Antenna and Other Experimentation

Greg Ordy, W8WWV

In the early days of amateur radio, most amateurs built, and often designed, all aspects of their station. The transmitter, the receiver, and the antennas. Over the years, companies have sprung up that produce just about everything a radio station could possibly need. Now, all you need is money (Ok, some time and space does help).

While some amateurs still enjoy designing and building transmitters and receivers, most just buy a commercially-built radio. Given the level of miniaturization, computer integration, and overall quality, it would be difficult for the average amateur to build a similar unit at anywhere near the cost.

Antennas, however, still remain an area of active experimental design and homebrew construction.

With the introduction of antenna modeling software, it is now possible to investigate antenna designs without resorting to their construction. This is not a substitute for building an antenna, but it helps suggest more effective antennas, and estimates of their performance.

The following links take you to antenna designs that have caught my interest. I do not claim that any of these antenna designs are original. In exploring antenna design, I have been particularly influenced by the following:

1. EZNEC. Antenna modeling software produced by Roy Lewallen, W7EL. I am now using Version 3.0. Unless otherwise indicated, I used EZNEC to prepare all antenna analysis information contained in my pages.
2. Antenna and Techniques for Low-Band DXing, by John Devoldere, ON4UN (the Third Edition is titled ON4UN's Low-Band DXing). A tremendous amount of information covering just about all aspects of low-band radio operation, not just antennas. Available from the ARRL. By the way, the ARRL Antenna Handbook is another great reference.
3. The web pages of L.B. Cebik, W4RNL. A collection of presentations on a number of antenna topics.
4. The web pages of Tom Rauch, W8JI. Lots of very good low band information.

Search this site, or, the entire Internet!

Notes:

General:

• Computer Aided S Meter (free software download!)
• SMC - Series Matching Calculator (free software download!)
• S Meter Blues
• ICOM Microphones Notes
• ICOM 756 and 756PRO (and PRO II)
• ICOM 756PRO CW Filter Shape Selection
• ICOM 756PRO CW Envelope Adjustments
• ICOM 756 VFO Encoder Saga
• A Low Cost ICOM 706MKIIG Mobile Mount
• Accessories for the ICOM 706MKIIG
• Yet Another ICOM CI-V Interface
• ICOM SoundBlaster Interface
   
• Soldering PL-259 Coax Plugs
• Simple RF Current Probes
• More Fun with RF Current Probes
• Using Cordless Phones with Radios
• Using Cordless Headsets with Radios
• Modifications to the Ameritron AL-1200 Amplifier
   
• QRP
  • The Small Wonder Labs DSW-II (40 Meters)
  • Ohm's Law for Dummy Loads
     
• 75 Meter DX Window Noise
• 15 Meter SecureView Camera RFI
• BuryFlex Measurements
• Deer: 1; W8WWV: 0
• Lightning Strikes!

Lower Bands (160, 80, 40 meters):

• Opinions on Low-Band Operation
• Resources: Books and Links
• The Challenge: Receiving Antennas
• The Benchmark Beverage
  • Beverage Pattern Animations
     
• The RDF Metric
• Array Phasing Errors and RDF
• Receive Antenna Control and Phasing Boxes
• K9AY Terminated Loop Array
   
• The Flag Antenna: Basics
  • Tweaking the Flag Antenna
  • The Bi-Directional Flag Antenna
  • Building Flag Antennas
  • Flag Antenna Arrays
• Low Dipole as a Receiving Antenna
   
• In Search of: Accurate Impedance Measurements
  • Analyzing Three Antenna Analyzers
    • An AEA Via Bravo Review
  • Traditional Impedance Bridges
  • Another Look at the Impedance Reference
  • cialog - Impedance Analyzer Logger (free software download!)
  • The N2PK VNA (Vector Network Analyzer)
    • January 2004 Group Build
    • March 2004 Group Build
      • The Master Oscillator Comparison
      • Assembled Board Information
      • Kit Information
      • Updated T1-6T Bridge
    • Boards and Parts Available
    • Building with Surface Mount Technology (SMT)
    • Building the T1-6T Bridge (original)
    • Building My VNA
    • Software Contributions
      • Protected Mode Parallel Port Access: UserPort 1.0
      • VNAccess: API For VNA Control (VNAccess.dll)
      • VNAgra: API For Computing Actual Reflection Coefficients (VNAgra.dll)
      • VNA.CFG File Reader (VNACFG.h)
      • gnat: VNA Test Program
      • cialog Modified for the VNA
      • Exeter - VNA Control
         
• 160/80/40 Meter 6-Element Vertical Array (Hex Array)
  • Background And History
  • 80/40 Meter Vertical
  • Band by Band Design
  • Site Preparation
  • Obsessed with Loss
  • Control/Switching System
  • Phasing Networks
    • EZDZ
    • 40 Meters
    • 80 Meters
    • 160 Meters
  • Array Symmetry and Clever Impedance Measurements
  • Using the Oscilloscope to Make Phased Array Measurements
  • Phased Array Current Measurements
    • rvm - The Relative Vector Meter
    • More Fun With RF Current Probes
    • Revisiting the Hex Array
  • RF Transmitting Component Q
  • Coaxial Cable Stub Q
  • Conclusion
     
• 40 Meter Parasitic Delta Loop Array
• Dipoles versus Verticals
• Building High Power, High Q, Loading Coils
• Building Coaxial Cable Traps
• The 3805er Receiving Loop
• A Hex-Shaped 160 Meter Receiving Loop
• Yet Another Dipole Feed Point Enclosure
• The 80 Meter Inverted Vee
  • The 80 Meter Inverted Vee (Original)
  • Evaluating a Range of 80 Meter Inverted Vee Antennas
    • Manual/Automatic Tuning and Termination Resistors
    • Single Resonance
    • Multiple Resonance
    • Integrated Broadband Matching
    • Discrete Broadband Matching
  • October, 2006 Progress Report
  • Effect of a Simple Ground Screen on the Inverted Vee
• Lower Bands Background Noise Monitoring

Upper Bands (20, 17, 15, 12, 10 meters):

• Sloper Array
• A Look at the Sommer XP-50
• The Rotator Cage
• Tower Junction Box

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Last update: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:45:07 AM
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