newbie

[loverspantyhose]

Hello, i am looking for a antenne that i can both transmit and recive, that can stand super high winds. without it fallnig apart in the 1st wind storm. Most of the time the winds blows at 40 mph plus in my area. Should me muliti banded so i only have to bye it one time. Any suggestion on what to get. Right now i just want to recive, but would like to get my ham so i can talk to people.

 

[krokus]

Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.80 (Android 2.3.4; Linux; Opera Mobi/ADR-1309251116) Presto/2.11.355 Version/12.10)

Which bands? (2m, 70cm, 40m, etc...)

 

[loverspantyhose]

160 through 6 meters. one that will work with a YAESU FT-450D if i get my ham, but using a old realistic astronaut 4, from radio shack.

 

[AgentCOPP1]

Just to be realistic, there is not a single antenna out there that can effectively transmit and receive on every band between 160 and 6. Many antenna makers may claim it but it's simply not possible without some very expensive technology. What bands do you really want to focus on?

 

[WB4CS]

AgentCOPP1 pretty much nailed it. What you're looking for doesn't really exist. There are "multiband" HF antennas, but each one will have some disadvantages over an antenna that is specifically resonant on one band.

I'd suggest a GAP vertical antenna however for windy areas you'll need to guy it off for support.

Also note, you'll be hard pressed to find an antenna that will work well on 160 meters (and even 80 meters) unless you've got some large real estate to work with. Radio signals that low in frequency require very large antennas to work well.

If you want to start off without spending much money, search online on how to build a simple wire dipole antenna. Do the calculations and find out how much room you have to work with. A 20 meter or 40 meter dipole will do very well for receiving on the HF bands. Once you've received your ham license and upgraded to General class* so you can use the HF bands, then you could look at getting a larger antenna that works more of the HF bands.

*Note: Technician class does have some limited HF privileges, some SSB Voice on 10 meters and CW (Morse Code) on a few lower HF bands. In order to really explore HF you'll need a General or Extra class license.

Good luck on studying and passing your amateur radio license!

 

[loverspantyhose]

3-30 MHz

 

[KC8ESL]

I've always had luck building an 80m dipole and treating it as a random wire antenna using a tuner (not a tuner built into the radio, use an outboard unit). 450ohm ladderline from the feed point of the antenna right into the tuner and you're done. 16 or 18awg wire will do fine but I've used 12awg type 1015 MTW 65 strand in my latest build. Not stealthy and I certainly can get away with a smaller wire gauge but it is what was available to me cheaply.

UL 1015 / AWM 1015 - Buy Online from Allied Wire and Cable | Distributor of Hook Up Wire

Pair all that with some high strength dacron line, 3 insulators, and get it as high as you can in a few trees(for best dx have the antenna "face" east/west). When I was a kid I had no budget so I would steal my dad's weed whacker line and I did not touch it for 3 or 4 years until the tree came down.

Never once did I try or care to attempt to make the antenna resonant on any one frequency. Might radiate some funky patterns but hey, the ionosphere will throw your signal where it want anyways. Just get it high enough such that the take-off pattern is low enough and not all the energy is blasted straight up. At least 1/4 wavelength on the lowest freq you want to work.