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?
Tag: Counterpoise
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!
A 20-minute QRP End-Fed Half-Wave antenna coupler
It was almost time to make lunch but I had an idea that just wouldn't wait. I figured I had 20 minutes to zip down to the basement shack/development lab and throw a simple circuit together on the workbench. I had been re-reading (for the 1000th time) AA5TB's website about using a parallel tuned circuit … Continue reading A 20-minute QRP End-Fed Half-Wave antenna coupler
Great ideas from Ham Radio Outside the Box subscribers
QRV: An interesting iOS/Mac app for hams from Adam K2CAT who writes: I developed QRV to be the ham app that I always wanted. There are a lot of great tools for amateur operators: QRZ, HamQSL solar conditions, PSKReporter, and more; they just were scattered and some are not mobile friendly. My goal was to … Continue reading Great ideas from Ham Radio Outside the Box subscribers
A Year End Compendium of Outside the Box Antenna Ideas
We have reached the end of another year of crazy ideas here at Ham Radio Outside the Box and a repeat of last year's severe winter has gotten underway in southern Ontario. The daily temperature high remains well below freezing and the ground is buried under a thick blanket of snow already. I have tried … Continue reading A Year End Compendium of Outside the Box Antenna Ideas
4:1 Balun or 4:1 Unun – how to choose?
Perhaps one of the greatest confusions in the hobby of ham radio is wrapped around the subject of baluns and ununs. What are they, where should they be used and what do they do? At Ham Radio Outside the Box several antennas that need a 4:1 impedance matching device have been described. Since I had … Continue reading 4:1 Balun or 4:1 Unun – how to choose?
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!
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?
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