Let's get real here! If we lay a wire antenna on the ground, surely It can't radiate more power than that cool-looking, expensive quarter-wave whip you just spent a small fortune to buy? Well, yes it can - but with a few caveats. We can use a trick of geometry to support our claim. Our … Continue reading How Can A Lossy Wire on the Ground Work Better Than A Quarter Wave Vertical Antenna?
Author: John VA3KOT
I'm a Canadian amateur radio operator based in Owen Sound, Ontario. I hold an Advanced license and I am passionate about two things: operating outdoors and CW. My blog is focused on the experimental aspects of the hobby. I love to try out new ideas and, being retired, I have the luxury of time to spend doing so. Please like, comment and follow if you enjoy what you read here.
An Off-Center Fed Sleeve Dipole
At Ham Radio Outside the Box the urge to experiment is always front and center. Isn't that what radio amateurs are supposed to do - continuously improve our knowledge and hone our expertise? In the minds of the government departments that give us our spectrum allocations we are a reserve resource of communications expertise to … Continue reading An Off-Center Fed Sleeve Dipole
A Top Loaded End-Fed Half-Wave Antenna for 20m
Imagine this: a short, vertical antenna for 20m that requires no ground, no counterpoise or radials ... And ... no tuner. Now, let's add that it is only 14 feet tall and can be erected in just a couple of minutes. But wait, there's more: it is very lightweight, slips into a shirt pocket and … Continue reading A Top Loaded End-Fed Half-Wave Antenna for 20m
Is an EFHW Antenna Truly Multiband?
A fierce debate rages on one of the online forums I read. Is an End-Fed Half-Wave (EFHW) truly a multiband antenna? By "multiband" I mean resonant on even harmonics without a tuner. The most vocal posters in that forum keenly disparage these popular antennas despite their popularity. Resonant on every band, earn DXCC in a … Continue reading Is an EFHW Antenna Truly Multiband?
Loading Coils are Lossy. True or False?
Everybody knows That's how it goes Everybody knows Everybody knows loading coils are lossy so it must be true eh? No need to question what "everybody knows" - unless you think outside the box. Well, that's the primary mission of this blog so let's take a look at the proposition that "loading coils are lossy" … Continue reading Loading Coils are Lossy. True or False?
CLEFHW antenna: Ready for Action
In the last post I introduced a crazy, off-the-wall idea for a variation of the popular End-Fed Half-Wave (EFHW) antenna. I called it the CLEFHW - Coil Loaded End-Fed Half-Wave. Its purpose is to allow backpack portable operation of an electrical half wavelength antenna without the need for a tree or pole to suspend a … Continue reading CLEFHW antenna: Ready for Action
A CLEFHW Antenna?
I have been on a quest recently. My objective: to explore strange new antennas and boldly go where no ham has been before. It is not that I particularly seek out the weird and wonderful; instead I try to adapt existing antenna designs using lateral thinking ("ham radio outside the box") to create variations that … Continue reading A CLEFHW Antenna?
The Weather Outside is Frightful – Time to POTA on?
Winter came suddenly to southern Ontario this year - and it hit hard. The Town of Gravenhurst, at the southern end of the popular summer destination of Muskoka was whacked with more than three feet of snow in a single storm. We manage winter very well in this part of the world, but that sudden … Continue reading The Weather Outside is Frightful – Time to POTA on?
The QMX is Full of Holes, Here’s the Essential Fix!
When the design team at QRP Labs (alright, we know that means just Hans) set out to produce a multiband portable transceiver that would be packed with advanced features and could be sold for as little as a meager purse of groats, what was their primary design objective? You can bet your life it was … Continue reading The QMX is Full of Holes, Here’s the Essential Fix!
Op-Ed: Does Making It Easier to Get Licensed Really Grow Our Hobby?
Many, many years ago ... You have probably seen the statement: "ham radio is dying". Is it really dying or just changing? I am a "baby boomer"; I was introduced to the hobby by my grandfather who presented me with a crystal set when I was 9 years old. I spent many, many years as … Continue reading Op-Ed: Does Making It Easier to Get Licensed Really Grow Our Hobby?
Ham Radio Outside the Box 