Idea for DX antenna,

[fridayjoefriday]

After a long hiatus, I'm want to dive back into the hobby of chicken band, 11 meter work. After viewing many many you tube videos, I've locked on to this idea with one modification from Dave KG0ZZ. This antenna would be used for DX. [URL="http://www.amateurradio.bz/10-11m_ground_plane_antenna.html"

I would pound a three foot black iron pipe, two feet in the ground. I would then attach a mobile mount for truck mirror, to said pipe, such as this one. http://www.amateurradio.bz/10-11m_ground_plane_antenna.html

Next I'd place four nine foot wires aka counterpoise, to the four compass points. Final step is connect the coax to the SO 239.

Question for the collective, how feasible would this setup be for DX.

I've performed a search on the site and only found posts for an 102 inch as a base antenna.

Thank you in advance.

 

[space cowboy]

while I haven't done exactly what you've described, I have run a Big Stick clamped to 5' of mast on another pounded all the way down.
so feedpoint-5' tip-23'

I kicked DX's butt!
spain, united kingdom, russia, poland, pakistan, phillipines, netherlands, canada, mexico, chile...

 

[The DB]

More radials would help. Being on/in the ground, you need more than what you would use up in the air for the similar effectiveness, far more.

Another thing your giving up by putting your antenna on the ground is height, height benefits your antenna in several ways, more gain, lower angle of radiation, being above obstacles, ect.

Also, although you could use a shorter mobile antenna, length really does matter as well. I would really try and put up a full quarter wavelength whip if I were you. I'm not saying that a shorter antenna won't work, but a quarter wavelength whip is the standard by which all mobile antennas are judged, and for good reason.


The DB

 

[fridayjoefriday]

After rereading my original post I seem to left out the 102 ss antenna part in the text, silly me. I now know I do need new second set of eyeballs.

DB, as for more radials, you talking 4 more or even more?

"Another thing your giving up by putting your antenna on the ground is height, height benefits your antenna in several ways, more gain, lower angle of radiation, being above obstacles, ect."

As I'm house sitting I really can't put holes in the side of the house or garage. This is the reason for going cheap and dirty. When it becomes time to vacate, just drive the pipe all the way into the ground. Although space cowboy's, idea sounds good to, just pick up an A99 and 2 antenna mount masts from radio shack, if they even sell them any more.

 

[The DB]

The more you can get the better it will be. If memory serves 4 radials in the air is about equivalent to 32 radials on/in the ground...

The reason in/on ground radials have lossy earth between them. This lossy earth needs more radials to compensate than radials in air...


The DB

 

[space cowboy]

you can get the masts at home depot, at least the one by me has them. getting 5' of tubing out of the ground was too much though. when I was done I ended up pounding the lower one the last 6" into the ground. I couldn't get it out.

the easiest temp antenna I set up was a k40 mag mounted to a home AC unit. worked great until the AC kicked on, then it was 9+ lbs of noise. other than that it worked as good as on a mobile.

 

[wavrider]

Simple half wave dipole strung between two supports of whatever is available would work great for dx.

 

[M0GVZ]

Yep. Take advantage of all that lovely free gain from ground reflection.

 

[fridayjoefriday]

An dipole antenna would not be feasible, as no holes in siding, no trees on property and from what I seen on you tube seven feet of the ground doesn't even give me a nine foot counterpoise for the coax. But while in the garage looking for extension cords for the weed whacker, I stumbled onto a 24 foot painters pole, which gave me a better idea, although not quite what I was planning. Mount the antenna mount just below the acme threads. That would at least put the 102 inch up in the air.

Bigger question, what size wire gauge would I need for a ground wire, stranded or solid and would a three foot black pipe be enough for a grounding rod or would the short pipe violate electrical codes?

From other posts I've read I'll still need four nine foot radials. Place them at the four compass points? Which angle, 45 degrees more or less.

 

[wavrider]

An dipole antenna would not be feasible, as no holes in siding, no trees on property and from what I seen on you tube seven feet of the ground doesn't even give me a nine foot counterpoise for the coax. But while in the garage looking for extension cords for the weed whacker, I stumbled onto a 24 foot painters pole, which gave me a better idea, although not quite what I was planning. Mount the antenna mount just below the acme threads. That would at least put the 102 inch up in the air.

Bigger question, what size wire gauge would I need for a ground wire, stranded or solid and would a three foot black pipe be enough for a grounding rod or would the short pipe violate electrical codes?

From other posts I've read I'll still need four nine foot radials. Place them at the four compass points? Which angle, 45 degrees more or less.

Understanding Antennas For the Non-technical Ham by N4JA - An online Book!

http://www.hamuniverse.com/specialguestarticles.html

You are asking many good questions, time for you to do some reading, and then some more reading
.

Couple good links above for starters.

 

[wavrider]

Vertical antennas??

1/4 wl is easy to home brew, GOOGLE is your friend.

 

[W5LZ]

A dipole, vertical or otherwise, doesn't require an RF ground at all. It would benefit from a safety ground, but that's commonly placed in the feed line. Those 9 foot ground radials are just not needed for an RF ground and very inadequate as a safety ground.
- 'Doc