Copper Cactus or J-Pole

[Whistler]

Has anyone on here used a Copper Cactus or J-Pole "Homebrew" Antenna? A friend of mine and I are going to build one. The specs actually say it is for HAM TX. We are going to try it as a base antenna for our volunteer company. I was going to build one also to see how well it will work as a scanner antenna. I live down in a valley and all the good RX is on the other side of both moutains. I believe it is designed for High VHF. I also saw specs to add other diameters and lengths of pipe to get Low, UHF, and 800. Can anyone give me some insight or experience with one?

 

[ka3jjz]

The Wiki is your friend...specifically

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Scanner_Antennas

Go down to the Homebrew, Tech and Reviews section, and select the BuxComm J Pole link. Once you get past the commercials, you'll find a wealth of information, including an online calculator and construction plans. Since VHF and higher is basically Line of sight (barring skip, of course), it's going to be tough getting anything from the other side of the mountains...

73s Mike

 

[aristotle73]

A discone or yagi antenna are usually the best antennas for the scanner frequencies.

 

[ka3jjz]

There are many other designs besides discones and Yagis. Ground Planes, for example, are easy to build and make fine starter antennas. Often you need to match the application for the antenna and what you want to hear. In fact, there are numerous ham books on the subject - the better ones include the formulas so you can recut the elements for the bands you want.

73s Mike