Chapter 22

Antennas
HK2PMR
Every ham needs at least one antenna, width is often referenced to some SWR That is, there is a voltage loop at the ends,
and most hams have built one. This chap- value, such as, “The 2:1 SWR bandwidth is and in the case of a half-wave antenna
ter, by Chuck Hutchinson, K8CH, covers 3.5 to 3.8 MHz.” Popular amateur usage there is a voltage minimum (node) at the
theory and construction of antennas for of the term bandwidth most often refers to center. The voltage is not zero at its node
most radio amateurs. Here you’ll find the 2:1 SWR bandwidth. Other specific because of the resistance of the antenna,
simple verticals and dipoles, as well as bandwidth terms are also used, such as the which consists of both the RF resistance
quad and Yagi projects and other antennas gain bandwidth and the front-to-back of the wire (ohmic loss resistance) and
that you can build and use. ratio bandwidth. the radiation resistance. The radiation
For the most part, the lower the operat- resistance is the equivalent resistance
ANTENNA POLARIZATION ing frequency of a given antenna design, that would dissipate the power the
Most HF-band antennas are either verti- the narrower is the bandwidth. This fol- antenna radiates, with a current flowing
cally or horizontally polarized. Although lows the rule that the bandwidth of a reso- in it equal to the antenna current at a cur-
circular polarization is possible, just as it nant circuit doubles as the frequency of rent loop (maximum). The loss resistance
is at VHF and UHF, it is seldom used at operation is doubled, assuming the Q is of a half-wave antenna is ordinarily
HF. Polarization is determined by the po- the same for each case. Therefore, it is small, compared with the radiation resis-
sition of the radiating element or wire with often difficult to cover all of the 160 or tance, and can usually be neglected for
respect to the earth. Thus a radiator that is 80-m band for a particular level of SWR practical purposes.
parallel to the earth radiates horizontally, with a dipole antenna. It is important to
while a vertical antenna radiates a vertical recognize that SWR bandwidth does not IMPEDANCE
wave. If a wire antenna is slanted above always relate directly to gain bandwidth. The impedance at a given point in the
earth, it radiates waves that have both a Depending on the amount of feed-line antenna is determined by the ratio of the
vertical and a horizontal component. loss, an 80-m dipole with a relatively nar- voltage to the current at that point. For
For best results in line-of-sight com- row 2:1 SWR bandwidth can still radiate a example, if there were 100 V and 1.4 A of
munications, antennas at both ends of the good signal at each end of the band, pro- RF current at a specified point in an
circuit should have the same polarization; vided that an antenna tuner is used to al- antenna and if they were in phase, the
cross polarization results in many deci- low the transmitter to load properly. impedance would be approximately 71 Ω.
bels of signal reduction. However, it is Broadbanding techniques, such as fanning Antenna impedance may be either re-
not essential for both stations to use the the far ends of a dipole to simulate a coni- sistive or complex (that is, containing re-
same antenna polarity for ionospheric cal type of dipole, can help broaden the sistance and reactance). This will depend
propagation (sky wave). This is because SWR response curve. on whether or not the antenna is resonant
the radiated wave is bent and it tumbles at the operating frequency. You need to
considerably during its travel through the CURRENT AND VOLTAGE know the impedance in order to match the
ionosphere. At the far end of the commu- DISTRIBUTION feeder to the feedpoint. Some operators
nications path the wave may be horizon- When power is fed to an antenna, the mistakenly believe that a mismatch, how-
tal, vertical or somewhere in between at current and voltage vary along its length. ever small, is a serious matter. This is not
any given instant. For that reason, the The current is nearly zero (a current node) true. The importance of a matched line is
main consideration for a good DX antenna at the ends. The current does not actually described in detail in the Transmission
is a low angle of radiation rather than the reach zero at the current nodes, because of Lines chapter of this book. The signifi-
polarization. capacitance at the antenna ends. Insulators, cance of a perfect match becomes more
loops at the antenna ends, and support wires pronounced only at VHF and higher,
ANTENNA BANDWIDTH all contribute to this capacitance, which is where feed-line losses are a major factor.
The bandwidth of an antenna refers gen- also called the end effect. In the case of a Some antennas possess a theoretical in-
erally to the range of frequencies over half-wave antenna there is a current maxi- put impedance at the feedpoint close to that
which the antenna can be used to obtain a mum (a current loop) at the center. of certain transmission lines. For example,
specified level of performance. The band- The opposite is true of the RF voltage. a 0.5-λ (or half-wave) center-fed dipole,

Antennas 22.1
 Table 22.1
Optimum Elevation Angles to Europe
Upper Lower West
Band Northeast Southeast Midwest Midwest Coast
10 m 5° 3° 3° 7° 3°
12 m 5° 6° 4° 6° 5°
15 m 5° 7° 8° 5° 6°
17 m 4° 8° 7° 5° 5°
20 m 11° 9° 8° 5° 6°
30 m 11° 11° 11° 9° 8°
40 m 15° 15° 14° 14° 12°
75 m 20° 15° 15° 11° 11°

Fig 22.1 — Curves showing the

radiation resistance of vertical and Table 22.2
horizontal half-wavelength dipoles at
various heights above ground. The Optimum Elevation Angles to Far East
broken-line portion of the curve for a Upper Lower West
horizontal dipole shows the resistance Band Northeast Southeast Midwest Midwest Coast
over average real earth, the solid line
for perfectly conducting ground. 10 m 4° 5° 5° 5° 6°
12 m 4° 8° 5° 12° 6°
15 m 7° 10° 10° 10° 8°
17 m 7° 10° 9° 10° 5°
20 m 4° 10° 9° 10° 9°
30 m 7° 13° 11° 12° 9°
40 m 11° 12° 12° 12° 13°
75 m 12° 14° 14° 12° 15°

Table 22.3
Optimum Elevation Angles to South America
Upper Lower West
Band Northeast Southeast Midwest Midwest Coast
Fig 22.2 — Effect of antenna diameter on
length for half-wavelength resonance, 10 m 5° 4° 4° 4° 7°
shown as a multiplying factor, K, to be 12 m 5° 5° 6° 3° 8°
applied to the free-space, half- 15 m 5° 5° 7° 4° 8°
wavelength equation. 17 m 4° 5° 5° 3° 7°
20 m 8° 8° 8° 6° 8°

HK2PMR
30 m 8° 11° 9° 9° 9°
40 m 10° 11° 9° 9° 10°
75 m 15° 15° 13° 14° 14°

placed at a correct height above ground,

will have a feedpoint impedance of ap-
proximately 75 Ω. In such a case it is prac-
tical to use a 75-Ω coaxial or balanced line
to feed the antenna. But few amateur half-
wave dipoles actually exhibit a 75-Ω im- than 0.2 λ. Below this height, while de- is increased, the capacitance per unit
pedance. This is because at the lower end of creasing rapidly to zero over perfectly con- length increases and the inductance per
the high-frequency spectrum the typical ducting ground, the resistance decreases unit length decreases. Since the radiation
height above ground is rarely more than less rapidly with height over actual ground. resistance is affected relatively little, the
1/ λ. The 75-Ω feed-point impedance is At lower heights the resistance stops de- decreased L/C ratio causes the Q of the
4
most likely to be realized in a practical in- creasing at around 0.15 λ, and thereafter antenna to decrease so that the resonance
stallation when the horizontal dipole is increases as height decreases further. The curve becomes less sharp with change in
approximately 1/2, 3/4 or 1 wavelength above reason for the increasing resistance is frequency. This effect is greater as the
ground. Coax cable having a 50-Ω charac- that more and more of the induction field diameter is increased, and is a property of
teristic impedance is the most common of the antenna is absorbed by the earth some importance at the very high frequen-
transmission line used in amateur work. as the height drops below 1/4 λ. cies where the wavelength is small.
Fig 22.1 shows the difference between
the effects of perfect ground and typical CONDUCTOR SIZE DIRECTIVITY AND GAIN
earth at low antenna heights. The effect of The impedance of the antenna also de- All antennas, even the simplest types,
height on the radiation resistance of a hori- pends on the diameter of the conductor in exhibit directive effects in that the inten-
zontal half-wave antenna is not drastic so relation to the wavelength, as indicated in sity of radiation is not the same in all di-
long as the height of the antenna is greater Fig 22.2. If the diameter of the conductor rections from the antenna. This property

22.2 Chapter 22
of radiating more strongly in some direc- effective for long distance communica-
tions than in others is called the directivity tions, this generally means that horizontal
of the antenna. antennas should be high—higher is usually
The gain of an antenna is closely related better. Experience shows that satisfactory
to its directivity. Because directivity is results can be attained on the bands above
based solely on the shape of the directive 14 MHz with antenna heights between 40
pattern, it does not take into account any and 70 ft. Fig 22.3 shows this effect at work
power losses that may occur in an actual in horizontal dipole antennas.
antenna system. Gain takes those losses The higher angles can be useful for
into account. medium to short-range communications.
Gain is usually expressed in decibels, Dean Straw, N6BV, illustrates this in The
and is based on a comparison with a stan- ARRL Antenna Book. Straw shows that
dard antenna—usually a dipole or an iso- elevation angles between 20 and 65° are
tropic radiator. An isotropic radiator is a useful on the 40 and 80-m bands over the
theoretical antenna that would, if placed in Fig 22.3 — Elevation patterns for two roughly 550-mile path between Cleveland
40-m dipoles over average ground
the center of an imaginary sphere, evenly and Boston. Even higher angles may be
(conductivity of 5 mS/m and dielectric
illuminate that sphere with radiation. The constant of 13) at 1/4 λ (33 ft) and 1/2 λ useful on shorter paths when using these
isotropic radiator is an unambiguous stan- (66 ft) heights. The higher dipole has a lower HF frequencies. A 75-m dipole be-
dard, and for that reason frequently used as peak gain of 7.1 dBi at an elevation tween 30 and 70 ft high works well for
the comparison for gain measurements. angle of about 26°, while the lower ranges out to several hundred miles. See
When the standard is the isotropic radiator dipole has more response at high the Propagation of RF Signals chapter.
elevation angles.
in free space, gain is expressed in dBi.
When the standard is a dipole, also located IMPERFECT GROUND
in free space, gain is expressed in dBd. Earth conducts, but is far from being a
The more the directive pattern is com-
pressed—or focused—the greater the
power gain of the antenna. This is a result
HK2PMR perfect conductor. This influences the radi-
ation pattern of the antennas that we use.
The effect is most pronounced at high verti-
of power being concentrated in some cal angles (the ones that we’re least inter-
directions at the expense of others. The ested in for long-distance communications)
directive pattern, and therefore the gain, for horizontal antennas. The consequences
of an antenna at a given frequency is de- for vertical antennas are greatest at low
termined by the size and shape of the angles, and are quite dramatic as can be
antenna, and on its position and orienta- clearly seen in Fig 22.4, where the elevation
tion relative to the Earth. pattern for a 40-m vertical half-wave dipole
located over average ground is compared
ELEVATION ANGLE to one located over saltwater. At 10° eleva-
For long-distance HF communication, tion, the saltwater antenna has about 7 dB
the (vertical) elevation angle of maximum more gain than its landlocked counterpart.
radiation is of considerable importance. An HF vertical antenna may work very
You will want to erect your antenna so that well for a ham living in the area between
it radiates at desirable angles. Tables 22.1, Fig 22.4 — Elevation patterns for a Dallas, Texas and Lincoln, Nebraska. This
22.2 and 22.3 show optimum elevation vertical dipole over sea water area is pastoral, has low hills, and rich soil.
angles from locations in the continental compared to average ground. In each Ground of this type has very good conduc-
US. These figures are based on statistical case the center of the dipole is just tivity. By contrast, a ham living in New
over 1/4 λ high. The low-angle
averages over all portions of the solar sun- response is greatly degraded over Hampshire, where the soil is rocky and a
spot cycle. average ground compared to sea poor conductor, may not be satisfied with
Since low angles usually are most water, which is virtually a perfect the performance of a vertical HF antenna.
ground.

Antennas 22.3
Dipoles and the Half-Wave Antenna HK2PMR
A fundamental form of antenna is a wire From Fig 22.2, K = 0.945 for this ratio. dipole is 1/2 λ or greater above earth and
whose length is half the transmitting The length of the antenna, from equation 3 is not degraded by nearby conductive
wavelength. It is the unit from which many is objects. This assumption is based also on
more complex forms of antennas are con- a symmetrical feed system. In practice, a
structed and is known as a dipole antenna. 492 u 0.945 coaxial feed line may distort this pattern
The length of a half-wave in free space is 9.28 ft slightly, as shown in Fig 22.5. Minimum
50.1
horizontal radiation occurs off the ends of
492 or 9 ft 33/8 inches. The answer is obtained the dipole if the antenna is parallel to the
Length (ft) (1) earth.
f (MHz) directly in inches by substitution in equa-
tion 4 As a horizontal antenna is brought
The actual length of a resonant 1/ 2-λ closer to ground, the elevation pattern
antenna will not be exactly equal to the 5904 u 0.945 peaks at a higher elevation angle as shown
half wavelength in space, but depends on 111.4 in in Fig 22.3. Fig 22.6 illustrates what hap-
50.1
the thickness of the conductor in relation
to the wavelength. The relationship is The length of a half-wave antenna is also
shown in Fig 22.2, where K is a factor that affected by the proximity of the dipole ends
must be multiplied by the half wavelength to nearby conductive and semiconductive
in free space to obtain the resonant antenna objects. In practice, it is often necessary to
length. An additional shortening effect do some experimental pruning of the wire
occurs with wire antennas supported by after cutting the antenna to the computed
insulators at the ends because of the ca- length, lengthening or shortening it in
pacitance added to the system by the insu- increments to obtain a low SWR. When the
lators. This shortening is called end effect. lowest SWR is obtained for the desired part
The following formula is sufficiently ac- of an amateur band, the antenna is resonant
curate for wire antennas for frequencies at that frequency. The value of the SWR
up to 30 MHz. indicates the quality of the match between
Length of half-wave antenna (ft) the antenna and the feed line. If the lowest
SWR obtainable is too high for use with
492 u 0.95 468 solid-state rigs, a Transmatch or line-input
(2) matching network may be used, as de-
f (MHz) f (MHz)
scribed in the Transmission Lines chap-
ter.
Example: A half-wave antenna for
7150 kHz (7.15 MHz) is 468/7.15 = 65.45 RADIATION CHARACTERISTICS
ft, or 65 ft 5 inches.
The radiation pattern of a dipole
Above 30 MHz use the following for-
antenna in free space is strongest at right
mulas, particularly for antennas con-
angles to the wire (Fig 22.5). This figure-
structed from rod or tubing. K is taken
8 pattern appears in the real world if the
from Fig 22.2.

492 u K
Length (ft) (3)
f (MHz)

5904 u K
Length (in) (4)
f (MHz)

Example: Find the length of a half-wave

antenna at 50.1 MHz, if the antenna is
made of 1/ 2-inch-diameter tubing. At Fig 22.6 — At A, elevation response
50.1 MHz, a half wavelength in space is pattern of a dipole antenna placed 1/2 λ
above a perfectly conducting ground.
492 At B, the pattern for the same antenna
9.82 ft when raised to one wavelength. For
50.1 both A and B, the conductor is coming
Fig 22.5 — Response of a dipole out of the paper at right angle. C shows
The ratio of half wavelength to conduc- antenna in free space, where the the azimuth patterns of the dipole for
tor diameter (changing wavelength to conductor is along 90° to 270° axis, the two heights at the most-favored
inches) is solid line. If the currents in the halves of elevation angle, the solid-line plot for
the dipole are not in phase, slight λ height at an elevation angle of
the 1/2-λ
distortion of the pattern will occur, 30°, and the broken-line plot for the 1-λλ
(9.82 ft u 12 in ) broken line. This illustrates the case height at an elevation angle of 15°. The
ft 235.7 where a balun is not used on a balanced conductor in C lies along 90° to 270°
0.5 in antenna fed with unbalanced line. axis.

22.4 Chapter 22
pens to the directional pattern as antenna fed at the center. The feed-point imped-
height changes. Fig 22.6C shows that ance is low at the resonant frequency, f0,
there is significant radiation off the ends and odd harmonics thereof. (The imped-
of a low horizontal dipole. For the 1/2-λ ance is high near even harmonics.) When
height (solid line), the radiation off the fed with coax, a classic dipole provides a
ends is only 7.6 dB lower than that in the reasonably low SWR at f0 and its odd har-
broadside direction. monics.
When fed with ladder line (see
FEED METHODS Fig 22.8A) and a Transmatch, the classic
Most amateurs use either coax or open- dipole should be usable near f 0 and all
Fig 22.7 — Method of affixing feed line
wire transmission line. Coax is the com- to the center of a dipole antenna. A harmonic frequencies. (With a wide-range
mon choice because it is readily available, plastic block is used as a center Transmatch, it may work on all frequen-
its characteristic impedance is close to that insulator. The coax is held in place by a cies.) If there are problems (such as ex-
of the antenna and it may be easily routed clamp. A balun is often used to feed tremely high SWR or evidence of RF on
through or along walls and among other dipoles or other balanced antennas to objects at the operating position), change
ensure that the radiation pattern is not
cables. The disadvantages of coax are in- the feed-line length by adding or subtract-
distorted. See text for explanation.
creased RF loss and low working voltage ing 1/8 λ at the problem frequency. A few
(compared to that of open-wire line). Both such adjustments should yield a workable
disadvantages make coax a poor choice for solution. Such a system is sometimes
high-SWR systems. called a center-fed Zepp. A true Zepp
Take care when choosing coax. Use antenna is an end-fed dipole that is
1
/4-inch foam-dielectric cables only for matched by 1/4 λ of open-wire feed line
low power (25 W or less) HF transmis- (see Fig 22.8B). The antenna was origi-
sions. Solid-dielectric 1/4-inch cables are nally used on zeppelins, with the dipole
okay for 300 W if the SWR is low. For trailing from the feeder, which hung from
high-power installations, use 1/4-inch or the airship cabin. It is intended for use on
larger cables. a single band, but should be usable near
The most common two-wire transmis- odd harmonics of f0.
sion lines are ladder line and twin lead. Most dipoles require a little pruning to
Since the conductors are not shielded, reach the desired resonant frequency. So,
two-wire lines are affected by their envi- cut the wire 2 to 3% longer than the calcu-
ronment. Use standoffs and insulators to lated length and record the length. Next,
keep the line several inches from struc- raise the dipole to the working height and
tures or other conductors. Ladder line has check the SWR at several frequencies.
very low loss (twin lead has a little more), Multiply the frequency of the SWR mini-
and it can stand very high voltages (high mum by the antenna length and divide the
SWR) as long as the insulators are clean. result by the desired f0. The result is the
Two-wire lines are usually used in bal- finished length; trim both ends equally to
anced systems, so they should have a balun Fig 22.8 — Center-fed multiband Zepp reach that length and you’re done.
antenna at A and an end-fed Zepp at B.
at the transition to an unbalanced trans- See also Fig 22.11 for connection
mitter or coax. A Transmatch will be details.
BUILDING DIPOLE AND OTHER
WIRE ANTENNAS

HK2PMR
needed to match the line input impedance
to the transmitter. The purpose of this section is to offer
information on the actual physical con-
BALUNS The consequences may be negligible: A struction of wire antennas. Because the
A balun is a device for feeding a bal- slight skewing of the antenna pattern usu- dipole, in one of its configurations, is
anced load with an unbalanced line, or vice ally goes unnoticed. Or, they may be sig- probably the most common amateur wire
versa (see the Transmission Lines chapter nificant: False SWR readings may cause antenna, it is used in the following ex-
of this book). Because dipoles are balanced the transmitter to shut down or destroy the amples. The techniques described here,
(electrically symmetrical about their feed- output transistors; radiating coax near a TV however, enhance the reliability and
points), a balun is often used at the feed- feed line may cause strong local interfer- safety of all wire antennas.
point when a dipole is fed with coax. When ence. Therefore, it is better to eliminate
coax feeds a dipole directly (as in Fig 22.7), feed-line radiation whenever possible, and Wire
current flows on the outside of the cable a balun should be used at any transition Choosing the right type of wire for the
shield. The shield can conduct RF onto the between balanced and unbalanced systems. project at hand is the key to a successful
transmitter chassis and induce RF onto (The Transmission Lines chapter thor- antenna—the kind that works well and
metal objects near the system. Shield cur- oughly describes baluns and their construc- stays up through a winter ice storm or a
rents can impair the function of instruments tion.) Even so, balanced or unbalanced gusty spring wind storm. What gauge of
connected to the line (such as SWR meters systems without a balun often operate with wire to use is the first question to settle,
and SWR-protection circuits in the trans- no apparent problems. For temporary or and the answer depends on strength, ease
mitter). The shield current also produces emergency stations, do not let the lack of a of handling, cost, availability and visibil-
some feed-line radiation, which changes balun deter you from operating. ity. Generally, antennas that are expected
the antenna radiation pattern, and allows to support their own weight, plus the
objects near the cable to affect the antenna- PRACTICAL DIPOLE ANTENNAS weight of the feed line should be made
system performance. A classic dipole antenna is 1/2-λ long and from #12 wire. Horizontal dipoles, Zepps,

Antennas 22.5
some long wires and the like fall into this are made from ceramic, glass or plastic. or you can separate the center conductor
category. Antennas supported in the cen- Insulators are available from many from the braid and connect the feed line
ter, such as inverted-V dipoles and delta Amateur Radio dealers. RadioShack and directly to the antenna wire. Although it
loops, may be made from lighter material, local hardware stores are other possible costs less to connect direct, the use of con-
such as #14 wire—the minimum size sources. nectors offers several advantages.
called for in the National Electrical Code. Acceptable homemade insulators may Coaxial cable braid soaks up water. If
The type of wire to be used is the next be fashioned from a variety of material you do not adequately seal the antenna end
important decision. The wire specifica- including (but not limited to) acrylic sheet of the feed line, water will find its way
tions table in the Component Data and or rod, PVC tubing, wood, fiberglass rod into the braid. Water in the feed line will
References chapter shows popular wire or even stiff plastic from a discarded con- lead to contamination, rendering the coax
styles and sizes. The strongest wire suit- tainer. Fig 22.9 shows some homemade useless long before its normal lifetime is
able for antenna service is copperclad insulators. Ceramic or glass insulators up. It is not uncommon for water to drip
steel, also known as copperweld. The cop- will usually outlast the wire, so they are from the end of the coax inside the shack
per coating is necessary for RF service highly recommended for a safe, reliable, after a year or so of service if the antenna
because steel is a relatively poor conduc- permanent installation. Other materials connection is not properly waterproofed.
tor. Practically all of the RF current is may tear under stress or break down in the Use of a PL-259/SO-239 combination (or
confined to the copper coating because of presence of sunlight. Many types of plas- other connector of your choice) makes the
skin effect. Copper-clad steel is outstand- tic do not weather well. task of waterproofing connections much
ing for permanent installations, but it can Many wire antennas require an insula- easier. Another advantage to using the
be difficult to work with. Kinking, which tor at the feedpoint. Although there are PL-259/SO-239 combination is that feed
severely weakens the wire, is a potential many ways to connect the feed line, there line replacement is much easier, should
problem when handling any solid conduc- are a few things to keep in mind. If you that become necessary or desireable.
tor. Solid-copper wire, either hard drawn feed your antenna with coaxial cable, you Whether you use coaxial cable, ladder
or soft drawn, is another popular material. have two choices. You can install an line, or twin lead to feed your antenna, an
Easier to handle than copper-clad steel, SO-239 connector on the center insulator often-overlooked consideration is the
solid copper is available in a wide range of and use a PL-259 on the end of your coax, mechanical strength of the connection.
sizes. It is generally more expensive how-
ever, because it is all copper. Soft drawn
tends to stretch under tension, so periodic
pruning of the antenna may be necessary Fig 22.9 — Some
in some cases. Enamel-coated magnet- ideas for homemade
wire is a suitable choice for experimental antenna insulators.
antennas because it is easy to manage, and
the coating protects the wire from the
weather. Although it stretches under ten-
sion, the wire may be prestretched before Fig 22.10 — Some
final installation and adjustment. A local homemade dipole
electric motor rebuilder might be a good center insulators.
source for magnet wire. The one in the
Hook-up wire, speaker wire or even ac center includes a
lamp cord are suitable for temporary in- built-in SO-239
connector. Others
stallations. Almost any copper wire may are designed for
be used, as long as it is strong enough for direct connection to
the demands of the installation. Steel wire the feed line. (See
is a poor conductor at RF; avoid it. the Transmission
It matters not (in the HF region at least) Lines chapter for
details on baluns.)
whether the wire chosen is insulated or
bare. If insulated wire is used, a 3 to 5%
shortening beyond the standard 468/f
length will be required to obtain resonance
at the desired frequency. This is caused by
the increased distributed capacitance re-
sulting from the dielectric constant of the
HK2PMR
plastic insulating material. The actual
length for resonance must be determined
experimentally by pruning and measuring
because the dielectric constant of the in-
sulating material varies from wire to wire.
Wires that might come into contact with
humans or animals should be insulated to
reduce the chance of shock or burns.

Insulators
Wire antennas must be insulated at the
ends. Commercially available insulators

22.6 Chapter 22
 Plexiglas Table 22.4
Antenna Wire Dipole Dimensions for
Amateur Bands
Freq Overall Leg
MHz Length Length
28.4 16' 6" 8' 3"
Antenna Wire 24.9 18' 91/2" 9' 43/4"
(Loop through holes) 21.1 22' 2" 11' 1"
Secure to Plexiglas with
Electrical Tape 18.1 25' 10" 12' 11"
14.1 33' 2" 16' 7"
10.1 46' 4" 23' 2"
7.1 65' 10" 32' 11"
5.37 87' 2" 43' 7"
450-ohm Ladder Line 3.6 130' 0" 65' 0"

struction. Although a dipole is used for the

examples, the techniques illustrated here
apply to any type of wire antenna.

HBK05_22-011
To Antenna Tuner
HK2PMR Table 22.4 shows dipole lengths for the
amateur HF bands.
How well you put the pieces together is
second only to the ultimate strength of the
Fig 22.11 — A piece of cut Plexiglas can be used as a center insulator and to
materials used in determining how well your
support a ladder-line feeder. The Plexiglas acts to reduce the flexing of the wires
where they connect to the antenna. antenna will work over the long term. Even
the smallest details, such as how you con-
nect the wire to the insulators (Fig 22.12A),
Wire antennas and feed lines tend to move illustrates several different ways of attach- contribute significantly to antenna longev-
a lot in the breeze, and unless the feed line ing the feed line to the antenna. An idea ity. By using plenty of wire at the insulator
is attached securely, the connection will for supporting ladder line is shown in and wrapping it tightly, you will decrease
weaken with time. The resulting failure Fig 22.11. the possibility of the wire pulling loose in
can range from a frustrating intermittent the wind. There is no need to solder the wire
electrical connection to a complete sepa- Putting It Together once it is wrapped. There is no electrical
ration of feed line and antenna. Fig 22.10 Fig 22.12 shows details of antenna con- connection here, only mechanical. The high

Fig 22.12 — Details of dipole antenna construction. The end insulator connection is shown at A, while B illustrates the
completed antenna. This is a balanced antenna and is often fed with a balun.

Antennas 22.7
heat needed for soldering can anneal the
wire, significantly weakening it at the solder
point.
Similarly, the feed-line connection at
the center insulator should be made to the
antenna wires after they have been secured
to the insulator (Fig 22.12B). This way,
you will be assured of a good electrical
connection between the antenna and feed
line without compromising the mechani-
cal strength. Do a good job of soldering
the antenna and feed-line connections.
Use a heavy iron or a torch, and be sure to
clean the materials thoroughly before
starting the job. Proper planning should
allow you to solder indoors at a work-
bench, where the best possible joints may
be made. Poorly soldered or unsoldered
connections will become headaches as the
wire oxidizes and the electrical integrity
degrades with time. Besides degrading
your antenna performance, poorly made
joints can even be a cause of TVI because
of rectification. Spray paint the connec-
tions with acrylic for waterproofing.
If made from the right materials, the
dipole should give a builder years of main-
tenance-free service—unless of course a Fig 22.13 — When limited space is
available for a dipole antenna, the ends
tree falls on it. As you build your antenna, can be bent downward as shown at A,
keep in mind that if you get it right the first or back on the radiator as shown at B. Fig 22.14 — At A, details for an
time, you won’t have to do it again for a The inverted V at C can be erected with inverted V fed with open-wire line for
long time. the ends bent parallel with the ground multiband HF operation. A Transmatch
when the available supporting structure is shown at B, suitable for matching the
SHORTENED DIPOLES is not high enough. antenna to the transmitter over a wide
Inductive loading increases the electri- frequency range. The included angle
between the two legs should be greater
cal length of a conductor without increas- than 90° for best performance.
ing its physical length. Therefore, we can signal is canceled; avoid this if possible.
build physically short dipole antennas by
placing inductors in the antenna. These are
called loaded antennas, and The ARRL
Antenna Book shows how to design them.
DROOPING DIPOLE
A drooping dipole, also known as an
Inverted V dipole, appears in Fig 22.14.
HK2PMR
There are some trade-offs involved: In- While V describes the shape of this
ductively loaded antennas are less effi- antenna, this antenna should not be con-
cient and have narrower bandwidths than fused with long-wire V antennas, which
full-size antennas. Generally they should are highly directive. The radiation pattern
not be shortened more than 50%. and dipole impedance depend on the apex
angle, and it is very important that the ends
DIPOLE ORIENTATION do not come too close to lossy ground.
Dipole antennas need not be installed Remember that current produces the radi-
horizontally and in a straight line. They ated signal, and current is maximum at the
are generally tolerant of bending, sloping dipole center. Therefore, performance is
or drooping. Bent dipoles may be used best when the central area of the antenna is
where antenna space is at a premium. straight, high and clear of nearby objects.
Fig 22.13 shows a couple of possibilities;
SLOPING DIPOLE
there are many more. Bending distorts the Fig 22.15 — Example of a sloping 1/2-λ λ
radiation pattern somewhat and may af- A sloping dipole is shown in Fig 22.15. dipole, or full sloper. On the lower HF
fect the impedance as well, but compro- This antenna is often used to favor one bands, maximum radiation over poor to
direction (the forward direction in the fig- average earth is off the sides and in the
mises may be acceptable when the forward direction as indicated, if a non-
situation demands them. Remember that ure). With a nonconducting support and
conductive support is used. A metal sup-
dipole antennas are RF conductors. For poor earth, signals off the back are weaker port will alter this pattern by acting as a
safety’s sake, mount all antennas away than those off the front. With a noncon- parasitic element. How it alters the
from conductors (especially power lines), ducting mast and good earth, the response pattern is a complex issue depending
is omnidirectional. There is no gain in any on the electrical height of the mast, what
combustibles and well beyond the reach other antennas are located on the mast,
of passersby. When an antenna bends back direction with a nonconducting mast.
and on the configuration of any guy
on itself (as in Fig 22.13B) some of the A conductive support such as a tower wires.

22.8 Chapter 22
acts as a parasitic element. (So does the vertical dipole elevation patterns. These 160° included angle. Signals from outside
coax shield, unless it is routed at 90° from two figures illustrate the fact that perfor- North America were usually stronger on
the antenna.) The parasitic effects vary mance of a horizontal dipole depends to a the HVD. Computer analysis revealed the
with earth quality, support height and great extent on its height above ground. reasons for this.
other conductors on the support (such as a By contrast, half-wave vertical dipole Fig 22.16 shows the elevation patterns
beam at the top). With such variables, (HVD) performance is highly dependent for the vertical dipole and for the refer-
performance is very difficult to predict. on ground conductivity and dielectric ence dipole at a pattern peak and at a null.
Losses increase as the antenna ends constant. The vertical dipole does not look impres-
approach the support or the ground. To After looking at these figures, you sive, does it? The large lobe in the HVD
prevent feed-line radiation, route the coax might easily conclude that there is no ad- pattern at 48° is caused by the antenna
away from the feed-point at 90° from the vantage to an HVD. Is that really the case? being elevated 14 ft above ground. This
antenna, and continue on that line as far as Experiments at K8CH run between 2001 lobe will shrink at lower heights.
possible. and 2003 showed that the HVD mounted Data compiled by Dean Straw, N6BV,
above average ground works well for long- shows that 90% of DX contacts from
HALF-WAVE VERTICAL DIPOLE distance (DX) contacts. Two antennas K8CH should use elevation angles of 10°
(HVD) were used in the trials. The first was a 15-m or less. Further, nearly half of the contacts
Unlike its horizontal counterpart, which HVD with its base 14 ft above ground would use 3° or less. The azimuthal pat-
has a figure-8 pattern, the azimuthal (feedpoint at 25 ft). The second (refer- terns for 10° are shown in Fig 22.17 and
pattern of a vertical dipole is omnidirec- ence) antenna was a 40-m dipole modified for 3° in Fig 22.18. You can clearly see in
tional. In other words, it looks like a circle. to operate with low SWR on 15 m. The the patterns the DX potential of an HVD.
Look again at Figs 22.3 and 22.4 and note reference dipole feedpoint was at 29 feet Another advantage of the HVD is its
the comparison between horizontal and and the ends drooped slightly to provide a radiation resistance at low heights. Look
back in Fig 22.1 at the curve for the verti-

HK2PMR
cal half-wave antenna. With it’s base just
above ground, the HVD will have a radia-
tion resistance of over 90 Ω. That can eas-
ily be turned to an advantage. Capacitive
Fig 22.16 — loading will lower the radiation resistance
Elevation patterns and shorten the antenna. It is possible to
for the HVD (solid
line) and the make a loaded vertical dipole that is half
inverted V the height of an HVD and that has a good
comparison SWR when fed with 50-Ω coax.
antenna in its best
case (dashed line) MULTIBAND DIPOLES
and worst case
(dotted line).
There are several ways to construct
coax-fed multiband dipole systems. These
techniques apply to dipoles of all orienta-
tions. Each method requires a little more

Fig 22.17 — Azimuth patterns at 10°° elevation for the HVD Fig 22.18 — Azimuth patterns at 3°° elevation for the HVD
(dashed line) and inverted V (solid line). (dashed line) and the inverted V (solid line).

Antennas 22.9
 ered. These effects can be reduced by
spreading the ends of the dipoles.
Also, the power-distribution mechanism
requires that only one of the parallel di-
poles is near resonance on any amateur
band. Separate dipoles for 80 and 30 m
should not be parallel connected because
the higher band is near an odd harmonic of
the lower band (80/3 ≈ 30) and center-fed
dipoles have low impedance near odd har-
monics. (The 40 and 15-m bands have a
similar relationship.) This means that you
must either accept the lower performance
of the low-band antenna operating on a

HK2PMR harmonic or erect a separate antenna for

those odd-harmonic bands. For example,
four parallel-connected dipoles cut for 80,
Fig 22.19 — Multiband antenna using paralleled dipoles, all connected to a 40, 20 and 10 m (fed by a single Transmatch
common 50 or 75-Ω Ω coax line. The half-wave dimensions may be either for the and coaxial cable) work reasonably on all
centers of the various bands or selected for favorite frequencies in each band. HF bands from 80 through 10 m.
The length of a half wave in feet is 468/frequency in MHz, but because of Trap dipoles provide multiband opera-
interaction among the various elements, some pruning for resonance may be tion from a coax-fed single-wire dipole.
needed on each band. See text.
Fig 22.20 shows a two-band trap antenna.
A trap comprises inductance and capaci-
tance in parallel. At resonance that effec-
tively disconnects wire beyond the trap at
the resonant frequency. Above resonance,
traps provide capacitive loading. Below
resonance, they provide inductive loading.
Traps may be constructed from coiled sec-
tions of coax or from discrete LC compo-
nents.
Fig 22.20 — Example of a trap dipole antenna. L1 and C1 can be tuned to the Choose capacitors (Cl in the figure) that
desired frequency by means of a dip meter before they are installed in the are rated for high current and voltage.
antenna. Mica transmitting capacitors are good.
Ceramic transmitting capacitors may
work, but their values may change with
work than a single dipole, but the materi- little power and has little effect on the total temperature. Use large wire for the induc-
als don’t cost much. feed-point impedance. Thus, we can con- tors to reduce loss. Any reactance (XL and
Parallel dipoles are a simple and conve- nect several antennas together at the feed- XC) above 100 Ω (at f 0) will work, but
nient answer. See Fig 22.19. Center-fed point, and power naturally flows to the bandwidth increases with reactance (up to
dipoles present low-impedances near f0, resonant antenna. several thousand ohms).
or its odd harmonics, and high impedances There are some limits, however. Wires Check trap resonance before installa-
elsewhere. This lets us construct simple in close proximity tend to couple and pro- tion. This can be done with a dip meter and
multiband systems that automatically duce mutual inductance. In parallel dipoles, a receiver. To construct a trap antenna, cut
select the appropriate antenna. Consider a this means that the resonant length of the a dipole for the highest frequency and
50-Ω resistor connected in parallel with a shorter dipoles lengthens a few percent. connect the pretuned traps to its ends. It is
5-kΩ resistor. A generator connected Shorter antennas don’t affect longer ones fairly complicated to calculate the addi-
across the two resistors will see 49.5 Ω, much, so adjust for resonance in order from tional wire needed for each band, so just
and 99% of the current will flow through longest to shortest. Mutual inductance also add enough wire to make the antenna 1/2 λ
the 50-Ω resistor. When resonant and reduces the bandwidth of shorter dipoles, and prune it as necessary. Because the
nonresonant antennas are parallel con- so a Transmatch may be needed to achieve inductance in each trap reduces the physi-
nected, the nonresonant antenna takes an acceptable SWR across all bands cov- cal length needed for resonance, the fin-
ished antenna will be shorter than a simple
1
/2-λ dipole.

22.10 Chapter 22
A 135-FT MULTIBAND CENTER-FED DIPOLE HK2PMR
An 80-m dipole fed with ladder line is a make the dipole horizontal, or you can in- above ground. At a 10° elevation angle, the
versatile antenna. If you add a wide-range stall it as an inverted V. ARRL staff ana- 135-ft dipole has a gain advantage. This
matching network, you have a low-cost lyzed a 135-ft dipole at 50 ft above typical advantage comes at the cost of two deep,
antenna system that works well across the ground and compared that to an inverted V but narrow, nulls that are broadside to the
entire HF spectrum. Countless hams have with the center at 50 ft, and the ends at 10 ft. wire.
used one of these in single-antenna stations The results show that on the 80-m band, it Fig 22.23 compares the 135-ft dipole to
and for Field Day operations. won’t make much difference which con- the inverted-V configuration of the same
For best results place the antenna as high figuration you choose. (See Fig 22.21.) The antenna on 14.1 MHz. Notice that the in-
as you can, and keep the antenna and ladder inverted V exhibits additional losses be- verted-V pattern is essentially omnidirec-
line clear of metal and other conductive cause of its proximity to ground. tional. That comes at the cost of gain, which
objects. Despite significant SWR on some Fig 22.22 shows a comparison between is less than that for a horizontal flat-top
bands, system losses are low. (See the a 20-m flat-top dipole and the 135-ft flat- dipole.
Transmission Lines chapter.) You can top dipole when both are placed at 50 ft As expected, patterns become more

Fig 22.22 — Patterns on 20 m Fig 22.23 — Patterns on 20 m for two

comparing a standard 1/2-λ λ dipole and a 135-ft dipoles. One is mounted hori-
multiband 135-ft dipole. Both are zontally as a flat-top and the other as
Fig 22.21 — Patterns on 80 m for mounted hori-zontally at 50 ft. The an inverted V with 120° included angle
135-ft, center-fed dipole erected as a azimuth pattern is shown at A, where between the two legs. The azimuth
horizontal dipole at 50 ft, and as an conductors lie in the 90° to 270° plane. pattern is shown at A, and the elevation
inverted V with the center at 50 ft and The elevation pattern is shown at B. The pattern is shown at B. The inverted V has
the ends at 10 ft. The azimuth pattern longer antenna has four azimuthal about 6 dB less gain at the peak azi-
is shown at A, where the conductor lobes, centered at 35°, 145°, 215°, and muths, but has a more uniform, almost
lies in the 90° to 270° plane. The 325°. Each is about 2 dB stronger than omnidirectional, azimuthal pattern. In
elevation pattern is shown at B, where λ dipole. The
the main lobes of the 1/2-λ the elevation plane, the inverted V has a
the conductor comes out of paper at a elevation pattern of the fat lobe overhead, making it a somewhat
right angle. At the fundamental 135-ft dipole is for one of the four better antenna for local communication,
frequency the patterns are not maximum-gain azimuth lobes, while the but not quite so good for DX contacts at
markedly different. λ dipole is
elevation pattern for the 1/2-λ low elevation angles.
for the 0° azimuthal point.
Antennas 22.11
 Antenna Modeling by Computer
Modern computer programs have made it a lot easier for a ham to
evaluate antenna performance. The elevation plots for the 135-ft long
center-fed dipole were generated using a sophisticated computer program
known as NEC, short for “Numerical Electromagnetics Code.” NEC is a
general-purpose antenna modeling program, capable of modeling almost
any antenna type, from the simplest dipole to extremely complex antenna
designs. Various mainframe versions of NEC have been under continuous
development by US government researchers for several decades.
But because it is a general-purpose program, NEC can be very slow
when modeling some antennas—such as long-boom, multi-element Yagis.
There are other, specialized programs that work on Yagis much faster than
NEC. Indeed, NEC has developed a reputation for being accurate (if
properly applied!), but decidedly difficult to learn and use. A number of
commercial software developers have risen to the challenge and created
more user-friendly versions. Check the ads in QST.
NEC uses a Method of Moments algorithm. The mathematics behind this
algorithm are pretty formidable to most hams, but the basic principle is
simple. An antenna is broken down into a set of straight-line wire seg-
ments. The fields resulting from the current in each segment and from the
mutual interaction between segments are vector-summed in the far field to
create azimuth and elevation-plane patterns.
The most difficult part of using a NEC-type of modeling program is setting
up the antenna’s geometry—you must condition yourself to think in three-
dimensional coordinates. Each end point of a wire is represented by three
numbers: an x, y and z coordinate. An example should help sort things out.
See Fig A, showing a model for a 135-foot center-fed dipole, made of #14
wire placed 50 ft above flat ground. This antenna is modeled as a single,
straight wire.
For convenience, ground is located at the origin of the coordinate
system, at (0, 0, 0) feet, directly under the center of the dipole. The dipole
runs parallel to, and above, the y-axis. Above the origin, at a height of 50
Fig 22.24 — Patterns on 10 m for 135-ft feet, is the dipole’s feedpoint. The wingspread of the dipole goes toward
dipole mounted horizontally and as an the left (that is, in the negative y direction) one-half the overall length, or
inverted V, as in Fig 22.23. The azimuth –67.5 ft. Toward
pattern is shown at A, and the the right, it goes
elevation pattern is shown at B. Once +67.5 ft. The x
again, the inverted-V configuration
dimension of our
yields a more omnidirectional pattern,
but at the expense of almost 8 dB less dipole is zero.
gain than the flat-top configuration at The dipole’s
its strongest lobes. ends are thus
represented by

HK2PMR
two points,
whose coordi-
nates are: (0,
–67.5, 50) and
complicated at 28.4 MHz. As you can see
(0, 67.5, 50) ft.
in Fig 22.24, the inverted V has the ad-
The thickness of
vantage of a pattern with slight nulls, but
the antenna is
with reduced gain compared to the flat-
the diameter of
top configuration.
the wire, #14
Installed horizontally, or as an invert-
gauge.
ed V, the 135-ft center-fed dipole is a
To run the
simple antenna that works well from
program you Fig A
3.5 to 30 MHz. Bandswitching is handled
must specify the
by a Transmatch that is located near your
operating position.

22.12 Chapter 22
 A 40-M AND 15-M DUAL-
BAND DIPOLE
number of segments into which the dipole is divided for the method-of- As mentioned earlier, dipoles have har-
moments analysis. The guideline for setting the number of segments is to use monic resonances at odd multiples of their
at least 10 segments per half-wavelength. In Fig A, our dipole has been fundamental resonances. Because 21 MHz
divided into 11 segments for 80-m operation. The use of 11 segments, an odd is the third harmonic of 7 MHz, 7-MHz
rather than an even number such as 10, places the dipole’s feedpoint (the dipoles are harmonically resonant in the
source in NEC-parlance) right at the antenna’s center and at the center of popular ham band at 21 MHz. This is attrac-
segment number six. tive because it allows you to install a 40-m
Since we intend to use our 135-foot long dipole on all HF amateur bands, the dipole, feed it with coax, and use it without
number of segments used actually should vary with frequency. The penalty for an antenna tuner on both 40 and 15 m.
using more segments in a program like NEC is that the program slows down But there’s a catch: The third harmonic
roughly as the square of the segments—double the number and the speed resonance is actually higher than three times
drops to a fourth. However, using too few segments will introduce inaccuracies, the fundamental resonant frequency. This is
particularly in computing the feed-point impedance. The commercial versions of because there is no end effect in the center
NEC handle such nitty-gritty details automatically. portion of the antenna.
Let’s get a little more complicated and specify the 135-ft dipole, configured An easy fix for this, as shown in Fig 22.25,
as an inverted-V. Here, as shown in Fig B, you must specify two wires. The is to capacitively load the antenna about a
two wires join at the top, (0, 0, 50) ft. Now the specification of the source quarter wavelength (at 21.2 MHz) away from
becomes more complicated. The easiest way is to specify two sources, one the feedpoint in both wires. Known as capa-
on each end segment at the junction of the two wires. If you are using the citance hats, the simple loading wires shown
native version of NEC, you may have to go back to your high-school trigo- lower the antenna’s resonant frequency on
nometry book to figure out how to specify the end points of our droopy dipole, 15 m without substantially affecting reso-
with its 120° included angle. Fig B shows the details, along with the trig
nance on 40 m.
equations needed.
So, you see that antenna modeling isn’t entirely a cut-and-dried procedure.
The commercial programs do their best to hide some of the more unwieldy
parts of NEC, but there’s still some art mixed in with the science. And as
always, there are trade-offs to be made—segments versus speed, for
example.
However, once you do figure out exactly how to use them, computer
models are wonderful tools. They can help you while away a dreary winter’s
day, designing antennas on-screen—without having to risk life and limb
climbing an ice-covered tower. And in a relatively short time a computer
model can run hundreds, or even thousands, of simulations as you seek to
optimize an Fig 22.25 — Figure-8-shaped capaci-
antenna for a tance hats made and placed as describ-
particular ed in the text, can make your 40-m
parameter. dipole resonate anywhere you like in

HK2PMR Doesn’t that

sound better
than trying to
the 15-m band.

To put this scheme to use, first measure,

cut and adjust the dipole to resonance at
optimally tweak
the desired 40-m frequency. Then, cut two
an antenna by
2-ft-long pieces of stiff wire (such as #12
means of a
thousand cut-
or #14 house wire) and solder the ends of
and-try measure-
each one together to form two loops. Twist
ments, all the the loops in the middle to form figure-8s,
while hanging and strip and solder the wires where they
precariously from cross. Install these capacitance hats on the
your tower by a dipole by stripping the antenna wire (if
climbing belt?!— necessary) and soldering the hats to the
R. Dean Straw, dipole about a third of the way out from the
N6BV, Senior feedpoint (placement isn’t critical) on each
Assistant wire. To resonate the antenna on 15 m, ad-
Fig B just the loop shapes (not while you’re
Technical Editor
transmitting!) until the SWR is acceptable
in the desired segment of the 15-m band.

Antennas 22.13
THE K8SYL 75 AND 10-M DIPOLE
The same idea was adapted by Sylvia
Hutchinson, K8SYL, to make a two-band
dipole for 75 and 10 m. Her account was
published in July 2002 QST.
She discovered that a dipole resonant in
the General Class portion of the 75-m band
is also resonant on 10 m. As in the case of
the 40 and 15-m dipole, some additional
loading may be required to move the 10-m
resonance to the desired portion of the
band.
There is another catch. The radiation
resistance on 10 m is about 120 Ω. In an-
other words, if you feed this antenna with
50-Ω coax your best SWR will be around
2.4:1. A quarter wavelength (at 10 m) of
75-Ω coax (such as RG-11) will transform
that 120-Ω feedpoint impedance to just
under 50 Ω. In this case, the SWR will be
better than 1.1:1 at resonance. Fig 22.26 — The K8SYL dipole operates on the 75 and 10-m bands. A quarter-wave
The length of the matching section is a Ω coax transforms the 10-m impedance. See text.
section of 75-Ω
small fraction of a wavelength at 3.9 MHz.
This will tend to narrow the SWR band-
width, but only slightly. The antenna is
shown in Fig 22.26.
Make each capacitance hat from an 18 where the ends meet should be at the cen- portion of the band. For K8SYL, each leg
to 20-in length of #12 or #14 house wire. ter of the figure-8. Strip the crossing wire was 59 ft, 4 inches long. Then check the
Solder the ends together to form a loop, at this point and the capacitance hat is SWR on 10 m. Adjust the loop shapes (not
leaving a couple of inches free for attach- ready to attach to the dipole. while you’re transmitting!) until the SWR
ing to the dipole. Next, twist the loop to Tune the antenna on 75 m first. Trim the is acceptable in the desired segment of the
form a figure-8. The portion of the loop dipole ends for resonance in your favorite 10-m band.

HK2PMR
THE W4RNL INVERTED-U ANTENNA
This simple rotatable dipole was de- masts to even better use. The inverted U At any power level, the ends of a dipole
signed and built by L. B. Cebik, W4RNL, meets this need. have high RF voltages, and we must keep
for use during the ARRL Field Day. For them out of contact with human body
this and other portable operations we look THE BASIC IDEA OF THE parts.
for three antenna characteristics: simplic- INVERTED U Not much signal strength is lost by
ity, small size, and light weight. Complex A dipole’s highest current occurs within drooping up to half the overall element
assemblies increase the number of things the first half of the distance from the length straight down. What is lost in bi-
that can go wrong. Large antennas are dif- feedpoint to the outer tips. Therefore, very directional gain shows up in decreased
ficult to transport and sometimes do not fit little performance is lost if the outer end side-nulls. Fig 22.28 shows the free-space
the space available. Heavy antennas re- sections are bent. The W4RNL inverted U E-plane (azimuth) patterns of the inverted
quire heavy support structures, so the starts with a 10-m tubular dipole. You add U with a 10-m horizontal section. There is
overall weight seems to increase exponen- extensions for 12, 15, 17, or 20 m to cover an undetectable decrease in gain between
tially with every added pound of antenna. those bands. the 10-m and 15-m versions. The 20-m
Today, a number of light-weight col- You only need enough space to erect a version shows a little over a half-dB gain
lapsible masts are available. Some will 10-m rotatable dipole. The extensions decrease and a signal increase off the
support—when properly guyed—anten- hang down. Fig 22.27 shows the relative antenna ends.
nas in the 5-10 pound range. Most are suit- proportions of the antenna on all bands The real limitation of an inverted-U is a
able for 10-m tubular dipoles and allow from 10 to 20 m. The 20-m extensions are function of the height of the antenna above
the user to hand-rotate the antenna. the length of half the 10-m dipole. There- ground. With the feedpoint at 20 ft above
Extend the range of the antenna to cover fore, safety dictates an antenna height of at ground, we obtain the elevation patterns
20-10 m, and you put these 20-30-foot least 20 ft to keep the tips above 10 ft high. shown in Fig 22.29. The 10-m pattern is

22.14 Chapter 22
 typical for a dipole that is about 5/8 λ above
ground. On 15, the antenna is only 0.45 λ
high, with a resulting increase in the over-
all elevation angle of the signal and a re-
duction in gain. At 20 m, the angle grows
still higher, and the signal strength dimin-
ishes as the antenna height drops to under
0.3 λ. Nevertheless, the signal is certainly
usable. A full-size dipole at 20 m would
show only a little more gain, and the ele-
vation angle would be similar to that of the
invert U, despite the difference in antenna
shape. If we raise the inverted-U to 40 feet,

HK2PMR the 20-m performance would be very simi-

lar to that shown by the 10-m elevation
plot in Fig 22.29.
Fig 22.27 — The general outline of the inverted-U field dipole for 20 through 10 m. The feedpoint impedance of the in-
Note that the vertical end extension wires apply to both ends of the main 10-m verted-U remains well within acceptable
dipole, which is constant for all bands. limits for virtually all equipment, even at
20 feet above ground. Also, the SWR
curves are very broad, reducing the criti-
calness of finding exact dimensions, even
for special field conditions.

BUILDING AN INVERTED-U
Approach the construction of an in-
verted-U in 3 steps: 1. the tubing arrange-
ment, 2. the center hub and feedpoint
assembly, and 3. the drooping extensions.
A parts list appears in Table 22.5.

The Aluminum Tubing Dipole for

10 meters.
The aluminum tubing dipole consists of
three longer sections of tubing and a short
Fig 22.29 — Elevation patterns of the
inverted-U for 10, 15, and 20 m, with the section mounted permanently to the feed
antenna feedpoint 20 ft above average point plate, as shown in Fig 22.30. Let’s
Fig 22.28 — Free-space E-plane ground. Much of the decreased gain consider each half of the element sepa-
(azimuth) patterns of the inverted-U for and higher elevation angle of the rately. Counting from the center of the
10, 15, and 20 m, showing the pattern pattern at the lowest frequencies is due plate—the feedpoint—the element extends
changes with increasingly longer to its ever-lower height as a fraction of
5 inches using 3/4-inch aluminum tubing.
vertical end sections. a wavelength.
Then we have two 33 inch exposed tubing
sections, with an additional 3 inches of tub-
ing overlap per section. These sections are
5
Table 22.5 /8- and 1/2-inch diameter, respectively. The
Parts List for the Inverted-U
outer section is 30 inches long exposed
(with at least a 3 inches overlap) and con-
Amount Item Comments
sists of 3/8-inch diameter tubing.
6' 0.375" OD aluminum tubing 2 - 3' pieces Since the 5/8- and 1/2-inch sections are
6' 0.5" OD aluminum tubing 2 - 3' pieces
6' 0.625" OD aluminum tubing 2 - 3' pieces
36 inches long, you can make the outer
3
10" 0.75" OD aluminum tubing 2 - 5" pieces /8-inch section the same overall length and
4" 0.5" nominal (5/8" OD) CPVC use more overlap, or you can cut the tubing
50' Aluminum wire AWG #17 to 33 inches and use the 3 inch overlap.
8 Hitch pin clips Sized to fit tubing junctions. Three inches of overlap is sufficient to
1 4" by 4" by 1/4" Lexan plate Other materials suitable. ensure a strong junction, and it minimizes
2 SS U-bolts Sized to fit support mast
2 Sets SS #8/10 1.5" bolt, nut, washers SS = stainless steel excess weight. However, when not in use,
2 Sets SS #8 1" bolt, nut, washers the 3 outer tubing sections will nest inside
2 Sets SS #8 .5" bolt, nut, washers each other for storage, and a 36-inch length
1 Coax connector bracket, 1/16" aluminum See text for dimensions and shape for the outer section is a bit more conve-
1 Female coax connector nient to un-nest for assembly. Keep the end
2 Solder lugs, #8 holes
hitch pin on the 3/8 inch tubing as an easy
2 Short pieces copper wire From coax connector to solder lugs
way of pulling it into final position. You
Note: 6063-T832 aluminum tubing is preferred and can be obtained from such outlets as Texas
Towers (www.texastowers.com). Lexan (polycarbonate) is available from such sources as may use the readily available 6063-T832
McMasters-Carr (www.mcmasters.com), as are the hitch pin clips (if not locally available). aluminum tubing that nests well and has a
Other items should be available from local home centers and radio parts stores. long history of antenna service.

Antennas 22.15
Fig 22.30 — The general tubing layout for the inverted-U for each half element. The opposite side of the dipole is a mirror
image of the one shown.

obtain an SWR curve under 2:1 that covers

the entire band segment.

The Center Hub: Mounting and

Feedpoint Assembly.
Construct the plate for mounting the
element and the mast from a 4 × 4 × 1/4-
inch-thick scrap of polycarbonate (trade
name Lexan), as shown in Fig 22.32. You
may use other materials so long as they
will handle the element weight and stand
up to field conditions.
At the top and bottom of the plate are
holes for the U-bolts that fit around my
mast. Since masts may vary in diameter at

HK2PMR
the top, size your U-bolts and their holes
to suit the mast.
The element center, consisting of 2
5-inch lengths of 3/4-inch aluminum tub-
Fig 22.31 — A close-up of the element mounting plate assembly, including the ing, is just above the centerline of the plate
hitch pin clips used to secure the next section of tubing. (to allow room for the coax fitting below).
1
/2-inch nominal CPVC has an outside dia-
The only construction operation that use. Good electrical contact requires meter of about 5/8 inch and makes a snug
you need to perform on the tubing is to clean, dry aluminum surfaces, so do not fit inside the 3/4-inch tubing. The CPVC
drill a hole at about the center of each junc- use any type of lubricant to assist the nest- aligns the two aluminum tubes in a straight
tion to pass a hitch pin clip. Obtain hitch ing and un-nesting of the tubes. Instead, line and allows for a small (about 1/2 inch)
pin clips (also called hairpin cotter pin clean both the inner and outer surfaces of gap between them. When centered be-
clips in some literature) that fit snugly the tubes before and after each use. tween the two tubes, the CPVC is the same
over the tubing. One size will generally Hitch pin clips are fairly large and width as the plate. A pair of 1.5-inch #8
handle about 2 or 3 tubing sizes. In this harder to lose in the grass of a field site or #10 stainless steel bolts—with washers
antenna, I used 3/32 (pin diameter) by than most nuts and bolts. However, you and a nut—secures the element to the
25/8 inch long clips for the 3/4- to 5/8-inch may wish to attach a short colorful ribbon plate.
and the 5/8- to 1/2-inch junctions, with 3/32 to the loop end of each clip. Spotting the Note in the sketch that you may insert
by 15/8-inch pins for the 1/2- to 3/8-inch junc- ribbon on the ground is simpler than prob- the 5/8-inch tube as far into the 3/4-inch tube
tion and for the final hitch pin clip at the ing for the clip alone. as it will go and be assured of a 3-inch
outer end of the antenna. Drill the 1/8-inch Each half element is 101 inches long, for overlap. Drill all hitch pin clip holes per-
diameter holes for the clips with the adja- a total 10-m dipole element length of 202 pendicular to the plate. Although this
cent tubes in position relative to each inches (16 ft 10 inches). Length is not criti- alignment is not critical to the junctions of
other. Tape the junction temporarily for cal within about 1 inch, so you may pre- the tubes, it is important to the outer ends
the drilling. Carefully deburr the holes so assemble the dipole using the listed of the tubes when you use the antenna
that the tubing slides easily when nested. dimensions. However, if you wish a more below 10 m.
The hitch pin clip junctions, shown in precisely tuned element, tape the outer sec- Mount a single-hole female UHF con-
Fig 22.31, hold the element sections in tion in position and test the dipole on your nector on a bracket made from a scrap of
position. Actual electrical contact be- mast at the height that you will use. Adjust 1
/16-inch-thick L-stock that is 1 inch on a
tween sections is made by the overlapping the length of the outer tubing segments side. Drill the UHF mounting hole first,
portions of the tube. Due to the effects of equally at both ends for the best SWR curve before cutting the L-stock to length and
weather, junctions of this type are not suit- on the lower 1 MHz of the 10-m band. Even trimming part of the mounting side. Then
able for a permanent installation, but are though the impedance will be above 50 Ω drill two holes for 1/2-inch long #8 stain-
completely satisfactory for short-term throughout the band, you should easily less steel bolts about 1 inch apart, for a

22.16 Chapter 22
Fig 22.32 — The element and feedpoint mounting plate, with details of the construction used in the prototype.

total length of L-stock of about 1.5 inches. less for 12 m, more for 20 m—to each
The reason for the wide strip is to place the Table 22.6 length listed.
bolt heads for the bracket outside the area Inverted-U Drooping Wire Lengths Common #17 aluminum electric fenc-
where the mast will meet the plate on the ing wire works well. Fence wire is stiffer
Band Wire Length
back side. Note in Fig 22.32 that the than most wires of similar diameter, and it
m inches
bracket nuts are on the bracket-side of the is cheap. Stiffness is the more important
10 n/a
main plate, while the heads face the mast. property, since you do not want the lower
The bracket-to-plate mounting edge of the
bracket needs to be only about 3/ 4 inch
wide, so you may trim that side of the
12
15
17
15.9
37.4
62.0
HK2PMR ends of the wire to wave excessively in the
breeze, potentially changing the feedpoint
properties of the antenna while it is in use.
20 108.0
L-stock accordingly. Note: The wire length for the drooping ends is When stored, the lengths of wire exten-
With the element center sections and the measured from the end of the tubular dipole sions for 12 and 15 m can be laid out without
bracket in place, drill two holes for 1 inch to the tip for AWG #17 wire. Little change in any bends. However, the longer extensions
length occurs as a function of the change in
long #8 stainless steel bolts at right angles wire size. However, a few inches of for 17 and 20 m will require some coiling or
to the mounting bolts and as close as fea- additional wire length is required for folding to fit the same space as the tubing
sible to the edges of the tubing at the gap. attachment to the element. when nested. Fold or coil the wire around
These bolts have solder lugs attached for any kind of small spindle that has at least a
short leads to the coax fitting. Solder lugs
do not come in stainless steel, so you
should check these junctions before and
after each use for any corrosion that may
require replacement.
With all hardware in place, the hub unit
is about 4 × 10 × 1 inch (plus U-bolts). It
will remain a single unit from this point
onward, so that your only field assembly
requirements will be to extend tubing sec-
tions and install hitch pin clips. You are
now ready to perform the initial 10-m
resonance tests on your field mast.
The Drooping Extensions for 12
Through 20 Meters
The drooping end sections consist of
aluminum wire. Copper is usable, but alu-
minum is lighter and quite satisfactory for
this application. Table 22.6 lists the ap-
proximate lengths of each extension below Fig 22.33 — A simple method of clamping the end wires to the 3/8-inch tube end
the element. Add 3 to 5 inches of wire— using a hitch pin clip.

Antennas 22.17
 2-inch diameter (larger is better). This mea-
sure prevents the wire from crimping and
eventually breaking. Murphy dictates that
a wire will break in the middle of an operat-
ing session. So carry some spare wire for
replacement ends. All together, the ends re-
quire about 50 ft of wire.
Fig 22.33 shows the simple mounting
scheme for the end wires. Push the straight
wires through a pair of holes aligned ver-
tically to the earth and bend the top por-
tion slightly. To clamp the wire, insert a
hitch pin clip though holes parallel to the
ground, pushing the wire slightly to one
side to reach the far hole in the tube. The
double bend holds the wire securely (for a
short-term field operation), but allows the
wire to be pulled out when the session is
over or to change bands.
Add a few inches to the lengths given in
Table 22.6 as an initial guide for each
band. Test the lengths and prune the wires
until you obtain a smooth SWR curve
below 2:1 at the ends of each band. Since
an inverted-U antenna is full length, the
SWR curves will be rather broad and suf-
fer none of the narrow bandwidths associ-
ated with inductively loaded elements.
Fig 22.34 shows typical SWR curves for
each band to guide your expectations.
You should not require much, if any, ad-
justment once you have found satisfactory
lengths for each band. So you can mark the
wire when you finish your initial test adjust-
ments. However, leave enough excess so
that you can adjust the lengths in the field.
Do not be too finicky about your SWR
curves. An initial test and possibly one
adjustment should be all that you need to
arrive at an SWR value that is satisfactory
for your equipment. Spending half of your
operating time adjusting the elements for
as near to a 1:1 SWR curve as possible will
rob you of valuable contacts without
changing your signal strength is any man-
Ω SWR curves for the inverted-U antenna at a feedpoint
Fig 22.34 — Typical 50-Ω ner that is detectable.
height of 20 ft. Changing bands is a simple matter. Re-
move the ends for the band you are using
and install the ends for the new band. An
SWR check and possibly one more adjust-
ment of the end lengths will put you back
on the air.

FINAL NOTES
The inverted-U dipole with interchange-
able end pieces provides a compact field
antenna. All of the parts fit in a 3-ft long
bag. A draw-string bag works very well.
Fig 22.35 shows the parts in their travel
Fig 22.35 — The entire inverted-U antenna parts collection in semi-nested form, with form. When assembled and mounted at
its carrying bag. The tools stored with the antenna include a wrench to tighten the least 20' up (higher is even better), the
U-bolts for the mast-to-plate mount and a pair of pliers to help remove end wires antenna will compete with just about any
from the tubing. The pliers have a wire-cutting feature to help replace a broken end
wire. A pair of locking pliers makes a good removable handle for turning the mast.
other dipole mounted at the same height.
The combination of the locking and regular pliers helps to uncoil the wire extensions But the inverted-U is lighter than most
for any band; give them a couple of sharp tugs to straighten the wire. dipoles at frequencies lower than 10 m. It

22.18 Chapter 22
also rotates easily by hand—assuming that higher than any person can touch when the each use. Be sure that the aluminum tub-
you can rotate the mast by hand. Being able antenna is in use. Even with QRP power ing is clean—both inside and out—when
to broadside the dipole to your target sta- levels, the RF voltage on the wire ends can you nest and un-nest the sections. Grit can
tion gives the inverted-U a strong advan- be dangerous. With the antenna at 20 ft at freeze the sections together, and dirty tub-
tage over a fixed wire dipole. its center, the ends should be at least 10 ft ing can prevent good electrical continuity.
With a dipole having drooping ends, above ground. Carry a few extra hitch pin clips in the
safety is very important. Do not use the Equally important is the maintenance package to be sure you have spares in case
antenna unless the wire ends for 20 m are that you give the antenna before and after you lose one.

TWO W8NX MULTIBAND, COAX-TRAP DIPOLES

Over the last 60 or 70 years, amateurs
have used many kinds of multiband anten-
nas to cover the traditional HF bands. The
availability of the 30, 17 and 12-m bands
has expanded our need for multiband
antenna coverage.
Two different antennas are described
here. The first covers the traditional 80, Fig 22.36 — A W8NX multiband dipole for 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 m. The values
40, 20, 15 and 10-m bands, and the second shown (123 pF and 4 μH) for the coaxial-cable traps are for parallel resonance at
covers 80, 40, 17 and 12 m. Each uses the 7.15 MHz. The low-impedance output of each trap is used for this antenna.
same type of W8NX trap—connected for
different modes of operation—and a pair

HK2PMR
of short capacitive stubs to enhance cov-
erage. The W8NX coaxial-cable traps
have two different modes: a high- and a
low-impedance mode. The inner-conduc-
tor windings and shield windings of the
traps are connected in series for both
modes. However, either the low- or high-
impedance point can be used as the trap’s
output terminal. For low-impedance trap Fig 22.37 — A W8NX multiband dipole for 80, 40, 17 and 12 m. For this antenna,
operation, only the center conductor turns the high-impedance output is used on each trap. The resonant frequency of the
traps is 7.15 MHz.
of the trap windings are used. For high-
impedance operation, all turns are used, in
the conventional manner for a trap. The
short stubs on each antenna are strategi- to the radiating elements. The first inch of that the capacitive stubs are attached im-
cally sized and located to permit more their length is bent 90° to permit attach- mediately outboard after the traps and are
flexibility in adjusting the resonant fre- ment to the radiating elements by large- 6.5 ft long, 1/2 ft longer than those used in
quencies of the antenna. diameter copper crimp connectors. the other antenna. The traps are the same
Ordinary #14 wire may be used for the as those of the other antenna, but are con-
80, 40, 20, 15 AND 10-METER stubs, but it has a tendency to curl up and nected for the high-impedance parallel-
DIPOLE may tangle unless weighed down at the resonant output mode. Since only four
Fig 22.36 shows the configuration of end. You should feed the antenna with bands are covered by this antenna, it is
the 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10-m antenna. The 75-Ω coax cable using a good 1:1 balun. easier to fine tune it to precisely the de-
radiating elements are made of #14 This antenna may be thought of as a modi- sired frequency on all bands. The 12.4-ft
stranded copper wire. The element lengths fied W3DZZ antenna due to the addition of tips can he pruned to a particular 17-m
are the wire span lengths in feet. These the capacitive stubs. The length and location frequency with little effect on the 12-m
lengths do not include the lengths of the of the stub give the antenna designer two frequency. The stub lengths can be pruned
pigtails at the balun, traps and insulators. extra degrees of freedom to place the reso- to a particular 12-m frequency with little
The 32.3-ft-long inner 40-m segments are nant frequencies within the amateur bands. effect on the 17-m frequency. Both such
measured from the eyelet of the input This additional flexibility is particularly pruning adjustments slightly alter the
balun to the tension-relief hole in the trap helpful to bring the 15 and 10-m resonant 80-m resonant frequency. However, the
coil form. The 4.9-ft segment length is frequencies to more desirable locations in bandwidths of the antennas are so broad
measured from the tension-relief hole in these bands. The actual 10-m resonant fre- on 17 and 12 m that little need for such
the trap to the 6-ft stub. The 16.l-ft outer- quency of the original W3DZZ antenna is pruning exists. The 40-m frequency is
segment span is measured from the stub to somewhat above 30 MHz, pretty remote nearly independent of adjustments to the
the eyelet of the end insulator. from the more desirable low frequency end capacitive stubs and outer radiating tip
The coaxial-cable traps are wound on of 10 m. elements. Like the first antennas, this di-
PVC pipe coil forms and use the low- pole is fed with a 75-Ω balun and feed line.
impedance output connection. The stubs 80, 40, 17 AND 12-METER DIPOLE Fig 22.38 shows the schematic diagram
are 6-ft lengths of 1/8-inch stiffened alumi- Fig 22.37 shows the configuration of of the traps. It illustrates the difference
num or copper rod hanging perpendicular the 80, 40, 17 and 12-m antenna. Notice between the low and high-impedance

Antennas 22.19
modes of the traps. Notice that the high- within 50 kHz of the 7150 kHz resonant At his location in Akron, Ohio, the antenna
impedance terminal is the output configu- frequency before installation. One inch is runs essentially east and west. It is in-
ration used in most conventional trap left over at each end of the coil forms to stalled as an inverted V, 40 ft high at the
applications. The low-impedance connec- allow for the coax feed-through holes and center, with a 120° included angle between
tion is made across only the inner conduc- holes for tension-relief attachment of the the legs. Since the stubs are very short,
tor turns, corresponding to one-half of the antenna radiating elements to the traps. Be they radiate little power and make only
total turns of the trap. This mode steps the sure to seal the ends of the trap coax cable minor contributions to the radiation pat-
trap’s impedance down to approximately with RTV sealant to prevent moisture terns. In theory, the pattern has four major
one-fourth of that of the high-impedance from entering the coaxial cable. lobes on 17 m, with maxima to the north-
level. This is what allows a single trap Also, be sure that you connect the east, southeast, southwest and northwest.
design to be used for two different multi- 32.3-ft wire element at the start of the These provide low-angle radiation into
band antennas. inner conductor winding of the trap. This Europe, Africa, South Pacific, Japan and
Fig 22.39 is a drawing of a cross-sec- avoids detuning the antenna by the stray Alaska. A narrow pair of minor broadside
tion of the coax trap shown through the capacitance of the coaxial-cable shield.
long axis of the trap. Notice that the traps The trap output terminal (which has the
are conventional coaxial-cable traps, ex- shield stray capacitance) should be at the
cept for the added low-impedance output outboard side of the trap. Reversing the
terminal. The traps are 83/4 close-spaced input and output terminals of the trap will
turns of RG-59 (Belden 8241) on a 23/8- lower the 40-meter frequency by approxi-
inch-OD PVC pipe (schedule 40 pipe with mately 50 kHz, but there will be negligible
a 2-inch ID) coil form. The forms are effect on the other bands.
41/8 inches long. Trap resonant frequency Fig 22.40 shows a coaxial-cable trap.
is very sensitive to the outer diameter of Further details of the trap installation are
the coil form, so check it carefully. Unfor- shown in Fig 22.41. This drawing applies
tunately, not all PVC pipe is made with the specifically to the 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10-m
same wall thickness. The trap frequencies antenna, which uses the low-impedance
should be checked with a dip meter and trap connections. Notice the lengths of the
general-coverage receiver and adjusted to trap pigtails: 3 to 4 inches at each terminal
of the trap. If you use a different arrange-
ment, you must modify the span lengths
accordingly, All connections can be made
using crimp connectors rather than by sol-
dering. Access to the trap’s interior is at-
tained more easily with a crimping tool
than with a soldering iron.

PERFORMANCE
The performance of both antennas has
been very satisfactory. W8NX uses the 80,
40, 17 and 12-m version because it covers
17 and 12 m. (He has a triband Yagi for 20,
Fig 22.38 — Schematic for the W8NX
15 and 10 m.) The radiation pattern on
coaxial-cable trap. RG-59 is wound on a 17 m is that of 3/2-wave dipole. On 12 m,
23/8-inch OD PVC pipe. the pattern is that of a 5/2-wave dipole.

HK2PMR

Fig 22.40 — Other views of a W8NX

Fig 22.39 — Construction details of the W8NX coaxial-cable trap. coax-cable trap.

22.20 Chapter 22
 former is taken out of the line.
Fig 22.42 gives the SWR curves of the
80, 40, 20, 15 and 10-m antenna. Mini-
mum SWR is nearly 1:1 on 80 m, 1.5:1 on
40 m, 1.6:1 on 20 m, and 1.5:1 on 10 m.
The minimum SWR is slightly below 3:1
on 15 m. On 15 m, the stub capacitive re-
actance combines with the inductive reac-
tance of the outer segment of the antenna
to produce a resonant rise that raises the
antenna input resistance to about 220 Ω,
higher than that of the usual 3/ 2-wave-
length dipole. An antenna tuner may be
required on this band to keep a solid-state
final output stage happy under these load
Fig 22.41 — Additional construction details for the W8NX coaxial-cable trap. conditions.
Fig 22.43 shows the SWR curves of the
80, 40, 17 and 12-m antenna. Notice the
lobes provides north and south coverage recommends that 75-Ω, rather than 50-Ω, excellent 80-m performance with a nearly
into Central America, South America and feed line be used because of the generally unity minimum SWR in the middle of the
the polar regions. higher input impedances at the harmonic band. The performance approaches that of
There are four major lobes on 12 m, operating frequencies of the antennas. a full-size 80-m wire dipole. The short
giving nearly end-fire radiation and good The SWR curves of both antennas were stubs and the low-inductance traps shorten
low-angle east and west coverage. There carefully measured using a 75 to 50-Ω the antenna somewhat on 80 m. Also ob-
are also three pairs of very narrow, nearly transformer from Palomar Engineers in- serve the good 17-m performance, with the
broadside, minor lobes on 12 m, down serted at the junction of the 75-Ω coax SWR being only a little above 2:1 across
about 6 dB from the major end-fire lobes. feed line and a 50-Ω SWR bridge. The the band.
On 80 and 40 m, the antenna has the usual transformer is required for accurate SWR But notice the 12-m SWR curve of this
figure-8 patterns of a half-wave-length measurement if a 50-Ω SWR bridge is antenna, which shows 4:1 SWR across the
dipole. used with a 75-Ω line. Most 50-Ω rigs band. The antenna input resistance ap-
Both antennas function as electrical half- operate satisfactorily with a 75-Ω line, proaches 300 Ω on this band because the
wave dipoles on 80 and 40 m with a low although this requires different tuning capacitive reactance of the stubs combines
SWR. They both function as odd-harmonic and load settings in the final output stage with the inductive reactance of the outer
current-fed dipoles on their other operating of the rig or antenna tuner. The author antenna segments to give resonant rises in
frequencies, with higher, but still accept- uses the 75 to 50-Ω transformer only impedance. These are reflected back to the
able, SWR. The presence of the stubs can when making SWR measurements and at input terminals. These stub-induced reso-
either raise or lower the input impedance of low power levels. The transformer is nant impedance rises are similar to those
the antenna from those of the usual third rated for 100 W, and when he runs his on the other antenna on 15 meters, but are
and fifth harmonic dipoles. Again W8NX 1-kW PEP linear amplifier the trans- even more pronounced.

HK2PMR

Fig 22.42 — Measured SWR curves for an 80, 40, 20, 15 and Fig 22.43 — Measured SWR curves for an 80, 40, 17 and
10-meter antenna, installed as an inverted-V with 40-ft apex 12-meter antenna, installed as an inverted-V with 40-ft apex
and 120°° included angle between legs. and 120°° included angle between legs.

Antennas 22.21
 Too much concern must not be given to that trap resistance losses rise with skin on all bands except for the 80, 40, 20, 15
SWR on the feed line. Even if the SWR is effect according to the square root of fre- and 10-m antenna when used on 40 m.
as high as 9:1 no destructively high volt- quency, and that trap dielectric loses rise Here, the radiation efficiency falls to
ages will exist on the transmission line. directly with frequency. Systematic mea- 70.8%. A 1-kW power level at 90% radia-
Recall that transmission-line voltages in- surement errors are not increased by fre- tion efficiency corresponds to 50-W dissi-
crease as the square root of the SWR in the quency extrapolation. However, random pation per trap. In W8NX’s experience,
line. Thus, 1 kW of RF power in 75-Ω line measurement errors increase in magnitude this is the trap’s survival limit for extended
corresponds to 274 V line voltage for a 1:1 with upward frequency extrapolation. key-down operation. SSB power levels of
SWR. Raising the SWR to 9:1 merely Results are believed to be accurate within 1 kW PEP would dissipate 25 W or less in
triples the maximum voltage that the line 4% on 80 and 40 m, but only within 10 to each trap. This is well within the dissipa-
must withstand to 822 V. This voltage is 15% at 10 m. Trap Q is shown at both the tion capability of the traps.
well below the 3700-V rating of RG-11, or high- and low-impedance trap terminals. When the 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10-m
the 1700-V rating of RG-59, the two most The Q at the low-impedance output termi- antenna is operated on 40 m, the radiation
popular 75-Ω coax lines. Voltage break- nals is 15 to 20% lower than the Q at the efficiency of 70.8% corresponds to a dis-
down in the traps is also very unlikely. As high-impedance output terminals. sipation of 146 W in each trap when 1 kW
will be pointed out later, the operating W8NX computer-analyzed trap losses is delivered to the antenna. This is sure to
power levels of these antennas are limited for both antennas in free space. Antenna- burn out the traps—even if sustained for
by RF power dissipation in the traps, not input resistances at resonance were first only a short time. Thus, the power should
trap voltage breakdown or feed-line SWR. calculated, assuming lossless, infinite-Q be limited to less than 300 W when this
traps. They were again calculated using antenna is operated on 40 m under pro-
TRAP LOSSES AND POWER the Q values in Table 22.7. The radiation longed key-down conditions. A 50% CW
RATING efficiencies were also converted into duty cycle would correspond to a 600-W
Table 22.7 presents the results of trap equivalent trap losses in decibels. power limit for normal 40-m CW opera-
Q measurements and extrapolation by a Table 22.8 summarizes the trap-loss tion. Likewise, a 50% duty cycle for 40-m
two-frequency method to higher frequen- analysis for the 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10-m SSB corresponds to a 600-W PEP power
cies above resonance. W8NX employed antenna and Table 22.9 for the 80, 40,17 limit for the antenna.
an old, but recently calibrated, Boonton Q and 12-m antenna. The author knows of no analysis where
meter for the measurements. Extrapola- The loss analysis shows radiation effi- the burnout wattage rating of traps has
tion to higher-frequency bands assumes ciencies of 90% or more for both antennas been rigorously determined. Operating
experience seems to be the best way to

HK2PMR determine trap burn-out ratings. In his own

experience with these antennas, he’s had
no traps burn out, even though he operated
the 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10-m antenna on the
Table 22.7
critical 40-m band using his AL-80A lin-
Trap Q ear amplifier at 600-W PEP output. He did
Frequency (MHz) 3.8 7.15 14.18 18.1 21.3 24.9 28.6 not make a continuous, key-down, CW
High Z out (Ω) 101 124 139 165 73 179 186 operating tests at full power purposely try-
Low Z out (Ω) 83 103 125 137 44 149 155
ing to destroy the traps!
Some hams may suggest using a differ-
ent type of coaxial cable for the traps.
Table 22.8 The dc resistance of 40.7 Ω per 1000 feet
Trap Loss Analysis: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10-Meter Antenna of RG-59 coax seems rather high. How-
Frequency (MHz) 3.8 7.15 14.18 21.3 28.6 ever, W8NX has found no coax other than
Radiation Efficiency (%) 96.4 70.8 99.4 99.9 100.0 RG-59 that has the necessary inductance-
Trap Losses (dB) 0.16 1.5 0.02 0.01 0.003 to-capacitance ratio to create the trap
characteristic reactance required for the
80, 40, 20, 15 and 10-m antenna. Conven-
Table 22.9 tional traps with wide-spaced, open-air
Trap Loss Analysis: 80, 40, 17, 12-Meter Antenna inductors and appropriate fixed-value
capacitors could be substituted for the
Frequency (MHz) 3.8 7.15 18.1 24.9
Radiation Efficiency (%) 89.5 90.5 99.3 99.8
coax traps, but the convenience, weather-
Trap Losses (dB) 0.5 0.4 0.03 0.006 proof configuration and ease of fabrica-
tion of coaxial-cable traps is hard to beat.

22.22 Chapter 22
Vertical Antennas
One of the more popular amateur anten- the near field can be minimized by using theoretical infinitely large, infinitely con-
nas is the vertical. It usually refers to a many ground radials. This is covered in ducting ground. The second is placed over
single radiating element placed vertically the sidebar, Optimum Ground Systems an extensive radial system over average
over the ground. A typical vertical is an for Vertical Antennas. soil, having a conductivity of 5 mS/m and
electrical 1/4-λ long and is constructed of Far-field losses are highly dependent on a dielectric constant of 13. This sort of soil
wire or tubing. the conductivity and dielectric constant of is typical of heavy clay found in pastoral
Single vertical antennas are omnidirec- the earth around the antenna, extending regions of the US mid-Atlantic states. At
tional radiators. This can be beneficial or out as far as 100 λ from the base of the a 10° elevation angle, the real antenna
detrimental, depending on the exact situ- antenna. There is very little that someone losses are almost 6 dB compared to the
ation. On transmission there are no nulls can do to change the character of the theoretical one; at 20° the difference is
in any direction, unlike most horizontal ground that far away—other than moving about 3 dB. See The ARRL Antenna Book
antennas. However, QRM on receive can’t to a small island surrounded by saltwater! chapter on the effects of the earth for fur-
be nulled out from the directions that are Far-field losses greatly affect low-angle ther details.
not of interest, unless multiple verticals radiation, causing the radiation patterns of While real verticals over real ground are
are used in an array. practical vertical antennas to fall far short not a magic method to achieve low-angle
When compared to horizontal antennas, of theoretical patterns over perfect radiation, cost versus performance and
verticals also suffer more acutely from two ground, often seen in classical texts. ease of installation are incentives that in-
main types of losses—ground return Fig 22.44 shows the elevation pattern re- spire many antenna builders. For use on
losses for currents in the near field, and sponse for two different 40-m quarter- the lower frequency amateur bands—
far-field ground losses. Ground losses in wave verticals. One is placed over a notably 160 and 80 m—it is not always

Optimum Ground Systems for Vertical Antennas

A frequent question brought up by old-timers and newcomers alike is: “So, how many ground radials do I really need
for my vertical antenna?” Most hams have heard the old standby tales about radials, such as “if a few are good, more
must be better” or “lots of short radials are better than a few long ones.”
John Stanley, K4ERO, eloquently summarized a study he did of the professional literature on this subject in his
article “Optimum Ground Systems for Vertical Antennas” in December 1976 QST. His approach was to present the
data in a sort of “cost-benefit” style in Table A, reproduced here. John somewhat wryly created a new figure of merit—
the total amount of wire needed for various radial configurations. This is expressed in terms of wavelengths of total
radial wire.

Table A
Optimum Ground-System Configurations
Configuration Designation A B C D E F
Number of radials 16 24 36 60 90 120
Length of each radial in wavelengths 0.1 0.125 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.4
Spacing of radials in degrees
Total length of radial wire
installed, in wavelengths
Power loss in dB at low angles with
22.5

1.6
15

3
10

5.4
6

12
4

22.5
3

48 HK2PMR
a quarter-wave radiating element 3 2 1.5 1 0.5 0*
Feed-point impedance in ohms with
a quarter-wave radiating element 52 46 43 40 37 35
Note: Configuration designations are indicated only for text reference.
*Reference. The loss of this configuration is negligible compared to a perfectly conducting ground.

The results almost jumping out of this table are:

• If you can only install 16 radials (Case A), they needn’t be very long—0.1 λ is sufficient. You’ll use 1.6 λ of radial
wire in total, which is about 450 feet at 3.5 MHz.
• If you have the luxury of laying down 120 radials (Case F), they should be 0.4 λ long, and you’ll gain about 3 dB
over the 16-radial case. You’ll also use 48 λ of total wire—For 80 meters, that would be about 13,500 feet!
• If you can’t put out 120 radials, but can install 36 radials that are 0.15 λ long (Case C), you’ll lose only 1.5 dB
compared to the optimal Case F. You’ll also use 5.4 λ of total wire, or 1,500 feet at 3.5 MHz.
• A 50-Ω SWR of 1:1 isn’t necessary a good thing—the worst-case ground system in Case A has the lowest SWR.
Table A represents the case for “Average” quality soil, and it is valid for radial wires either laid on the ground or
buried several inches in the ground. Note that such ground-mounted radials are detuned because of their proximity to
that ground and hence don’t have to be a classical quarter-wave length that they need to be were they in “free space.”
In his article John also made the point that ground-radial losses would only be significant on transmit, since the
atmospheric noise on the amateur bands below 30 MHz is attenuated by ground losses, just like actual signals would
be. This limits the ultimate signal-to-noise ratio in receiving.
So, there you have the tradeoffs—the loss in transmitted signal compared to the cost (and effort) needed to install
more radial wires. You take your pick.

Antennas 22.23
 can be difficult to develop suitable match- bonded together, is seldom as effective as
ing networks when radiation resistance is a collection of random-length radial wires.
very low. All radial wires should be connected
together at the base of the vertical antenna.
GROUND SYSTEMS The electrical bond needs to be of low re-
Generally a large number of shorter sistance. Best results will be obtained
radials offers a better ground system than when the wires are soldered together at the
a few longer ones. For example, 8 radials junction point. When a grounded vertical
of 1/4 λ are preferred over 4 radials of 1/4 λ. is used, the ground wires should be affixed
Optimum radial lengths are described in securely to the base of the driven element.
the sidebar. Ground return losses are lower when
The conductor size of the radials is not vertical antennas and their radials are el-
especially significant. Wire gauges from #4 evated above ground, a point that is well-
Fig 22.44 — Elevation patterns for two to #20 have been used successfully by known by those using ground plane
quarter-wave vertical antennas over amateurs. Copper wire is preferred, but antennas on their roofs. Even on 160 or
different ground. One vertical is placed
where soil is low in acid (or alkali), alumi- 80 m, effective vertical antenna systems
over perfect ground, and the other is
placed over average ground. The far- num wire can be used. The wires may be can be made with as few as four quarter-
field response at low elevation angles bare or insulated, and they can be laid on wave long radials elevated 10 to 20 ft off
is greatly affected by the quality of the the earth’s surface or buried a few inches the ground.
ground — as far as 100 λ away from the below ground. Insulated wires will have
vertical antenna. greater longevity by virtue of reduced cor- FULL-SIZE VERTICAL ANTENNAS
rosion and dissolution from soil chemicals. When it is practical to erect a full-size
1
When property dimensions do not al- /4-λ vertical antenna, the forms shown in
low a classic installation of equally spaced Fig 22.46 are worthy of consideration.
radial wires, they can be placed on the The example at A is the well-known ver-
ground as space permits. They may run tical ground plane. The ground system
away from the antenna in only one or two consists of four above-ground radial
compass directions. They may be bent to wires. The length of the driven element
fit on your property. and 1/4-λ radials is derived from the stan-
A single ground rod, or group of them dard equation

HK2PMR
Fig 22.45 — Radiation resistance (solid
curve) and reactance (dotted curve) of
vertical antennas as a function of their
physical height.

practical to erect a full-size vertical. At

1.8 MHz, a full-sized quarter-wave verti-
cal is 130 ft high. In such instances it is
often necessary to accept a shorter radiat-
ing element and use some form of loading.
Fig 22.45 provides curves for the physi-
cal height of verticals in wavelength ver-
sus radiation resistance and reactance.
Although the plots are based on perfectly
conducting ground, they show general
trends for installations where many radi-
als have been laid out to make a ground
screen. As the radiator is made shorter, the
radiation resistance decreases—with 6 Ω
being typical for a 0.1-λ high antenna. The
lower the radiation resistance, the more
the antenna efficiency depends on ground
conductivity and the effectiveness of the
ground screen. Also, the bandwidth de-
creases markedly as the length is reduced
toward the left of the scale in Fig 22.45. It Fig 22.46 — Various types of vertical antennas.

22.24 Chapter 22
 234 dip meter is then inserted in the link to A matching network is placed between the
L (ft) (6)
f (MHz) determine the resonant frequency. If the lower end of one guy wire and ground and
tower is equipped with guy wires, they adjusted for an SWR of 1:1. It does not
With four equidistant radial wires should be broken up with strain insulators matter at which level on the tower the guy
drooped at approximately 30° (Fig 22.46A), to prevent unwanted loading of the verti- wires are connected, assuming that the
the feed-point impedance is roughly 50 Ω. cal. In such cases where the tower and Transmatch is capable of effecting a match
When the radials are at right angles to beam antennas are not able to provide to 50 Ω.
1
the radiator (Fig 22.46B) the impedance /4-λ resonance, portions of the top guy
approaches 36 Ω. Besides minimizing wires can be used as top-loading capaci- PHYSICALLY SHORT VERTICALS
ground return losses, another major ad- tance. Experiment with the guy-wire A group of short vertical radiators is
vantage in this type of vertical antenna lengths (using the dip-meter technique) presented in Fig 22.47. Illustrations A and
over a ground-mounted type is that the while determining the proper dimensions. B are for top and center loading. A capaci-
system can be elevated well above nearby A folded-unipole is depicted at E of tance hat is shown in each example. The
conductive objects (power lines, trees, Fig 22.46. This system has the advantage hat should be as large as practical to in-
buildings and so on). When drooping radi- of increased feed-point impedance. Fur- crease the radiation resistance of the
als are used, they can also serve as guy thermore, a Transmatch can be connected antenna and improve the bandwidth. The
wires for the mast that supports the between the bottom of the drop wire and wire in the loading coil is chosen for the
antenna. The coax shield braid is con- the ground system to permit operation on largest gauge consistent with ease of
nected to the radials, and the center con- more than one band. For example, if the winding and coil-form size. The larger
ductor to the driven element. tower is resonant on 80 m, it can be used wire diameters will reduce the resistive
The Marconi vertical antenna shown in as shown on 160 and 40 m with reasonable (I2R) losses in the system. The coil-form
Fig 22.46C is the classic form taken by results, even though it is not electrically material should have a medium or high
a ground-mounted vertical. It can be long enough on 160. The drop wire need dielectric constant. Phenolic or fiberglass
grounded at the base and shunt fed, or it not be a specific distance from the tower, tubing is entirely adequate.
can be isolated from ground, as shown, and but you might try spacings between 12 and A base-loaded vertical is shown at C of
series fed. As always, this vertical antenna 30 inches. Fig 22.47. The primary limitation is that
depends on an effective ground system for The method of feed shown at Fig 22.46F the high current portion of the vertical
efficient performance. If a perfect ground is commonly referred to as slant-wire exists in the coil rather than the driven
were located below the antenna, the feed feed. The guy wires and the tower com- element. With center loading, the portion
impedance would be near 36 Ω. In a prac- bine to provide quarter-wave resonance. of the antenna below the coil carries high
tical case, owing to imperfect ground, the
impedance is more apt to be in the vicinity
of 50 Ω.
A gamma feed system for a grounded
1
/4-λ vertical is presented in Fig 22.46D.
Some rules of thumb for arriving at work-
able gamma-arm and capacitor dimen-
sions are to make the rod length 0.04 to
0.05 λ, its diameter 1/3 to 1/2 that of the
driven element and the center-to-center
spacing between the gamma arm and the
driven element roughly 0.007 λ. The ca-
pacitance of C1 at a 50-Ω matched condi-
tion will be about 7 pF per meter of
wavelength. The absolute value of C1 will
depend on whether the vertical is resonant
and on the precise value of the radiation
resistance. For best results, make the ra-
diator approximately 3% shorter than the
resonant length.
Amateur antenna towers lend them-
selves to use as shunt-fed verticals, even
though an HF-band beam antenna is usu-
ally mounted on the tower. The overall
system should be close to resonance at the
desired operating frequency if a gamma
feed is used. The HF-band beam will con-
tribute somewhat to top loading of the
tower. The natural resonance of such a
system can be checked by dropping a #12
or #14 wire from the top of the tower (con-
necting it to the tower top) to form a folded
unipole (Fig 22.46E). A four- or five-turn
link can be inserted between the lower end
of the drop wire and the ground system. A Fig 22.47 — Vertical antennas that are less than one-quarter wavelength in height.

Antennas 22.25
 the effective height of the vertical antenna.

Fig 22.48 — At A are the details

CABLES AND CONTROL WIRES
for the tubing section of the ON TOWERS
loading assembly. Illustration B Most vertical antennas of the type
shows the top hat and its shown in Fig 22.46 consist of towers, usu-
spokes. The longer the spokes,
the better.
ally with HF or VHF beam antennas at the
top. The rotator control wires and the co-
axial feeders to the top of the tower will
not affect antenna performance adversely.
In fact, they become a part of the compos-
ite antenna. To prevent unwanted RF cur-
rents from following the wires into the
shack, simply dress them close to the
tower legs and bring them to ground level.
This decouples the wires at RF. The wires
should then be routed along the earth sur-
face (or buried underground) to the oper-
ating position. It is not necessary to use
bypass capacitors or RF chokes in the ro-
tator control leads if this is done, even
when maximum legal power is employed.

TRAP VERTICALS
The 2-band trap vertical antenna of
Fig 22.49 operates in much the same man-

HK2PMR
ner as a trap dipole or trap Yagi. The notable

current, and in the top-loaded version the quarter wavelength high.

entire vertical element carries high cur- A different method for top loading is
rent. Since the high-current part of the shown at F. Barry Boothe, W9UCW, de-
antenna is responsible for most of the ra- scribed this method in December 1974
diating, base loading is the least effective QST. An extension is used at the top of the
of the three methods. The radiation resis- tower to effect an electrical quarter-wave-
tance of the coil-loaded antennas shown is length vertical. L1 is a loading coil with
usually less than 16 Ω. sufficient inductance to provide antenna
A method for using guy wires to top load resonance. This type of antenna lends it-
a short vertical is illustrated in Fig 22.47D. self to operation on 160 m.
This system works well with gamma feed. A method for constructing the top-load-
The loading wires are trimmed to provide ing shown in Fig 22.47F is illustrated in
an electrical quarter wavelength for the Fig 22.48. Pipe section D is mated with
overall system. This method of loading will the mast above the HF-band beam antenna.
result in a higher radiation resistance and A loading coil is wound on solid Plexiglas
greater bandwidth than the systems shown rod or phenolic rod (item C), then clamped
at A through C. If an HF or VHF array is at inside the collet (B). An aluminum slug
the top the tower, it will simply contribute (part A) is clamped inside item B. The top
to the top loading. part of A is bored and tapped for a 3/8 × 24
A three-wire unipole is shown at E. Two stud. This permits a standard 8-ft stain-
#8 drop wires are connected to the top of less-steel mobile whip to be threaded into
the tower and brought to ground level. The item A above the loading coil. The capaci-
wires can be spaced any convenient dis- tance hat (Fig 22.48B) can be made from
tance from the tower—normally 12 to a 1/4-inch-thick brass or aluminum plate. Fig 22.49 — A two-band trap vertical
30 inches from one side. C1 is adjusted for It may be round or square. Lengths of antenna. The trap should be resonated
1
best SWR. This type of vertical has a fairly /8-inch brazing rod can be threaded and by itself as a parallel resonant circuit at
narrow bandwidth, but because C1 can be screwed into the edge of the aluminum the center of the operating range for
motor driven and controlled from the op- plate. The plate contains a row of holes the higher frequency band. The
erating position, frequency changes can be along its perimeter, each having been reactance of either the inductor or the
capacitor range from 100 to 300 Ω . At
accomplished easily. This technique will tapped for a 6-32 thread. The capacitance the lower frequency the trap will act as
not be suitable for matching to 50-Ω line hat is affixed to item A by means of the a loading inductor, adding electrical
unless the tower is less than an electrical 8-ft whip antenna. The whip will increase length to the total antenna.

22.26 Chapter 22
difference is that the vertical is one half of a During 20-m operation it allows the RF 20/15-m vertical). This is because the trap
dipole. The radial system (in-ground or energy to reach all of the antenna. The trap is part of the overall antenna, and the re-
above-ground) functions as a ground plane in this example is tuned as a parallel reso- sultant resonance is that of the total
for the antenna, and represents the missing nant circuit to 21 MHz. At this frequency antenna. Measure the trap separate from
half of the dipole. Once again, the more ef- it divorces the top section of the vertical the rest of the antenna.
fective the ground system, the better will be from the lower section because it presents Multiband operation is quite practical
the antenna performance. a high impedance (barrier) at 21 MHz. by using the appropriate number of traps
Trap verticals usually are adjusted as Generally, the trap inductor and capacitor and tubing sections. The construction and
1
/4-λ radiators. The portion of the antenna have a reactance of 100 to 300 Ω. Within adjustment procedure is the same, regard-
below the trap is adjusted as a 1/4-λ radia- that range it is not critical. less of the number of bands covered. The
tor at the higher proposed operating fre- The trap is built and adjusted separately highest frequency trap is always closest to
quency. That is, a 20/15-m trap vertical from the antenna. It should be resonated at the feed end of the antenna, and the lowest
would be a resonant quarter wavelength at the center of the portion of the band to be frequency trap is always the farthest from
15 m from the feedpoint to the bottom of operated. Thus, if one’s favorite part of the feedpoint. As the operating frequency
the trap. The trap and that portion of the the 15-m band is between 21.0 and is progressively lowered, more traps and
antenna above the trap (plus the 15-m sec- 21.1 MHz, the trap should be tuned to more tubing sections become a functional
tion below the trap) constitute the com- 21.05 MHz. part of the antenna.
plete antenna during 20-m operation. But Resonance is checked by using a dip Traps should be weatherproofed to pre-
because the trap is in the circuit, the over- meter and detecting the dipper signal in a vent moisture from detuning them. Sev-
all physical length of the vertical antenna calibrated receiver. Once the trap is ad- eral coatings of high dielectric compound,
will be slightly less than that of a single- justed it can be installed in the antenna, such as Polystyrene Q Dope, are effective.
band, full-size 20-m vertical. and no further adjustment will be required. Alternatively, a protective sleeve of heat-
It is easy, however, to be misled after the shrink tubing can be applied to the coil
TRAPS system is assembled: Attempts to check after completion. The coil form for the trap
The trap functions as the name implies: the trap with a dip meter will suggest that should be of high dielectric quality and be
It traps the 15-m energy and confines it to the trap has moved much lower in fre- rugged enough to sustain stress during
the part of the antenna below the trap. quency (approximately 5 MHz lower in a periods of wind.

DUAL-BAND VERTICALS FOR 17/40 OR 12/30 M

HK2PMR
Thanks to the harmonic relationships purely resistive. To tune out the reactance
between the HF ham bands, many anten- at 24.95 MHz, a series inductor is installed
nas can be made to do double duty. The (see Fig 22.50) and tapped to resonance at
simple verticals described here cover two the design frequency. The easiest way to
bands at once. Here’s how to turn a 30-m find resonance is by measuring the
1
/4-λ vertical into a 0.625-λ vertical for the antenna SWR. Use a good-quality coil for
12-m band, and a 40-m 1/4-λ vertical into a the series inductor. The recommended coil
0.625-λ vertical for the 17-m band. These has a diameter of 2 1/ 2 inches, and has
verticals were designed and constructed 6 turns per inch (B&W stock no. 3029).
by John J. Reh, K7KGP. The write-up first Resonance on 12 m was established with
appeared in April 1989 QST. 31/4 turns. The SWR on 12 m is 1.1:1, and
on 30 m, 1:1. To change bands from 12 to
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS 30 m, move the coil tap to the end of the
For the 30 and 12-m vertical, an old alu- coil closest to the vertical element. Alter-
minum multiband vertical was cut to a natively, a single-pole switch or remotely
length of 25 ft, 3 inches. This corresponds operated relay can be installed at the base
to a design frequency of 24.95 MHz. The of the vertical for bandswitching. Later,
length-to-diameter ratio is approximately you’ll see how to build the antenna with
460. The input impedance of a vertical that automatic bandswitching.
is substantially longer than a 1/4-λ (in this
case 0.625 λ) is particularly sensitive to THE GROUND SYSTEM
the λ/D ratio of the radiating element. If Maximum RF current density—and
this antenna is duplicated with materials therefore maximum ground losses—for
having a significantly different λ/D ratio, 1
/4-λ verticals occurs in the immediate Fig 22.50 — Dual-band vertical. Use a
the results may be different. area of the base of the antenna. Maximum switch or relay to remove the loading
After installing a good ground system, return current ground loss for a 0.625-λ coil from the circuit for lower frequency
the input impedance was measured and vertical occurs about 1/2 λ away from the operation. Adjust the coil tap for best
SWR on the higher-frequency band.
found to have a resistance of about 50 Ω, base of the antenna. It’s important to have
The radial system should be as
and a capacitance of about –155 Ω (at the lowest possible losses in the immedi- extensive as possible. See The ARRL
24.95 MHz). At 10.125 MHz, the input ate area for both types of verticals. In ad- Antenna Book for more information on
impedance was just under 50 Ω, and dition to a ground radial system, 6×6-ft ground systems for vertical antennas.

Antennas 22.27
aluminum ground screen is used at the Table 22.10 W8EUI, presented this scheme for auto-
base of the antenna. The screen makes a matic bandswitching of the 40/17-m verti-
good tie point for the radials and conducts Specifications for Dual-Band cal. Johnson shortened his 40-m vertical
ground currents efficiently. Seventeen Verticals approximately 12 inches and found an in-
wire radials, each about 33 ft long, are Required ductance that gave him 40 and 17-m band
Matching
spaced evenly around the antenna. More operation with an SWR of less than 1.4:1
Bands Height Inductance (μH)
radials would probably work better. Each across each band. He used an inductor
12 m & 30 m 23' 5" 0.99
radial is bolted to the screen using corro- 17 m & 40 m 32' 3" 1.36
made from B&W air-wound coil stock (no.
sion-resistant #10-24 hardware. (Do not 3033). This coil is 3 inches in diameter,
attempt to connect copper directly to alu- and has 31/8 turns of #12 wire wound at 6
minum. The electrical connection between turns per inch, providing an inductance of
the two metals will quickly deteriorate.) about 2.8 μH. Johnson experimentally
The radials can be made of bare or insu- vertical is a few inches longer than 32 ft, determined the correct tap position.
lated wire. Make sure the ground screen is 3 inches, try using it anyway—a few For the 30/12-m version, start with the
bolted to the ground side of the antenna inches isn’t too critical to performance on vertical radiator 9 inches shorter than the
with heavy-gauge wire. Current flow is 17 m. value given in the table. In both cases,
fairly heavy at this point. radiator height and inductance should be
Table 22.10 gives specifications for the AUTOMATIC BANDSWITCHING adjusted for optimum match on the two
dual-band vertical. If your existing 40-m In October 1989 QST, James Johnson, bands covered.

HK2PMR

Inverted L and Sloper Antennas

This section covers variations on the have not had such luck. Investigations by extracted from VE2CV’s work:
vertical antenna. Fig 22.51A shows a flat- ARRL Technical Advisor John S. Belrose, At 160 m—use a 40-m beam on top of a
top T vertical. Dimension H should be as VE2CV, have brought some insight to the 95-ft tower with a 55° sloper apex angle.
tall as possible for best results. The hori- situation through computer modeling with The radiation pattern varies little with
zontal section, L, is adjusted to a length ELNEC and antenna-range tests. The fol- Yagi type. The pattern is slightly cardioid
that provides resonance. Maximum radia- lowing is taken from VE2CV’s Technical with about 8 dB front-to-back ratio at a
tion is polarized vertically despite the Correspondence in Feb 1991 QST, pp 39 25º takeoff angle (see Fig 22.51D and E).
horizontal top-loading wire. A variation and 40. Essentially, the half sloper is a Input impedance is about 50 Ω.
of the T antenna is depicted at B of top-fed vertical antenna worked against a At 80 m—use a 20-m beam on top of a
Fig 22.51. This antenna is commonly re- ground plane (such as a grounded Yagi 50-ft tower with a 55° sloper apex angle.
ferred to as an inverted L. Vertical mem- antenna) at the top of the tower. The tower The radiation pattern and input impedance
ber H should be as long as possible. L is acts as a reflector. are similar to those of the 160-m half sloper.
added to provide an electrical quarter For half slopers, the input impedance, At 40 m—use a 20-m beam on top of a
wavelength overall. the resonant length of the sloping wire and 50-ft tower with a 55° sloper apex angle.
the antenna pattern all depend on the tower The radiation pattern and impedance de-
THE HALF-SLOPER ANTENNA height, the angle (between the sloper and pend strongly on the azimuth orientation
Many hams have had excellent results tower) the type of Yagi and the Yagi ori- of the Yagi. Impedance varies from 76 to
with half-sloper antennas, while others entation. Here are several configurations 127 Ω depending on Yagi direction.

22.28 Chapter 22
 HK2PMR

Fig 22.51 — Some variations in vertical antennas. D is the vertical radiation pattern in the plane of a half sloper, with the
sloper to the right. E is the azimuthal pattern of the half sloper (90° azimuth is the direction of the sloping wire). Both
patterns apply to 160- and 80-m antennas described in the text.

1.8-MHZ INVERTED L
The antenna shown in Fig 22.52 is
simple and easy to construct. It is a good
antenna for the beginner or the experienced
1.8 MHz DXer. Because the overall elec-
trical length is greater than 1/4 λ, the feed-
point resistance is on the order of 50 Ω,
with an inductive reactance. That reactance
is canceled by a series capacitor, which for
power levels up to the legal limit can be an
air-variable capacitor with a voltage rating
of 1500 V. Adjust antenna length and vari-
HK2PMR

Fig 22.52 — The 1.8-MHz inverted L.

Overall wire length is 165 to 175 ft. The
variable capacitor has a maximum
capacitance of 500 to 800 pF.

Antennas 22.29
able capacitor for lowest SWR. L as far from the tower as is practical. a 5-element Yagi, for example.) For best
A yardarm or a length of line attached to Certain combinations of tower height and results the vertical section should be as
a tower can be used to support the vertical Yagi top loading can interact severely with long as possible. A good ground system is
section of the antenna. (Keep the inverted the Inverted-L antenna—a 70-ft tower and necessary for good results.

THE HALF-WAVE VERTICAL DIPOLE (HVD)

Chuck Hutchinson, K8CH, describes a with the remaining 0.875-inch tubing. sembled if you ever want to make changes.
15-m vertical dipole (HVD) that he built You should now have two 11-ft-long Because hand-made cuts are not per-
in the ARRL book, Simple and Fun Anten- elements. As you can see in Fig 22.53, fectly square, put those element ends at the
nas for Hams. The performance of this K8CH was temporarily out of aluminum center of the antenna. Slip these cut ends
antenna, with its base at 14 ft, compares pop rivets, so he used sheet metal screws. over the ends of a 1-ft length of 0.75-inch
favorably with a horizontal dipole at 30 ft Either will work fine, but pop rivets can fiberglass rod. This rod serves as the center
when making intercontinental QSOs. easily be drilled out and the antenna disas- insulator. Leave about a 1-inch gap at the
center. Drill aluminum and fiberglass for
CONSTRUCTION OF A 15-M HVD #8 hardware as shown in Fig 22.54.
The 15-meter HVD consists of four 6-ft Now, slip half of the remaining 1-ft
lengths of 0.875-inch aluminum tube with length of 0.75-inch fiberglass rod into one
0.058 wall thickness. In addition there are end the dipole. (This end will be the bot-
two 1-ft lengths of 0.75-inch tubing for tom end or base.) Drill and secure with #8
splices, and two one-foot lengths of 0.75- hardware. See Fig 22.55.
inch fiberglass rod for insulators. See The final step is to secure the guy wires
Table 22.11 for dimensions. to your vertical. You can see how K8CH
Start by cutting off 1 foot from a 6-ft did that in Fig 22.56. Start by drilling a
length of 0.875-inch tubing. Next, insert six Fig 22.54 — The center insulator of the pilot hole and then drive a sheet metal
inches of one of the 1-foot-long 0.75-inch 15-m HVD is a 1-ft length of 0.75-inch screw into the antenna about a foot above
tubes into the machine-cut end of your tub- fiberglass rod. Insulator and elements the center. The purpose of that screw is to
ing and fasten the tubes together. Now, have been drilled to accept #8 hardware. prevent the clamp and guys from sliding
slide an end of a 6-ft length of 0.875 tube down the antenna.
over the protruding end of the 0.75 tube and
fasten them together. Repeat this procedure HK2PMR The guys are clean lengths of 3/16-inch
Dacron line. (The Dacron serves a dual
purpose: it supports the antenna vertically,
and it acts as an insulator.) Tie secure knots
into the guy ends and secure these knotted
Table 22.11
ends to the antenna with a stainless-steel
HVD Dimensions worm-screw-type hose clamp. Take care to
Length using 0.875-inch aluminum tubing not over tighten the clamps. You don’t want
MHz Feet Inches the clamp to slip (the knots and the sheet-
18.11 33 11 Fig 22.55 — The HVD base insulator is metal screw will help), but you especially
21.2 22 0 a 1-ft length of 0.75-inch fiberglass rod. don’t want to cut your guy lines. Your
24.94 18 9
28.4 16 5
These lengths should divided by two to
determine the length of the dipole legs.

Fig 22.53 — Element splice uses a 1-ft Fig 22.56 — Guys are made of Dacron
length of 0.75-inch tubing inserted into line that is attached to the HVD by a Fig 22.57 — At K8CH, the HVD base
the 0.875-inch sections to join them stainless-steel worm-screw-type hose insulator sits in this saddle-shaped
together. Self-tapping sheet-metal clamp. A self-tapping sheet-metal wooden fixture. This was photo was
screws are used in this photo, but screw (not visible in the photo) taken before the fixture was painted—a
aluminum pop rivets or machine prevents the clamp from sliding down necessary step to protect against the
screws with washers and nuts can be the antenna. weather.
used.
22.30 Chapter 22
 Fig 22.58 — The HVD installed at K8CH. BALUN
An eye screw that is used for securing
one of the guy lines is visible in the This antenna needs a common-mode
foreground. You can also see the two choke to ensure that stray RF doesn’t flow
choke baluns that are used in the feed on the shield of the coax. This device is
system (see text). also known as a choke balun. Unlike a
horizontal dipole, don’t consider it an op-
antenna is ready for installation. tion to omit the common-mode choke
when building and installing an HVD.
INSTALLATION You can use 8 ft of the RG-213 feed line
Installation requires two things. First, a wound into 7 turns for a balun. Secure the
place to sit or mount the base insulator. turns together with electrical tape so that
Second, you need anchors for the support each turn lies parallel with the next turn,
guys. forming a solenoid coil. Secure the feed
K8CH used a piece of 2 × 6 lumber to line and balun to one of the guy lines with
make a socket to hold the HVD base securely UV-resistant cable ties.
in place. He drilled a 3/4-inch-deep hole with Because the feed line slants away from
a 3/4-inch spade bit. A couple of pieces of the antenna, you’ll want to do all that you
2 × 2 lumber at the ends of the base form a can to eliminate common-mode currents
saddle which nicely straddles the ridge at from the feed line. For that reason, make
the peak of his garage roof. You can see how another balun about 11.5 ft from the first
I did this in Fig 22.57. The dimensions are one. This balun also consists of 8 ft of the
not critical, but you should paint your base RG-213 feed line wound into 7 turns. See
to protect it from the weather. Fig 22.58.

THE COMPACT VERTICAL DIPOLE (CVD)

HK2PMR
An HVD for 20 m will be about 33 ft angle of maximum radiation shifts up a bit Table 22.12. The upper wires droop at a
tall, and for 30 m, it will be around 46 ft for the CVD. Not a bad compromise when 45° angle and the lower wires run horizon-
tall. Even the 20-m version can prove to you consider that the CVD is 22-ft long tally. The antenna is supported by 4 guy
be a mechanical challenge. The compact compared to the approximately 46-ft lines. See Fig 22.59. You can connect the
vertical dipole (CVD), designed by Chuck length of the HVD. wires to the vertical portion with #8 hard-
Hutchinson, K8CH, uses capacitance ware. Crimp and solder terminals on the
loading to shorten the antenna. Starting SWR and SWR Bandwidth wire ends to make connections easier. The
with the 15-m HVD described in the pre- Shortened antennas usually have lower technique is illustrated in Fig 22.60.
vious project, Chuck added capacitance radiation resistance and less SWR band- The upper loading wires can be ex-
loading wires to lower the resonance to width than the full-size versions. The tended with insulated line and used for
30 m. Later, he shortened the wires to amount of change in the radiation resis- additional guying. The lower wires are
move resonance to the 20-m band. This tance is related to the amount and type of extended with insulated line and fasten to
project describes those two CVDs. loading (shortening), being lower with the guy lines so that the lower wires run
shorter the antennas. This can be a benefit horizontally.
PERFORMANCE ISSUES in the case of a shortened vertical dipole. Prune the lower wires for best SWR
Shortened antennas frequently suffer In Fig 22.1 you can see that vertical di- across the band of interest. The K8CH
reduced performance caused by the short- poles have a fairly high radiation resis- CVD has its base at 14 ft. This antenna has
ening. A dipole that is less than a half wave tance. With the dipole’s lower end 1/8 λ an SWR of less than 1.2:1 on 30 m and less
in length is a compromise antenna. The above ground, the radiation resistance is than 1.3:1 across the entire 20-m band.
question becomes how much is lost in the roughly 80 Ω. In this case, a shorter
compromise. In this case there are two antenna can have a better SWR when fed EXPERIENCE
areas of primary interest, radiation effi- with 50-Ω coax. The 30-m CVD was compared to a
ciency and SWR bandwidth. SWR bandwidth tends to be wide for ground-mounted quarter-wave vertical
vertical dipoles in general. A properly and a horizontal dipole at 30 ft. In tests,
Radiation Efficiency designed CVD for 7-MHz or higher should the CVD was always the superior antenna.
Capacitance loading at the dipole ends give you good SWR (1.5:1 or better) across
is the most efficient method of shortening the entire band!
the antenna. Current distribution in the As you can see, in theory the CVD pro-
high-current center of the antenna remains vides excellent performance in a compact Table 22.12
virtually unchanged. Since radiation is package. Experience confirms the theory. CVD Loading Wires
related directly to current, this is the most
desireable form of loading. Computer CONSTRUCTION Length using #14 insulated copper wire
Band Feet Inches
modeling shows that radiation from a To convert the K8CH 15-m HVD to 20
30-m CVD is only 0.66 dB less than that or 30 m, you’ll need to add four loading 30 m 6 0 Top & Bottom
20 m 4 2¼ Top
from a full-size 30-m HVD when both wires at the top and four more at the bot- 20 m 3 ½ Bottom
have their bases 8 ft above ground. The tom of the HVD. The lengths are shown in

Antennas 22.31
 Fig 22.60 — CVD loading wires can be
attached using #8 hardware. Crimp and
solder terminals on the wire ends to
make connections easier.

HK2PMR

Fig 22.59 — The CVD consists of a vertical dipole and loading wires. Only one set
of the four loading wires and only one guy line is shown in this drawing. See text
for details.

Every DX station that was called by K8CH ited about 3/4 inch of radial ice on the
responded with one or two calls. What antenna, loading wires and guys. The
more could you ask for? antenna would probably have survived
Later, the CVD loading wires were had it not been for the sustained 45 mph
shortened for operation on 20 m. Once winds that followed. The upper loading
again the results were very encouraging. wires and their guy lines were not heavy
Many contest QSOs were entered in the enough to support the load and the antenna
log using this antenna. bent and broke. This combination of ice
Finally, a late winter ice storm depos- and wind is very unusual.

ALL WIRE 30-M CVD

If you have a tree or other support that The configuration is shown in
will support the upper end of a CVD at Fig 22.61. As with any vertical dipole,
32 ft above the ground, you might want to you’ll need to use a balun between the
consider an all-wire version of the 30-m feedline and the antenna.
Fig 22.61 — The all-wire 30-m CVD
CVD. The vertical is 24 ft long and it will Alternatively you can use two loading consists of a vertical dipole and loading
have an SWR of less than 1.1:1 across the wires at the top and two at the bottom. In wires. It can be made entirely with #14
band. The four loading wires at top and this case each of the loading wires is 8 ft wire. Support lines have been omitted for
bottom are each 5 ft, 2 inches long. 71/2 inches long. simplicity. See text for details.

22.32 Chapter 22
Yagi and Quad Directive Antennas
Most antennas described earlier in this contrasted to driven elements, which re- ing of the elements. Element tuning is a
chapter have unity gain compared to a di- ceive power directly from the transmitter function of length, diameter and taper
pole, or just slightly more. For the purpose through the transmission line. schedule if the element is constructed with
of obtaining gain and directivity it is con- The parasitic element is called a direc- telescoping tubing. For any given spac-
venient to use a Yagi-Uda or cubical quad tor when it reinforces radiation on a line ing, there is a tuning condition that will
beam antenna. The former is commonly pointing to it from the driven element, and give maximum gain at this spacing. How-
called a Yagi, and the latter is usually re- a reflector when the reverse is the case. ever, the maximum front-to-rear ratio sel-
ferred to as a quad. Whether the parasitic element is a director dom, if ever, occurs at the same condition
Most operators prefer to erect these an- or reflector depends on the parasitic ele- that gives maximum forward gain. The
tennas for horizontal polarization, but they ment tuning, which is usually adjusted by impedance of the driven element in a para-
can be used as vertically polarized arrays changing its length. sitic array, and thus the SWR, also varies
merely by rotating the elements by 90°. In with the tuning and spacing.
effect, the beam antenna is turned on its side GAIN, FRONT-TO-REAR RATIO It is important to remember that all these
for vertical polarity. The number of elements AND SWR parameters change as the operating fre-
used will depend on the gain desired and the The gain of an antenna with parasitic quency is varied. For example, if you
limits of the supporting structure. Many elements varies with the spacing and tun- operate both the CW and phone portions
amateurs obtain satisfactory results with
only two elements in a beam antenna, while
others have four or five elements operating
on a single amateur band.
Regardless of the number of elements
used, the height-above-ground consider-
ations discussed earlier for dipole anten-
nas remain valid with respect to the angle
of radiation. This is demonstrated in
Fig 22.62 at A and B where a comparison
of radiation characteristics is given for a
3-element Yagi at one-half and one wave-
length above average ground. It can be
seen that the higher antenna (Fig 22.62B)
has a main lobe that is more favorable for
DX work (roughly 15°) than the lobe of Fig 22.64 — Gain vs element spacing for
the lower antenna in Fig 22.62A (approxi- a 2-element Yagi, having one driven and
mately 30°). The pattern at B shows that one parasitic element. The reference
some useful high-angle radiation exists point, 0 dB, is the field strength from a
also, and the higher lobe is suitable for half-wave antenna alone. The greatest
gain is in the direction A at spacings of
short-skip contacts when propagation con- less than 0.14 λ , and in direction B at
ditions dictate the need. greater spacings. The front-to-rear ratio
The azimuth pattern for the same antenna Fig 22.62 — Elevation-plane response is the difference in decibels between
is provided in Fig 22.63. Most of the power of a 3-element Yagi placed 1/2 λ above curves A and B. Variation in radiation
is concentrated in the main lobe at 0° azi- perfect ground at A and the same resistance of the driven element is also
muth. The lobe directly behind the main antenna spaced 1 λ above ground at B. shown. These curves are for the special
case of a self-resonant parasitic
lobe at 180° is often called the backlobe. element, but are representative of how a
Note that there are small sidelobes at ap- 2-element Yagi works. At most spacings
proximately 110° and 260° in azimuth. The the gain as a reflector can be increased
peak power difference, in decibels, be- by slight lengthening of the parasitic
tween the nose of the main lobe at 0° and element; the gain as a director can be
increased by shortening. This also
the strongest rearward lobe is called the improves the front-to-rear ratio.
front-to-rear ratio (F/R). In this case the
worst-case rearward lobe is at 180°, and the
F/R is 12 dB. It is infrequent that two
3-element Yagis with different element
spacings and tuning will yield the same
lobe patterns. The pattern of Fig 22.63 is
shown only for illustrative purposes.

PARASITIC EXCITATION
In most of these arrangements the addi-
tional elements receive power by induc-
tion or radiation from the driven element Fig 22.65 — General relationship of
Fig 22.63 — Azimuth-plane pattern of gain of 3-element Yagi vs director
and reradiate it in the proper phase rela- a typical three-element Yagi in free spacing, the reflector being fixed at
tionship to give the desired effect. These space. The Yagi’s boom is along the 0.2 λ . This antenna is tuned for
elements are called parasitic elements, as 0° to 180° axis. maximum forward gain.

Antennas 22.33
Table 22.13 Table 22.14
10-m Optimized Yagi Designs 12-m Optimized Yagi Designs
Spacing Spacing
Between Seg 1 Seg 2 Seg 3 Midband Between Seg 1 Seg 2 Seg 3 Midband
Elements Length Length Length Gain Elements Length Length Length Gain
(in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) F/R (in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) F/R
310-08 312-10
Refl 0 24 18 66.750 7.2 dBi Refl 0 36 18 69.000 7.5 dBi
DE 36 24 18 57.625 22.9 dB DE 40 36 18 59.125 24.8 dB
Dir 1 54 24 18 53.125 Dir 1 74 36 18 54.000
410-14 412-15
Refl 0 24 18 64.875 8.4 dBi Refl 0 36 18 66.875 8.5 dBi
DE 36 24 18 58.625 30.9 dB DE 46 36 18 60.625 27.8 dB
Dir 1 36 24 18 57.000 Dir 1 46 36 18 58.625
Dir 2 90 24 18 47.750 Dir 2 82 36 18 50.875
510-24 512-20
Refl 0 24 18 65.625 10.3 dBi Refl 0 36 18 69.750 9.5 dBi
DE 36 24 18 58.000 25.9 dB DE 46 36 18 61.750 24.9 dB
Dir 1 36 24 18 57.125 Dir 1 46 36 18 60.500
Dir 2 99 24 18 55.000 Dir 2 48 36 18 55.500
Dir 3 111 24 18 50.750 Dir 3 94 36 18 54.625
Note: For all antennas, the tube diameters are: Seg 1=0.750 inch, Note: For all antennas, the tube diameters are: Seg 1 = 0.750 inch,
Seg 2=0.625 inch, Seg 3=0.500 inch. Seg 2 = 0.625 inch, Seg 3 = 0.500 inch.

of the 20-m band with a Yagi or quad an- ment quad can achieve better F/R, gain and
tenna, you probably will want an antenna SWR across a band, at the expense of greater
that spreads out the performance over mechanical complexity compared to a Yagi.
most of the band. Such designs typically
must sacrifice a little gain in order to THREE-ELEMENT BEAMS
achieve good F/R and SWR performance A theoretical investigation of the 3-ele-
across the band. The longer the boom of a ment case (director, driven element and re-
Yagi or a quad, and the more elements that flector) has indicated a maximum gain of
are placed on that boom, the better will be about 9.7 dBi. A number of experimental
the overall performance over a given ama- investigations have shown that the spacing
teur band. For the lower HF bands, the size between the driven element and reflector
of the antenna quickly becomes impracti- for maximum gain is in the region of 0.15
cal for truly optimal designs, and compro- to .25 λ. With 0.2-λ reflector spacing,
mise is necessary. Fig 22.65 shows that the gain variation with
director spacing is not especially critical.
TWO-ELEMENT BEAMS Also, the overall length of the array (boom Fig 22.67 — The boom-to-element plate
A 2-element beam is useful—especially length in the case of a rotatable antenna) at A uses muffler-clamp-type U-bolts
and saddles to secure the round tubing
where space or other considerations prevent can be anywhere between 0.35 and 0.45 λ
to the flat plate. The boom-to-mast
the use of a three element, or larger, beam. with no appreciable difference in the maxi- plate at B is similar to the boom-to-
The general practice is to tune the parasitic mum gain obtainable. element plate. The main difference is
element as a reflector and space it about If maximum gain is desired, wide spacing the size of materials used.
0.15 λ from the driven element, although
some successful antennas have been built
with 0. l-λ spacing and director tuning. Gain
vs element spacing for a 2-element antenna
is given in Fig 22.64 for the special case
where the parasitic element is resonant. It is
indicative of the performance to be expected
under maximum-gain tuning conditions.
Changing the tuning of the driven element in
a Yagi or quad will not materially affect the
gain or F/R. Thus, only the spacing and the
tuning of the single parasitic element have
HK2PMR
any effect on the performance of a 2-ele-
ment Yagi or quad. Most 2-element Yagi
designs achieve a compromise F/R of about
10 dB, together with acceptable SWR and
gain across a frequency band with a percent- Fig 22.66 — Some methods of connecting telescoping tubing sections to build
age bandwidth less than about 4%. A 2-ele- beam elements. See text for a discussion of each method.

22.34 Chapter 22
of both elements is beneficial because ad-
justment of tuning or element length is less Table 22.15
critical and the input resistance of the driven 15-m Optimized Yagi Designs
element is generally higher than with close Spacing
spacing. A higher input resistance improves Between Seg 1 Seg 2 Seg 3 Seg 4 Midband
the efficiency of the antenna and makes a Elements Length Length Length Length Gain
greater bandwidth possible. However, a total (in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) F/R
315-12
antenna length, director to reflector, of more Refl 0 30 36 18 61.375 7.6 dBi
than 0.3 λ at frequencies of the order of DE 48 30 36 18 49.625 25.5 dB
14 MHz introduces difficulty from a con- Dir 1 92 30 36 18 43.500
struction standpoint. Lengths of 0.25 to
415-18
0.3 λ are therefore used frequently for this
Refl 0 30 36 18 59.750 8.3 dBi
band, even though they are less than opti-
DE 56 30 36 18 50.875 31.2 dB
Dir 1 56 30 36 18 48.000
Dir 2 98 30 36 18 36.625
515-24
Refl 0 30 36 18 62.000 9.4 dBi
DE 48 30 36 18 52.375 25.8 dB
Dir 1 48 30 36 18 47.875
Dir 2 52 30 36 18 47.000
Dir 3 134 30 36 18 41.000
Note: For all antennas, the tube diameters (in inches) are:
Seg 1 = 0.875, Seg 2 = 0.750, Seg 3 = 0.625, Seg 4 = 0.500.

Table 22.16
HK2PMR
17-m Optimized Yagi Designs
Spacing
Between Seg 1 Seg 2 Seg 3 Seg 4 Seg 5 Midband
Elements Length Length Length Length Length Gain
(in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) F/R
317-14
Refl 0 24 24 36 24 60.125 8.1 dBi
DE 65 24 24 36 24 52.625 24.3 dB
Dir 1 97 24 24 36 24 48.500
417-20
Refl 0 24 24 36 24 61.500 8.5 dBi
DE 48 24 24 36 24 54.250 27.7 dB
Dir 1 48 24 24 36 24 52.625
Dir 2 138 24 24 36 24 40.500
Note: For all antennas, tube diameters (inches) are: Seg 1=1.000, Seg 2=0.875,
Seg 3=0.750, Seg 4=0.625, Seg 5=0.500.

Fig 22.68 — Illustrations of gamma and

T matching systems. At A, the gamma
rod is adjusted along with C until the
lowest SWR is obtained. A T match is
shown at B. It is the same as two Table 22.17
gamma-match rods. The rods and C1 20-m Optimized Yagi Designs
and C2 are adjusted alternately for a
best SWR. A coaxial 4:1 balun transfor- Spacing
mer is shown at C. A toroidal balun can Between Seg 1 Seg 2 Seg 3 Seg 4 Seg 5 Seg 6 Midband
be used in place of the coax model Elements Length Length Length Length Length Length Gain
shown. The toroidal version has a (in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) F/R
broader frequency range than the 320-16
coaxial one. The T match is adjusted Refl 0 48 24 20 42 20 69.625 7.3 dBi
for 200 Ω and the balun steps this DE 80 48 24 20 42 20 51.250 23.4 dB
balanced value down to 50 Ω , Dir 1 106 48 24 20 42 20 42.625
unbalanced. Or the T match can be set 420-26
for 300 Ω , and the balun used to step
this down to 75 Ω unbalanced. Refl 0 48 24 20 42 20 65.625 8.6 dBi
Dimensions for the gamma and T match DE 72 48 24 20 42 20 53.375 23.4 dB
rods will depend on the tubing size Dir 1 60 48 24 20 42 20 51.750
used, and the spacing of the parasitic Dir 2 174 48 24 20 42 20 38.625
elements of the beam. Capacitors C, C1 Note: For all antennas, tube diameters (inches) are: Seg 1=1.000, Seg 2=0.875,
and C2 can be 140 pF Seg 3=0.750, Seg 4=0.625, Seg 5=0.500.
for 14-MHz beams. Somewhat less capa-
citance will be needed at 21 and 28 MHz.
Antennas 22.35
mum from the viewpoint of maximum gain. the boom is minimal. The element dimen- TUNING ADJUSTMENTS
In general, Yagi antenna gain drops off sions given in each table already take into Preliminary matching adjustments can
less rapidly when the reflector length is in- account any element detuning due to the be done on the ground. The beam should
creased beyond the optimum value than it boom-to-element mounting plate. The ele- be set up so the reflector element rests on
does for a corresponding decrease below ment-to-boom mounting plate for all the the earth, with the beam pointing upward.
the optimum value. The opposite is true of 10-m Yagis is a 0.250-inch thick flat alu- The matching system is then adjusted for
a director. It is therefore advisable to err, if minum plate, 4 inches wide by 4 inches best SWR. When the antenna is raised to
necessary, on the long side for a reflector long. For the 12 and 15-m Yagis, a 0.375- its operating height, only slight touch-up
and on the short side for a director. This inch thick flat aluminum plate, 5 inches of the matching network may be required.
also tends to make the antenna performance wide by 6 inches long is used, and for the
less dependent on the exact frequency at 17 and 20-m Yagis, a 0.375-inch thick flat CONSTRUCTION OF YAGIS
which it is operated: An increase above the aluminum plate, 6 inches wide by 8 inches
design frequency has the same effect as long is used. Where the plate is rectangu- Most beams and verticals are made from
increasing the length of both parasitic ele- lar, the long dimension is in line with the sections of aluminum tubing. Compro-
ments, while a decrease in frequency has element. mise beams have been fashioned from
the same effect as shortening both ele- Each design table shows the dimensions less-expensive materials such as electri-
ments. By making the director slightly for one-half of each element, mounted on cal conduit (steel) or bamboo poles
short and the reflector slightly long, there one side of the boom. The other half of each wrapped with conductive tape or alumi-
will be a greater spread between the upper element is the same, mounted on the other num foil. The steel conduit is heavy, is a
and lower frequencies at which the gain side of the boom. Use a tubing sleeve inside poor conductor and is subject to rust. Simi-
starts to show a rapid decrease. the center portion of the element so that the larly, bamboo with conducting material
We recommend plumbers delight con- element is not crushed by the mounting U- attached to it may deteriorate rapidly in
struction, where all elements are mounted bolts. Each telescoping section is inserted the weather. The dimensions shown for the
directly on, and grounded to, the boom. 3 inches into the next size of tubing. For Yagis in the preceding section are de-
This puts the entire array at dc ground example, in the 310-08.YAG design (3 ele- signed for specific telescoping aluminum
potential, affording better lightning pro- ments on an 8-ft boom), the reflector tip, elements, but the elements may be scaled
tection. A gamma- or T-match section can made out of 1/2-inch OD tubing, sticks out to different sizes by using the information
be used for matching the feed line to the 66.75 inches from the 5/8-inch OD tubing. about tapering and scaling in Chapter 2 of
array. For each 10-m element, the overall length The ARRL Antenna Book, although with a
of each 5/ 8-inch OD piece of tubing is likelihood of deterioration in performance
COMPUTER-OPTIMIZED YAGIS 21 inches, before insertion into the 3/4-inch over the whole frequency band.
Yagi designers are now able to take ad- piece. Since the 3/4-inch OD tubing is For reference, Table 22.18 details the
vantage of powerful personal computers and 24 inches long on each side of the boom, standard sizes of aluminum tubing, avail-
software to optimize their designs for the the center portion of each element is actu- able in many metropolitan areas. Dealers
parameters of gain, F/R and SWR across ally 48 inches of uncut 3/4-inch OD tubing. may be found in the Yellow Pages under
frequency bands. ARRL Senior Assistant The boom for all these antennas should Aluminum. Tubing usually comes in 12-ft
Technical Editor Dean Straw, N6BV, has be constructed with at least 2-inch-OD lengths, although 20-ft lengths are avail-
designed a family of Yagis for HF bands. tubing, with 0.065-inch wall thickness. able in some sizes. Your aluminum dealer
These can be found in Tables 22.13, 22.14, Because each boom has 3 inches extra will probably also sell aluminum plate in
22.15, 22.16 and 22.17, for the 10, 12, 15, 17 space at each end, the reflector is actually various thicknesses needed for boom-to-
and 20-m amateur bands. placed 3 inches from one end of the boom. mast and boom-to-element connections.
For 12 through 20 m, each design has For the 310-08.YAG, the driven element Aluminum is rated according to its hard-
been optimized for better than 20 dB F/R, is placed 36 inches ahead of the reflector, ness. The most common material used in
and an SWR of less than 2:1 across the and the director is placed 54 inches ahead antenna construction is grade 6061-T6.
entire amateur frequency band. For the of the driven element. This material is relatively strong and has
10-m band, the designs were optimized for Each antenna is designed with a driven good workability. In addition, it will bend
the lower 800 kHz of the band, from 28.0 element length appropriate for a gamma or T without taking a set, an advantage in
to 28.8 MHz. Each Yagi element is made matching network, as shown in Fig 22.68. antenna applications where the pieces are
of telescoping 6061-T6 aluminum tubing, The variable gamma or T capacitors can be constantly flexing in the wind. The softer
with 0.058 inch thick walls. This type of housed in small plastic enclosures for weath- grades (5051, 3003 and so on) will bend
element can be telescoped easily, using erproofing; receiving-type variable capaci- much more easily, while harder grades
techniques shown in Fig 22.66. Measur- tors with close plate spacing can be used at (7075 and so on) are more brittle.
ing each element to an accuracy of 1/8 inch powers up to a few hundred watts. Maxi- Wall thickness is of primary concern
results in performance remarkably consis- mum capacitance required is usually 140 pF when selecting tubing. It is of utmost im-
tent with the computations, without any at 14 MHz and proportionally less at the portance that the tubing fits snugly where
need for tweaking or fine-tuning when the higher frequencies. the element sections join. Sloppy joints will
Yagi is on the tower. The driven-element’s length may re- make a mechanically unstable antenna. The
Each element is mounted above the quire slight readjustment for best match, magic wall thickness is 0.058 inch. For
boom with a heavy rectangular aluminum particularly if a different matching net- example (from Table 22.18), 1-inch out-
plate, by means of galvanized U-bolts with work is used. Do not change either the side diameter (OD) tubing with a 0.058-
saddles, as shown in Fig 22.67. This lengths or the telescoping tubing sched- inch wall has an inside diameter (ID) of
method of element mounting is rugged ule of the parasitic elements—they have 0.884 inch. The next smaller size of tubing,
7
and stable, and because the element is been optimized for best performance and /8 inch, has an OD of 0.875 inch. The
mounted away from the boom, the amount will not be affected by tuning of the 0.009-inch difference provides just the
of element detuning due to the presence of driven element. right amount of clearance for a snug fit.

22.36 Chapter 22
Table 22.18
Standard Sizes of Aluminum Tubing
6061-T6 (61S-T6) Round Aluminum Tube in 12-ft Lengths
OD Wall Thickness ID Approx Weight (lb) OD Wall Thickness ID Approx Weight (lb)
(in.) (in.) stubs ga (in.) per ft per length (in.) (in.) stubs ga (in.) per ft per length
3
/16 0.035 no. 20 0.117 0.019 0.228 1 1/ 8 0.035 no. 20 1.055 0.139 1.668
0.049 no. 18 0.089 0.025 0.330 0.058 no. 17 1.009 0.228 2.736
1
/4 0.035 no. 20 0.180 0.027 0.324 1 1/ 4 0.035 no. 20 1.180 0.155 1.860
0.049 no. 18 0.152 0.036 0.432 0.049 no. 18 1.152 0.210 2.520
0.058 no. 17 0.134 0.041 0.492 0.058 no. 17 1.134 0.256 3.072
5
/16 0.035 no. 20 0.242 0.036 0.432 0.065 no. 16 1.120 0.284 3.408
0.049 no. 18 0.214 0.047 0.564 0.083 no. 14 1.084 0.357 4.284
0.058 no. 17 0.196 0.055 0.660 1 3/ 8 0.035 no. 20 1.305 0.173 2.076
3
/8 0.035 no. 20 0.305 0.043 0.516 0.058 no. 17 1.259 0.282 3.384
0.049 no. 18 0.277 0.060 0.720 1 1/ 2 0.035 no. 20 1.430 0.180 2.160
0.058 no. 17 0.259 0.068 0.816 0.049 no. 18 1.402 0.260 3.120
0.065 no. 16 0.245 0.074 0.888 0.058 no. 17 1.384 0.309 3.708
7
/16 0.035 no. 20 0.367 0.051 0.612 0.065 no. 16 1.370 0.344 4.128
0.049 no. 18 0.339 0.070 0.840 0.083 no. 14 1.334 0.434 5.208
1
0.065 no. 16 0.307 0.089 1.068 *0.125 / 8" 1.250 0.630 7.416
1 1
/2 0.028 no. 22 0.444 0.049 0.588 *0.250 / 4" 1.000 1.150 14.823
0.035 no. 20 0.430 0.059 0.708 1 5/ 8 0.035 no. 20 1.555 0.206 2.472
0.049 no. 18 0.402 0.082 0.948 0.058 no. 17 1.509 0.336 4.032
0.058 no. 17 0.384 0.095 1.040 1 3/ 4 0.058 no. 17 1.634 0.363 4.356
0.065 no. 16 0.370 0.107 1.284 0.083 no. 14 1.584 0.510 6.120
5
/8 0.028 no. 22 0.569 0.061 0.732 1 7/ 8 0.508 no. 17 1.759 0.389 4.668
0.035 no. 20 0.555 0.075 0.900 2 0.049 no. 18 1.902 0.350 4.200
0.049 no. 18 0.527 0.106 1.272 0.065 no. 16 1.870 0.450 5.400
0.058 no. 17 0.509 0.121 1.452 0.083 no. 14 1.834 0.590 7.080
1
0.065 no. 16 0.495 0.137 1.644 *0.125 / 8" 1.750 0.870 9.960
3 1
/4 0.035 no. 20 0.680 0.091 1.092 *0.250 / 4" 1.500 1.620 19.920
0.049 no. 18 0.652 0.125 1.500 2 1/ 4 0.049 no. 18 2.152 0.398 4.776
0.058 no. 17 0.634 0.148 1.776 0.065 no. 16 2.120 0.520 6.240
0.065 no. 16 0.620 0.160 1.920 0.083 no. 14 2.084 0.660 7.920
0.083 no. 14 0.584 0.204 2.448 2 1/ 2 0.065 no. 16 2.370 0.587 7.044
7
/8 0.035 no. 20 0.805 0.108 1.308 0.083 no. 14 2.334 0.740 8.880
1
0.049 no. 18 0.777 0.151 1.810 *0.125 / 8" 2.250 1.100 12.720
1
0.058 no. 17 0.759 0.175 2.100 *0.250 / 4" 2.000 2.080 25.440
0.065 no. 16 0.745 0.199 2.399 3 0.065 no. 16 2.870 0.710 8.520
1
1 0.035 no. 20 0.930 0.123 1.467 *0.125 / 8" 2.700 1.330 15.600
0.049 no. 18 0.902 0.170 2.040 *0.250 1
/ 4" 2.500 2.540 31.200
0.058 no. 17 0.884 0.202 2.424 *These sizes are extruded; all other sizes are drawn tubes.
0.065 no. 16 0.870 0.220 2.640 Shown here are standard sizes of aluminum tubing that are stocked
0.083 no. 14 0.834 0.281 3.372 by most aluminum suppliers or distributors in the United States and
Canada.

Fig 22.66 shows several methods of never rust. Also, being aluminum, there is but mostly the element weight, number of
fastening antenna element sections to- no danger of corrosion from interaction elements and overall length. Two-inch-
gether. The slot and hose clamp method between dissimilar metals. If the antenna is diameter booms should not be made any
shown in Fig 22.66A is probably the best to be disassembled and moved periodically, longer than 24 ft unless additional support
for joints where adjustments are needed. either B or C will work. If machine screws is given to reduce both vertical and hori-
Generally, one adjustable joint per ele- are used, however, take precautions to keep zontal bending forces. Suitable reinforce-
ment half is sufficient to tune the the nuts from vibrating free. Use of lock ment for a long 2-inch boom can consist of
antenna—usually the tips at each end of washers, lock nuts and flexible adhesive a truss or a truss and lateral support, as
an element are made adjustable. Stain- such as silicone bathtub sealant will keep shown in Fig 22.69.
less steel hose clamps (beware—some the hardware in place.
“stainless steel” models do not have a Use of a conductive grease at the ele-
stainless screw and will rust) are recom- ment joints is essential for long life. Left
mended for longest antenna life. untreated, the aluminum surfaces will oxi-
Fig 22.66B, C and D show possible fas- dize in the weather, resulting in a poor con-
tening methods for joints that are not ad- nection. Some trade names for this
justable. At B, machine screws and nuts conductive grease are Penetrox, Noalox
hold the elements in place. At C, sheet and Dow Corning Molykote 41. Many elec-
metal screws are used. At D, rivets secure trical supply houses carry these products.
the tubing. If the antenna is to be assembled
permanently, rivets are the best choice. BOOM MATERIAL
Fig 22.69 — A long boom needs both
Once in place, they are permanent. They The boom size for a rotatable Yagi or
vertical and horizontal support. The
will never work free, regardless of vibra- quad should be selected to provide stabil- crossbar mounted above the boom can
tion or wind. If aluminum rivets with alu- ity to the entire system. The best diameter support a double truss, which will help
minum mandrels are employed, they will for the boom depends on several factors, keep the antenna in position.

Antennas 22.37
 A boom length of 24 ft is about the point sold at farm supply houses. ing the U-bolts, be careful not to crush the
where a 3-inch diameter begins to be very tubing. Once the wall begins to collapse,
worthwhile. This dimension provides a PUTTING IT TOGETHER the connection begins to weaken. Many
considerable amount of improvement in Once you assemble the boom and ele- aluminum suppliers sell 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch
overall mechanical stability as well as in- ments, the next step is to fasten the ele- plates just right for this application. Often
creased clamping surface area for element ments to the boom securely and then they will shear pieces to the correct size on
hardware. The latter is extremely impor- fasten the boom to the mast or supporting request. As with tubing, the relatively hard
tant to prevent rotation of elements around structure. Be sure to leave plenty of mate- 6061-T6 grade is a good choice for mount-
the boom if heavy icing is commonplace. rial on either side of the U-bolt holes on ing plates.
Pinning an element to the boom with a the element-to-boom mounting plates. The antenna should be put together with
large bolt helps in this regard. On smaller The U-bolts selected should be a snug fit good-quality hardware. Stainless steel is
diameter booms, however, the elements for the tubing. If possible, buy muffler- best for long life. Rust will attack plated
sometimes work loose and tend to elon- clamp U-bolts that come with saddles. steel hardware after a short while, making
gate the pinning holes in both the element The boom-to-mast plate shown in nuts difficult, if not impossible, to remove.
and the boom. After some time the ele- Fig 22.67B is similar to the boom-to-ele- If stainless muffler clamps are not avail-
ments shift their positions slightly (some- ment plate. The size of the plate and num- able, the next best thing is to have them
times from day to day) and give a ragged ber of U-bolts used will depend on the size plated. If you can’t get them plated, then at
appearance to the system, even though this of the antenna. Generally, antennas for the least paint them with a good zinc-chromate
may not harm the electrical performance. bands up through 20 m require only two primer and a finish coat or two. Good-qual-
A 3-inch-diameter boom with a wall U-bolts each for the mast and boom. ity hardware is more expensive initially, but
thickness of 0.065 inch is very satisfac- Longer antennas for 15 and 20 m (35-ft if you do it right the first time, you won’t
tory for antennas up to about a 5-element, booms and up) and most 40-m beams have to take the antenna down after a few
20-m array that is spaced on a 40-ft boom. should have four U-bolts each for the years and replace the hardware. Also, when
A truss is recommended for any boom boom and mast because of the torque that repairing or modifying an installation,
longer than 24 ft. One possible source for the long booms and elements exert as the nothing is more frustrating than fighting
large boom material is irrigation tubing antennas move in the wind. When tighten- rusty hardware at the top of a tower.

Quad Antennas
One of the more effective DX arrays is reflector stub on the quad should be ad- lowest SWR occurs. By lengthening or
called a quad antenna. It consists of two or justed for this condition. The gamma shortening it, the driven element length
more loops of wire, each supported by a match should be adjusted for best SWR. can be adjusted for resonance in the most-
bamboo or fiberglass cross-arm assembly. The resonance of the antenna can be found used portion of the band.
The loops are a quarter wavelength per by checking the frequency at which the
side (full wavelength overall). One loop is
driven and the other serves as a parasitic
element—usually a reflector. A variation
HK2PMR
of the quad is called the delta loop. The
electrical properties of both antennas are
the same. Both antennas are shown in
Fig 22.70. They differ mainly in their
physical properties, one being of
plumber’s delight construction, while the
other uses insulating support members.
One or more directors can be added to ei-
ther antenna if additional gain and direc-
tivity are desired, though most operators
use the 2-element arrangement.
It is possible to interlace quads or deltas
for two or more bands, but if this is done
the formulas given in Fig 22.70 may have
to be changed slightly to compensate for
the proximity effect of the second antenna.
For quads the length of the full-wave loop
can be computed from

1005
Full - wave loop ft (7)
f (MHz)

If multiple arrays are used, each antenna

should be tuned separately for maximum Fig 22.70 — Information on building a quad or a delta-loop antenna. The antennas
forward gain, or best front-to-rear ratio, as are electrically similar, but the delta-loop uses plumber’s delight construction. The λ /
observed on a field-strength meter. The 4 length of 75-ΩΩ coax acts as a Q-section transformer from approximate 100-Ω Ω
feedpoint impedance of quad to 50-Ω Ω feed line coax.

22.38 Chapter 22
A FIVE-BAND, TWO-ELEMENT HF QUAD
Two quad designs are described in this
article, both nearly identical. One was con-
structed by KC6T from scratch, and the
other was built by Al Doig, W6NBH, using
modified commercial triband quad hard-
ware. The principles of construction and
adjustment are the same for both models,
and the performance results are also essen-
tially identical. One of the main advantages
of this design is the ease of (relatively) in-
dependent performance adjustments for
each of the five bands. These quads were
described by William A. Stein, KC6T, in
QST for April 1992. Both models use 8-ft-
long, 2-inch diameter booms, and conven-
tional X-shaped spreaders (with two sides
of each quad loop parallel to the ground).
THE FIVE-BAND QUAD AS A
SYSTEM
Unless you are extraordinarily lucky,
you should remember one general rule:
Any quad must be adjusted for maximum
performance after assembly. Simple quad
designs can be tuned by pruning and re-
stringing the elements to control front-to-
rear ratio and SWR at the desired operating
frequency. Since each element of this quad
contains five concentric loops, this adjust-
ment method could lead to a nervous
HK2PMR
breakdown!
Fig 22.71 shows that the reflectors and
driven elements are each independently Fig 22.71 — Mechanical layout of the five-band quad. The boom is 8 ft long; see
adjustable. After assembly, adjustment is Table 22.19 for all other dimensions.
simple, and although gamma-match com-
ponents on the driven element and capaci-
tors on the reflectors add to the antenna’s • Setting the minimum SWR in any por- contribute to mechanical strength: The
parts count, physical construction is not dif- tion of each band, with no interaction gamma-match capacitor KC6T used was a
ficult. The reflector elements are purposely with previously made front-to-back or small, air-variable, chassis-mount capa-
cut slightly long (except for the 10-m SWR adjustments. citor mounted in a plastic box (see
reflector), and electrically shortened by Fig 22.72). A male UHF connector was
a tuning capacitor. The driven-element The first of the two antennas described, mounted to the box, along with a screw
gamma matches set the lowest SWR at the the KC6T model, uses aluminum spread- terminal for connection to the gamma rod.
desired operating frequency. ers with PVC insulators at the element
As with most multiband directive anten- attachment points. (The author elected not
nas, the designer can optimize any two of to use fiberglass spreaders because of their
the following three attributes at the expense high cost.) The second antenna, the
of the third: forward gain, front-to-rear W6NBH model, provides dimensions and
ratio and bandwidth (where the SWR is less adjustment values for the same antenna,
than 2:1). These three characteristics are but using standard triband-quad fiberglass
related, and changing one changes the other spreaders and hardware. If you have a
two. The basic idea behind this quad design triband quad, you can easily adapt it to
is to permit (without resorting to trimming this design. When W6NBH built his
loop lengths, spacing or other gross me- antenna, he had to shorten the 20-m reflec-
chanical adjustments): tor because the KC6T model uses a larger
20-m reflector than W6NBH’s fiberglass
• The forward gain, bandwidth and front- spreaders would allow. Performance is es-
to-rear ratio may be set by a simple sentially identical for both models.
adjustment after assembly. The adjust-
ments can be made on a band-by-band MECHANICAL CONSIDERATIONS
basis, with little or no effect on previ- Even the best electrical design has no
ously made adjustments on the other value if its mechanical construction is Fig 22.72 — Photo of one of the feed-
bands. lacking. Here are some of the things that point gamma-match capacitors.

Antennas 22.39
The terminal lug and wire are for later lators for each gamma rod, and mount the Fig 22.73 shows these insulators and the
connection to the driven element. The box first insulator as close to the capacitor box gamma-match construction schemati-
came from a local hobby shop, and the box as possible. Apply five-minute epoxy to cally. Table 22.19 lists the component
lid was replaced with a piece of 1/32-inch the element and gamma rod at the insula- values, element lengths and gamma-match
ABS plastic, glued in place after the ca- tor hole to keep the insulators from slid- dimensions.
pacitor, connector and wiring had been ing. If you intend to experiment with
installed. The capacitor can be adjusted gamma-rod length, perform this gluing ELEMENT-TO-SPREADER
with a screwdriver through an access hole. operation after you have made the final ATTACHMENT
Small vent (drain) holes were drilled near gamma-rod adjustments. Probably the most common problem
corresponding corners of each end. with quad antennas is wire breakage at the
Enclose the gamma-match capacitor in ELEMENT INSULATORS element-to-spreader attachment points.
such a manner that you can tape unwanted As shown in Fig 22.71, the quad uses There are a number of functional attach-
openings closed so that moisture can’t be insulators in the reflectors for each band ment methods; Fig 22.74 shows one of
directly blown in during wind and rain- to break the loop electrically, and to allow them. The attachment method with both
storms. Also, smaller boxes and sturdy reflector adjustments. Similar insulators KC6T and W6NBH spreaders is the same,
mounts to the driven element ensure that were used to break up each driven element even though the spreader constructions
you won’t pick up gamma capacitor as- so that element impedance measurements differ. The KC6T model uses #14 AWG,
semblies along with the leaves after a wind could be made with a noise bridge. After 7-strand copper wire; W6NBH used #18,
storm. the impedance measurements, the driven- 7-strand wire. At the point of element at-
Plastic gamma-rod insulators/standoffs element loops are closed again. The insu- tachment (see Fig 22.75), drill a hole
were made from 1/32-inch ABS, cut 1/2-inch lators are made from 1/ 4 × 2 × 3/ 4-inch through both walls of the spreader using a
wide with a hole at each end. Use a knife phenolic stock. The holes are 1/ 2-inch #44 (0.086-inch) drill. Feed a 24-inch-long
to cut from the hole to the side of each apart. Two terminal lugs (shorted together piece of antenna wire through the hole and
insulator so that one end can be slipped at the center hole) are used in each driven center it for use as an attachment wire.
over the driven element and the other over element. They offer a convenient way to After fabricating the spider/spreader as-
the gamma rod. Use about four such insu- open the loops by removing one screw. sembly, lay the completed assembly on a
flat surface and cut the element to be in-
stalled to the correct length, starting with
the 10-m element. Attach the element ends
to the insulators to form a closed loop be-
fore attaching the elements to the spread-
ers. Center the insulator between the
spreaders on what will become the bottom
side of the quad loop, then carefully mea-
sure and mark the element-mounting-
points with fingernail polish (or a similar
substance). Do not depend on the at-rest
position of the spreaders to guarantee that
Fig 22.73 — Gamma-match construction details at A and reflector-tuning capacitor the mounting points will all be correct.
(CR) attachment schematic at B. The gamma matches consist of matching wires
(one per band) with series capacitors (Cg). See Table 22.19 for lengths and
component specifications.

Table 22.19
HK2PMR
Element Lengths and Gamma-Match Specifications of the KC6T and
W6NBH Five-Band Quads
KC6T Model
Gamma Match
Band Driven Length Spacing Cg(pF) Reflector CR
(MHz) Element (in.) Length (in.) (pF)
14 851.2 33 2 125 902.4 68
18 665.6 24 2 110 705.6 47
21 568 24 1.5 90 604.8 43
24.9 483.2 29.75 1 56 514.4 33
28 421.6 26.5 1 52 448.8 (jumper)
W6NBH Model
Gamma Match
Band Driven Length Spacing Cg(pF) Reflector CR
(MHz) Element (in.) Length (in.) (pF)
14 851.2 31 2 117 890.4 120 Fig 22.74 — Attaching quad wires to the
18 665.6 21 2 114 705.6 56 spreaders must minimize stress on the
21 568 26 1.5 69 604.8 58 wires for best reliability. This method
24.9 483.2 15 1 75.5 514.4 54 (described in the text) cuts the chances
28 421.6 18 1 41 448.8 (jumper) of wind-induced wire breakage by
distributing stress.

22.40 Chapter 22
 Holding the mark at the centerline of using #6 sheet metal screws. Mechanical
the spreader, tightly loop the attachment strength is provided by Devcon no. S 220
wire around the element and then gradu- Plastic Welder Glue (or equivalent) ap-
ally space out the attachment-wire turns plied liberally as the aluminum and plas-
as shown. The attachment wire need not tic parts are joined. Paint the PVC in-
be soldered to the element. The gradu- sulators before mounting the elements to
ated turn spacing minimizes the likeli- them. Paint protects the PVC from the
hood that the element wire will flex in the harmful effects of solar radiation. As you
same place with each gust of wind, thus can see from Fig 22.75, an additional
reducing fatigue-induced wire breakage. spreader insulator located about halfway
up the 10-m section (inside dimension
FEEDING THE DRIVEN ELEMENTS “A”) removes one of the structure’s elec-
Each driven element is fed separately, trical resonances not eliminated by the
but feeding five separate feed lines down attachment-point insulators. Because it
the tower and into the shack would be mounts at a relatively high-stress point in
costly and mechanically difficult. The the spreader, this insulator is fabricated
ends of each of these coax lines also re- from a length of heavy-wall fiberglass
quire support other than the tension (or tubing.
lack of thereof) provided by the driven Composite spreaders work as well as
element at the feed-point. It is best to use fiberglass spreaders, but require access to
a remote coax switch on the boom approxi- a well-equipped shop, including a lathe.
mately 1 ft from the driven-element spi- The main objective of presenting the com-
der-assembly attachment point. posite spreader is to show that fiberglass
At installation, the cables connecting spreaders aren’t a basic requirement—
the gamma-match capacitors and the coax there are many other ways to construct
switch help support the driven elements usable spreaders. If you can lay your hands
and gamma capacitors. The support can be on a used multiband quad, even one that’s
improved by taping the cables together in damaged, you can probably obtain enough
several places. A single coaxial feed line spreaders to reduce construction costs
(and a control cable from the remote coax considerably.
switch, if yours requires one) is the only
required cabling from the antenna to the GAMMA ROD
shack. The gamma rod is made from a length of
#12 solid copper wire (W6NBH used #18,
THE KC6T MODEL’S COMPOSITE 7-strand wire). Dimensions and spacings
SPREADERS are shown in Table 22.19. If you intend to
If you live in an area with little or no experiment with gamma-rod lengths and
wind, spreaders made from wood or PVC capacitor settings, cut the gamma-rod
are practical but, if you live where winds lengths about 12 inches longer than the
can reach 60 to 80 mi/h, strong, light- length listed in the table. Fabricate a slid-
weight spreaders are a must. Spreaders ing short by soldering two small alligator
constructed with electrical conductors (in clips back-to-back such that they can be
this case, aluminum tubing) can cause a clipped to the rod and the antenna element
myriad of problems with unwanted reso- and easily moved along the driven ele-
nances, and the problem gets worse as the ment. Note that gamma-rod spacing var-
number of bands increases. ies from one band to another. When you
To avoid these problems, this version find a suitable shorting-clip position, mark
uses composite spreaders made from ma- the gamma rod, remove the clip, bend the
chined PVC insulators at the element-at- gamma rod at the mark and solder the end
tachment points. Aluminum tubing is to the element.
inserted into (or over) the insulators
2 inches on each end. This spreader is THE W6NBH MODEL
designed to withstand 80 mi/h winds. The As previously mentioned, this model
overall insulator length is designed to pro- uses standard 13-ft fiberglass spreaders,
vide a 3-inch center insulator clear of the which aren’t quite long enough to support
aluminum tubing. The aluminum tubing the larger 20-m reflector specified for the
used for the 10-m section (inside dimen- KC6T model. The 20-m W6NBH reflec-
Fig 22.75 — Spreader-drilling diagram
sion “A” in Fig 22.75) is 11/8-inch diam- tor loop is cut to the dimensions shown in
and dimensions (in.) for the five-band eter × 0.058-inch wall. The next three Table 22.19, 12 inches shorter than that
quad. These dimensions apply to both sections are 3/4-inch diameter × 0.035-inch for the KC6T model. To tune the shorter
spreader designs described in the text, wall, and the outer length is made from reflector, a 6-inch-long stub of antenna
except that most commercial spreaders 1
/2-inch diameter × 0.035-inch wall. The wire (spaced 2 inches) hangs from the re-
are only a bit over 13 ft (156 inches) dimensions shown in Fig 22.75 are attach- flector insulator, and the reflector tuning
long. This requires compensation for
the W6NBH model’s shorter 20-m
ment point dimensions only. capacitor mounts on another insulator at
reflector as described in the text. Attach the insulators to the aluminum the end of this stub.

Antennas 22.41
GAMMA-MATCH AND capacitor (with a hand-drawn scale and
REFLECTOR-TUNING CAPACITOR Table 22.20 wire pointer). Calibrate the capacitor us-
Use an air-variable capacitor of your Measured Front-to-Rear Ratios ing your receiver, a known-value inductor
choice for each gamma match. Approxi- Band KC6T W6NBH and a dip meter (plus a little calculation).
mately 300 V can appear across this capaci- Model Model To adjust front-to-rear ratio, simply clip
tor (at 1500 W), so choose plate spacing 14 25 dB 16 dB the (calibrated) air-variable capacitor
18 15 dB 10 dB across the open ends of the desired reflec-
appropriately. If you want to adjust the 21 25 dB >20 dB
capacitor for best match and then replace it tor loop. Connect the antenna to a portable
24.9 20 dB >20 dB
with a fixed capacitance, remember that 28 20 dB >20 dB receiver with an S meter. Point the back of
several amperes of RF will flow through the quad at a signal source, and slowly
the capacitance. If you choose disc-ceramic adjust the capacitor for a dip in the S-meter
capacitors, use a parallel combination of at reading.
least four l-kV units of equal value. Any and are willing to settle for a narrower than After completing the front-to-rear ad-
temperature coefficient is acceptable. NP0 maximum SWR bandwidth), or accept justments, replace the variable capacitor
units are not required. Use similar compo- some compromise in front-to-rear ratio with an appropriate fixed capacitor sealed
nents to tune the reflector elements. that results in the widest SWR bandwidth. against the weather. Then move to the
You can make this adjustment by placing driven-element adjustments. Connect the
ADJUSTMENTS an air-variable capacitor (about 100-pF coax through the SWR bridge to the 10-m
Well, here you are with about 605 ft of maximum) across the open reflector loop gamma-match capacitor box. Use an SWR
wire. Your antenna will weigh about 45 ends, one band at a time, and adjusting bridge that requires only a watt or two (not
pounds (the W6NBH version is slightly the capacitor for the desired front-to-rear more than 10 W) for full-scale deflection
lighter) and have about 9 square ft of wind ratio. The means of doing this will be dis- in the calibrate position on 10 m. Using
area. If you chose to, you can use the di- cussed later. the minimum necessary power, measure
mensions and capacitance values given, During these reflector adjustments, the the SWR. Go back to receive and adjust
and performance should be excellent. If driven-element gamma-match capacitors the capacitor until (after a number of trans-
you adjust the antenna for minimum SWR may be set to any value and the gamma mit/receive cycles) you find the minimum
at the band centers, it should cover all of rods may be any convenient length (but SWR. If it is too high, lengthen or shorten
the lower four bands and 28 to 29 MHz the sliding-short alligator clips should be the gamma rod by means of the sliding
with SWRs under 2:1; front-to-rear ratios installed somewhere near the lengths alligator-clip short and make the measure-
are given in Table 22.20. specified in Table 22.19). After complet- ments again.
Instead of building the quad to the di- ing the front-to-rear adjustments, the Stand away from the antenna when
mensions listed and hoping for the best, gamma capacitors and rods are adjusted making transmitter-on measurements.
you can adjust your antenna to account for for minimum SWR at the desired fre- The adjustments have minimal effect on
most of the electrical environment vari- quency. the previously made front-to-rear settings,
ables of your installation. The adjustments and may be made in any band order. After
are conceptually simple: First adjust the ADJUSTMENT SPECIFICS making all the adjustments and sealing the
reflector’s electrical length for maximum Adjust each band by feeding it sepa- gamma capacitors, reconnect the coax
front-to-rear ratio (if you desire good gain, rately. You can make a calibrated variable harness to the remote coax switch.

A SIMPLE QUAD FOR 40 METERS

HK2PMR
Many amateurs yearn for a 40-m antenna used in the larger design have been elimi- since the bottom ends of each element are
with more gain than a simple dipole. While nated. brought back close to the supporting tower.
two-element rotary 40-m beams are avail- The layout of the simple 40-m quad at a (These element ends are insulated from the
able commercially, they are costly and re- boom height of 70 ft is shown in Fig 22.76. tower and from each other). Having the
quire fairly hefty rotators to turn them. This The wires for each element are pulled out elements near the tower makes fine-tuning
low-cost, single-direction quad is simple sideways from the boom with black 1/8-inch adjustments much easier—after all, the
enough for a quick Field Day installation, Dacron rope designed specifically to with- ends of the loop wires are not 9 feet out, on
but will also make a home station very com- stand both abrasion and UV radiation. The the ends of the boom! The feed-point resis-
petitive on the 40-m band. use of the proper type of rope is very impor- tance with this loop configuration is close
This quad uses a 2-inch outside diam- tant—using a cheap substitute is not a good to 50 Ω, meaning that no matching network
eter, 18-ft boom, which should be mounted idea. You will not enjoy trying to retrieve is necessary. By contrast, a more con-
no less than 60 ft high, preferably higher. wires that have become, like Charlie ventional diamond or square quad-loop
(Performance tradeoffs with height above Brown’s kite, hopelessly entangled in configuration exhibits about a 100-Ω resis-
ground will be discussed later.) The basic nearby trees, all because a cheap rope broke tance.
design is derived from the N6BV 75/8 during a windstorm! At a boom height of Another bonus to this loop configura-
0-meter quad described in The ARRL 70 ft, the quad requires a wingspread of tion is that the average height above
Antenna Compendium, Vol 5. However, 140 ft for the side ropes. This is the same ground is higher, leading to a slightly
since this simplified 40-m version is uni- wingspread needed by an inverted-V dipole lower angle of radiation for the array and
directional and since it covers only one at the same apex height with a 90° included less loss because the bottom of each ele-
portion of the band (CW or Phone, but not angle between the two legs. ment is raised higher above lossy ground.
both), all the relay-switched components The shape of each loop is rather unusual, The drawback to this unusual layout is that

22.42 Chapter 22
 HK2PMR
Fig 22.76 — Layout of 40-meter quad with a boom height of 70 feet. The four stay ropes on each loop pull out each loop into
the desired shape. Note the 10-foot separator rope at the bottom of each loop, which helps it hold its shape. The feed line is
attached to the driven element through a choke balun, consisting of 10 turns of coax in a 1-foot diameter loop. You could
also use large ferrite beads over the feed-line coax, as explained in Chapter 21. Both the driven element and reflector loops
are terminated in SO-239 connectors tied back to (but insulated from) the tower. The reflector SO-239 has a shorted PL-259
normally installed in it. This is removed during fine-tuning of the quad, as explained in the text.

four more tag-line stay ropes are neces- of 2-inch diameter aluminum tubing. You
sary to pull the elements out sideways at can probably find a suitable boom from a
the bottom, pulling against the 10-foot scrapped triband or monoband Yagi. You
separator ropes shown in Fig 22.76. will need a suitable set of U-bolts and a
mounting plate to secure the boom to the
CONSTRUCTION face of a tower. Or perhaps you might use
You must decide before construction lag screws to mount the boom temporarily
whether you want coverage on CW (cen- to a suitable tree on Field Day! On a 70-ft
tered on 7050 kHz) or on Phone (centered high tower, the loop wires are brought
on 7225 kHz), with roughly 120 kHz of back to the tower at the 37.5-ft level and
coverage between the 2:1 SWR points. If tied there using insulators and rope. The
the quad is cut for the CW portion of the lowest points of the loops are located
band, it will have less than about a 3.5:1 Fig 22.77 — Plot of SWR versus
frequency for a quad tuned for CW about 25 ft above ground for a 70-ft tower.
SWR at 7300 kHz, as shown in Fig 22.77. operation. Fig 22.78 gives dimensions for the driven
The pattern will deteriorate to about a 7 dB element and reflector for both the CW and
F/B at 7300 kHz, with a reduction in gain the Phone portions of the 40-m band.
of almost 3 dB from its peak in the CW
band. It is possible to use a quad tuned for direction design to cover Europe and GUY WIRES
CW in the phone band if you use an North Africa. For Field Day, a group oper- Anyone who has worked with quads
antenna tuner to reduce the SWR and if ating on the East Coast would simply point knows they are definitely three-dimen-
you can take the reduction in performance. it west, while their counterparts on the sional objects! You should plan your in-
To put things in perspective, a quad tuned West Coast would point theirs east. stallation carefully, particularly if the
for CW but operated in the phone band The mechanical requirements for the supporting tower has guy wires, as most
will still work about as well as a dipole. boom are not severe, especially since a top do. Depending on where the guys are lo-
Next, you must decide where you want truss support is used to relieve stress on cated on the tower and the layout of the
to point the quad. A DXer or contester in the boom due to the wires pulling on it quad with reference to those guys, you will
the USA might want to point this single- from below. The boom is 18 ft long, made probably have to string the quad loops over

Antennas 22.43
 7050 kHz, 7200 kHz,
CW SSB
Length A, Reflector 31’6” 30’103/4”
Length B, Reflector 28’21/4” 27’7”
Length C, Reflector 15’71/4” 15’
Total, Half Reflector 75’31/2” 73’53/4”
Resonant Frequency 7030 kHz 7205 kHz
Length A, Driven 30’71/4” 30’
Length B, Driven 27’31/2” 26’81/2”
Length C, Driven 14’71/2” 14’
Length, Half Driven 72’61/4” 70’81/2”

HK2PMR Self-Resonant Frequency 7295 kHz 7480 kHz

Fig 22.78 — Dimensions of each loop, for CW or Phone operation.

certain guys (probably at the top of the element’s resonant frequency by first re- der things securely. Don’t forget to reinsert
tower) and under other guys lower down. moving the shorted PL-259 normally in- the shorted PL-259 into the reflector
It is very useful to view the placement serted into the reflector connector. SO-239 connector to turn it back into a re-
of guy wires using the VIEW ANTENNA func- Similarly, the reflector’s resonant fre- flector.
tion in the EZNEC modeling program. quency can be determined by removing
This allows you to visualize the 3-D lay- the feed line normally connected to the HIGHER IS BETTER
out of an antenna. You can ROTATE your- driven element’s feed point. This quad was designed to operate with
self around the tower to view various Obviously, it’s easiest if you start out the boom at least 60 ft high. However, it will
aspects of the layout. EZNEC will com- with extra wire for each loop, perhaps work considerably better for DX work if you
plain about grounding wires directly but 6 inches extra on each side of the SO-239. can put the boom up even higher. Fig 22.79
will still allow you to use the View You can then cut off wire in 1/2-inch seg- shows the elevation patterns for four anten-
Antenna function. Note also that it is best ments equally on each side of the connec- nas: a reference inverted-V dipole at 70 ft
to insulate guy wires to prevent interac- tor. This procedure is easier than trying to (with a 90° included angle between the two
tion between them and the antennas on a splice extra wire while up on the tower. legs), and three quads, with boom height of
tower, but this may not be necessary for Alligator clips are useful during this proce- 70, 90 and 100 ft respectively. At an eleva-
all installations. dure, but just don’t lose your hold on the tion angle of 20°, typical for DX work on
wires! You should tie safety strings from 40 m, the quad at 100 ft has about a 5 dB
FINE TUNING, IF NEEDED each wire back to the tower. Prune the wire advantage over an inverted-V dipole at
We specify stranded #14 hard-drawn lengths to yield the resonant frequencies 70 ft, and about a 3 dB advantage over a
copper wire for the elements. During the (±5 kHz) shown in Fig 22.78 and then sol- quad with a boom height of 70 ft.
course of installation, however, the loop
wires could possibly be stretched a small
amount as you pull and yank on them, try-
ing to clear various obstacles. This may
shift the frequency response and the per-
formance slightly, so it is useful to have a
tuning procedure for the quad when it is
finally up in the air.
The easiest way to fine-tune the quad
while on the tower is to use a portable,
battery-operated SWR indicator (such as
the Autek RF-1 or the MFJ-259) to adjust
the reflector and the driven element
lengths for specific resonant frequencies.
You can eliminate the influence of mutual
coupling to the other element by open-cir-
cuiting the other element.
For convenience, each quad loop should
be connected to an SO-239 UHF female
connector that is insulated from but tied Fig 22.79 — Comparisons of the elevation patterns for quads at boom heights of
close to the tower. You measure the driven 70, 90 and 100 ft, referenced to an inverted-V dipole at 70 ft.

22.44 Chapter 22
A SIMPLE LOOP ANTENNA FOR 28 MHZ
With the large number of operators and conductors, but you may have to readjust
wide availability of inexpensive, single- the antenna dimensions for resonance.
band radios, the 10-m band could well be- This rectangular loop has two advan-
come the hangout for local ragchewers tages over a resonant square loop. First, a
that it was before the advent of 2-m FM, square loop has just 1.1 dB gain over a
even at a low point in the solar cycle. dipole. This is a power increase of only
This simple antenna provides gain over 29%. Second, the input impedance of a
a dipole or inverted V. It is a resonant loop square loop is about 125 Ω. You must use
with a particular shape. It provides 2.1 dB a matching network to feed a square loop
gain over a dipole at low radiation angles with 50-Ω coax. The rectangular loop
when mounted well above ground. The achieves gain by compressing its radia-
antenna is simple to feed—no matching tion pattern in the elevation plane. The
network is necessary. When fed with azimuth plane pattern is slightly wider
50-Ω coax, the SWR is close to 1:1 at the than that of a dipole (it’s about the same as
design frequency, and is less than 2:1 from that of an inverted V). A broad pattern is
28.0-28.8 MHz for an antenna resonant at an advantage for a general-purpose, fixed
28.4 MHz. antenna. The rectangular loop provides a
The antenna is made from #12 AWG bidirectional gain over a broad azimuth
wire (see Fig 22.80) and is fed at the cen- region.
ter of the bottom wire. Coil the coax into Mount the loop as high as possible. To
a few turns near the feedpoint to provide provide 1.7 dB gain at low angles over an
a simple balun. A coil diameter of about inverted V, the top wire must be at least
a foot will work fine. You can support the 30 ft high. The loop will work at lower
antenna on a mast with spreaders made of heights, but its gain advantage disap-
bamboo, fiberglass, wood, PVC or other pears. For example, at 20 ft the loop pro-
nonconducting material. You can also use vides the same gain at low angles as an Fig 22.80 — Construction details of the
aluminum tubing both for support and inverted V. 10-m rectangular loop antenna.

HF Mobile Antennas
HK2PMR
This section is by Jack Kuecken, ally no problem. However, on other roads tion resistance of an electrically small
KE2QJ. Jack is an antenna engineer who you may encounter clearances of 9.5 or 10 antenna is given by:
has written a number of articles for ARRL feet. You should be able to easily tie down
publications. the antenna for a maximum height of about Rr = 395 × (h/λ)2
An ideal HF mobile antenna is: 7 feet to permit passage through low-clear- where
1. Sturdy. Stays upright at highway ance areas. The antenna should be usable h = radiator height in meters
speeds. while in the tied-down position. λ = wavelength in meters = 300/Freq
2. Mechanically stable. Sudden stops or If the base of an antenna is 1 ft above the in MHz
sharp turns do not cause it to whip about, pavement and the tip is at 11.5 ft, the length
endangering other vehicles. is 10.5 ft which is 0.1 λ at 9.37 MHz, and The capacitance in pF of an electrically
3. Flexibly mounted. Permits springing 0.25 λ at 23.4 MHz. That means that small antenna is given approximately by:
around branches and obstacles at slow the antenna will require a matching net- 55.78 u h
speeds. work for all of the HF bands except 10 and C
((den1) u (den2))
4. Weatherproof. Handles the impact of 12 m.
wind, rain, snow and ice at high speed. The power radiated by the antenna is where
5. Tunable to all of the HF bands with- equal to the radiation resistance times the (den1) = (ln(h/r)–1)
out stopping the vehicle. square of the antenna current. The radia- (den2) = (1 – (f × h/75)2)
6. Mountable without altering the ve-
hicle in ways which lower the resale value.
7. Efficient as possible. Table 22.21
8. Easily removed for sending the car Characteristics of a 10.5-foot whip antenna
through a car wash, etc.
For HF mobile operation, the ham must F (MHz) C (pF) Rr Impedance Efficiency L (μH)
use an electrically small antenna. The pos- 1.8 30.1 0.146 13.72 –j2716 0.01064 240
sibility that the antenna might strike a 3.5 30.6 0.55 7.43 –j1375 0.074 62.5
7 32.8 2.2 7.04 –j644 0.312 14.6
fixed object places a limitation on its
10 36.5 4.5 6.5 –j408 0.692 6.49
height. On Interstate highways, an antenna 14 46.5 8.8 10 –j232 0.88 2.64
tip at 11.5 feet above the pavement is usu-

Antennas 22.45
 HK2PMR

Fig 22.81 — Relationship at 3.5 MHz between vertical

radiator length and capacitance. The two curves show that Fig 22.82 — Relationship between frequency and
the capacitance is not very sensitive to radiator diameter. capacitance for a 3.2-meter vertical whip.

ln = natural logarithm giving rise to 1375 × 3.67= 5046 VRMS twice the wire diameter and the coil diam-
r = conductor radius in meters (7137 Vpeak) across the coil. eter approximately equal to the coil length.
f = frequency in MHz With only 30.6 pF of antenna capaci- These proportions lead to the highest Q in
tance, the presence of significant stray air core coils.
Characteristics of a 10.5-ft (3.2 m) whip capacitance at the antenna base shunts The circuit of Fig 22.83 will match essen-
with a 0.003 m radius and, assuming a base currents away from the antenna. RG-58 tially all practical HF antennas on a car or
loading coil with a Q of 200 and coil stray has about 21 pF/foot. A 1.5-foot length truck. The circuit actually matches the
capacitance of 2 pF, are given in Table would halve the radiation efficiency of our antenna to 12.5 Ω and the transformer boosts
22.21. example antenna. For cases like the whip it up to 50 Ω. Actual losses alter the required
Radiation resistance rises in a nonlinear at 3.5 MHz, the matching network has to values of both the shunt inductor and the
fashion and the capacitance drops just as be right at the antenna! series capacitor. At a frequency of 3.5 MHz
dramatically with increase in the ratio h/λ. with an antenna impedance of 0.55
Fig 22.81 shows the relationship of ca- BASE, CENTER OR DISTRIBUTED –j1375 Ω and a base capacitance of 2 pF
pacitance to height. This can be used for LOADING results in the values shown in Table 22.22.
estimating antenna capacitance for other There is no clear-cut advantage in terms Inductor and capacitor values are highly
heights. of radiation performance for either base or sensitive to coil Q. Furthermore, the induc-
Fig 22.82 shows that capacitance is not center-loaded antennas for HF mobile. tor values are considerably below the
very sensitive to frequency for h/λ less than Antennas with distributed (or continuous) 62.5 μH required to resonate the antenna.
0.075, 8 MHz in this case. However, the loading have appeared in recent use. How
sensitivity increases rapidly thereafter. do they compare?
Table 22.21 shows that at 3.5 MHz an
inductance of 62.5 μH will cancel the ca- Base Loading
pacitive reactance. This results in an im- In the design procedure, one estimates
pedance of 7.43 Ω which means that the capacitance, capacitive reactance and
additional matching is required. In this radiation resistance as shown previously.
case the radiation efficiency of the system One then calculates the expected loss re-
is only 0.074 or 7.4%. In other words, sistance of the loading coil required to
nearly 93% of energy at the terminals is resonate the antenna. There is generally
wasted in heating the matching coil. additional resistance amounting to about
System Q is controlled by the Q of the half of the coil loss which must be added
coil. The bandwidth between 2:1 SWR in. As a practical matter, it is usually not
points of the system = 0.36 × f/Q. In this possible to achieve a coil Q in excess of
case, bandwidth = 0.36 × 3.5/200 = 6.3 kHz 200 for such applications.
If we could double the Q of the coil, the Using the radiation resistance plus 1.5
efficiency would double and the band- times the coil loss and the power rating
width would be halved. The converse is desired for the antenna, one may select the
also true. In the interest of efficiency, the wire size. For high efficiency coils, a cur-
highest possible Q should be used! rent density of 1000 A/inch2 is a good com-
Another significant factor arises from promise. For the 3.67 A of the example we
the high Q. Let’s assume that we deliver need a wire 0.068-inch diameter, which
100 watts to the 7.43 Ω at the antenna ter- roughly corresponds to #14 AWG. Higher
minals. The current is 3.67 A and flows current densities can lead to a melted coil. Fig 22.83 — The base-matched mobile
through the 1375-Ω reactance of the coil Design the coil with a pitch equal to whip antenna.

22.46 Chapter 22
 Center Loading Another manufacturer places the coil
Table 22.22
Center loading increases the current in above the center and uses a small extend-
Values of L and C for the Circuit of able wand for tuning. To minimize wind
the lower half of the whip as shown in
Fig 22.83 on 3.5 MHz resistance, the coil lengths are several
Fig 22.84. One can start by calculating the
capacitance for the section above the coil times their diameters. These antenna coils
Coil Q L (μH) C (pF) System
Efficiency just as done for the base loaded antenna. are usually close wound with enameled
This permits the calculation of the loading wire. The coils are covered with a heat-
300 44 11.9 0.083
200 29.14 35 0.0372 inductance. The center loaded antenna is shrink sleeve. If used in heavy rain or snow
100 22.2 58.1 0.014 often operated without any base matching for extended periods water may get under
in which case the resistive component can the sleeving and seriously detune and
be assumed to be 50 Ω for purposes of lower the Q of the coils. These antennas
calculating the current rating and select- usually do not require a base matching
ing wire size for the inductor. element. The resistance seems to come out
This circuit has the advantage that the The reduced size top section results in close enough to 50 Ω.
tuning elements are all at the base of the reduced capacitance which requires a It is possible to make a center-loaded
antenna. The whip radiator itself has mini- much larger loading inductor. Center load- antenna that is remotely tunable across the
mal mass and wind resistance. In addition, ing requires twice as much inductive reac- HF bands; however, this requires a certain
the rig is protected by the fact that there is tance as base loading. For equal coil Qs, amount of mechanical sophistication. The
a dc ground on the radiator so any acci- loss resistance is twice as great for center drive motor, limit switches and position
dental discharge or electrical contact is loading. If the coil is above the center, the sensor can be located in a box at the
kept out of the cable and rig. Variable tun- inductance must be even larger, and the antenna base and drive the coil tuning
ing elements allow the antenna to be tuned loss resistance increases accordingly. mechanism through an electrically iso-
to other frequencies. These factors tend to negate the advantage lated shaft. Alternatively, the equipment
Connect the antenna, L and C. Start with of the improved current distribution. could be placed adjacent to the loading
less inductor than required to resonate the Because of the high value of inductance coil requiring all of the electrical leads to
antenna. Tune the capacitor to minimum required, optimum Q coils are very large. be choked off to permit RF feeding of the
SWR. Increase the inductance and tune for One manufacturer of this type coil does base. The latter choice is probably the
minimum SWR. When the values of L and not recommend their use in rain or inclem- most difficult to realize.
C are right, the SWR will be 1:1. ent weather. The large wind resistance
Continuously Loaded Antennas
For remote or automatic tuning the drive necessitates a very sturdy mount for op-
motors for the coil and capacitor and the eration at highway speed. Owing to the Q Antennas consisting of a fiberglass
limit switches can be operated at RF of these large coils the use of a base match- sleeve with the radiator wound in a con-
ground potential. Mechanical connections ing element in the form of either a tapped tinuous spiral to shorten a CB antenna
to the RF components should be through inductor or a shunt capacitor is usually from 8.65 feet to 5 or 6 feet have been on
insulated couplings. needed to match to 50 Ω. the market for many years. This modest
shortening has little impact on the effi-
ciency but does narrow the bandwidth.
One line of mobile antennas uses peri-
odic loading on a relatively small diam-
eter tube. A series of taps along the length
HK2PMR are used to select among the HF bands. An
adjustable tip allows one to move about a
single band. Because the length to diam-
eter ratio is so large the loading coil Q is
relatively low. The antenna is most effec-
tive above 20 meters.

THE SCREWDRIVER ANTENNA

The screwdriver antenna consists of a top
whip attached to a long slender coil about
1.5 inches in diameter. The coil screws itself
out of a base tube which has a set of contact
fingers at the top. For lower frequencies
more of the coil is screwed out of the base
tube and at maximum frequency the coil is
entirely swallowed by the base tube.
The antenna is tunable over a wide range
of frequencies by remote control. It has
the advantage that the drive mechanism is
operated at ground potential with RF iso-
lation in the mechanical drive shaft. On
the other hand, the antenna is not easily
extended to 10.5 foot length for maximum
Fig 22.84 — Relative current distribution on a base-loaded antenna is shown at A efficiency on 80 and 40 meters. Because
and for a center-loaded antenna at B. of its shape, coil Q will not be very high.

Antennas 22.47
DIGITAL VERSUS ANALOG
COUPLERS
Digital HF antenna couplers were first
used by the military about 1960 for radios
with Automatic Link Establishment. In
this mode, the military radio has a list of
frequencies ranging 2 to 30 MHz. It will
try these in some sequence and will lock
on the frequency giving the best reception.
During the search, frequencies change
much too fast to permit the use of conven-
tional roller coils and motor driven
vacuum capacitors. By comparison the
digital coupler can jump from one memory
setting to another in milliseconds.
For matching a mobile whip, the circuit
shown in Fig 22.85 will suffice. The induc-
tor and capacitor can each be made up of
about 8 binary sequenced steps. For ex-
ample, at 3.5 MHz, the 10.5-foot antenna
has an impedance of about 0.55 –j1684 Ω.
From Table 22.22 we see that we could use
a series inductance sequence of 20, 10, 5,
2.5, 1.25, 0.625, 0.32 and 0.16 μH. We can
HK2PMR
use a relay to short unwanted elements. In Fig 22.85 — A digital coupler
this way we could theoretically produce based on the circuit shown in
any value of inductance between 0 and Fig 22.83. Capacitive and
39.84 μH in steps of 0.16 μH. In reality inductive elements are
you will never reach a zero inductance. organized in a binary sequence
with each being twice the value
With all of the relays shorted, the wiring
of the next lower value.
inductance and contact inductance of 8 re-
lays appear in series. Also, each of the coils
will have the open circuit capacitance of a
relay contact across it in addition to the
normal stray capacitance.
With most relays it does not make sense
to switch less than 2 pF. For that reason,
the capacitance chain would consist of 2,
4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 and possibly 256 pF. coupler employs RF reed relays rated for tors to be used are not widely manufac-
This would give a maximum of 510 pF and 5 kV and 1 A, and restricts the power at tured these days. Tube-type linear ampli-
a step size of 2 pF. Each relay has an open low frequencies if the antenna is small. fiers still use air variable capacitors but
circuit capacitance of about 1 pF, and that Another ham/marine unit uses small re- these are generally built on order for the
gives a minimum capacitance of 8 to 9 pF. lays in series where voltage requirements manufacturer and are not readily available
As a practical matter, there is also the stray are great and in parallel where current re- to consumers in small quantity.
capacitance between the relay contacts quirements are great—not good engineer- Until the 1970s, E. F. Johnson manufac-
and the coil windings. ing practice. A third offering is not too tured roller coils and air variable capaci-
In a high Q matching circuit that handles specific about the power rating with very tors that were suitable for kilowatt
100 W, the individual relays must handle high Q loads. amplifier finals and high power antenna
4 or 5 kV with the contacts open and sev- There are no successful examples of couplers. On occasion one or more of these
eral amperes of RF with the contacts 100 W plus couplers that use PIN diode may be found in the original box, but they
closed. If we can unkey the transmitter so switching. Their use is highly problematic tend to be expensive. Ten Tec and MFJ
that the coupler will not have to switch given the high-Q loads they would handle. both manufacture antenna couplers and
under power, we’ll still need some size- offer some components in small quanti-
able relays. If the inductors have lower Q, A REMOTELY TUNED ANALOG ties.
the voltages and currents will be corre- ANTENNA COUPLER The following data refer to generic
spondingly lower. Some military couplers KE2QJ built an antenna coupler de- motors, capacitors and inductors. The de-
use Jennings vacuum latching relays. This signed for 100-W continuous-duty opera- scriptions are intended to aid the builder
is expensive, as each of the 16 or 17 relays tion that will tune an antenna 10 feet in selecting items from surplus, hamfest
costs more than $100. or longer to any frequency from 3.5 to flea market offerings or salvage of old
If coil and antenna Qs are kept or forced 30 MHz. With longer antennas, the power equipment.
low, the voltages and currents become rating is higher and the lowest frequency
more reasonable. However, if the antenna is lower. The design requires only hand THE MOTORS
size is restricted this reduction comes only tools to build; however, access to a drill Two motors are required, one to drive
at the cost of decreased efficiency. A com- press and a lathe could save labor. the inductor and one to drive the capaci-
mercially available ham/marine digital The roller coils and air variable capaci- tor. The design employs permanent mag-

22.48 Chapter 22
net dc gearhead motors with a nominal much as $65 to $150 in small quantities. windshield wipers and copiers often use
12-V rating. A permanent magnet (PM) However, they can be found surplus and in this type of motor.
motor can be reversed by simply reversing repair shops for a few dollars.
the polarity of the drive voltage, and its The motor you are looking for is 1 to 1.5 LIMIT SWITCHES
speed can be controlled over a wide range inches in diameter and perhaps 2.5 inches On a remotely operated unit it is usually
by pulsing the power on and off with a long. It might be rated 12 or 24 V and have necessary to have limit switches to pre-
variable duty cycle. The motor should a 1/4-inch diameter output shaft. At 12 V it vent the device from crashing into the
have an output shaft speed on the order of should have enough torque to make it hard ends. On an external roller coil these can
60 to 180 r/min (1 to 3 r/s) although this is to stop the shaft with your fingers. Tape be microswitches with paddles mounted
not critical. New, such motors, can cost as recorders, fax machines, film projectors, on each end of the coil. As the coil is
wound to one end, the roller operates the
paddle and opens the limit switch which
stops the motor.
Fig 22.86A illustrates a simple motor
control circuit. Relay K1 is arranged as a
DPDT polarity reversing switch. If switch
CCW is pressed, the motor rotates CCW
and the steering diode D2 prevents the
relay from operating. If CW is pressed,
relay K1 operates reversing the polarity at
the motor. The motor is energized through
the steering diode.
Fig 22.86B shows how to add limit
switches. The diodes across the switches
are called anti-jam diodes. When a switch
opens, the diode permits current to flow in
the reverse direction and the motor to
move the roller away from the open
switch.
The photograph of Fig 22.87 shows the
mounting of the switches on the coil. The
diode should be a power rectifier type
rated for several times the motor current
and at least 60 V.
Fig 22.86 — At A, motor control circuit used by KE2QJ. This circuit uses pulse
modulation for speed control with good starting torque. Direction of rotation is POSITION READER
controlled by the relay. At B, how to add limit switches to the circuit. See text. While not necessary, it is worthwhile to

HK2PMR
Fig 22.87 — Photo of the inductor drive assembly from KE2QJ’s antenna coupler.

Antennas 22.49
have a way to determine inductor position. able tension. This helps to prevent the
An easy way to do this is to couple a 10- Table 22.23 wires from coming loose with wear or tem-
turn potentiometer to the coil shaft or drive Data for 40 μH Coils perature.
gears. Make sure that the potentiometer Diameter Length Turns
turns less than 10 turns between limits. 2.3 inch 5.625 inch 45 THE TRANSFORMER
Don’t try to make it come out exact. (58 mm) (143 mm) The transformer consists of a bifilar
Because the potentiometer is a light 2.8 inch 4.25 inch 34 winding on an Amidon FT-114-61 core.
mechanical load, a belt drive reduction (71 mm) (108 mm) Start with two 2-foot lengths of #18 insu-
works well and won’t slip if properly 3.3 inch 3.375 inch 27 lated wire; Teflon insulation is preferable.
tensioned. Fig 22.87 shows the potentiom- (84 mm) (86 mm) Twist the wire with a hand drill until there
eter and the gear drive. are about 5 t/inch (not critical). Wind 12
You may be able to find suitable gears. turns onto the core. This should about fill
However, a belt drive requires less precise AWG wound about 8 t/inch. it up. Attach the starting end of one wire
shaft positioning than fine tooth gears. You can use Table 22.23 as a guide to to the finish end of the other. This is the
With a lathe, pulleys can be made in al- buy a roller coil at a hamfest. The seller 12.5-Ω tap. One of the free ends is
most any ratio. Vacuum cleaner belts and may not know the inductance of the coil. grounded and the other is the 50-Ω tap.
O rings make handy belts. The antenna loading coil from an ARC-5 Mount the coil on a plastic or wooden post
transmitter will work, but the wire is a bit through the center of the coil. A metal
COUPLINGS small. screw can be used as long as it does not
In this coupler circuit, both ends of the You could make the loading coil by make a complete turn around the core.
capacitor are hot with RF although the end threading 2, 2.5 or 3-inch diameter white,
adjacent to the transformer is at relatively thick-wall PVC pipe with 8 t/inch. If the CONSTRUCTION
low voltage. Nevertheless, the capacitor pipe is threaded in a lathe, the wire can For ease of service, mount the inductor,
shaft must be insulated from the motor be wound into the threads under consider- its drive motor, position sensing poten-
shaft. The coil can be driven from the
grounded end. Insulation is not necessary,
but use a coupler between the motor shaft
and the coil to compensate for any mis-
alignment. Universal joints and insulating
couplings are available from most elec-
tronics supply houses. You can make a
coupling from a length of flexible plastic
tubing which fits snugly over the shafts.
Clamp the tubing to the shafts to avoid
slippage.

THE CAPACITOR
The easiest capacitor to use is an air
variable. It should have a range of approxi-
mately 10 to 250 pF. The plate spacing
should be 2 mm (1/16 inch) or more, and the
plate edges should be smooth and rounded.
The capacitor should be capable of con-
tinuous 360° rotation, and it would be nice
if it had ball bearings. The straight-line
capacitance design is best for this applica-
tion. Several capacitors of this type are
HK2PMR
available in military surplus ARC-5 series
transmitters. These are approximately 2 ×
2 × 3 inches.
The capacitor must be mounted on
stand-off insulators although high voltage
will not be present on the frame. A cam
that briefly operates a microswitch when
the capacitor goes through minimum can
be used to flash an LED on the remote
control panel. This provides an indication
that the capacitor is turning.
THE INDUCTOR
As calculated earlier, and assuming an
inductor Q a bit under 300 is attainable,
the roller inductor for this coupler should
have a maximum inductance on the order
of 40 μH. The wire should be at least #14 Fig 22.88 — At A, the chassis for the coupler mounting box. At B, the box cover.

22.50 Chapter 22
tiometer and limit switch assembly on a
single aluminum plate. A plug and socket
assembly permits rapid disconnection and
removal. Make a similar assembly for the
capacitor, its drive motor, transformer and
the interrupter. Both assemblies should be
made on 1/16 to 1/4-inch thick aluminum.
These individual assemblies make it easier
to fix problems.
The chassis shown in Fig 22.88A is
made of a single piece 1/16 to 3/32-inch alu-
minum bent in an L shape. Two chassis-
stiffening braces are riveted in place.
Alternatively, the chassis can be made of
flat sheets with aluminum angles riveted
around the edge.
Mount the coil and capacitor assemblies
parallel to the long leg of the L. Punch a
1-inch hole in the center of the short end of
the L. Cover the hole with an insulator
made of PVC, Teflon or other suitable
material.
The rest of the case is a 4-sided wooden
assembly as shown in Fig 22.88B. The
back wall of the box is drilled to accept the
two pivot pins. The box is slid over the
chassis and the pivot pins engaged. The
tie-down screw secures the box. For ser-
vice, remove the tie-down screw and slide
off the cover. The works of the coupler are
very easy to get at!
HK2PMR
The box is made of 1/4-inch exterior
grade plywood except for the back plate,
which is 3/8 or 1/2-inch plywood. The sides,
top and back should overlap the flanges on
the chassis by 1/2 inch. The inside corner
seams of the box should be reinforced with
1
/2 or 3/4-inch square strips. Assembly can
Fig 22.89 — Antenna mounting detail. At A, the overall plan. At B, detail of the
be with any water resistant glue. mount plate.
Finish the box, inside and out, with sev-
eral coats of clear urethane varnish, sand-
ing lightly between coats. This leaves a
smooth plastic finish. This can be sprayed aluminum plate 6 to 8 inches wide and 10-32 screws will shear off, thereby pre-
with an exterior paint that matches your long enough to fit between a reasonably venting the mount from defeating the
car’s color. strong place on the unibody and the place 5 MPH crushable shock absorber. The part
If the sides of the box fit closely over behind the bumper where the antenna protruding behind the bumper may be cut
the flanges, no fastening beside the tie- wants to be. This plate is fitted with an down in width to 3 inches and rounded for
down screw is required. A nearly perfect angle bracket for the lower bolt on the appearance and safety.
seal will leak out hot air when the sun shock/bumper mounting. This plate is Any type of base insulator may be used,
shines on it and will draw in cold damp air stiffened with a length of 1 × 1 × 1/4 inch but try to bring the base of the antenna to
in the evening, trapping moisture inside. aluminum angle bolted in several places. the height of the coupler output terminal.
A moderate fit will keep rain and snow out Near the forward edge of the plate, two You can make a good base insulator from
1
and permit the box to breathe freely, /2-inch diameter aluminum shear posts are thick-wall white PVC 11/2-inch pipe. Rein-
thereby keeping the inside dry. fitted. The bottom of each is tapped 10-32 force each end. Start with a 11/2-inch length
and bolted through the mount plate with of pipe. Remove a 5/ 8-inch wide strip so
MOUNTING THE WHIP AND THE a stainless 10-32 screw. At the top of the remaining portion can be rolled and
BOX these shear posts another piece of 1 × 1 × pressed into the open end of the insulator.
1
Plastics in bumpers and bodies makes the /2-inch angle is attached which is screwed Apply PVC pipe glue just before pressing
mounting of a mobile whip antenna prob- to the unibody with three or four #10 stain- in the piece; this gives the insulator a double
lematic. Modern bumpers are covered with less sheet metal screws. A bracket attaches wall thickness at each end. Aluminum
plastic and the bumper is attached to the car the mount plate to the bumper’s shock ab- plugs can be turned for a snug fit and tapped
unibody through a 5-MPH shock absorber. sorber. The angle bracket may either be for 3/8-24 hardware. The plugs can be held
The latter item is an unreliable ground. welded to the plate or bolted with angle in place with 8-32 stainless screws.
The arrangement of Fig 22.89 solves stock. In the event that the car is hit from The upper antenna brace has an alumi-
many of these problems. It uses a 1/4-inch behind or backs into an obstacle, the two num plate at one end that goes under the

Antennas 22.51
trunk lid (see Fig 22.89). A length of
1
/2-inch diameter heavy-wall white PVC
pipe, which serves as an insulator, is
screwed to this. At the other end of the
insulator, another aluminum piece is bent
to form a saddle for the antenna which is
clamped to the saddle. This clamp should
be as high as convenient above the mount
plate, preferably not less than a foot. The
mount plate should be sturdy enough for
you to stand on and with the brace will eas-
ily hold a whip upright at 70 MPH or more.
The coupler box mounting is shown in
Fig 22.90. Brackets can be made of 1/8 ×
2-inch aluminum with a brace going per-
haps 2 inches from the corner. The brack-
ets bolt or rivet to the chassis. The bracket
reaches through the gap between the trunk
lid and the plastic top of the bumper. For
reinforcement, a pair of reinforcement
plates 1.5 × 2 × 1/4-inch thick are bolted to
the plastic on the under side of the bumper.
Ground the reinforcement plates to the
unibody with some 3/4 or 1 inch ground
braid.
Two 10-32 stainless screws hold each
reinforcement plate to the plastic bumper Fig 22.91 — At A, elevation pattern of
and a central 1/4-20 tapped hole holds down the KE2QJ mobile antenna. The pattern
is in the plane that runs diagonal
the box bracket. One need only remove through the car. At B, azimuth pattern
two screws to get the box off the car for car at 25° elevation for the same antenna.
wash, etc. You have to open the trunk to The operating frequency is 18.130 MHz.
remove the antenna coupler, and this pro-
vides a measure of security.
(B)
Fig 22.91 were calculated using EZNEC.
THE SPRING AND WHIP Fig 22.90 — Box mounting detail. At A,
mounting-bracket design. At B, photo The frequency is 18.13 MHz and the
A section of 1-inch diameter aluminum of KE2QJ’s installation. antenna is mounted at the left rear corner
tubing extends from the top of the insulator of a mid-size sedan. It may be seen that the
to the base of the spring. It’s usually best to pattern has more than 10 dB maximum-to-
have the spring about 4 ft above the pave- minimum ratio with the broad maximum
ment. The type used for CB whips works to the logged setting. along the diagonal of the vehicle occupied
well. A 7-ft whip brings the top to about In the SCAN position the capacitor motor by the antenna. If the antenna were
11.5 ft above the pavement. The 7-ft whip runs at full voltage. When you JOG the ca- mounted in the center of the vehicle, the
can be a cut down CB unit. Don’t use the pacitor for low SWR you will find the omnidirectional characteristics would be
type with helical winding. When the speed far too fast for sharp tuning. The improved. However, the antenna would
antenna is tied down, the bow of the whip slow speed tuning is provided by using have to be much shorter to stay under 11.5
should be about 7 ft above the pavement. duty-factor modulation of the motor cur- feet. The shorter antenna would likely be
rent. The circuit of Fig 22.86A supplies weaker in its best direction than the taller
TUNING fixed width pulses with variable timing. antenna is in its worst.
It is best to initially tune the antenna At the slowest speed, the unit will supply
using low power. A power attenuator just about one pulse per second and the motor REFERENCES
after the transceiver will limit SWR, but shaft will rotate one degree or so per pulse. J. S. Belrose, VE3BLW, “Short Anten-
your SWR indicator must be on the The full voltage pulse provides good start- nas for Mobile Operation,” QST, Sept
antenna side of the attenuator. ing torque. 1953, pp 30-35, 109.
For a first tune-up, set the capacitor If the SWR cannot be brought to 1:1, J. Kuecken, KE2QJ, Antennas and Trans-
control to SCAN and slowly advance the examine the coil and capacitor to see mission Lines, MFJ Publishing, Ch 25.
inductor from minimum inductance to- whether either is at maximum or mini- J. Kuecken, KE2QJ, “A High Effi-
ward maximum. As the inductor ap- mum. At high frequencies above 24 MHz ciency Mobile Antenna Coupler,” The
proaches the correct value the SWR will it may be necessary to place a capacitor ARRL Antenna Compendium, Vol 5, pp
start to kick down. At this point take the between the coupler and the antenna base. 182-188.
capacitor off of SCAN and JOG it to a best J. Kuecken, KE2QJ, “Easy Homebrew
tune. Next, JOG the inductor and repeat; RADIATION PATTERNS Remote Controls,” The ARRL Antenna
the SWR should go down. Continue until At the lower frequencies the pattern Compendium, Vol 5, pp 189-193.
a 1:1 SWR is obtained. Record the poten- tends to be essentially round in azimuth. J. Kuecken, KE2QJ, “A Remote Tun-
tiometer setting. The next time you want At 20 meters the pattern tends to become able Center Loaded Antenna,” The ARRL
to use this frequency run the coil directly more and more directive. The patterns in Antenna Compendium, Vol 6.

22.52 Chapter 22
VHF/UHF Antennas
Improving an antenna system is one of greater height is almost always worth its mission lines used at HF through UHF:
the most productive moves open to the cost, but height gain must be balanced balanced and unbalanced. Balanced lines
VHF enthusiast. It can increase transmit- against increased transmission-line loss. include open-wire lines separated by in-
ting range, improve reception, reduce in- Line losses can be considerable at VHF, sulating spreaders, and twin-lead, in
terference problems and bring other and they increase with frequency. The best which the wires are embedded in solid or
practical benefits. The work itself is by no available line may be none too good, if the foamed insulation. Unbalanced lines are
means the least attractive part of the job. run is long in terms of wavelength. Con- represented by the family of coaxial
Even with high-gain antennas, experimen- sider line losses in any antenna planning. cables, commonly called coax. Line losses
tation is greatly simplified at VHF and in either types of line result from ohmic
UHF because an array is a workable size, PHYSICAL SIZE resistance, radiation from the line and
and much can be learned about the nature A given antenna design for 432 MHz, deficiencies in the insulation.
and adjustment of antennas. No large in- say a 5-element Yagi on a 1-λ boom, will Large conductors, closely spaced in
vestment in test equipment is necessary. have the same gain as one for 144 MHz, terms of wavelength, and using a mini-
Whether we buy or build our antennas, but being only one-third the size it will mum of insulation, make the best balanced
we soon find that there is no one best de- intercept only one-ninth as much energy lines. Characteristic impedances are be-
sign for all purposes. Selecting the antenna in receiving. Thus, to be equal in commu- tween 300 to 500 Ω. Balanced lines work
best suited to our needs involves much nication effectiveness, the 432-MHz array best in straight runs, but if bends are un-
more than scanning gain figures and prices should be at least equal in physical size to avoidable, the angles should be as gentle
in a manufacturer’s catalog. The first step the 144-MHz one, requiring roughly three as possible. Care should also be taken to
should be to establish priorities. times the number of elements. With all the prevent one wire from coming closer to
extra difficulties involved in going higher metal objects than the other.
GAIN in frequency, it is well to be on the big side Properly built open-wire line can oper-
As has been discussed previously, in building an antenna for the UHF bands. ate with very low loss in VHF and even
shaping the pattern of an antenna to con- UHF installations. A total line loss under
centrate radiated energy, or received sig- DESIGN FACTORS 2 dB per hundred ft at 432 MHz is readily
nal pickup, in some directions at the Having sorted out objectives in a gen- obtained. A line made of #12 wire, spaced
3
expense of others is the only possible way eral way, we face decisions on specifics, /4 inch or less with Teflon spreaders, and
to develop gain. Radiation patterns can such as polarization, type of transmission running essentially straight from antenna
be controlled in various ways. One is to line, matching methods and mechanical to station, can be better than anything but
use two or more driven elements, fed in design. the most expensive Hardline coax, at a
phase. Such arrays provide gain without fraction of the cost. This assumes the use
markedly sharpening the frequency re- POLARIZATION of high-quality baluns to match into and
sponse, compared to that of a single ele- Whether to position the antenna ele- out of the balanced line, with a short length
ment. More gain per element, but with ments vertically or horizontally has been of low-loss coax for the rotating section
some sacrifice in frequency coverage, is a question since early VHF pioneering. from the top of the tower to the antenna. A
obtained by placing parasitic elements Tests show little evidence on which to set similar 144-MHz setup could have a line
into a Yagi array. up a uniform polarization policy. On long loss under 1 dB.
paths there is no consistent advantage, Small coax such as RG-58 or RG-59
RADIATION PATTERN either way. Shorter paths tend to yield should never be used in VHF work if the
Antenna radiation can be made omnidi- higher signal levels with horizontal in run is more than a few feet. Half-inch lines
rectional, bidirectional, practically unidi- some kinds of terrain. Man-made noise, (RG-8 or RG-11) work fairly well at
rectional, or anything between these especially ignition interference, tends to 50 MHz, and are acceptable for 144-MHz
conditions. A VHF net operator may find be lower with horizontal. Verticals, how- runs of 50 ft or less. If these lines have foam
an omnidirectional system almost a neces- ever, are markedly simpler to use in rather than solid insulation they are about
sity but it may be a poor choice otherwise. omnidirectional systems and in mobile 30% better. Aluminum-jacket Hardline
Noise pickup and other interference prob- work. coaxial cables with large inner conductors
lems tend to be greater with omnidirec- Early VHF communication was largely and foam insulation are well worth their
tional antennas. Maximum gain and low vertical, but horizontal gained favor when cost. Hardline can sometimes even be ob-
radiation angle are usually prime interests directional arrays became widely used. tained for free from local Cable TV opera-
of the weak-signal DX aspirant. A clean The major trend to FM and repeaters, par- tors as end runs—pieces at the end of a roll.
pattern, with lowest possible pickup and ticularly in the 144-MHz band, has tipped The most common CATV variety is 1/2-inch
radiation off the sides and back, may be the balance in favor of verticals in mobile OD 75-Ω Hardline. Waterproof commer-
important in high-activity areas, where the work and for repeaters. Horizontal pre- cial connectors for Hardline are fairly ex-
noise level is high, or when challenging dominates in other communication on pensive, but enterprising amateurs have
modes like EME (Earth-Moon-Earth) are 50 MHz and higher frequencies. It is well home-brewed low-cost connectors. If they
employed. to check in advance in any new area in are properly waterproofed, connectors and
which you expect to operate, however, as Hardline can last almost indefinitely. Of
HEIGHT GAIN some localities may use vertical polariza- course, a disadvantage implied by their
In general, the higher a VHF antenna is tion. A circuit loss of 20 dB or more can be name is that Hardline must not be bent too
installed, the better will be the results. If expected with cross-polarization. sharply, because it will kink. See The ARRL
raising the antenna clears its view over Antenna Book for details on Hardline con-
nearby obstructions, it may make dramatic TRANSMISSION LINES nectors.
improvements in coverage. Within reason, There are two main categories of trans- Effects of weather on transmission lines

Antennas 22.53
should not be ignored. A well-constructed
open-wire line works well in nearly any
weather, and it stands up well. TV type
twin-lead is almost useless in heavy rain,
wet snow or icing. The best grades of coax
are impervious to weather. They can be
run underground, fastened to metal towers
without insulation, or bent into almost any
convenient position, with no adverse ef-
fects on performance. However, beware
of bargain coax. Lost transmitter power
can be made up to some extent by increas-
ing power, but once lost, a weak signal can
never be recovered in the receiver.

IMPEDANCE MATCHING
Theory and practice in impedance
matching are given in detail in the Trans-
mission Lines chapter, and in theory, at
least, is the same for frequencies above
50 MHz. Practice may be similar, but
physical size can be a major modifying
factor in choice of methods.

Delta Match
Probably the first impedance match was
HK2PMR
made when the ends of an open line were
fanned out and tapped onto a half-wave
antenna at the point of most efficient
power transfer, as in Fig 22.92A. Both the
side length and the points of connection
either side of the center of the element Fig 22.92 — Matching methods commonly used in VHF antennas. In the delta
must be adjusted for minimum reflected match, A and B, the line is fanned out to tap on the dipole at the point of best
power in the line, but the impedances need impedance match. The gamma match, C, is for direct connection of coax. C1 tunes
not be known. The delta makes no provi- out inductance in the arm. Folded dipole of uniform conductor size, D, steps up
sion for tuning out reactance, so the length antenna impedance by a factor of four. Using a larger conductor in the unbroken
portion of the folded dipole, E, gives higher orders of impedance transformation.
of the dipole is pruned for best SWR.
Once thought to be inferior for VHF
applications because of its tendency to
radiate if adjusted improperly, the delta The capacitor can be made variable tem- tive Yagi arrays. The T-match, essentially
has come back to favor now that we have porarily, then replaced with a suitable two gamma matches in series creating a
good methods for measuring the effects of fixed unit when the required capacitance balanced feed system, has become popu-
matching. It is very handy for phasing value is found, or C1 can be mounted in a lar for this reason. A coaxial balun like
multiple-bay arrays with low-loss open waterproof box. Maximum capacitance that shown in Fig 22.92B is used from the
lines, and its dimensions in this use are not should be about 100 pF for 50 MHz and balanced T-match to the unbalanced
particularly critical. 35 to 50 pF for 144 MHz. The capacitor coaxial line going to the transmitter.
and arm can be combined with the arm
Gamma and T Matches connecting to the driven element by means Folded Dipole
The gamma match is shown in of a sliding clamp, and the inner end of the The impedance of a half-wave antenna
Fig 22.92C, and the T match is shown in arm sliding inside a sleeve connected to broken at its center is 72 Ω. If a single
Fig 22.92D. These matches are covered in the inner conductor of the coax. It can be conductor of uniform size is folded to
more detail in the Transmission Lines constructed from concentric pieces of tub- make a half-wave dipole, as shown in
chapter. There being no RF voltage at the ing, insulated by plastic sleeving or shrink Fig 22.92D, the impedance is stepped up
center of a half-wave dipole, the outer tubing. RF voltage across the capacitor is four times. Such a folded dipole can thus
conductor of the coax is connected to the low, once the match is adjusted properly, be fed directly with 300-Ω line with no
element at this point, which may also be so with a good dielectric, insulation pre- appreciable mismatch. Coaxial line of 70
the junction with a metallic or wooden sents no great problem, if the initial ad- to 75 Ω impedance may also be used if a
boom. The inner conductor, carrying the justment is made with low power. A clean, 4:1 balun is added. Higher impedance
RF current, is tapped out on the element at permanent, high-conductivity bond be- step-up can be obtained if the unbroken
the matching point. Inductance of the arm tween arm and element is important, as portion is made larger in cross-section
is canceled by means of C1. Both the point the RF current is high at this point. than the fed portion, as in Fig 22.92E.
of contact with the element and the setting Because it is inherently somewhat un-
of the capacitor are adjusted for zero re- balanced, the gamma match can some- BALUNS
flected power, with a bridge connected in times introduce pattern distortion, Conversion from balanced loads to un-
the coaxial line. particularly on long-boom, highly direc- balanced lines, or vice versa, can be per-

22.54 Chapter 22
Fig 22.93 — Conversion from unbalanced coax to a balanced load can be done
with a half-wave coaxial balun, A. Electrical length of the looped section should
be checked with a dip meter, with ends shorted, B. The half-wave balun gives a
4:1 impedance step up.

Fig 22.95 — A method for feeding a

stacked Yagi array. Note that baluns at
each antenna are not specifically
shown. Modern-day practice is to use
current (choke) baluns made up of
ferrite beads slipped over the outside
of the coax and taped to prevent
movement. See the Transmission Lines
chapter for details.

HK2PMR longer than 1 λ is one wavelength, but this

may be too much for many builders of
50-MHz antennas to handle. Worthwhile
Fig 22.94 — The balun conversion function, with no impedance change, is results are possible with as little as 1/2 λ
accomplished with quarter-wave lines, open at the top and connected to the coax
outer conductor at the bottom. The coaxial sleeve shown at A is preferred. (10 ft), but 5/8 λ (12 ft) is markedly better.
The difference between 12 and 20 ft may
not be worth the added structural problems
involved in the wider spacing, at 50 MHz
formed with electrical circuits, or their ductor, will serve this purpose. Both at least.
equivalents made of coaxial line. A balun baluns are intended to present an infinite The closer spacings give lowered mea-
made from flexible coax is shown in impedance to any RF current that might sured gain, but the antenna patterns are
Fig 22.93A. The looped portion is an elec- otherwise tend to flow on the outer con- cleaner (less power in the high-angle ele-
trical half-wave. The physical length de- ductor of the coax. vation lobes) than with one-wavelength
pends on the propagation factor of the line spacing. Extra gain with wider spacings is
used, so it is well to check its resonant STACKING YAGIS usually the objective on 144 MHz and
frequency, as shown at B. The two ends Where suitable provision can be made higher bands, where the structural prob-
are shorted, and the loop at one end is for supporting them, two Yagis mounted lems are not quite as severe as on 50 MHz.
coupled to a dip-meter coil. This type of one above the other and fed in phase may One method for feeding two 50-Ω
balun gives an impedance step-up of 4:1, be preferable to one long Yagi having the antennas, as might be used in a stacked
50 to 200 Ω, or 75 to 300 Ω typically. same theoretical or measured gain. The Yagi array, is shown in Fig 22.95. The
Coaxial baluns giving a 1:1 impedance pair will require a much smaller turning transmission lines from each antenna, with
transfer are shown in Fig 22.94. The co- space for the same gain, and their lower a balun feeding each antenna (not shown
axial sleeve, open at the top and connected radiation angle can provide interesting in the drawing for simplicity), to the
to the outer conductor of the line at the results. On long ionospheric paths a common feedpoint must be equal in length
lower end (A) is the preferred type. A con- stacked pair occasionally may show an and an odd multiple of a quarter wave-
ductor of approximately the same size as apparent gain much greater than the 2 to length. This line acts as an quarter-wave
the line is used with the outer conductor to 3 dB that can be measured locally as the (Q-section) impedance transformer and
form a quarter-wave stub, in B. Another gain from stacking. raises the feed impedance of each antenna
piece of coax, using only the outer con- Optimum spacing for Yagis with booms to 100 Ω. When the coaxes are connected

Antennas 22.55
in parallel at the coaxial T fitting, the re- dom, so an antenna capable of accepting wave generated with right-hand polariza-
sulting impedance is close to 50 Ω. any polarization is useful. Circular polar- tion, when reflected from the moon, comes
ization, generated with helical antennas or back with left-hand plarization, a fact to
CIRCULAR POLARIZATION with crossed elements fed 90° out of be borne in mind in setting up EME cir-
Polarization is described as horizontal phase, will respond to any linear polariza- cuits. Stations communicating on direct
or vertical, but these terms have no mean- tion. paths should have the same polarization
ing once the reference of the Earth’s sur- The circularly polarized wave in effect sense.
face is lost. Many propagation factors can threads its way through space, and it can Both senses can be generated with
cause polarization change—reflection or be left- or right-hand polarized. These crossed dipoles, with the aid of a switch-
refraction and passage through magnetic polarization senses are mutually exclu- able phasing harness. With helical arrays,
fields (Faraday rotation), for example. sive, but either will respond to any plane both senses are provided with two anten-
Polarization of VHF waves is often ran- (horizontal or vertical) polarization. A nas wound in opposite directions.

SIMPLE, PORTABLE GROUNDPLANE ANTENNA

This utility antenna is built on a coaxial radiating element and radials. Antennas connector to support the element and two
connector. UHF connectors work well, but exposed to the wind and weather can be radials. To eliminate sharp ends, it’s a good
you may prefer to use type N or BNC con- made from brazing rod, which is available idea to bend the element and radial ends
nectors. With only two radials, it is essen- at welding supply stores. Alternatively, into a circle or to terminate them with a
tially two dimensional, which makes it #12 or #14 copper-clad steel wire could be solder lug. See Fig 22.97. The solder lug
easier to store when not in use. used to construct this antenna. approach is easier with stiff wire. Crimp
If the antenna is sheltered from weather, The ground-plane antenna is shown in and then solder the lug to the wire. Make
copper wire is sufficiently rigid for the Fig 22.96 and uses a female chassis-mount the overall length of the element and radi-
als the same as shown in Fig 22.96, mea-
suring to the outer tip of the loop or lug.

HK2PMR Radials may be attached directly to the

mounting holes of the coaxial connector.
Bend a hook at one end of each radial for
insertion through the connector. Solder
the radials to the connector using a large
soldering iron or propane torch.
Solder the element to the center pin of
the connector. If the element does not fit
inside the solder cup, use a short section
of brass tubing as a coupler (a slotted
1
/8-inch-ID tube will fit over an SO-239 or
N-receptacle center pin).
Tune the antenna by adjusting the radial
droop angle for best SWR. If necessary,
you can also prune the element length.
One mounting method for fixed-station
antennas appears in Fig 22.96. The feed
line and connector are inside the mast, and
a hose clamp squeezes the slotted mast end
to tightly grip the plug body. Once the
antenna is mounted and tested, thoroughly
seal the open side of the coaxial connector
with RTV sealant, and weatherproof the
connections with rust-preventative paint.

Fig 22.96 — A simple groundplane antenna for the 144, 222 or 440-MHz bands. The Fig 22.97 — Alternate methods for
feed line and connector are inside the mast, and a hose clamp squeezes the terminating element and radial tips on
slotted mast end to tightly grip the plug body. Element and radial dimensions the simple groundplane antenna. See
given in the drawing are good for the entire band. text. [Photo by K8CH]

22.56 Chapter 22
DUAL-BAND ANTENNA FOR 146/446 MHZ
This nifty project by Wayde Fig 22.98 — Diagram of WA3WMG’s
Bartholomew, K3MF (ex-WA3WMG), first dual-band 146/446-MHz mobile whip.
appeared in The ARRL Antenna Compen- Brazing rod is used for the 2-m radiator
and for the 70-cm decoupling stub.
dium, Volume 5. This mobile whip antenna
won’t take long to build, works well and only
requires one feed line for the two-band
coverage.
Wayde used a commercial NMO-style
HK2PMR
base and magnetic mount. For the radiator
and decoupling stub, He used brazing rod,
which he coated with a rust inhibitor after
all the tuning was done. You can start with
a 2-m radiator that’s 20.5 inches long. This
is an inch longer than normal so that it may
be pruned for best SWR.
Next tack on the 70-cm decoupling
stub, which is 6.5 inches long. Trim the
length of the 2-m radiator for best SWR
at 146 MHz and then tune the 70-cm stub
on 446 MHz, moving it up and down for
best SWR. There should be no significant
interaction between the adjustments for
either frequency.
Final dimensions are shown in
Fig 22.98. The SWR in the repeater
portions of both bands is less than 2:1.

ADAPTING WA3WMG’S MOBILE

ANTENNA FOR FIXED-STATION
USE
You can use the WA3WMG dual-band
mobile whip as the radiating element for
the groundplane antenna in Fig 22.96.
Don’t change the 2-m radials. Instead, add
two 70-cm radials at right angles to the
2-m set. See Fig 22.99. The antenna is no Fig 22.99 — WA3WMG’s whip can be
longer two dimensional, but you do have used to make a dual-band groundplane
two bands with one feed line and auto- antenna. Separate radials for 2-m and
matic band switching. 70-cm simplifies tuning. [Photo by K8CH]

Antennas 22.57
A QUICK ANTENNA FOR 223 MHZ
William Bruce Cameron, WA4UZM,
built the antenna for 223 MHz shown in
Fig 22.100. It took less than an hour to
build. To make one, you’ll need 9 feet of
#10 copper wire, 6 inches of small-diam-
eter copper tubing, and a 10-foot length of
PVC pipe or some other physical support.
Bend the antenna from one piece of
wire. Slide the copper tubing over the top
end of the antenna, and adjust how far it
extends beyond the wire to get the lowest
SWR. (Don’t handle the antenna while Fig 22.100 — WA4UZM’s quick
transmitting—make adjustments only 223-MHz antenna gets you going
while receiving.) For more precision, you on 11/4 meters in a hurry. The text
can move the coaxial feed line taps on the explains how to adjust it for
minimum SWR. To support the
antenna’s matching stub (the 12-inch sec-
antenna, lash it to a piece of PVC
tion at the bottom) about an eighth of an pipe with UV-resistant nylon
inch at a time. The antenna shows an SWR cable ties.
of 1.2 at 223 MHz.

HK2PMR

AN ALL-COPPER 2-M J-POLE

3
Rigid copper tubing, fittings and as- eliminated. Both metals solder well, too. /4-inch pipe clamps. Drill a hole in the
sorted hardware can be used to make a See Fig 22.101. Cut the copper tubing to flattened clamp as shown in Fig 22.101B.
really rugged J-pole antenna for 2 m. the lengths indicated. Item 9 is a 11/4-inch Assemble the clamps and cut off the ex-
When copper tubing is used, the entire nipple cut from the 20-inch length of cess metal from the flattened clamp using
1
assembly can be soldered together, ensur- /2-inch tubing. This leaves 183/4 inches for the unmodified clamp as a template. Dis-
ing electrical integrity, and making the the λ/4-matching stub. Item 10 is a 31/4- assemble the clamps.
whole antenna weatherproof. This mate- inch long nipple cut from the 60-inch length Assemble the 1/2-inch clamp around the
rial came from an article by Michael Hood, of 3/ 4-inch tubing. The 3/ 4-wave element 1
/4-wave element and secure with two of
KD8JB, in The ARRL Antenna Compen- should measure 563/4 inches long. Remove the screws, washers, and nuts as shown in
dium, Vol. 4. burrs from the ends of the tubing after cut- Fig 22.101B. Do the same with the
3
No special hardware or machined parts ting, and clean the mating surfaces with /4-inch clamp around the 3/ 4-wave ele-
are used in this antenna, nor are insulating sandpaper, steel wool, or emery cloth. ment. Set the clamps initially to a spot
materials needed, since the antenna is al- After cleaning, apply a very thin coat of about 4 inches above the bottom of the
ways at dc ground. Best of all, even if the flux to the mating elements and assemble J on their respective elements. Tighten
parts aren’t on sale, the antenna can be the tubing, elbow, tee, endcaps and stubs. the clamps only finger tight, since you’ll
built for less than $15. If you only build Solder the assembled parts with a propane need to move them when tuning.
one antenna, you’ll have enough tubing torch and rosin-core solder. Wipe off ex-
left over to make most of a second antenna. cess solder with a damp cloth, being care- TUNING
ful not to burn yourself. The copper tubing The J-Pole can be fed directly from 50 Ω
CONSTRUCTION will hold heat for a long time after you’ve coax through a choke balun (3 turns of the
Copper and brass is used exclusively in finished soldering. After soldering, set the feed coax rolled into a coil about 8 inches
this antenna. These metals get along to- assembly aside to cool. in diameter and held together with electri-
gether, so dissimilar metal corrosion is Flatten one each of the 1/ 2-inch and cal tape). Before tuning, mount the

22.58 Chapter 22
antenna vertically, about 5 to 10 ft above the two feed-point clamps equal distances then remove the feed line and clamps.
the ground. A short TV mast on a tripod a small amount each time until the SWR is Apply a very thin coating of flux to the
works well for this purpose. When tuning minimum at the desired frequency. The inside of the clamp and the corresponding
VHF antennas, keep in mind that they are SWR will be close to 1:1. surface of the antenna element where the
sensitive to nearby objects—such as your clamp attaches. Install the clamps and
body. Attach the feed line to the clamps on FINAL ASSEMBLY tighten the clamp screws.
the antenna, and make sure all the nuts and The final assembly of the antenna will Solder the feed line clamps where they
screws are at least finger tight. It really determine its long-term survivability. Per- are attached to the antenna elements. Now,
doesn’t matter to which element (3/4-wave form the following steps with care. After apply a small amount of solder around the
element or stub) you attach the coaxial adjusting the clamps for minimum SWR, screw heads and nuts where they contact
center lead. Tune the antenna by moving mark the clamp positions with a pencil and the clamps. Don’t get solder on the screw

HK2PMR

Fig 22.101 — At A, exploded assembly

diagram of all-copper J-Pole antenna. At B,
detail of clamp assemblies. Both clamp
assemblies are the same.
Item Qty Part or Material Name
3
1 1 /4 inch × 10 ft length of
rigid copper tubing
(enough for 2 antennas,
60 inches per antenna)
1
2 1 /2 inch × 10 ft length
of rigid copper tubing
(enough for 6 antennas,
20 inches per antenna)
3
3 2 /4 inch copper pipe clamps
1
4 2 /2 inch copper pipe clamps
1
5 1 /2 inch copper elbow
3
6 1 /4 × 1/2 inch copper tee
3
7 1 /4 inch copper end cap
1
8 1 /2 inch copper end cap
1
9 1 /2 × 11/4 inch copper nipple
(Make from item 2. See text)
3
10 1 /4 × 31/4 inch copper nipple
(Make from item 1. See text)
11 1 Your choice of coupling to
mast fitting (3/4 × 1 inch
NPT
used at KD8JB)
12 6 # 8-32 × 1/2 inch brass
machine screws (round,
pan, or binder head)
13 6 # 8 brass flat washers
14 6 # 8-32 brass hex nuts

Antennas 22.59
threads! Clean away excess flux with a seal this joint with RTV. Otherwise, you various repeaters around town with a
1
non-corrosive solvent. may find yourself repairing the feed line /4-wave antenna, but simplex operation
After final assembly and erecting/ after a couple years. left a lot to be desired. The J-Pole per-
mounting the antenna in the desired loca- forms just as well as a Ringo Ranger,
tion, attach the feed line and secure with ON-AIR PERFORMANCE and significantly better than the 1/4-wave
the remaining washer and nut. Weather- The author had no problem working ground-plane vertical.

HK2PMR
VHF/UHF Yagis
Without doubt, the Yagi is king of home- powerful (and inexpensive) personal com- A more complete discussion of Yagi
station antennas these days. Today’s best puters and sophisticated software for design can be found earlier in this chapter.
designs are computer optimized. For years antenna modeling. These have brought us For more coverage on this topic and on
amateurs as well as professionals designed antennas with improved performance, with stacking Yagis, see the most recent edi-
Yagi arrays experimentally. Now we have little or no element pruning required. tion of The ARRL Antenna Book.

3 AND 5-ELEMENT YAGIS FOR 6 M

Boom length often proves to be the in the table. Elements can be mounted to the driven element halves. The Plexiglas
deciding factor when one selects a Yagi the boom as shown in Fig 22.102. Two allows the use of a single clamp on each
design. ARRL Senior Assistant Technical muffler clamps hold each aluminum plate side of the element and also seals the cen-
Editor Dean Straw, N6BV, created the to the boom, and two U bolts fasten each ter of the elements against moisture. Self-
designs shown in Table 22.24. Straw gen- element to the plate, which is 0.25 inches tapping screws are used for electrical
erated the designs in the table for conve- thick and 4⋅4 inches square. Stainless steel connection to the driven element.
nient boom lengths (6 and 12 ft). The is the best choice for hardware, however, Refer to Fig 22.103 for driven element
3-element design has about 8 dBi gain, galvanized hardware can be substituted. and Hairpin match details. A bracket made
and the 5-element version has about Automotive muffler clamps do not work from a piece of aluminum is used to mount
10 dBi gain. Both antennas exhibit better well in this application, because they are the three SO-239 connectors to the driven
than 22 dB front-to-rear ratio, and both not galvanized and quickly rust once ex- element plate. A 4:1 transmission-line
cover 50 to 51 MHz with better than posed to the weather. balun connects the two element halves,
1.6:1 SWR. The driven element is mounted to the transforming the 200-Ω resistance at the
Element lengths and spacings are given boom on a Bakelite plate of similar dimen- Hairpin match to 50 Ω at the center con-
sion to the other mounting plates. A 12- nector. Note that the electrical length of
inch piece of Plexiglas rod is inserted into the balun is λ/2, but the physical length

Table 22.24
Optimized 6-m Yagi Designs
Spacing From Seg 1 Seg 2 Midband Gain
Reflector (in.) Length (in.) Length (in.) F/R
306-06
Refl 0 36 22.500 8.1 dBi
DE 24 36 16.000 28.3 dB
Dir 1 66 36 15.500
506-12
OD 0.750 0.625
Refl 0 36 23.625 10.0 dBi
DE 24 36 17.125 26.8 dB
Fig 22.102 — The element-to-boom Dir 1 36 36 19.375
clamp. Galvanized U bolts are used to Dir 2 80 36 18.250
hold the element to the plate, and Dir 3 138 36 15.375
2-inch galvanized muffler clamps hold Note: For all antennas, telescoping tube diameters (in inches) are: Seg1=0.750,
the plates to the boom. Seg2=0.625. See figure 22.66 for element details.

22.60 Chapter 22
 HK2PMR
Fig 22.103 — Detailed drawing of the feed system used with the 50-MHz Yagi. Balun lengths: For cable with 0.80 velocity
factor — 7 ft, 103/8 in. For cable with 0.66 velocity factor — 6 ft, 53/4 in.

will be shorter due to the velocity factor of dc ground potential. versely affect antenna performance. Do
the particular coaxial cable used. The The Hairpin match requires no adjust- not adjust the lengths or spacings of the
Hairpin is connected directly across the ment as such. However, you may have to other elements—they are optimized al-
element halves. The exact center of the change the length of the driven element ready. If you decide to use a gamma match,
hairpin is electrically neutral and should slightly to obtain the best match in your add 3 inches to each side of the driven ele-
be fastened to the boom. This has the ad- preferred portion of the band. Changing ment lengths given in the table for both
vantage of placing the driven element at the driven-element length will not ad- antennas.

A MEDIUM GAIN 2-M YAGI

This project was designed and built by setting the operating bandwidth. The final driver using 3/16-inch diameter material.
L. B. Cebik, W4RNL. Practical Yagis for director (Dir. 4) sets the gain. This account Of all the elements, the driver is perhaps
2 meters abound. What makes this one a is over-simplified, since every element the only one for which you may extra-
bit different is the selection of materials. plays a role in every facet of Yagi perfor- polate reasonable lengths for other diam-
The elements, of course, are high-grade mance. However, the notes give some idea eters from the two lengths and diameters
aluminum. However, the boom is PVC of which elements are most sensitive in shown. However, the parasitic elements
and there are only two #6 nut-bolt sets and adjusting the performance figures. may require more work than merely sub-
two #8 sheet metal screws in the entire Designed on NEC-4, the antenna uses 6 stituting one diameter and length for an-
antenna. The remaining fasteners are all elements on a 56 inch boom. Table 22.25 other. The lower portion of the table shows
hitch-pin clips. The result is a very du- gives the specific dimensions for the ver- the design adjusted for 1/8-inch elements
rable 6-element Yagi that you can disas- sion described in these notes. The para- throughout. Not all element lengths
semble with fair ease for transport. sitic elements are all 3/16-inch aluminum change by the same amount using any
rods. For ease of construction, the driver single formula.
THE BASIC ANTENNA DESIGN is 1/2-inch aluminum tubing. Do not alter The OWA design provides about
The 6-element Yagi presented here is a the element diameters without referring to 10.2 dBi of free-space gain with better
derivative of the optimized wide-band a source, such as RSGB’s The VHF/UHF than 20 dB front-to-back (or front-to-rear)
antenna (OWA) designs developed for HF DX Book, edited by Ian White, G3SEK, ratio across the entire 2-m band. Azimuth
use by NW3Z and WA4FET. Fig 22.104 (Chapter 7), for information on how to (or E-plane) patterns show solid perfor-
shows the general outline. The reflector recalculate element lengths. mance across the entire band. This applies
and first director largely set the imped- The driver is the simplest element to not only to forward gain but rejection from
ance. The next 2 directors contribute to readjust. Table 22.25 shows an alternative the rear.

Antennas 22.61
 One significant feature of the OWA
design is its direct 50-Ω feedpoint imped-
ance that requires no matching network.
Of course, a choke balun to suppress any
currents on the feedline is desirable, and a
simple bead-choke of W2DU design
works well in this application. The SWR,
shown in Fig 22.105, is very flat across
the band and never reaches 1.3:1. The
SWR and the pattern consistency together
create a very useful utility antenna for
2 m, whether installed vertically or hori-
zontally. The only remaining question is
how to effectively build the beam in the
average home shop.

THE BEAM MATERIALS

The boom is Schedule 40, 1/2-inch nomi- Fig 22.106 — Layout of elements along the PVC boom for the 2-m 6-element OWA
nal PVC. Insulated booms are good for test Yagi, showing placement of the BNC connector and the boom center.
antennas, since they do not require recal-
culating the element lengths due to the
effects of a metal boom.
White PVC stands up for a decade of
HK2PMR
exposure in Tennessee, but apparently Table 22.25
does not do as well in every part of the US.
2-m OWA Yagi Dimensions
You may wish to use the gray electrical
conduit version. If you use any other Element Element Length Spacing from Reflector Element Diameter
material for your boom, be sure that it is in Inches in Inches in Inches
UV-protected. You’ll find a parts list in Version described here:
Table 22.26. Sources for the parts are Refl. 40.52 —— 0.1875
given in the table. However, you are en- Driver 39.70 10.13 0.5
couraged to develop your own sources for (Alt. Driver 39.96 10.13 0.1875)
Dir. 1 37.36 14.32 0.1875
antenna materials. Dir. 2 36.32 25.93 0.1875
Fig 22.106 shows the element layout Dir. 3 36.32 37.28 0.1875
Dir. 4 34.96 54.22 0.1875

Version using 1/8-inch diameter elements throughout:

Refl. 40.80 —— 0.125
Driver 40.10 10.20 0.125
Dir. 1 37.63 14.27 0.125
Dir. 2 36.56 25.95 0.125
Dir. 3 36.56 37.39 0.125
Dir. 4 35.20 54.44 0.125

Table 22.26
Parts List for the 2-Meter OWA Yagi
Qty Item
Fig 22.104 — The general outline of the
2-m 6-element OWA Yagi. Dimensions 17' 0.1875" (3/16") 6061-T6 aluminum rod (Source: Texas Towers)
are given in Table 22.25. 3.5' 0.5" (1/2") 6063-T832 aluminum tubing (Source: Texas Towers)
7' Schedule 40, 1/2" PVC pipe (Source: local hardware depot)
3 Schedule 40, 1/2" PVC Tee connectors (Source: local hardware depot)
2 Schedule 40, 1/2" PVC L connectors (Source: local hardware depot)
depot)
— Miscellaneous male/female threaded pipe diameter transition fittings
(Source: local hardware depot)
1 Support mast
10 Stainless steel hitch-pin clips (hairpin cotter pins), 3/16" to 1/4" shaft range,
0.04" “wire” diameter (McMasters-Carr part number 9239A024)
2 Stainless steel #6 nut/bolt/lock-washer sets, bolt length 1" (Source: local
hardware depot)
2 Stainless steel #8 sheet metal screws (Source: local hardware depot)
1 BNC connector (Source: local electronics outlet)
1
2" /16" thick aluminum L-stock, 1" per side (Source: local hardware depot)
Fig 22.105 — SWR curve as modeled on 1 VHF bead-balun choke (Source: Wireman, Inc.)
NEC-4 for the 2-m 6-element OWA Yagi.

22.62 Chapter 22
along the 56-inch boom. Centering the along the edges produces a very good plat- The lower Tee in Fig 22.107 receives a
first element hole 1 inch from the rear end form with a right-angle. Start with the two short length of 1/2-inch nominal Schedule
of the boom results in a succession of holes upper Tees and the Ls below each one. 40 PVC. This material has an outside diam-
for the 3/16-inch pass-through parasitic el- Dry-fit scrap PVC into the openings ex- eter of about 7/8-inch, not a useful size for
ements. Only the driver requires special cept for the short link that joins the fitting. joining to a mast. However, PVC fittings
treatment. We shall use a 3/8-inch hole to Cement these in place and align them us- have a handy series of threaded couplers
carry a short length of fiberglass rod that ing the dry-fit pieces as guides to keep that allow you to screw-fit a series of ever-
will support the two sides of the driver everything parallel. Next, cement the two larger sizes until you reach a more useful
element. Note that I used a BNC connec- short (23/4-inch) links into the third Tee. size. As Fig 22.108B shows, enough of
tor, mounted on a small plate that we shall Then, cement one link into its L, using the these fittings will finish off with a 11/4-inch
meet along the way. dry-fit tube in the upper Tee as an align- threaded female side and a 11/ 4-inch ce-
The boom is actually a more complex ment guide. ment-coupling side. To this fitting, cement
structure than initially meets the eye. You Before proceeding further, carefully a length of 11/4-inch tubing that slides over
need a support for the elements, and a measure the required length of PVC for a length of common TV mast. For a tight fit,
means of connecting the boom to the mast. the boom section between Tees. How well wrap the TV mast with several layers of
If you break the boom in the middle to you measure here will determine whether electrical tape in two places—one near the
install a Tee connector for the mast junc- the boom will be straight or whether it will upper end of the PVC pipe section and the
tion, you come very close to the 2nd direc- bow up or down. Now, cement both the L other close to where the PVC pipe ends.
tor. Fig 22.107 shows how to avoid the and the Tee at the same time, pressing the You may then use stainless steel through-
predicament. cemented sections into the 2-board jig to bolts or set-screws to prevent the PVC as-
Before drilling the boom, assemble it assure alignment. sembly from turning.
from common Schedule 40 1/ 2-inch fit- The final step in the process is to add the
tings and insert the lengths of PVC pipe. 23-inch boom end pieces to the open ends BOOM AND ELEMENTS
Fig 22.107 shows the dimensions for the of the upper Tees. For the brief period in Before installing the elements, you need
center section of the boom assembly. which the PVC cement is wet, it is pos- to drill the holes in the boom. The two-
However, PVC dimensions are always sible to misalign the tubing. Dry-fit end board jig comes in handy once more. The
nominal, that is, meeting certain minimum caps on the boom ends and do the cement key goals in the drilling process are to:
size standards. So you may have to adjust work using the 2-board jig. By pressing A) precisely position the holes; B) create
the lengths of the linking pieces slightly to the assembly into the right angle of the holes that are a fairly tight fit for the rod
come up with a straight and true boom boards, you can assure that you have a very elements; and C) keep the elements
assembly. true boom. When you’ve put the PVC aligned in a flat plane. For this purpose, a
Use scrap lumber to help keep every- cement back onto its shelf, your boom drill press is almost a necessity for all but
thing aligned while cementing the pieces should be ready to drill. those with the truest eyes.
together. A 1×4 and a 1×6 nailed together Consider the boom-to-mast connection. Use the jig and a couple of clamps to

HK2PMR
Fig 22.107 — Details of a parallel PVC pipe structure for the Yagi boom and mount.

Antennas 22.63
hold the boom assembly in place. Because By now you should have the rod and is applicable to many types of portable or
the assembly has two parallel sections, tube stock in hand. For antenna elements, field antennas. Although you may wish to
laying it flat will present the drill press don’t rely on questionable materials that use better fasteners when making perma-
with the correct angle for drilling through are designed for other applications. nent metal-to-metal connections, for join-
the PVC in one stroke. Drill the holes at Rather, obtain 6063-T832 tubing and ing sections of Field Day and similar
premarked positions, remembering that 6061-T6 rods from mail order sources, antennas, the hitch-pin clips perform the
the driver hole is 3/8 inch while all the oth- such as Texas Towers, McMasters-Carr, mechanical function, while clean tubing
ers are 3/16 inch. Clean the holes, but do not and others. These materials are often not sections themselves provide adequate elec-
enlarge them in the process. available at local hardware depots. trical contact for a limited period of use.
Cut the parasitic elements to length and
smooth their ends with a fine file or sand- THE DRIVER AND FEEDLINE
paper. Find the center of each element and CONNECTOR
carefully mark a position about 1/16" out- The final construction step is perhaps
side where the element will emerge from the one requiring the most attention to
each side of the boom. You’ll drill small detail, as shown in Fig 22.110. The driver
holes in these locations. You may wish to and feedpoint assembly consists of a 4- to
very lightly file a flatted area where the 6-inch length of 3/ 8-inch fiberglass or
hole is to go to prevent the drill bit from other non-conductive rod, two sections of
slipping as you start the hole. the driver element made from 1/2-inch alu-
Drill 1/16-inch holes at each marked lo- minum tubing, a BNC connector, a home-
cation all the way through the rod. made mounting plate, two sets of stainless
De-burr the exit ends so that the rod will steel #6 nuts, bolts, and lock-washers, and
pass through the boom hole. These holes two stainless steel #8 sheet metal screws.
are the locations for hitch-pin clips. Consult both the upper and lower portions
Fig 22.109 shows the outline of a typical of the figure, since some detail has been
hitch-pin clip, which is also called a hair- omitted from each one to show other de-
pin cotter pin in some catalogs and stores. tail more clearly.
Obtain stainless steel pins whose bodies First, trial fit the driver tubing and the
just fit tightly over the rod when installed. fiberglass rod, marking where the rod exits

HK2PMR Initially, install 1 pin per parasitic ele-

ment. Slide the element through the cor-
rect boom hole and install the second pin.
the boom. Now pre-drill 9/ 64-inch holes
through the tubing and the fiberglass rod.
Do not use larger hardware, since the re-
(A) Although the upper part of the drawing sulting hole will weaken the rod, possibly
shows a bit of room between the boom to the breaking point. If you use an alter-
and pin, this space is for clarity. Install native plastic material, observe the same
the pins as close to each side of the boom caution and be certain that the rod remains
as you can. strong after drilling. Do not use wooden
Pins designed for a 3/16-inch rod are small dowels for this application, since they do
enough that they add nothing significant to not have sufficient strength. Position the
the element, and antenna tests showed that holes about 1/4 to 3/8 inch from the tubing
they did not move the performance curve end where it presses against the boom. One
of the antenna. Yet, they have held securely hole will receive a solder lug and the other
through a series of shock tests given to the will connect to an extension of the BNC
prototype. These pins—in various sizes— mounting plate.
offer the home builder a handy fastener that Second, install the fiberglass rod
through the boom. You can leave it loose,
since the elements will press against boom
and hold it in place. Alternatively, you
may glue it in place with a 2-part epoxy.
Slide the driver element tubes over the rod
and test the holes for alignment by placing
the #6 bolts in them.
Next, cut and shape the BNC mounting
plate from 1/16-inch thick aluminum. I
made my fitting from a scrap of L-stock
1 inch on a side. Before cutting the stock,
I drilled the 3/8-inch hole needed for the
BNC connector. Then I cut the vertical
portion. The horizontal portion requires a
(B) curved tab that reaches the bolt on one side
Fig 22.108 — The completed Yagi is of the boom. I used bench vise to bend the
shown at A. A close-up view of the tab in a curve and then flatten it for the
parallel PVC boom and mount, the Fig 22.109 — The parasitic element bolt-hole. It takes several tries to get the
sequence of threaded fittings, and the mounting system, showing the
hitch-pin clips used to secure parasitic placement of the hitch-pin clips and the
shape and tab exact, so be patient. When
elements is shown at B. shape of the clips. the squared-edge piece found its perfect

22.64 Chapter 22
 cluding the screw-thread series to enlarge
the support pipe size. Create a smooth
junction that you attach with a through-
bolt instead of cement. By drilling one side
of the connection with two sets of holes,
90-degrees apart, you can change the
antenna from horizontal polarization to
vertical and back in short order.
The 6-element OWA Yagi for 2 meters
performs well. It serves as a good utility
antenna with more gain and directivity
than the usual 3-element general-use Yagi.
When vertically polarized, the added gain
confirms the wisdom of using a longer
boom and more elements. With a length
under 5 feet, the antenna is still compact.
The ability to disassemble the parts sim-
plifies moving the antenna to various por-
table sites.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
J. S. Belrose, “Short Antennas for Mobile
Operation,” QST, Sep 1953.
G. H. Brown, “The Phase and Magnitude of
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G. H. Brown, R. F. Lewis and J. Epstein,
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Efficiency,” Proc IRE, Jun 1937, pp 753-
787.

HK2PMR G. H. Brown and O. M. Woodward, Jr, “Ex-

perimentally Determined Impedance
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A. Christman, “Elevated Vertical Antenna
Fig 22.110 — Details of the feedpoint of the Yagi, showing the BNC connector, Systems,” QST, Aug 1988, pp 35-42.
mounting plate, and connections to the 1/2-inch driver element halves placed over a R. B. Dome, “Increased Radiating Effi-
central 3/8-inch fiberglass rod. ciency for Short Antennas,” QST, Sep
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A. C. Doty, Jr, J. A. Frey and H. J. Mills,
“Characteristics of the Counterpoise and
Elevated Ground Screen,” Professional
shape, I took it to a disk sander and simple process if you build carefully. The
Program, Session 9, Southcon ’83
rounded the vertical piece to follow the only significant test that you can perform
(IEEE), Atlanta, GA, Jan 1983.
connector shape. I also tapered the tap is to ensure that the SWR curve comes A. C. Doty, Jr, J. A. Frey and H. J. Mills,
edges to minimize excess material. The close to the one shown in Fig 22.105. If “Efficient Ground Systems for Vertical
last step is to drill the mounting holes that the SWR is high at 148 MHz but very low Antennas,” QST, Feb 1983, pp 20-25.
receive the #8 sheet metal screws. at 144 MHz, then you will need to shorten A. C. Doty, Jr, technical paper presenta-
Mounting the assembly involves the driver ends by a small amount—no tion, “Capacitive Bottom Loading and
loosely attaching both the #6 and #8 hard- more than 1/8 inch per end at a time. I found Other Aspects of Vertical Antennas,”
ware and alternatively tightening up all that shaving the ends with a disk sander Technical Symposium, Radio Club of
pieces. Be certain that the side of the BNC was most effective. America, New York City, Nov 20, 1987.
connector that receives the coax points Using the antenna with vertical polar- A. C. Doty, Jr, J. A. Frey and H. J. Mills,
toward the mast. Next, mount the BNC ization will require good spacing from any “Vertical Antennas: New Design and
connector. The shield side is already con- support structure with metal vertical por- Construction Data,” The ARRL Antenna
nected to one side of the driver. Mount the tions. One of the easiest ways to devise Compendium, Volume 2 (Newington:
other side of the driver, placing a solder such a mounting is to create a PVC struc- ARRL, 1989), pp 2-9.
lug under the bolt head. Connect a short ture that turns the entire boom by 90 de- R. Fosberg, “Some Notes on Ground Sys-
wire as directly as possible from the sol- grees. If you feel the need for added tems for 160 Meters,” QST, Apr 1965, pp
der lug to the center pin of the BNC con- support, you can create an angular brace 65-67.
nector. After initial testing, you may coat by placing 45-degree connectors in both G. Grammer, “More on the Directivity of
all exposed connections with Plasti-Dip the vertical and horizontal supports and Horizontal Antennas; Harmonic Opera-
for weather protection. running a length of PVC between them. tion—Effects of Tilting,” QST, Mar
As an alternative, you can let the rear 1937, pp 38-40, 92, 94, 98.
TUNE-UP part of the boom be slightly long. To this H. E. Green, “Design Data for Short and
Testing and tuning the antenna is a end you can cement PVC fixtures—in- Medium Length Yagi-Uda Arrays,”

Antennas 22.65
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R. S. Elliott, Antenna Theory and Design nication (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice

22.66 Chapter 22