Economical HF all-band antenna

[C W Morse]

You can't coil ladder line, and you can't run it near metal objects. It's a little different than coax in those respects.

Antenna
Ladderline
1:1 Balun
20' MAX of RG-213
Tuner
Radio

And if you absolutely MUST run ladderline near a metal object such as a tower, twist it one turn per foot all the way down to the balun or transition. I did that and pulled the ladderline out at an angle away from the tower. Seems to work. I can work 160 now and that is something new for me!

Incidently, for comparison as to cost visit www.bwantennas. com. This one IS a "true" folded dipole and is used a lot in the military. I've been on USAF installations and driven by comm. facilities with this antenna in place. Seems to do a pretty good job, tho some folks say it is "lossy" (compared to what?)-I just don't know. I have installed some of them in CAP
operations blds and they went bonkers on 7 megs. But again, others had no trouble with them. Goes to show you how different each others' situations are. The advantage to the B & W is no tuner is required, and the military folks like that. To me, they are a bit pricey compared to the Cobra + tuner combo.

Wednesday I get to try out my antenna on a FEMA practice net held periodically. While it is done for homeland security purposes to test how many HF communications resources are available, it is fun to listen to how many different agencies check in such as USAF/CAP, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, NSA (national security agency), MARS and various FEMA installations. 8).

I've built lots of various HF antennas over the years- full wave loops, phased arrays, various "L" configurations and mobile loading coils with counterpoise. Some worked well, some not so well. I had one loop that consisted of two horizontal "V"s with feedline at opposite ends. There were relays that "closed" the loop making it a full loop, a half loop or half loop closed at just one end, or a phased "V" that I could orient in various ways working against the other one. I meant to put in relays and feedlines at each corner so I could "rotate" this "beam" causing it to fire in a particular direction. Just never got around to it.
A storm took it down and I made a long 75 Meter antenna with natural resonance at 3915 KHZ. I used the balun and insulators from an old G5RV. This one was up for about 15 years and worked well on all HF frequencies except for 160....and I wouldn't expect it to anyway. So I replaced it and paid the price cuz it is cold right now (shiver). But I DO love working with antennas because I learn from each one. If something fails, then it is a good thing as I always need the "l'arnin'"!
I don't think I will EVER learn all there is, and if someone wants to watch me put up antennas, then he can come and get an education! LMAO! An education in how NOT to do it, likely. Eventually, I'll get it right!

73

CWM

 

[Guest]

I had one loop that consisted of two horizontal "V"s with feedline at opposite ends. There were relays that "closed" the loop making it a full loop, a half loop or half loop closed at just one end, or a phased "V" that I could orient in various ways working against the other one. I meant to put in relays and feedlines at each corner so I could "rotate" this "beam" causing it to fire in a particular direction. Just never got around to it.
73

CWM

THAT, would be cool.

 

[rfoverlord]

actually it's pretty easy to make. I have the original article from the inventor from a few years back. i made mine from left over plexi glass scraps. and i bought the wire at the local hardware budget bin for less than $10. and some cheap rat shack 300 ohm tv line. the rest was my time, priceless as i was relaxing and enjoying my hobby. I guess marconi must be going end over end in his grave every time a so called "radio enthusiast" buys a wire antenna. you would be well served to take that money and buy a antenna book, you would then have a reference source, to roll your own. If your a ham and your buying one, ...I won't go there.

 

[C W Morse]

I expect I have made hundreds of antennas since about 1962 when I was 14. Sometimes I will buy one for various reasons (time, time of year, weather too cold, or I see one I would like to try out). I expect I have bought all of 2 HF wire antennas in the last 15 years; a G5RV and the Cobra. Sometimes I just don't WANT to make one; just hang it up and GO!
I get lazy sometimes.

73

CWM

 

[Guest]

I bought one antenna, a G5RV, which sucks. The only reason for that is I couldn't have built it for what I paid for it.

 

[C W Morse]

I bought one antenna, a G5RV, which sucks. The only reason for that is I couldn't have built it for what I paid for it.

My G5 was the craziest thing! I never could get it to work right. Made the latching relays in the Yaesu tuner "hunt" and "hunt" and hunt some more---buzzing with activity. Now, I don't know all there is to know about wire antennas, but I *thought* I could make the thing work. I tried all kinds of things to make it do. Finally I took it down and used the parts to make a LL-fed 75 Meter dipole that I used for years. Good antenna--worked a lot of stations with it. Still got it-wound on a plank and stored in the shed. I DID put up that loop--had room for that way up in 4 trees, but, boy, was that every a JOB! I hung it by myself with a slingshot/fishing reel and it took all day! Had all kinds of troubles; snagging, getting hung in limbs trying to pull it up, used up my quota of cuss word
Finally got it up there; just about gave up on it. Then that darned storm..............................


I never really liked tuners, preferring to make dedicated antennas for each band until I moved here. I had to compromise because I picked some requirements for operating outside the ham bands and a whole bunch of frequencies along with it. Hence, the tuner and single antenna. And it works pretty well. I was on 160 last night just after dusk (before the wise guys started up-if you know what I mean) and the antenna loaded up and worked well.

Mostly, tho, I am into mobile operations; it's where I got my start. But as I get older, I tend to putter about the house more as opposed to the younger years where, to me, it was a sin to sit still!! Always on the go to someplace for no real reason. Like my dear daughter! (age 19) But I still like the mobile stuff.

73

CWM

 

[Guest]

I just built one today based on the short design (73').

$5.95 for 75' of the 4 conductor flat rotor cable (I removed one of the conductors).

$23.00 for 100' of the 450 ohm ladder line which I already had on hand.

I used some plastic I had laying around for center and end insulators. Shrink Tube, solder, and an hour's work.

Less than $30.

I will let you know how it works...

 

[Guest]

I got the antenna 35' in the air as a flat top. This is the SWR readings after a 4:1 balun at the end of 100' of 450 ohm ladder line. I measured at the middle of the phone bands for each, except 30 meters, obviously.

75 Meters 3.875 - 9.4
60 Meters 5.387 - 4.0
40 Meters 7.225 - 4.0
30 Meters 10.125 - 6.1
20 Meters 14.250 - 7.0
17 Meters 18.139 - 5.5
15 Meters 21.325 - 2.4
12 Meters 24.960 - 4.3
10 Meters 28.500 - 3.5

Alot of these SWR readings seemed to be be highly reactive. Probably to the close proximity of all the wires, and due to the fact that my dipole legs are twisted. I didn't completely iron out the kinks.

 

[C W Morse]

You can't coil ladder line, and you can't run it near metal objects. It's a little different than coax in those respects.

Antenna
Ladderline
1:1 Balun
20' MAX of RG-213
Tuner
Radio

IF you must be near metal, you can twist the ladderline about 1 turn per foot. Stay at least 20" away. Or pull the LL away from the metal. You *can* also loosely loop ladderline if you must. I had to put some lazy loops in mine to get it to load up.
It works great with good signal reports on all bands.

73

CWM

 

[jonbah]

30 feet minimum? You'll have the earthworms popping out of the ground like that. That antenna will never show a very good SWR it requires a tuner and a 4:1 balun. A autotuner will have a tough time with an antenna like this. The old timers could explain it better than I ever could but with a good setup it will work.

 

[Guest]

30 feet minimum? You'll have the earthworms popping out of the ground like that. That antenna will never show a very good SWR it requires a tuner and a 4:1 balun. A autotuner will have a tough time with an antenna like this. The old timers could explain it better than I ever could but with a good setup it will work.

I am aware of that. I have the ladder line running to a 4:1 balun, then the tuner.

My goal is to tweak it, until it is resonant on several bands and has less than 4:1 SWR on the rest.

Works fine so far.

 

[jonbah]

Just a simple thing No, but for a wire antenna like that one and to be able to properly tune it, you should have it up in the air a ways to reduce the ground affect on the lower bands. At 30 feet its a ground digger. I had a G5RV at about 30 feet and it was a bugger to tune mainly because it was too close to the ground. 20 meters worked good but 40 and 70 were impossible to tune up untill I raised it up to 65 feet. Just some food for thought.

Jonbah

 

[Guest]

I have more problems tuning the high bands, than the low bands. 75, 60, 40. No problems.

If I could get it up higher, I would. You work with what you got.