Simple Ham Radio Antennas

Do you want an efficient multi-band HF antenna that occupies a small space and requires the minimum of construction and maintenance? Then, this video from Larry, the " Radio Ham Guy" is for you. Most of the materials will be found in your ham shack , garage storage room, or at the nearest home improvement or hardware store. This version of the popular "fan dipole" requires only one 50 ohm coaxial cable feed line, a center coax connector, a few end insulators, a tall support and a few tie off points above ground to work. Using the familiar dipole formula (468/f( MHz )=L(ft), you cut separate dipoles for each band of use, connect them to a common center connector, and "fan out" the various elements to nearby support masts, trees, or any other tall object. With careful trimming (beginning with the lowest frequency band of your choice), you can probably get a low SWR for each amateur radio band you chose. I always use an antenna transmatch (i.e. &q

Another great video tutorial from antenna guru Dave Tadlock. This time, Dave designs, builds, and uses a simple ground plane antenna for 10 meters. Although Dave says his design can be ground mounted, a true ground plane antenna is always elevated to decouple the radials from the actual ground to eliminate ground losses. Dave's instructions are clear, precise, and often humorous. I've built several ground plane antennas following Dave's lead. The hardest of the lot was for 40 meters. In order to get the radial system off the ground, I had to use a slingshot and a length of weighted nylon rope to shoot the vertical element to a branch about 40 ft/12.19 meters above ground. With the bottom of the vertical element at 7 ft/2.13 meters above ground, it was easy to attach four, sloping quarter wave radials to the coax connector and tie them off at pre-positioned stakes. It's a lot easier to build a 10 meter ground plane. If you chose a frequency of 28.400 MHz (in t

This is part 3 of Randy's (K7AGE) tutorial on using a 2 meter handheld transceiver (ICOM IC-V80 Sport HT). In this segment, Randy explains how frequency, offset, and tone are programmed into your HT so that you can enjoy the many features of local FM repeaters. Randy also describes how to program memory channels into the popular ICOM IC-V80 Sport HT and how to recall them. The video is well-done, clear, and easy to follow. For the latest Amateur Radio News and Events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. Thanks for joining us today! You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed. Until next time, Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

Here's part 2 of Randy's (K7AGE) series on getting started on Ham Radio 2 meter FM . In this easy to follow video, Randy shows you how to program the popular ICOM IC-V80 Sport HT, how to get on the air quickly, and to how to use the basics of FM operating to your best advantage. Randy's videos can be used as basic a basic 2 meter tutorial for newly-licensed hams or to refresh the memories of some of us old timers who don't use 2 meters as often as we should. Overall, Randy has done a good job of covering the essential operating protocols for the 2 meter Amateur Radio band. For the latest Amateur Radio news and events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. You can follow our blog community with a free email subscription or by tapping into the blog RSS feed . Until next time,Aloha de Russ (KH6JRM).

Are you a newly licensed amateur radio operator and want to get on 2 meter FM with a minimum of hassle and problems? Then, this well-produced video by K7AGE is for you! Even though I've been an amateur radio operator since 1977, I always learn something new about the hobby by consulting hams who've been in the hobby for many years. K7AGE is an excellent "elmer" (mentor) and takes you step by step into the world of 2 meter FM using the popular Icom IC-V80 Sport VHF hand held transceiver. This is part 1 of a three-part study of 2 meter FM. For the latest Amateur Radio News and Events, please check out the blog sidebars. These news feeds are updated daily. Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).