So now that I have what I hope to be a working HF radio on it's way here....(Kenwood TS-130)....I need to get serious about putting some wire up.
Using scapped materials I did manage to produce a working 10m dipole, never got it up high enough to be really effective, but it worked and had a low 1.2:1 SWR over most of the band.
Now I need to consider what bands I'll want to operate on out of the gate here on this Kenwood HF rig, and I figure for now anyway, I'll get on 40m and 20m to start. Once I can swing an antenna tuner then it'll be a different story, but for now I need to string up a band specific tuned antenna.
I've got the room for 40m, so 20m is not problem, and I'm figuring on a double band fan type configuration with the 40m on top, and the 20m hanging below it.
I got the hardware assembled today, and took some photo's of the project so far.....
The materials I had to buy from the local hardware store....$15.25
The SO-239 I scrapped off my J-Pole project.....
Spacers and insulators cut from scrap PVC pipe I had laying around, and painted Olive Drab to help it blend in with the trees.....
Mounted the SO-239 to one of the 1 1/2" end caps.....
From the inside.....
The finished product complete with stainless steel eye bolts for hanging, and to connect the wires.....
The whole assembly was glued with PVC solvent cement, and reinforced with #8 X 5/8" stainless screws to keep it from pulling apart.
Once I get this jury rig up in the air, I'll take some photo's with the good camera and post them here, with a report on the antenna's performance....
Using scapped materials I did manage to produce a working 10m dipole, never got it up high enough to be really effective, but it worked and had a low 1.2:1 SWR over most of the band.
Now I need to consider what bands I'll want to operate on out of the gate here on this Kenwood HF rig, and I figure for now anyway, I'll get on 40m and 20m to start. Once I can swing an antenna tuner then it'll be a different story, but for now I need to string up a band specific tuned antenna.
I've got the room for 40m, so 20m is not problem, and I'm figuring on a double band fan type configuration with the 40m on top, and the 20m hanging below it.
I got the hardware assembled today, and took some photo's of the project so far.....
The materials I had to buy from the local hardware store....$15.25
The SO-239 I scrapped off my J-Pole project.....
Spacers and insulators cut from scrap PVC pipe I had laying around, and painted Olive Drab to help it blend in with the trees.....
Mounted the SO-239 to one of the 1 1/2" end caps.....
From the inside.....
The finished product complete with stainless steel eye bolts for hanging, and to connect the wires.....
The whole assembly was glued with PVC solvent cement, and reinforced with #8 X 5/8" stainless screws to keep it from pulling apart.
Once I get this jury rig up in the air, I'll take some photo's with the good camera and post them here, with a report on the antenna's performance....