What happens when you press the magic TUNE button on your radio, or external automatic tuner? You will likely hear the rapid clicking sound of relays trying different combinations of capacitors and inductors as it looks for the lowest SWR to present to the radio. But, a "tuner" does NOT actually tune your antenna. It … Continue reading What happens when you press the magic TUNE button?
Category: Miscellaneous topics
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
How many truly field expedient ham radios are available? Maybe only 2!
Only two? If you were to ask the military you might get a different answer. Indeed many hams actually use ex-military portable radios, such as the PRC series. Those radios are in a class of their own, but they are often heavy, designed to be carried into the field by fit, strong, young soldiers. But … Continue reading How many truly field expedient ham radios are available? Maybe only 2!
Rapid Deployment Field Expedient Random Wire Antenna Ideas
The image shows amateur radio station VA3KOT/P inside its stealth enclosure - an old airline pilot briefcase made from stout, strong leather. This is an almost complete station: Yaesu FT-891 QRP/QRO-optional in its field hardened steel 50-cal ammo box enclosure Bioenno 12Ah LiFePO4 battery 9.5ft tactical collapsible whip Adjustable loading coil for the whip PAC-12 … Continue reading Rapid Deployment Field Expedient Random Wire Antenna Ideas
Does an antenna top hat really work?
Antenna "Top Hat" aka Capacitance Hat There are several ways to shorten a vertical whip antenna, for example, a loading coil, linear loading (folding back all or part of the radiating element) and one that has intrigued me for quite a while - a capacitance hat, also known as a top hat. A top hat … Continue reading Does an antenna top hat really work?
An Outside the Box version of the Delta Loop antenna
I have written about delta loop antennas before - notably in April 2023 in a post entitled "Delta Loopy Ideas". A few weeks ago I received an email from Alan WA3EKL who suggested I should take another look at delta loops and offered a lot of helpful advice, tips and suggestions for making this type … Continue reading An Outside the Box version of the Delta Loop antenna
Field Day with the POTA Performer
A cold, windy day on the beach at Ainslee Wood Conservation Area on Georgian Bay (part of the Great Lakes) on the first day of the ARRL Field Day 2025. Confession: I am not really a contester, I have far too short an attention span to spend hours sitting in a chair pounding brass. This … Continue reading Field Day with the POTA Performer
An improved tank circuit EFHW coupler
About a month ago Ham Radio Outside the Box posted about "a third way" to match the high impedance at the feedpoint of an End-Fed Half-Wave antenna. A link to the original article is at the bottom of this post. A "30-minute special" was built to prove the concept actually works. It did work fine … Continue reading An improved tank circuit EFHW coupler
Shark’s Teeth and Canadian Jam – a tall story
I recently purchased a Spiderbeam mast from a vendor in the United States. The list price was US$78 - a great price for a high quality product. But the story didn't end there - not by a long shot. The cost for shipping via courier was an additional US$44. I expected there would be more … Continue reading Shark’s Teeth and Canadian Jam – a tall story
Testing and modifying the “POTA PERformer” antenna
What is the POTA PERformer? Greg Mihran KJ6ER has introduced us to an antenna that he calls the "POTA PERformer". The capitalized PER in its name is an abbreviation for "Portable, Elevated, Resonant". But what is it really? The POTA PERformer is an adjustable elevated vertical radiating whip with two adjustable elevated radials. In concept … Continue reading Testing and modifying the “POTA PERformer” antenna
Ham Radio Outside the Box 