3 Simple Wire Antennas

[@ve6svj]

This is one of the best antenna videos I've seen in a long time. Thank you! Been a ham since 1992 and learned at least 3 new things today.

[@denislacroix654]

What a nice realistic video this is! Best!

[@marysealing8600]

Excellent! We really like the actor!

[@sparky5860]

Great video…… Lots of practical information….. helpful sketches….. And wonder camera and narration…… look forward to more……

[@russellroberts2228]

I like the realism of this video--going through the trees and brush to set up the various antennas. Sort of resembles a real life situation at your home or in the field. Great explanation of factors involved. A great hands-on presentation. Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

[@practicalantennas1754]

Thanks! That’s just what my backyard antenna range looks like. Makes life interesting. Currently on Maui - will see if I get a chance to try setting up the ground plane on the beach. Aloha!

[@iu1olr]

Nice idea and realization! 73!

[@ArcticBlues1]

Great Job! Thank You :)

[@Oziel-hh2du7ml6r]

Bom dimais gostei.

[@robertmethia7080]

this is so simple I cant stand watching it, drives me crazy!

[@Andy-up6li]

Great video Ty Who sells that mast?

[@practicalantennas1754]

The mast is from Max Gain Systems: www.mgs4u.com This one uses 4’ sections, but 6’ and 8’ are available. MFJ used to sell a similar mast for about the same price (I haven’t compared them) and you might save on shipping cost if you can pick it up at a local ham store.

[@jenaltok]

Thanks for shareing my bro 👍👍👍

[@Pw8gts]

Congregações🎉🎉show de antena 73 PW8GTS

[@highflyer584]

Where did you purchase the portable mast from?

[@SergMirny_yt]

I work on GP (2-nd construction in video), dipole and vertical dipole in the city. And I can say GP reciev mostly QRN. But other antennas have many QRN too 😒 unfortunately it is real of the cities

[@dougtaylor7724]

You could build a Hentenna if your have another section of tent pole.

[@practicalantennas1754]

Yes, or a 50 ohm rectangular loop: practicalantennas.com/designs/loops/loop-sizes/ The Hentenna may have a slight advantage if high enough in the air, but things are more complicated over ground, where increased spacing between the wires (which improves gain in free space) is counteracted by the lower wire being closer to the ground, thereby contributing less to low angle radiation. For a further discussion see practicalantennas.com/theory/loop/full-wave/. Up to around 1 wavelength (top height), there isn’t a significant difference among them, with the delta (point down) having a slight advantage due to more radiation from the top wire, and it is easier to build then a Hentenna.

[@gobstoppa1633]

antiquation at its finest,

[@gyalpot]

Hi, I'm a new Canadian ham radio operator and I really enjoyed your video! I learned a lot from it. I have a small backyard in Toronto, about 25-30 feet long and 10-12 feet wide. I've built a random wire antenna, around 80 feet long, in an inverted U shape. I've been able to pick up many stations from the southern US, but I'm struggling to reach Europe and Asia due to my limited budget and terrain (my location is at a lower gradient than my neighbors). Could you please suggest some options for me to improve my signal reception? Thank you, 73. ve3cxv

[@practicalantennas1754]

That’s a lot to cover in this format! And I haven’t gotten a lot of that material written for my web site yet at PracticalAntennas.com. I’d suggest posting your question on the forums at eHam.net, or a similar site that is more conducive to an extended discussion with more participants. Just for starters: What is your background noise level? If the S-meter reads S6 on background, you need to solve your noise problem in order to hear weaker stations. Are you listening on the right bands when they are open? I’d suggest using VOACAP (www.voacap.com/hf/) to see which bands will be open at what times of day to various cities. I’m in Hawaii at the moment, and it shows (for 50 watts CW) the highest probability for a 20m contact is 65% at 0500Z, while 17m, 15m, and 12m have about the same chance at 1700Z. Then, of course, there is the question of what times hams at the other end will be on the air… On the other hand, if you get on the air during a DX contest weekend, you are likely to hear lots DX stations, although they won’t be in the mood for an extended chat. That’s even before we start talking about antenna choices.

[@union310]

I am in England and waiting for your call my Brother

[@usbp151]

What brand of fiberglass pole are you using?

[@practicalantennas1754]

Max-Gain Systems www.mgs4u.com

[@union310]

So both wires are connected to the centre wire in the coax?

[@practicalantennas1754]

Depends which antenna… For the dipole, one wire connects to the coax center conductor, and one connects to the shield. A balun is often a good idea, but not always needed when weight is a critical factor. For the ground plane antenna, both dipole wires are connected to the coax SHIELD to form the radials, and the added wire is connected to the center conductor to make the vertical part. For the loop, one end of the wire connects to the coax center and the other end to the shield. You can also make the loop by starting with the dipole and connecting the far ends of the wires together, but you need to add a bit more wire to get it to resonate properly.

[@union310]

@@practicalantennas1754 Thank you kindly for your reply.

[@vicmiller7191]

very nicely done, Thanks Vic de KE8JWE