I've been reading a lot about homebrew antennas
in the past 3 days.
What I've learned:
1/4 wave ground plane = easiest to build
Arrow type J Pole = hardest to build
Coaxial Collinear = kind of sloppy to build. Many hams now saying they do NOT work
Here are the questions I have now:
1/4 wave ground plane - Do I get any gain with this antenna?
J Pole - Again, what kind of gain can I expect? How can I adjust antenna for best SWR?
Coaxial Collinear - Can I use RG59 coax and expect good results? Is 75ohm coax a no-no?
Top element - Connected to center conductor only or both center conductor and shield?
Bottom element - All plans point to 5/16" aluminum tube. Can I use 3/8" copper tube?
Will changing the size of the tube change the whole formula?
And, once again, what is the theoretical gain of this antenna?
This is a DIY project for an antenna in the UHF band.
Just something to throw on your brain's backburner:
I have an Ed Fong antenna and I am not happy with it at all.
I have a Motorola CDM 1550, LMR-400 coax, connect to Ed Fong's
antenna and I cannot reach a station 5-7 miles away. I connect
my Baofeng BF-F9 handheld to a 1/4 wave ground plane, RG-58 (about 7') and I can
hit the very same station. I have a better SWR, less reflected signal,
and better forward signal using the $30 radio and the $3 antenna.
Ed Fong antenna is approx. 20' off the ground mounted on a mast and grounded.
DIY 1/4 wave hanging on a nail in my shack about 6' off the ground.
in the past 3 days.
What I've learned:
1/4 wave ground plane = easiest to build
Arrow type J Pole = hardest to build
Coaxial Collinear = kind of sloppy to build. Many hams now saying they do NOT work
Here are the questions I have now:
1/4 wave ground plane - Do I get any gain with this antenna?
J Pole - Again, what kind of gain can I expect? How can I adjust antenna for best SWR?
Coaxial Collinear - Can I use RG59 coax and expect good results? Is 75ohm coax a no-no?
Top element - Connected to center conductor only or both center conductor and shield?
Bottom element - All plans point to 5/16" aluminum tube. Can I use 3/8" copper tube?
Will changing the size of the tube change the whole formula?
And, once again, what is the theoretical gain of this antenna?
This is a DIY project for an antenna in the UHF band.
Just something to throw on your brain's backburner:
I have an Ed Fong antenna and I am not happy with it at all.
I have a Motorola CDM 1550, LMR-400 coax, connect to Ed Fong's
antenna and I cannot reach a station 5-7 miles away. I connect
my Baofeng BF-F9 handheld to a 1/4 wave ground plane, RG-58 (about 7') and I can
hit the very same station. I have a better SWR, less reflected signal,
and better forward signal using the $30 radio and the $3 antenna.
Ed Fong antenna is approx. 20' off the ground mounted on a mast and grounded.
DIY 1/4 wave hanging on a nail in my shack about 6' off the ground.