HAM RADIO: Top Band Vertical Small Garden /Back Yard Antenna - 160M band

[@basiedp]

Just my idea for winding coils. I use nylon weadeater/ fishing line for spacing with wire and just leave it there and tape the lot together. Works a charm.👍

[@WU3Shamradio]

A fantastic idea for that unused spool weed eater line collecting dust in the garage

[@richardpowell723]

Thank you. Explained in a way that now makes getting on top band easier for the wider audience. On you tube forever, as a reference point for the amateur community 👍

[@mike-M0MSN]

Thank you.

[@AJFogertyFan2]

Nice video! Surprised you didn’t discuss using either shunt inductive or capacitive matching across the feed line at the feed point. I have always been able to bring in a near perfect 1:1 SWR match on both mobile antennas and fixed station verticals with simple shunt matching. As others have mentioned, an appropriately rationed un-un matching transformer will also do this and additionally isolate and minimize commkn mode common mode currents on the feed line. 73 de Chris AJ1G Stonington CT

[@philtuckerm0dpk212]

Really enjoyed this video Mike. Thanks for taking the time to share.

[@mike-M0MSN]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@johnc3403]

Cyanoacrylate activator ?? I never knew such saucery existed :D I learned a lot from this video, Thanks Mike, John EI5JS

[@mike-M0MSN]

Tis witchcraft I tell you... 👍

[@SuburbanDXing]

Another quality video from M0MSN...exactly what your viewers have come to expect. Plus, you indicated that this would not be a flame-thrower antenna for Top Band; it'll get you on the air but don't expect big results...so you "sold" it correctly. Well done, Mike...73!

[@mike-M0MSN]

thanks

[@timg5tm941]

Excellent stuff Mike!

[@mike-M0MSN]

Many thanks Tim 🤗

[@kellypaws]

Mike's 'not perfect' - better than my best. Dear, dear. Never mind. Hash on.

[@mike-M0MSN]

😂

[@garyh8315]

May the force be with you..... more variable capacitance plans? Another good vid of how to experiment. You have got the grey matter working....

[@mike-M0MSN]

👍👍🙈

[@markg6jvy135]

Nice build 👍👏👏

[@mike-M0MSN]

Thanks 👍

[@iv3shf]

I used something similar (same concept) to win the 1995 CQWW DX SSB on the top band, well done and explained MIke.

[@mike-M0MSN]

Thanks👍

[@ohyeawhosurpoppy]

Enjoyed it again. Must of missed the "banana's"+/- report. Waiting for your video of ti-fighter capacitance with the force.

[@mike-M0MSN]

The capacity is strong with this one. 🤪

[@wfwtheradioguy3414]

Good stuff, Mike. I might hafta give that a go once I get moved to the new QTH and get my Classic put up.

[@barrykery1175]

You did a nice job making the coil. Well done. Since the SWR is 2 to 1 on 160 meters, you may want to put an antenna analyzer at the base of the antenna and check it there. I was involved in the placement of numerous inverted L's for 80 and 160 meters. We found the feed point impedance to be very close to 20 ohms. I built a 22.22 to 50 ohm UnUn, placed it at the base of each inverted L and now they are have a perfect 1 to 1 match. Nice job on your antenna. I hope you work a lot of DX with it. Barry, KU3X

[@mike-M0MSN]

Cheers Barry the nun is a great idea.

[@ericgroce1125]

Honestly when I build coils a lot of the time I will just cheat... And I'll use a tap connected to an alligator clip and this lets me figure out where it needs to go Then I can also adjust it for the top end of the band or the bottom end of the band

[@anthonypeet474]

Another great video keep that dx10 locked away I'm wanting some myself 😁

[@ae1tpa92gwtom2]

Another fine video, always a gd approach, cheers, 😀

[@woodybollox]

Topband from the top man. Nice one Mike.

[@aeron-mw7ofs]

Great stuff, very interesting thanks Mike 👍👍

[@mike-M0MSN]

Thanks 👍

[@DK5ONV]

Now that looks frikken awsome, Mike! Great Job done, sir 👏👏👏🙋‍♂

[@mike-M0MSN]

Wow, thanks!

[@ON8EI]

Well done Mike. Top KZbinr. Tnx.

[@kevinkc3onohelijeepworld953]

Nice looking air variable cap parts maybe next you need a inductior winder ☺️

[@mike-M0MSN]

Well that’s a good idea.

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

D10 used to come as twisted pair cable, for use with field telephones. Used to make army telephone exchanges to go into the back of landrovers etc. Seen a landy drive off and rip the floor out the back as the exchange and 30 pairs of D10 cables were not going anywhere. 7 strands of steel and 3 of copper don't break easy :-)

[@mike-M0MSN]

Yes but this is DX10. Callum use to supply D10 back in the day.

[@TheEmbeddedHobbyist]

@@mike-M0MSN does it still have the steel strands, or just copper?

[@mike-M0MSN]

DX10 is copper no added steel, check out www.m0mcx.co.uk.

[@markramsay6399]

Excellent video MIke. Really well explained! Perhaps you could put the calculator website in the description for the video? Would be nice to have a play. Mark, 2E0MSR

[@mike-M0MSN]

Good idea!

[@woodybollox]

If I bring you a plastic water butt round Mike could u wind a 136 kHz loading coil for the dx commander lol. Good stuff mate and all the best.

[@mike-M0MSN]

👍😂😂

[@pascaldelbruyere]

Thanks for the nice video 👍 Where can I find the wire you did use ? Seems to be pretty for doing coil or wire's antenna.

[@mike-M0MSN]

DX Commander DX10

[@ZubairKhan-vs8fe]

Please do a video on building an airband antenna for my handheld receiver. Thanks

[@mike-M0MSN]

yep just might do that.. :)

[@pd9rd]

Absolutely fantastic job Mike, but I wish you would do some metric references to the numbers you mention 😀 73.

[@mike-M0MSN]

Yes 👍 will do.

[@K1DTC]

Well done

[@M7BCN]

That’s brilliant.👌

[@Linas_LY2H]

Very nice coils! Would love to know how was it doing on the air. 73! Linas LY2H

[@mike-M0MSN]

Coming soon! ??

[@g0fvt]

As you know I took a different approach to the same scenario, at the end of my inverted L section I have a trap followed by nearly 20m of wire, of course on 160m the horizontal section being low to the ground does drop the impedance. On the positive it does work and does not significantly affect my 80m band (or the others), it looks like I can gain 60m too. Good to see your coils, a fairly similar process to my coax trap. 73

[@mike-M0MSN]

Yes I was looking at a trap, however restricted by garden size, great idea the trap.

[@g0fvt]

@@mike-M0MSN I likewise ran out of garden so the top band extension has to come back in the "wrong direction" but you don't get a disaster of cancellation. I may try the loading coil, possibly with a Russian vacuum relay to bypass it for 80m.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Mike.. I commented!

[@Joe-KN4IFI]

Nice work Mike. Going to have to give it a try. Lucky you can't carry a tune or KZbin's algorithm would have given you a copyright strike on the Star Wars song. 73 from your friend across the pond, Joe 🍌🍌🍌

[@mike-M0MSN]

Ah I had to play down the singing skills just to pass the YT algorithm 😂😂😂

[@Joe-KN4IFI]

@@mike-M0MSN 🧐 lol

[@EvaderGuy]

Brilliant!

[@verschalter]

Any links of the sites you used would helpful. TNX Mike

[@mike-M0MSN]

Here you go. www.66pacific.com/calculators/default.aspx

[@cobrasvt347]

Nice 👍

[@M0JHN]

Ingenious

[@raydavidsonm0ray.777]

Hi Mike, Great video as usual. You make this look so easy, but I missed the calculations & apps that you were using for the coils. Now please correct me if I'm wrong, but you appear to be going into Variable Capacitor Production. If so, I could be interested in 1 or 2 of them with the motors on them, depending on price. I follow most (if not all) of your building projects for Amateur Radio. My main interest is in making 1 or 2 multi band Mag Loops in order to cover most (preferably All) of the HF Amateur bands. Mag loops due to very bad noise floor where I live. I do have a DX Commander Classic, but I am unable to put it together & install it by myself due to being disabled. I'm sure there will be someone not too far from me in Sittingbourne, Kent, who will be able to offer me some help with it soon. I also have at my disposal, a 12 foot steel ring, the remains of a 12 foot trampoline, which I am torn between what to do with it. Turn it into a Mag Loop Aerial, or use it as part of the ground radial system with the DX Commander Classic, in the center of it. I don't have space for 360degrees of full length radials, but I have been told that, that dose not matter, as long as I can still get plenty of radials laid out for the DXC. Back to the Mag Loop, This is where my main interest lies, but the problem being the variable capacitor capable of handling the high voltage when running 400 Watts into the mag loop.? ? ? Can you please Help, as I do Not have the tools or skills required to make my own? Many Thanks In Advance, Kind Regards, Ray. AKA M0RAY,

[@barrychatwin661]

Are you mad??? 400W into a mag loop!!! Do you want to transmit radio signals or cook a full Sunday roast with it??? You can travel the world and some with 10-15W on a decent mag loop. Plus if you are sat anywhere near a mag loop running at 400W you could easily be a cancer victim within a very short period of time. Prey tell,,,,,, how much did your full licence cost you???? P S. You were robbed !!👎😖👎 Have you not seen,,,, there is a video of a guy from USA that had a mag loop on a back pack. He used to push 200W through it. Now, whenever he keys up his 5W QRP set he pisses himself and forgets who he is for about 30 mins. Some people should not be left unsupervised,,,, no matter how old they are !!! 🇬🇧👍🤫👍🇬🇧

[@raydavidsonm0ray.777]

Hi Barry, No mate, i'm not mad. that was a typo. It was meant to be 40 Watts, even though that's still on the high side for a mag loop. I've worked VK from the UK with 3 Watts into a Mag Loop quite a few yrs ago , the loop being a special event club field construction project at the time, made from copper pipe. I've been licensed for over 32 yrs, and not had the best of luck in the last 12 months, due to my main antenna having to be pulled down due to age decay. It was a sort of a cross between a G5RG, & a Doublet, Home brew, which worked well considering its orientation. I would Love to have a couple of decent Home Brew Mag Loops in the garden to cover most HF bands as I previously mentioned, but at the moment I don't have the capability to make any. I do have a new replacement home brew center fed wire antenna to go up as soon as I can find someone to get up on my roof to help me install the roof top end of it properly. The other end of it rests on a fiber Glass pole mounted on top of a scaffolding pole which is reasonably manageable to lower and raise by hand. Many Thanks for your reply Barry, Kind Regards, Ray, AKA M0RAY. Sittingbourne, Kent, UK.

[@mike-M0MSN]

No not production. I intend to use the lot making my next project. As for the trampoline loop. Very interesting idea that. But witch way to go?

[@brianfields4479]

I did make a coil to put my 40m vertical on 80m , and it tuned nicely, but after comparing it to a 80m inverted L, I was about 2 s-points down into eu from zl, when using the coil. maybe the losses are expected with a coil.

[@mike-M0MSN]

Yep 6bB plus. 👍🧐

[@meggalavk3ktt]

excellent video Mike a really nice coil you made you have inspired me i might have to have a go. also an over night rx on ft8 would be interesting i use a full size inverted L but was considering using a coil. have you tried the coil at the end to make it a top loaded antenna . ?

[@mike-M0MSN]

I would have to almost double the coil size if I put it on the end of the antenna....

[@ON8EI]

PS Mike, are you using the lc200a digital l/c handheld inductance capacitance multimeter ? Tnx JD.

[@mike-M0MSN]

Yes I think it is that model. Great bit of kit.

[@dodgydd]

I notice you have solar panels on the roof, did you need to do anything to reduce noise from the inverters?

[@ON8EI]

A good and correct inverter plus no optimizers. I use a SMA inverter. 73's

[@mike-M0MSN]

No I purchased a good quality inverter. No noise👍👍

[@dodgydd]

@@mike-M0MSN The challenge is persuading your neighbours they should do same.

[@ianbardell8030]

Hi Mike, Can you please tell me what website/software you were using to calculate the inductance of the coil please

[@mike-M0MSN]

Hi yes it’s. www.66pacific.com/calculators/default.aspx

[@JReed305]

What L/C meter are you using? Really interested in making the coil for my 80 inverted L but need to pick up a L/C meter.

[@mike-M0MSN]

Cheap on from eBay Lc-200a

[@JReed305]

@@mike-M0MSN excellent! Thought that was the one but wanted to check. Thanks!

[@johnpeterson7264]

Why the need to space the wire ? Why not just close wind ?

[@mike-M0MSN]

I could have Close wound but find it acts more like a choke.

[@Atomshamradio]

Nice

[@mike-M0MSN]

Thanks

[@jeanladirection]

Hello, I would like to build a wired antenna of maximum 25 meters for an AM transmitter for frequency 1.6 MHZ or 1602 KHZ. Would it be possible for you to help me. Attention I am novice in the AM. In advance thank you.

[@a.v.stechs9398]

How much wattage handled

[@mike-M0MSN]

no idea, I only use it at around 100 Watts...

[@adelarsen9776]

Knipex. Superior German engineering. Just don't mention the war. I did, but I think I got away with it.

[@mike-M0MSN]

Tool makers of the gods