Reel Antenna Question

[ThomasMcKean]

Hi guys...

I have been using a Sangean, yew know, the 24 foot wire antenna, for a while now for SWL. I also have a Yo Yo Tenna (slightly modified), which is 40 feet. I have ;ate;y been pondering building my own.

Where can I get a reel that will hold a lot of wire? I read somewhere that a guy built a 100 foot reel antenna with a certain type of clothesline reel, but I can't find that post now? ARGH! Does anyone know of a reel that will a big old bunch of wire? TIA.

EDIT: Point of clarification after reading another thread in this forum. Yes, I know that sometimes 100 feet is too much. The reason I am looking to build one is because I will also be wanting to use it as an antenna with amateur radio with an antenna tuner.

 

[NDRADIONUT]

A garden hose reel should work well... Kidding

I searched kite string reel.... that might work....

 

[gewecke]

Zebco 404 :lol: 73, n9zas

 

[NDRADIONUT]

Search self retracting wire reel... Look at images...

 

[n2dpsky]

I bet an Army surplus commo-wire spool would work great.

Military Radio Field Phone Wire and Reeling Machine WD1 4 Conductor Demolition M | eBay

Chris M.

 

[ka3jjz]

Anything less than the Army model would be fried rather quickly if you put a few watts out with that, Tom. And you will need rather more than just the antenna tuner to make a 100 foot random wire work properly on the ham bands, but that is a topic for our amateur radio forum....Mike

 

[ThomasMcKean]

Anything less than the Army model would be fried rather quickly if you put a few watts out with that, Tom. And you will need rather more than just the antenna tuner to make a 100 foot random wire work properly on the ham bands, but that is a topic for our amateur radio forum....Mike

Hmm... I had not considered the "frying" aspect. On the other hand, the internet is fulla videos of people using the yo yo tenna as a transmitter.

I will try some of the search advice here and see what pops up. Thanks guys!

 

[ThomasMcKean]

Selected this one.

Amazon.com: Professional Kite Reel Winder with Strong Fiber Line (Beige) 9 inch Diameter with 1,000 FT Line ...: Sports & Outdoors

Now the next I need to do is decide on my gauge of wire. I am thinking maybe 22 gauge? Does that sound about right?

KA3JJZ, I will have to find a way to isolate the wire so the gizmo does not fry.

 

[NDRADIONUT]

You may want to go a bit thicker...

 

[NDRADIONUT]

Plastic insulators don't get fried at 100w so why would that reel ??

 

[ka3jjz]

Most of the better insulators (that I've seen, anyway) are not cheap plastic, as you might assume. I'm not sure of their actual construction, mind you, but there's no way some flimsy plastic toy is going to be able to take that kind of power and not burn up. It's common sense, really...but again, this is NOT the correct forum to be discussing this. This forum is for receive only applications, not transmitting.

Let's keep on topic and move on...Mike

 

[ThomasMcKean]

You may want to go a bit thicker...

??? What do yew think? 20? 18?

 

[ThomasMcKean]

Most of the better insulators (that I've seen, anyway) are not cheap plastic, as you might assume. I'm not sure of their actual construction, mind you, but there's no way some flimsy plastic toy is going to be able to take that kind of power and not burn up. It's common sense, really...but again, this is NOT the correct forum to be discussing this. This forum is for receive only applications, not transmitting.

Let's keep on topic and move on...Mike

It may not really even matter at this point as all I have at the moment for HF is an FT-817ND. I am not so concerned about 5 watts. I am looking at other radios, though. At that point I will have to rethink. Not really giving too much thought to it at this point as life is getting in the way. Not even sure when I will have time to build this? But then again it doesn't really seem like it would take a great amount of time to put together, which is why I thought I might give it a try.

 

[ka3jjz]

Tom if you have further questions about transmit antennas, here is our dedicated forum for the topic

Amateur Radio Antennas - The RadioReference.com Forums

Please post those questions there.

To bring this back to topic- the thickness of the wire has little bearing on a receive only antenna (except in the case of winding loops, and that's a whole 'nother topic in itself). The 100 foot wire would work just fine on that 817 - I had one for awhile myself - very hot receiver.

Mike

 

[ThomasMcKean]

Tom if you have further questions about transmit antennas, here is our dedicated forum for the topic

Amateur Radio Antennas - The RadioReference.com Forums

Please post those questions there.

To bring this back to topic- the thickness of the wire has little bearing on a receive only antenna (except in the case of winding loops, and that's a whole 'nother topic in itself). The 100 foot wire would work just fine on that 817 - I had one for awhile myself - very hot receiver.

Mike

Yes I figured as much. Though I do recall something about surface area? What I need to do is figure out a compromise between thinness and sturdiness. I don't want the wire to be too thick, but I also don't want it to break. As for things other than the antenna tuner, yew are right I will need more. But I already have all of it.

 

[NDRADIONUT]

I would go 18 ga stranded so you have some durability...

 

[ThomasMcKean]

I would go 18 ga stranded so you have some durability...

I saw Home Depot had 100 feet of 18 for $14.99 - so I may just do that.

 

[jsbhavsar]

I needed to have a spool of wire for my 6th floor apartment in Mumbai. I approached a wholesale electrical wire dealer in Mumbai downtown and first purchased several meters of flexible electrical wire from him. After that I gently asked him a 'empty spool'. He was reluctant. However I explained him why I needed it. He quickly handed one unusable empty spool and wound that wire on that. I then attached a alligator clip on one end. I now use that as an antenna for my worldband radio in a window.
Thus you can buy a large empty spool from a dealer or wholesaler.
Search some apartment or rowhouse construction sites and they end up using a lot of wire/cable. There couple of spools can be picked up.