A Super Simple 6m Antenna (Ready for the Sporadic E Season!)

[@2E0LMI]

A 10m delta is working well for me. Much less unwanted noise compared to a dipole, even in a vertical polarized configuration. Simple people like me can remove the need for a matching stub or balun by changing the shape of the delta slightly. The plan for my take on the delta is on my QRZ page if anyone wants to have a go.

[@Steve-GM0HUU]

Yes, I reckon delta loops are better at reducing local QRM that open ended antennas like dipoles. Also, delta loop has slight gain over a dipole.

[@HamRadioDX]

Love to see different antenna variations for 6m! Get on that band - it's a heap of fun. Great video Jonathan, great stuff!

[@M0JSX]

Thanks Hayden! It’s a super band and such a simple antenna to make.

[@DickieBird888]

Made a flowerpot today and worked a few local stations around East Yorkshire and even Germany and Italy all on ssb this evening.... great result.. Might give this a go as well.

[@M0JSX]

Brilliant stuff! I'd be keen to know how you get on and whether you compare the two antennas against each other.

[@cricket1043]

I'll give this a try as I have most of the bits and pieces on hand. Thanks for sharing, 73!

[@stewpot3971]

Was going to build a 5-6 element beam from a load of surplus aluminium poles I have in the shack but I think I will build one of these instead! Great stuff! M0KKZ

[@M0JSX]

The beam would have more gain mind!

[@stewpot3971]

@@M0JSX yeah but your simple yet effective design will get built in time to use it 😉😉

[@martinsalt1839]

Great video Jonathan, really liked it. More like this please !

[@HKey_Root]

Brilliant and inspiring. Thank you.

[@Steve-GM0HUU]

👍Thanks for video. I was impressed with the good match that you got. Ideas that may help to make the antenna even smaller when packed away is to put one or two joins in the PVC pipe. Possibly even use a section of collapsible fibreglass tent pole in place of the pipe - just loosely tie-wrap the wire to the pole.

[@M0JSX]

I completely agree. I’m toying with making one for the 10m band, that will certainly require a join in the PVC. 73!

[@mccooperman]

Excellent thanks for sharing like you I was using a vertical which was ok but now on a dipole … will build this later and give it a go all the bits are in the shed 👍🤩

[@m7trsradio]

Great video Jonathan. Loved the build video. Yagi bit was brilliant. Yagi drawing then turned it into a ball over the shoulder. 73

[@M0JSX]

I hear I'm up for some kind of art award! XD

[@m7trsradio]

@@M0JSX since we last spoke I've called into Moonraker a month or so ago and looked at the ft710 and saw my first Ft991a today at Lamco as I was in the area. Just need to decide and save some pennies up. Plus a power supply, heil headset and an antenna lol

[@M0JSX]

The choice of FT-991A vs FT-710 should be based on whether you need VHF/UHF. You’ll have a great radio whichever you choose!

[@m7trsradio]

@@M0JSX it's a tricky one. You could always say ft710 as I already have a 2/70 HT plus a FT817. Guess you would say the 710 then😀 Think the guy in Moonraker was called Alex possibly youngish lad 😀 rubbish with names

[@timdbl7804]

Hi Jonathan, thanks for this! Good know there will be more horizontals on 6m! 🙂 A couple of refinements might be worth considering: Maybe coil the 99cm length of 75 Ohm co-ax to form a choke? Also, the join between the 75 Ohm and 50 Ohm should ideally be done with co-ax connectors.... (Yes, I hate making them up! 😆) That should help result in pure horizontal polarisation, and mitigate against any risk of noise-pickup, on the coax, on RX. Hope that helps! See you on 6m very soon! 😀

[@M0JSX]

There will always be refinements possibly, but as a cheap and dirty way into 6m it works! I have seen the coiling of the 99cm 75ohm mentioned on the net before. I’ve not tried it, but definitely not a bad idea!

[@LB0FI]

This was exactly what I needed tonight! Thanks!

[@M0JSX]

Woah, thanks Morten! Pleased to be of service. 😀

[@M5JFS]

Think I'll give this a go Jonathan. I made a shonky looking inverted V dipole for 6m in May 2021 (pic on my QRZ page). The apex was 12 foot above the ground and it still got me out as far as southern Spain, northern Scotland, southern Sweden, Poland and Croatia.

[@gabrielgalina3461]

Great video Jonathan, I built the 50 ohm delta loop from DK7ZB (no matching section, triangle isosceles) it worked very well but my problem is that the wind makes it rotate, I tried tying it to the ground so that it does not rotate but it was not satisfactory, therefore I built myself a Flower Pot and it is working very well too, I only do FT-8 QRP with only 2.5 watts with a FT-817ND and with very good DX with Europe, North America and Japan, 73 from LU3FGG

[@M0JSX]

Excellent stuff. In my experience there is enough friction to keep everything in place. I use a flower pot on 10m, it’s a great antenna.

[@M5JFS]

There's also the oblong antenna I want to try as this doesn't require a matching line. Plan is to use some plastic right angle strip to make the top and bottom cross pieces and a banana to BNC

[@k9eihamradio]

Along with the sporadic E, we had some Auroral propagation from the week of solar flares on 6M here last week. That should be a great antenna to play with!

[@M7BVV-Phil]

Great video Jonathan, I think i'll give that a go!.P.S. lovely tree line in your back garden.

[@M0JSX]

If only I could claim them as mine! They belong to the local council.

[@MM0OPXFieldRadio]

Top job Jonathan 👏. A loop has been on my list to build for a while.

[@M0JSX]

Thanks Colin! You’ll do a far better job than me!

[@MM0OPXFieldRadio]

@@M0JSX nonsense mate. I take way too much time overmaking stuff at times.

[@M0JSX]

@MM0OPXFieldRadio but look at the end results 😍

[@peterlowrie1216]

I may have missed it in the video but what were your final dimensions for the loop?

[@M0JSX]

@@peterlowrie1216 I didn’t actually measure the final length. I would imagine it to be around the 6.05m, but as with all antennas “everything affects everything”. If you are considering making one, cut long and trim back for resonance. 73!

[@DK5ONV]

Nicely built Antenna, Jonathan. 💯👍

[@NsixVHF]

Nice. I was just looking for a portable, quick antenna for 6m, for POTA work. I am going to throw one of these together! 73 de N6VHF

[@2m0rot]

I'm going to make one of these today :)

[@M0JSX]

Let me know how it goes!

[@2m0rot]

@@M0JSX initial swr check 1.9 ssb and 2.1 fm sections.

[@M0JSX]

@@2m0rot sounds like the antenna is a bit long. Cut 6 inches off and try again

[@2m0rot]

@@M0JSX the wire or coax?

[@M0JSX]

@@2m0rot the wire 😊

[@hamradiomobile]

Cracking video Jonathan, I am going to have to try this for 10m 🙂

[@M0JSX]

Thanks Duncan!

[@fm71450]

Thank you! Your explanation was very helpful. 73 from the west side of the Atlantic. KQ4IXD

[@jonpg1jsf118]

Ha ! Snap. Nice video Jonathan.

[@M0JSX]

Thanks Jon. Real hams use a 2:1 balun 😉

[@jonpg1jsf118]

@@M0JSX Just a quickie. Remember that depending on the build / cores etc, using a 2:1 Guanalla current Balun for 6m or 4m may not be a good idea as there could be some roll off of the cores over 30MHz. If that is the case, then a 75 ohm matching stub is your best ( and cheaper ) bet.

[@bargeutube]

A tad off topic but I just made a simple horizontal wire dipole for 6m to put in the loft. I made the legs over length and trimmed until it resonated in the middle of 6m band . What I do not understand though is that at 49.3 it had a swr of 1.4, but after trimming 3cm off each end which brought it nicely to mid band, the swr had risen to 3. Nothing else was changed so what variable could cause this?

[@M0JSX]

Im going to tackle this on an upcoming Q&A video. But, in short with antennas everything affects everything. It could be how it is positioned in the loft. It could be that you didn’t exactly cut each leg perfectly equally, therefore the feedpoint impedance is a bit off. Might be worth repositioning the dipole and see how the SWR (and resonant frequency) shifts in different positions.

[@beemcbike]

Is there a formula for calculating the 75 Ohm coax part? Like to try a loop for 10m or even for 15 m. Thanks for your video.

[@M0JSX]

Hello. Yes the formula is 75 * cable's velocity factor / frequency in MHz

[@alo1236546]

You can put Jezus on the cross

[@johnsonstechworld]

Few days back I homebrewed a delta loop for 2m and could work a high elevation pass of International Space Station with it (kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXSplKOLedSSgac, kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKXTlaSbos92d80). Local VHF repeaters can be accessed very well. 73 Jon, VU2JO.

[@M0JSX]

Fantastic stuff John!

[@johnsonstechworld]

@@M0JSX Thanks a lot Jonathan!

[@dieseldes6578]

loops rule!

[@devinhedge]

Appreciate the video. I’m thinking I see my next antenna project. 73 - KN4FVH

[@Tommy_Boy.]

I love this one Jonathan! Nice build. 👍📻⚡️Tom - WA7FLY

[@M0JSX]

Thanks Tom!