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smallest and most effective antenna?
- Thread starter Bearcat
- Start date
A dipole is pretty darned small. And effective.
73,
Brett
73,
Brett
Small and effective do not really go together. I guess you would have to define limits on either how small or how effective. A loop one foot in diameter can be made to be quite effective but only over a couple of channels of bandwidth without retuning. Small? Yes. Effective? Yes. Practical? Not really.
For a base antenna?? There are no top loaded antennas per say. Although some adjust at the top, I would suggest getting a good antenna and one as long as you can get. Height is might. And getting the antenna up in the air as high as possible works well for local talk. But like said there will be compromise with a smaller antenna. The moxon or a 1/2 wave dipole don't take up much room. With 8ft 6in per leg or 17ft total, you can make a dipole. It can be a bit shorter for inverted V. The dimensions are just to get you in the ballpark. 27.205 is the freq I used for this length. Both Google and Apple both have antenna calculators that make things easier. Type in freq and it will give dimensions for a 1/4 wave, 5/8 wave and 1/2 wave dipole antennas. Here are some photos for reference. Don't forget a good matching balun. Antennas can be fun and so simple to build. Try making a simple 1/2 wave dipole and cut if for the freq you talk on mostly. You'd be suprised what one can do even at 10-15ft off the ground. Get one 30-35ft off the ground and it will work well for dxing. Shoot even at 15-20ft they work well. A double zepp antenna is another one to try. That or a folded dipole. But for now, get your learn on by building your own antennas.
Some scrap wire and some coax and you can have a dipole made. Or just use coax itself. The M400 is supposed to be a good antenna. It weighs 2.7lbs. And also the GPE 27 from sirio, which is thier most basic 1/2-5/8 wave antenna. Cost is about $75-80 shipped to your door. The sirio tornado is another good antenna. About $90 shipped to your door. Both of these antennas work well. Ine used the tornado with great results and a local just got one of the GPE 27's and it works well. It's only off the ground about 18ft and they are a very light antenna coming in at a mere 5.5lbs. Not a very heavy antenna at all. Neither is the m400 at 2.7lbs. One is a 1/4 wave antenna and the other is a 1/2 wave vertical. IMO, it's too short to be a true 5/8 wave antenna at 19ft. More of a 1/2 wave antenna IMO. Advertised as a 5/8 wave. Anyway. The M400 starduster appears to have very good reviews and from all I've ever heard of them, they work great for what they are. Get one up as high as possible and get on air.
That or make yourself a home brew 1/2 wave vertical dipole or horz/inverted V antenna. Can be made from wire and am SO239 or just cut some coax and use it. Make sure you have something to insulate the wires at the end. Again, a very easy antenna to build and can be built with minimal parts. JMHO.
Some scrap wire and some coax and you can have a dipole made. Or just use coax itself. The M400 is supposed to be a good antenna. It weighs 2.7lbs. And also the GPE 27 from sirio, which is thier most basic 1/2-5/8 wave antenna. Cost is about $75-80 shipped to your door. The sirio tornado is another good antenna. About $90 shipped to your door. Both of these antennas work well. Ine used the tornado with great results and a local just got one of the GPE 27's and it works well. It's only off the ground about 18ft and they are a very light antenna coming in at a mere 5.5lbs. Not a very heavy antenna at all. Neither is the m400 at 2.7lbs. One is a 1/4 wave antenna and the other is a 1/2 wave vertical. IMO, it's too short to be a true 5/8 wave antenna at 19ft. More of a 1/2 wave antenna IMO. Advertised as a 5/8 wave. Anyway. The M400 starduster appears to have very good reviews and from all I've ever heard of them, they work great for what they are. Get one up as high as possible and get on air.
That or make yourself a home brew 1/2 wave vertical dipole or horz/inverted V antenna. Can be made from wire and am SO239 or just cut some coax and use it. Make sure you have something to insulate the wires at the end. Again, a very easy antenna to build and can be built with minimal parts. JMHO.
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Is the "30-35ft" off the ground mean from ground to base of antenna or top of antenna?
The base of the antenna at 30-40ft. In a horizontal position that would mean all the wire would be straight across above ground 30-40ft. Center included. An inverted V would have the center of the antenna 30-40ft and the ends sloping down at about 30-45 degrees then tied off. Make sense??