Posts

Showing posts with the label antenna design

Build a Continuously Loaded Helically Wound Vertical Antenna for Ham Radio with Affordable Materials

Image
The world of ham radio is filled with fascinating people, ideas, and projects. One such project that caught my attention is the "continuously loaded, helically wound vertical antenna" designed by Bev AH6NF (YL). In this article, we will analyze the design, materials, and steps to build this antenna, and then we'll give it a try ourselves to see how it performs. Design The design of this antenna is simple yet effective. It is a vertical antenna that is helically wound with a 91cm stinger. The stinger can be folded along the 122cm mast for easy storage. The antenna is continuously loaded, which means that it is designed to operate on multiple bands without the need for an antenna tuner. Materials The materials needed to build this antenna are readily available and affordable. The list includes: 1.22 meters of 1.27 cm white PVC water pipe 9.14 meters of 1.63 mm² insulated electrical house wiring 2.38 mm diameter brass brazing rod, 91 cm long Miscellaneous junkbox stuff Numbe

Building a High-Gain Cubical Quad Antenna for the 2-Meter Band: Tips, Formulas, Pros, and Cons

Image
Introduction Cubical quad antennas have been a popular choice among amateur radio operators for many years, due to their relatively simple construction and high gain. This type of antenna is especially popular for use on the 2-meter band, as it can provide excellent performance with only a moderate-sized structure. In this blog post, we will discuss the construction of a 2-meter cubical quad antenna, including construction tips, formulas, and the potential pros and cons of using this type of antenna. What is a Cubical Quad Antenna? A cubical quad antenna is a type of directional antenna that consists of a square or rectangular loop of wire, supported by a framework of poles or wires. The loop is fed by a single coaxial cable at one corner, and the other three corners are connected to a set of elements called "directors" or "reflectors," depending on their location and function. The directors and reflectors are typically shorter or longer than the main loop, and thei