What can we come up with to use as an antenna? Let’s play!
As amateur (ham) radio operators, we like to experiment. Come along with me for this series of videos while I find random objects to use as antennas and try and make contacts on the air.
This video features KE4JT.
Remember—if you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong!
What can we come up with to use as an antenna? Let’s play!
As amateur (ham) radio operators, we like to experiment. Come along with me for this series of videos while I find random objects to use as antennas and try and make contacts on the air.
Remember—if you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong!
Whether you are antenna restricted and need something that blends in, or just want to get started building your own antennas, you will find great antenna ideas that you can build yourself inexpensively at the April RRRA Meeting.
Along with his usual Field Day antenna supplies, Dale WB6BYU brings along a handy table of wire lengths for each band for the antennas he is most likely to put up. This reference guide eliminates the need to calculate wire lengths in the field and can be easily shared with other operators who need to build an antenna.
W6BYU has published a version of his Field Day antenna length table at the Practical Antennas website
All dimensions are for 1mm (AWG #18) bare wire. In most cases, they should be close enough for other wire sizes likely to be used for portable antennas. There will always be some variation due to how the antenna is constructed, wire insulation type, height above ground, and other factors, but these should give you a good starting point. 1
ℹ️ https://practicalantennas.com/designs/dipole/halfwavedipole/
| frequency MHz | wire length ( one side ) |
|---|---|
| 1.925 | 122 ft |
| 3.55 | 65 ft 6 in |
| 3.9 | 60 ft |
| 7.15 | 33 ft 3 in |
| 14.2 | 17 ft |
| 21.2 | 11 ft 6 in |
| 28.5 | 8 ft 6 in |
| 50.3 | 57.5 in |
| 53 | 55 in |
ℹ️ https://practicalantennas.com/designs/loops/loop-sizes/
| frequency MHz | wire length | short side | long side |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14.2 | 72 ft 6 in | 12 ft | 24 ft 3 in |
| 21.2 | 48 ft 6 in | 8 ft | 16 ft 3 in |
| 28.5 | 36 ft 6 in | 6 ft | 12 ft 3 in |
| 50.3 | 20 ft 7 in | 3 ft 6 in | 6 ft 9.5 in |
ℹ️ https://practicalantennas.com/designs/loops/fd200ohm/
| frequency MHz | wire length | sides | top / bottom | zip cord matching stub |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.15 | 143 ft | 41 ft 4 in | 60 ft | 23 ft 6 in |
| 14.2 | 72 ft | 19 ft 8 in | 32 ft | 12 ft |
| 21.2 | 47 ft 3 in | 12 ft 7 in | 22 ft | 8 ft 3 in |
| 28.5 | 36 ft | 9 ft 8 in | 16 ft 6 in | 6 ft |
| 50.3 | 20 ft 8 in | 5 ft 10 in | 9 ft | 3 ft 6 in |
ℹ️ https://practicalantennas.com/designs/loops/wirequad/
| frequency MHz | driven element wire length | reflector wire length | spacing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.15 | 140 ft | 151 ft | 20 ft |
| 14.2 | 70 ft | 73 ft 6 in | 10 ft |
| 21.2 | 47 ft | 50 ft | 6 ft 8 in |
| 28.5 | 34 ft 4 in | 38 ft | 5 ft 6 in |
| 50.3 | 19 ft 9 in | 21 ft 3 in | 3 ft |
ℹ️ https://practicalantennas.com/designs/parasitic/wireyagi/
| frequency MHz | driven element wire length | reflector wire length | spacing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.15 | 66 ft 8 in | 69 ft | 20 ft |
| 14.2 | 33 ft 9 in | 34 ft 8 in | 10 ft |
| 21.2 | 22 ft 6 in | 23 ft 3 in | 8 ft |
| 28.5 | 16 ft 8 in | 17 ft 9 in | 6 ft |
“Field Day antenna length table”, Practical Antennas, accessed May 29 2024, https://practicalantennas.com/applications/portable/fieldday/fdwiretable/. ↩︎
Building a new antenna is a great way to start the new year. The folding J-pole antenna project by RRRA member KA0ZLG , and featured in the March 2005 issue of QST magazine, is a new twist on an old design. It is an excellent cold weather project for improving your Go-Kit or enhancing portable operations.
The QST article (A Backpacker’s Delight—The Folding J-Pole) includes detailed instructions for building this project along with numerous photographs.
Copies of KA0ZLG’s article may be found on-line with a search for folding+j-pole+ka0lzg
One easy way to determine the best orientation for your antenna is to use an azimuth map; a world map which has been set so that all the directions on that map are real antenna directions from one central point.
These maps allow you to see the compass bearing from your QTH to other DXCC entities.
Free azimuth maps may be generated using these on-line services:
More information about azimuth maps and ham radio is presented in the Antenna Direction and Azimuth Map article by the Finnish International DX Group.
Technical information about the azimuthal equidistant projection is available on Wikipedia.
Use a #3DPrinter to make an easy antenna to receive #HamRadio satellites! Tnx @hackaday https://t.co/RGiNHbyA9I #STEM #EdTech @jeriellsworth pic.twitter.com/eldP7fkACE
— ARRL (@arrl) February 15, 2017
This antenna is based on the WB0CMT (SK) “7 dB for 7 bucks” antenna design (published in the April 1993 edition of QST Magazine).
