budget antenna suggestions

[BOOTY MONSTER]

well , if you build a 1/4 wave ground plane with sloped radials it will be about 16 to 14 feet tall and it should tune to 1.1 or very close to it . if you do horizontal elements it will only be about 9 feet tall and will still tune to about 1.3 . still completely acceptable if the person isnt a needle watcher . but , you have a 14 - 16 foot diameter for the ground elements to spread out . no biggy for most folks .

 

[HomerBB]

try a 1/4 wave groundplane.

formula to build one here : Amateur Quarter Wave Ground Plane Antenna Calculator

Simple. One short vertical on the center coax conductor, four radials the same length as the vertical on the coax shield.

Commercial versions have been made.

 

[CDX-007]

With my custom 89xlr on its way in a few days, and with the little one down for a nap. I'm now trying to figure out what antenna is right for me. I haven't asked my landlord if it is okay, but i am almost positive he wont care, as long as it does not look too much like an eyesore.

I'm trying to stay under the $40 range. We have a nice size tree in our backyard and was thinking of a dipole, but i do not have any experience with them. If i do choose dipole, would i be able to rig it up in the tree with no problems? I'm just worried that a dipole could get all tangled up if we get some strong winds. I've seen those "mini" base antennas online, but i do not want to loose out on performance just because i wanted to save $20.

Any ideas or suggestions? ..

In your position I would seek out a good used IMAX 2000 and paint / refinish it if necessary since they tend to get a bit 'hairy' after a number of years in the elements. Just make sure it is intact and not splitting, especially in the lower 2 sections, and not spinning in the metal base bracket. You should be able to find one for ~$50 in decent used condition and will see a reasonable increase in performance over a dipole, if you can stomach a 24' tall antenna.

I'm about to help a friend re-fiberglass his and I believe we're going to turn it into a permanent 24' solid pole like a Phelps-Dodge Stationmaster by coating the entire antenna with a 1/4" of fiberglass & resin, making it a solid long-lasting one-piece monster.

I was running my IMAX with 89' of RG-213 and I added a 23' guy wire to an insulator from my top U-bolt and saw an incredibly wide swr, flat for 5-6 megs!

Have fun!

 

[hotrod]

I've also been looking for a base antenna that isn't very large, most of the ones i have seen are at least 16ft long. If i can find something a little smaller, it'd be perfect.

goto copper.com and check out the sirio top one
12ft long.shorted base antenna made