Ham Radio Outside the Box receives quite a lot of email every week from readers with questions, comments and suggestions. One such email came about as a result of an article in the outstanding newsletter from the Surrey Amateur Radio Club called the Communicator. The editor of the Communicator is Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of … Continue reading The magic carpet ground plane is grounded, but the GTU keeps flying.
Category: Ground
Posts about radials, counterpoises, Ground Tuning Units (GTUs)
A Mini Ground Tuning Unit and a magic carpet for portable ops
In the last couple of posts I discussed my quest for a simple portable antenna that could be rapidly deployed in a very limited space, for example in a small clearing while hiking through the woods. Such an antenna would have to be a short, yet efficient, vertical that occupies a very small footprint on … Continue reading A Mini Ground Tuning Unit and a magic carpet for portable ops
A Linear-Loaded Monopole antenna for hiking
There is a lot of information online about Linear-Loaded Dipoles, but I haven't found anything at all about cutting a Linear-Loaded Dipole in half to create a Linear-Loaded Monopole worked against ground. The legendary L.B. Cebik (W4RNL, SK) published a design philosophy for an 80m Linear-Loaded Monopole, but it didn't match what I had in … Continue reading A Linear-Loaded Monopole antenna for hiking
The “tootie-toosie” and the Hiking Antenna
My favorite way of operating is to hike into the woods, find a clearing, set up a quick and easy antenna, make one or more contacts and move on. Well, to be honest, I might pause long enough at a back country waypoint to get out my Aeropress and brew up a refreshing cup of … Continue reading The “tootie-toosie” and the Hiking Antenna
Isn’t every quarter-wave antenna really a half-wave antenna?
It's a bit early for April Fool's jokes so this is a perfectly serious discussion. Just maybe, the distinction between a quarter-wave and a half-wave antenna is a bit more obscure than we thought. Which is better; a quarter-wave or a half-wave antenna? Does it even matter if indeed every quarter-wave antenna really is a … Continue reading Isn’t every quarter-wave antenna really a half-wave antenna?
A short and maybe not-so-sweet HF antenna
A lot of information has been posted online recently about very short portable vertical antennas. There must be some magic in how they work, surely, since they appear to disobey the laws of physics. I used to own one called a "Miracle Antenna"; it was manufactured in Quebec, Canada. It comprised a 57-inch telescoping whip … Continue reading A short and maybe not-so-sweet HF antenna
Be gone pesky radials!
One of the biggest bugbears of portable operations in a public space when using a vertical antenna is having to lay out radials - either on the ground, or raised. I have told the story of the dancing lady before on this blog; she performed a little jig when advised to be careful of the … Continue reading Be gone pesky radials!
POTA PERformer radials – can we make a compromise?
There has only been one light snowfall in southern Ontario so far this season - just a few centimeters that melted away within a couple of days. In anticipation of upcoming heavier snowfalls and a semi-permanent white blanket that will last until spring, I bravely shrugged off the chilly outside air and set up my … Continue reading POTA PERformer radials – can we make a compromise?
A Road Trip with the POTA Tripod Antenna – with surprises!
A spell of warm, sunny weather and a chance to get out to see the fall colors in early October prompted my wife and I to go on a road trip up to Ontario's Muskoka region and on to the fabulous Algonquin Park. The park is Canada's largest and oldest and is the home to … Continue reading A Road Trip with the POTA Tripod Antenna – with surprises!
Two Resonant Simple Wire Antennas for POTA
One antenna that has garnered a significant following among POTA operators is the POTA PERformer designed by Greg Mihran KJ6ER. In essence it is a raised quarter wavelength vertical with 2 above ground radials. A simple idea that Greg has engineered into a rapid deployment, highly efficient, multiband, portable antenna. Greg has backed up his … Continue reading Two Resonant Simple Wire Antennas for POTA
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