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-aok-80m
https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-aokb-17m
Tilt Base
https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-tb-3p
Direct coax feed adapter (strength and protection from the elements)
https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-aok-dcf
160 Meter Dipole
160 Meter Dipole
In the early 2000's, I wanted to operate on the 160M band (1800 to 1975 kHz.) The G5RV required a whole lot more tuner than even the 989 could provide and the antenna still wasn't resonant at these frequencies. Most of the energy was being gobbled up at the antenna tuner trying to match the G5RV I had.
Originally my first antenna was literaly short pieces of wire anywhere from a foot long to five or six feet long that had been thrown away by an electrician on multiple jobs in our company. Over a period of months I managed to splice and solder almost enough for a dipole. It was a little bit short but still tunable and much better than using the G5RV. So I tried my first 160 m contest. About ten people could hear me. At 4:1 or 5:1 there was still too much loss. So after the ice and snow snapped the antenna in a half a dozen places., I decide to build a new one.
After a trip to HD and a couple spools of 500' of thhn wire, I sat down and built the second dipole. It has a 24 inch of PVC in the middle separating the 2 1/4 wave sections. I did this so that I could tie the antenna to tower and the antenna wires wouldn't contact my 40 foot tower. This antenna when new had a match of 1:2:1 according to the meters and antenna analyzer I was using. It worked very well using <100 Watts.
I attempted to reconfigure it into a loop with 4 1/4 wave sections. However this project didn't work any better than the dipole due to height limitations, being over ledge, and one leg being too close to the power lines.
HF Antenna design informationfrom the web
A practical approach to HF and VHF antennas, plus antenna Myths and Mysteries By Terry Graves, K7FE
http://www.arrl.org/files/media/Group/antenna_myths.pdfIf
A slide show presentation on antenna design and myths
An Optimized 20 Meter Vertical Collinear Antenna by Gary Rondeau
Optimizing a 20 Meter vertical - https://squashpractice.com/2017/08/27/an-optimized-20-meter-vertical-collinear-antenna/
How Does an Inductor or Loading Coil Work?
Some thoughts and knowledge by W8JI Charles Rauch at his site: https://www.w8ji.com/
Section on loading coils:
https://www.w8ji.com/mobile_and_loaded_antenna.htm
The Case of the Curly Collinear L. B. Cebik, W4RNL (SK) & More
This is a page I found at http://on5au.be/content/a10/vhf/cc.html website. ON5AU Marcel De Canck's website has much more on antennas, modeling, design, etc...
Also for lower HF antennas: http://on5au.be/content/lha.html
His Website: http://on5au.be/
Some sources of Antenna components
Wolf River Coils LLC: https://www.wolfrivercoils.com/index.html
Amateur Radio Supplies : https://www.amateurradiosupplies.com/unadilla-traps-sale-s/100.htm
The Wireman :https://thewireman.com/
M Squared : https://www.m2inc.com/categories/amateur/antenna-parts/diy-parts-make-your-own.html
DX Engineering: https://www.dxengineering.com/
Ham Radio Outlet Salem NH: https://www.hamradio.com/locations.cfm?storeid=9 My favorite candy store for radio gear. Before Covid 19, It was one of my favorite haunts when in Salem NH. (20 minute walk from Canobee Park and a chance to play with new "stuff". Obtuse thought: I don't remember leaving there without sending money ;-)
Ham Radio Outlet - Search: https://www.hamradio.com/search_advanced.cfm
The above list will grow
As time goes on I will add new material
N1YIS Wayne
Antenna Research Sites
Dipole antennas
Trap dipole design http://degood.org/coaxtrap/
Inverted dipole https://zs6bne.wordpress.com/2017/06/08/radar-from-dipoles-to-end-feds-to-multiband-end-feds/14-inverted-vee-antenna/
Multi element monobander
Quads, Loops
G5RV and related antennas
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Vertical HF antennas
Mono poles -
1/2 wave -
ground plane -
Mobile antennas-
Wire yagis
Wire YAGI's and design
Antennas for 20,17,15,12,10
Cushcraft R3 -