Suggestions for first HF antenna

[Turbo T]

I have acquired my first 10 meter radio that I am going to run as a base radio. At this time I am studying for general.

I would like to purchase something to use on my 10 meter radio. I have also considered something for an antenna that I can grow into.

I do not know much on HF antennas so please bear with me. But I'm not sure if I should go with a dipole, or a single antenna dedicated to 10 meter only use.

Also I noticed there's those antenna tuners...I've heard they're supposed to make the radio "think" it has the right antenna....? Is this to allow you to run 1 antenna on several bands?

Thanks in advance.

 

[IMD262]

If you still have your Shakespeare Big Stick, triim that for 10M.

 

[Turbo T]

Actually I no longer have that antenna.

 

[WR0220]

As far as antennas go I have limited room, so I put up a Cushcraft R6000 vertical. It has a small footprint and covers 6, 10, 12, 15, 17 & 20 meters. I found mine NIB along with 100' of new Cable Xperts cable of FeePay for less than half of the cost of the antenna alone.

 

[RatsoW8]

Build a 10 meter dipole like new hams have done for years (or used to do anyway). Once you learn from building that antenna, build another one for another or multiple bands. I was a ham for 15 years before I bought my first commercially made antenna.

 

[binrat]

Build a 10 meter dipole like new hams have done for years (or used to do anyway). Once you learn from building that antenna, build another one for another or multiple bands. I was a ham for 15 years before I bought my first commercially made antenna.

Agreed.
The cost of wire is nothing compared to say 80 metres but the principle is still the same. I bought a used DXCC for the wire and kept all the pieces "for the future" and after getting done playing around and learning (to the amazement of my nosy neighbour) he offered up about 1000' of 12 guage wire for me.
I would go with an inverter V to start. There are numerous dipole calculators on line if you wish to make life simple.

 

[hookedon6]

Build a 10 meter dipole like new hams have done for years (or used to do anyway). Once you learn from building that antenna,....

I have to agree,..... and when/if you gain more band privs,

then add more wire and turn it into a fan di-pole

 

[W5LZ]

There really isn't that much trouble with building wire antennas, or dipoles. It's about as cheap-n-easy as it gets. If you can use a yardstick, cut wire, and can solder, you only have to combine those thingys to make a dipole. There's nothing particularly 'special' about any of it. Of course, about the only thing you'll be 'out' if you -don't- make your own is money...
- 'Doc

 

[trucker]

I have acquired my first 10 meter radio that I am going to run as a base radio. At this time I am studying for general.

I would like to purchase something to use on my 10 meter radio. I have also considered something for an antenna that I can grow into.

I do not know much on HF antennas so please bear with me. But I'm not sure if I should go with a dipole, or a single antenna dedicated to 10 meter only use.

Also I noticed there's those antenna tuners...I've heard they're supposed to make the radio "think" it has the right antenna....? Is this to allow you to run 1 antenna on several bands?

Thanks in advance.

A simple dipole cut for 10 meters will work fine since you only have a single band radir you could build a ground plane antenna too. If you have something like the MFJ-259b Antenna Analyzer, you can go ahead and built
a multi-band fan dipole. That way, you can trim the antenna properly and be ready when you upgrade to a regular HF rig.
As for the antenna tuner, all it does is present the proper load to the transmitter. If you go that route, build a dipole cut for the lowest frequency
(band) that you want to operate, and feed the antenna with 450ohm ladder line to a 4:1 current balun and then, coax to the rig. (make the coax run as short as possible). Or if your tuner has the proper input, run the balanced line all the way to the tuner. Mult-band use will be possible for almost all
the HF bands that way. (some will still present a mismatch anyway)
Either way you go, get something up for 10 meters and start having fun!
trucker

 

[Turbo T]

Thanks. No I don't have an antenna analyzer. All I have at this time is a Rat Shack SWR meter and a dipole I made out of 14 gauge sheathed wire soldered to a SO239 in the middle and an insulator at each end to support up with some twine.

 

[n0zna]

antennas

dipole,inverted v,g5rv,all work well...i run a dipole thats 134 foot on each end and works everywhere.Also use my a99 on 10/12/15/20mtrs with my ft450d...73 de n0zna Jefferson Co. Mo.

 

[kd-5-bgt]

I am running an off center fed windom with a tuner in radio...works better than I thought it would...hit France this morning and heard S. Korea this afternoon

 

[n0zna]

great

what band?I work alot of 10,12,15,17 and 20...73 de JW

 

[kd-5-bgt]

17 meters mainly and heard 10 active starting at around 9 AM cenetral time

 

[Turbo T]

There really isn't that much trouble with building wire antennas, or dipoles. It's about as cheap-n-easy as it gets. If you can use a yardstick, cut wire, and can solder, you only have to combine those thingys to make a dipole. There's nothing particularly 'special' about any of it. Of course, about the only thing you'll be 'out' if you -don't- make your own is money...
- 'Doc

Sometimes I have to wonder if spending the coin is the better of the deal.

I just tried making my own 10 M dipole to run on 28.400 using 14 gauge insulated wire soldered to a SO239 connector, made both wires 8.25 ft long, wrapped the ends around plastic insulators, separated the two wires at the SO239 with an insulator, hung the dipole up 12 feet off the ground in the blowing 30 degree winds, used garden twine about 2 ft long to hang the insulators up to a rigid object, made sure the wires weren't close to any solid objects....yet when I do an SWR check it pegs the meter....I even tried this same dipole on 11 M just for the sake of it...still pegs out the meter. (it used to work "ok" on 11 M but I shortened it for 10 M)

I guess an antenna analyzer would be my best friend at this point?