Tag: Portable

The CFHW – a simple, efficient HF antenna I may never use

What in Heaven's name is a "CFHW"? A CFHW is a Center-Fed Half-Wave antenna. You may know it better as a dipole and it is indeed a highly efficient simple wire antenna. I can't claim originality for the term "CFHW"; it started as a joke on one of the forums I follow. Following the trend … Continue reading The CFHW – a simple, efficient HF antenna I may never use →

Engineering challenges of the completed QRP EFHW coupler

Kudos to Kits and Parts, the United States Postal Service and the Canada Post dog sled teams who fearlessly fought their way through blizzards on the frozen barren tundra into the wild white yonder to safely deliver my package of toroid cores. But, as soon as I had unpacked the goodies I realized I may … Continue reading Engineering challenges of the completed QRP EFHW coupler →

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 →

This is still a hobby, isn’t it?

Ham Radio continues to change. Whether you believe the changes are good or bad depends on a lot on your perspective. But, no matter if you are a traditional brass pounder, or you believe the Internet is the future of ham radio, one question stands out as we enter another year. Is ham radio still … Continue reading This is still a hobby, isn’t it? →

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? →

A simple outside the box fix for a broken telescopic whip

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" Or conversely, if it is "broke" you have two choices. Order a replacement from the other side of the planet, and wait for the slow boat from China to navigate thousand of nautical miles across the stormy waters of international seas. Or, alternatively, and my preferred solution, is … Continue reading A simple outside the box fix for a broken telescopic whip →

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! →

Construction of the Simple Low Profile Multiband POTA Antenna

Following on from the previous post, there seems to be some interest in how the Simple, Low Profile, Multiband POTA antenna was actually built. Although the antenna is described as "simple", that term relates more to how it is deployed and its appearance than its actual construction. The construction does not involve any special tools … Continue reading Construction of the Simple Low Profile Multiband POTA Antenna →