TV Rabbit Ears = 2m Dipole

[WR0220]

I came across an article where a 2m dipole was constructed out of an old TV rabbit ear antenna. In the article they are using it vertical, but I'm thinking about building one to use horizontal. Has anyone ever built/used one of these antennas, and if so what kind of performance did you see from it? I have a 2m/70cm vertical, but want to put up something I can use to get in on some of the 2m SSB...

 

[KingCobra_CDX882]

Why not a simple beam..
Using a beam on VHF is easy...since VHF frequency's need only a relatively small beam

 

[Wire Weasel]

I came across an article where a 2m dipole was constructed out of an old TV rabbit ear antenna. In the article they are using it vertical, but I'm thinking about building one to use horizontal. Has anyone ever built/used one of these antennas, and if so what kind of performance did you see from it? I have a 2m/70cm vertical, but want to put up something I can use to get in on some of the 2m SSB...

Yep sure this will work and is an interesting recycling project.

How will it work/perform?

It will work like ...... drum roll please ....

.... a dipole

 

[Beetle]

IF it works THAT well.

I wouldn't trust it for more than about ten watts. The contact resistance will dissipate more power than you'll want it to, but physics is physics.

"Sliding contact" generally means "no contact" at RF with any sort of power.

 

[W5LZ]

Can 'rabbit ears' work as a 2 meter antenna? Sure. Make each 'ear' something like 19" long and adjust from there. How well will it work? Compared to what? As already said, it'd be a 2 meter dipole. Depending on where you put the thing, it'd work as well as any other 2 meter dipole antenna in the same place. One thing you might think about is that how well it works is going to depend on how the thing is fed, as in 300 ohm twin-led, 75 ohm coax, what? So, will it work? Yep. Will there be 'complications'? Yep. Are those 'complications' fixable? Yep. Would a set of 'rabbit ears' be better than something else? I'm not sure I even wanna go there. Maybe yes, maybe no, depends on what that something else is.
- 'Doc

 

[WR0220]

Thanks for all the replies. I guess a better question would have been has anyone had good luck using a dipole for 2m SSB...lol. Space is limited, so a beam is out of the question for now. I won't be using the original contacts in the antenna - just the radials. I will make a center block out of plexiglass that houses a chassis mount SO-239 connector, and the radials will attach directly to it using lugs. The feedline will be attached to it using a standard PL-259 connector. Once the radials have been adjusted I will use miniature worm gear clamps to secure the overlapping contact points of the radials. Any more thoughts/advice? Are there other types of antennas you have used for 2m SSB (other then a beam) that produced good results?

 

[C2]

IF it works THAT well.

I wouldn't trust it for more than about ten watts. The contact resistance will dissipate more power than you'll want it to, but physics is physics.

"Sliding contact" generally means "no contact" at RF with any sort of power.

Are you sure? Those rabbit ears usually have some sort of sprung brass insert to help with the contacting...

When you think about it, those UHF connectors are just sliding contacts too...

 

[Beetle]

Are you sure? Those rabbit ears usually have some sort of sprung brass insert to help with the contacting...

When you think about it, those UHF connectors are just sliding contacts too...

Yep, and N connectors are, too. And BNCs. So are ALL RF connectors. But they're engineered that way.

The rabbit ears are fine at receiving levels, but as I said, I wouldn't use them for transmitting more than about 10 watts.

 

[C2]

Hmm, I was wondering about the Buddipole, with its telescopic whips...they even offer black whips (anodized?) and rate the antenna to 250 watts.

Of course, the construction is much better than your typical rabbit ears...

 

[Beetle]

And the Buddipoles are designed to be used as transmitting antennas.

 

[C2]

Are you sure they have something different about their design? What would it be?

 

[Beetle]

I have another suggestion: why don't you load up a set of rabbit ears at around the same power level as the Buddipole is rated for.

Then let us know what happens.

 

[WR0220]

Well, the rabbit ear antenna works - and made a big difference in rx/tx over the comet sma24 on my vx7rb - but it's performance is limited. I did make a few contacts last weekend into some of the surrounding grids running 2.5 and 5 watts with the antenna suspended from the ceiling of my radio room. It may have done better if I would have put it in the attic like I originaly planned, but I think I'll look into making a quad to put up there instead.

 

[Beetle]

Well, the rabbit ear antenna works - and made a big difference in rx/tx over the comet sma24 on my vx7rb - but it's performance is limited. I did make a few contacts last weekend into some of the surrounding grids running 2.5 and 5 watts with the antenna suspended from the ceiling of my radio room. It may have done better if I would have put it in the attic like I originaly planned, but I think I'll look into making a quad to put up there instead.

You won't regret going with a quad.

 

[FubarPerson]

Thanks for all the replies. I guess a better question would have been has anyone had good luck using a dipole for 2m SSB...lol. Space is limited, so a beam is out of the question for now. I won't be using the original contacts in the antenna - just the radials. I will make a center block out of plexiglass that houses a chassis mount SO-239 connector, and the radials will attach directly to it using lugs. The feedline will be attached to it using a standard PL-259 connector. Once the radials have been adjusted I will use miniature worm gear clamps to secure the overlapping contact points of the radials. Any more thoughts/advice? Are there other types of antennas you have used for 2m SSB (other then a beam) that produced good results?

If you want a little more gain, try adjusting the elements into about a 45 degree angle (V shape). This will act like a beam giving you a little more gain over a regular vertical.