There isn't much to report on this thread, but I nevertheless want to make a very definitive statement about antenna building from the stand point of simply getting on the air.
There is no real mystery to getting an antenna together and getting on the air, and having a suitable system for getting out there, DX or local.
Certainly some antennas are complex for beginners.
On some bands they are incredibly large, while on others quite small and manageable.
Because most of the inquiries about putting up a quick inexpensive, and easy alternative to purchasing a manufactured branded antenna seems to come from the license free CB group I will say that getting on the air quickly and easily is a foregone fact. It is not complicated.
A whole lot of discussion about how and why antennas work goes on. Some is misleading. Some is true. Others are just discussion fodder used to thrash out the facts of antenna theory. None of it changes the simple fact that it is not complicated to construct a working antenna that will work as well as many more expensive models. Whether you understand why an antenna works or not does not change that it will work if properly made.
I believe learning about them is a worthy pursuit. I do not think not knowing prevents enjoying radio until you have learned more.
There is a ton of info about simple antennas. If others wish to slip in their suggestions it will help the newbie.
1. Dipole -
the simplest is to peel the cover off an end of a coax for 9", pull the center conductor from within the braid, spread the two new conductors apart. This is a dipole.
It is tuned by folding the two outer ends back on themselves equally.
2. Coaxial dipole.
Peel the coax cover and braid back from the end of a coax 9' and cut it away. measure down from the peeled part of the coax where cover and braid now begins another 9'. At this point wrap 5 wraps of your coax around a 4" PVC coupler and secure the wraps with either tape or cable ties to keep it there. This one is also tuned by adjusting the length of the upper end.
These two require little to nothing more than a long piece of coax to make. The first is easiest hung horizontally from its two ends, and the second vertically.
There are numerous other types that I believe are quick, easy, and effective.
BTW, thanks to those whose drawings I used.
There is no real mystery to getting an antenna together and getting on the air, and having a suitable system for getting out there, DX or local.
Certainly some antennas are complex for beginners.
On some bands they are incredibly large, while on others quite small and manageable.
Because most of the inquiries about putting up a quick inexpensive, and easy alternative to purchasing a manufactured branded antenna seems to come from the license free CB group I will say that getting on the air quickly and easily is a foregone fact. It is not complicated.
A whole lot of discussion about how and why antennas work goes on. Some is misleading. Some is true. Others are just discussion fodder used to thrash out the facts of antenna theory. None of it changes the simple fact that it is not complicated to construct a working antenna that will work as well as many more expensive models. Whether you understand why an antenna works or not does not change that it will work if properly made.
I believe learning about them is a worthy pursuit. I do not think not knowing prevents enjoying radio until you have learned more.
There is a ton of info about simple antennas. If others wish to slip in their suggestions it will help the newbie.
1. Dipole -
the simplest is to peel the cover off an end of a coax for 9", pull the center conductor from within the braid, spread the two new conductors apart. This is a dipole.
It is tuned by folding the two outer ends back on themselves equally.
2. Coaxial dipole.
Peel the coax cover and braid back from the end of a coax 9' and cut it away. measure down from the peeled part of the coax where cover and braid now begins another 9'. At this point wrap 5 wraps of your coax around a 4" PVC coupler and secure the wraps with either tape or cable ties to keep it there. This one is also tuned by adjusting the length of the upper end.
These two require little to nothing more than a long piece of coax to make. The first is easiest hung horizontally from its two ends, and the second vertically.
There are numerous other types that I believe are quick, easy, and effective.
BTW, thanks to those whose drawings I used.
