Some Basic HF Antennas - Revision history

Ka3jjz at 01:26, 16 September 2021

2021-09-16T01:26:52Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:26, 16 September 2021
Line 1:		Line 1:
-	~~==Antennas==~~	+	See this [https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Basic_HF_Antennas article on HF Antennas] from the RadioReference wiki. This article has been completely rewritten with new links and topics for everyone that has the space to put up a good antenna to those that don't.
-	~~Along with a radio, you'll need an antenna. It's best to put them outdoors, where you can more easily get away from noise sources within the home.~~	+
-	There is one cardinal rule with outdoor antennas; NEVER EVER put them where they could fall on power or phone lines. Apart from being a source of noise, there are considerable (and potentially lethal) shock and fire hazards.	+
-		+
-	~~Indoor antennas tend to be much less effective - you have to contend with picking up noise from any number of sources within the home, as well as shielding from the home's~~	+
-	~~construction. There are options for indoor antennas that work, but keep in mind that they are far less effective than their outdoor cousins~~	+
-		+
-	~~This article is not intended to be comprehensive - there are many books on~~ this ~~subject. Some of the most authoritative are written by the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) and the Radio Society of Great Britain. Check out dealers such~~	+
-	~~as [https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/bk_ant.html Universal Radio] for their availability.~~	+
-		+
-	~~===Whip antenna built into the radio===~~	+
-	Most portable radios include a small built in whip antenna. While this is often satisfactory for listening to high powered shortwave broadcast stations, it is usually insufficient for listening to lower powered pirate stations, except under the best of conditions.	+
-		+
-	~~===Active Antennas===~~	+
-	~~These antennas often consist of a short whip element tied to an amplifier. For this reason, they are often referred to as E Field antennas. As such they are problematic at best;~~	+
-	~~they are often prone to hear more noise than signal, and if the receiver hasn't got a particularly good front end, overloading may be an issue. If the unit has a gain control, this will help to some~~	+
-	~~degree. See the~~ [https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/~~Active_Antennas_KB6RWX Active Antennas]~~ article ~~for a more complete discussion of this topic. Examples include the~~	+
-	~~[https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/2531.html Bonito Boni-Whip] and the [https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/1413.html MFJ-1020C]~~	+
-		+
-	~~===Random wire~~ Antennas~~===~~	+
-	~~As the term implies, a [[Random Wire~~]~~] is a wire antenna of random length. A random wire generally works well for signal reception, and is an improvement over~~ the ~~built-in whip antenna that is included with many portable radios.~~	+
-	~~The king of random wire antennas is the [https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/2205.html Vibroplex PAR EF-SWL] antenna which is widely available~~. This ~~antenna features~~	+
-	~~a box~~ with ~~various methods of connecting~~ and ~~grounding; it takes some experimentation to figure out which combination works best in a given environment. While the 45 foot length would be fine~~ for ~~most portables and SDRs, to~~	+
-	~~really be efficient at 4 Mhz (~~the ~~lowest HF band currently used by pirates), the antenna needs~~ to ~~be lengthened. Fortunately you can easily replace the antenna wire.~~	+
-		+
-	~~===Dipoles===~~	+
-	A [[dipole]] is perhaps the most basic radio antenna. The most commonly used dipole is the half-wave, so named because the total length is approximately one half of a wavelength long at the desired center frequency. The antenna is made up of two wire elements, each about a quarter of a wavelength long. Coaxial cable is used to connect the wire elements to a radio or transmatch.	+
-	~~Dipoles are usually cut to a specific frequency, and will be most efficient there and on odd wavelengths from that point; hence a 4 Mhz dipole will work well on 12 Mhz, a 5 Mhz dipole will~~	+
-	~~work well on 15 Mhz, and so on. Outside these ranges, the efficiency of a dipole can drop off. There are more wide banded dipole designs, although such antennas can take~~ up a good ~~deal of~~	+
-	~~space - these include the classic [https://www.dxzone.com/5-best-diy-fan-dipole-~~antenna~~-projects/ fan dipole] and the [[T2FD]]~~	+
-		+
-	~~Using dipoles in a listening mode really doesn't require much retuning; in fact some dipoles are actually close enough~~ to ~~pirate frequencies~~ that ~~they are still relatively efficient. A dipole~~	+
-	~~cut for the 75 meter ham band will work just fine to hear 4 Mhz pirates; A 60 meter dipole will also work with the 5 Mhz pirates, and a 40 meter dipole will work with the pirates that are~~	+
-	~~just below 7 Mhz~~	+
-		+
-	~~===Multi Band HF Amateur Radio Antennas===~~	+
-	~~If there is one antenna that hams use that is wide banded, the [http://www.hamuniverse.com/g5rv.html G5RV] would fit the bill. This antenna has many variations, and~~	+
-	a good Google search will turn them up. For receiving only, a transmatch may not be needed. While normally used with HF amateur band transceivers, this antenna would also work well for desktop receivers. It might be too much	+
-	for low end SDRs (such as the Funcube Dongle and the RTL-SDRv3) and portables without some front end protection (in the form of a passive preselector). The same could be said of using this antenna on a wideband receiver such as the AR8600 mentioned elsewhere, depending	+
-	~~on your local RF environment, of course.~~	+
-		+
-	~~Another popular wide banded HF antenna is the Carolina Windom - one version of this takes up only about 66 foot, and is shown [http://www.hamuniverse.com/k4iwlnewwindom.html here]~~	+
-		+
-	~~What do you do if you~~ don't ~~have the space (or understanding neighbors?)...~~	+
-		+
-	~~===Loop Antennas===~~	+
-	~~Loops have been around in one form or another since the birth of the broadcast industry. An argument can be made that they are one of the oldest known types of antennas.~~	+
-	~~They are resistant to noise, and on frequencies below about 3 Mhz or so, have directional properties in a very small space. The resistance to noise often makes them~~	+
-	~~an attractive choice for indoor installations. They can easily be hidden to avoid the scrutiny of a HOA. These antennas work best close to the ground, unlike wire~~	+
-	~~antennas that often need to be high up and in the clear. Experiments have shown that some loops become omnidirectional if mounted horizontally and higher up, instead of mounting~~	+
-	~~vertically as is the norm.~~	+
-		+
-	~~Loop antennas come in many varieties. Some are passive - meaning they have no amplifier. Others are active (they have an amplifier to overcome the low signal pickup that~~	+
-	~~is typical of these antennas). Some examples of these antennas are:~~	+
-		+
-	~~; Passive Loops~~	+
-	*[https://v3.airspy.us/product/ant-youloop-1/ YouLoop]	+
-	*[http://doxytronics.com/ HF-319 SignaLoop]	+
-	*[https://www.lnrprecision.com/loop-antennas/ W4OP Loop Antenna]	+
-		+
-	~~; Active Loops~~	+
-	*[https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-rf-pro-1b DX Engineering/Pixel Pro-1B]	+
-	*[[Wellbrook ALA 1530plus]]	+
-	*[https://mfjenterprises.com/collections/mfj-enterprises/products/mfj-1886?_pos=1&_sid=9d162eb10&_ss=r MFJ-1886]	+
-	*[https://www.w6lvp.com/product/amplified-receive-only-mag-loop-antenna-with-power-inserter/ W6LVP Magnetic Loop with Power Inserter]	+
-		+
-	~~There is even a type of antenna called a [[Sky loop antenna\|Skyloop]]. These antennas are not small and require a considerable amount of space to erect.~~	+
-		+
-	~~You can find an extensive list of many different types of loops [https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Loops here] (offsite wiki)~~.	+

Ka3jjz: /* Loop Antennas */

2020-09-03T00:54:01Z

Loop Antennas

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:54, 3 September 2020
Line 67:		Line 67:
	There is even a type of antenna called a [[Sky loop antenna\|Skyloop]]. These antennas are not small and require a considerable amount of space to erect.		There is even a type of antenna called a [[Sky loop antenna\|Skyloop]]. These antennas are not small and require a considerable amount of space to erect.

-	You can find an extensive list of many different types of loops [https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Loops here].	+	You can find an extensive list of many different types of loops [https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Loops here] (offsite wiki).

Ka3jjz: /* Antennas */

2020-08-30T19:12:11Z

Antennas

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:12, 30 August 2020
Line 7:		Line 7:

	This article is not intended to be comprehensive - there are many books on this subject. Some of the most authoritative are written by the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) and the Radio Society of Great Britain. Check out dealers such		This article is not intended to be comprehensive - there are many books on this subject. Some of the most authoritative are written by the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) and the Radio Society of Great Britain. Check out dealers such
-	as Universal Radio for their availability.	+	as [https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/bk_ant.html Universal Radio] for their availability.

	===Whip antenna built into the radio===		===Whip antenna built into the radio===

Ka3jjz: /* Loop Antennas */

2020-08-28T01:17:41Z

Loop Antennas

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:17, 28 August 2020
Line 73:		Line 73:
	* Return to [[Pirate Radio New Listener Guide and FAQ]]		* Return to [[Pirate Radio New Listener Guide and FAQ]]
	* Return to [[A Brief Survey of HF Receiving Equipment]]		* Return to [[A Brief Survey of HF Receiving Equipment]]
		+	* Go to [https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Improving_HF_Reception Improving_HF_Reception] Note: offsite wiki
	* Go to [[SSTV]]		* Go to [[SSTV]]


	[[Category:Pirate radio]]		[[Category:Pirate radio]]

Ka3jjz: /* Multi Band HF Amateur Radio Antennas */

2020-08-28T01:07:19Z

Multi Band HF Amateur Radio Antennas

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:07, 28 August 2020
Line 36:		Line 36:
	===Multi Band HF Amateur Radio Antennas===		===Multi Band HF Amateur Radio Antennas===
	If there is one antenna that hams use that is wide banded, the [http://www.hamuniverse.com/g5rv.html G5RV] would fit the bill. This antenna has many variations, and		If there is one antenna that hams use that is wide banded, the [http://www.hamuniverse.com/g5rv.html G5RV] would fit the bill. This antenna has many variations, and
-	a good Google search will turn them up. For receiving only, a transmatch may not be needed. ~~This~~ antenna would work well for desktop receivers~~, but~~ might be too much	+	a good Google search will turn them up. For receiving only, a transmatch may not be needed. While normally used with HF amateur band transceivers, this antenna would also work well for desktop receivers. It might be too much
-	for low end SDRs and portables without some front end protection. The same could be said of using this antenna on a wideband receiver such as the AR8600 mentioned elsewhere, depending	+	for low end SDRs (such as the Funcube Dongle and the RTL-SDRv3) and portables without some front end protection (in the form of a passive preselector). The same could be said of using this antenna on a wideband receiver such as the AR8600 mentioned elsewhere, depending
	on your local RF environment, of course.		on your local RF environment, of course.

Ka3jjz: /* Wide Banded Amateur Radio Antennas */

2020-08-27T00:49:00Z

Wide Banded Amateur Radio Antennas

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:49, 27 August 2020
Line 34:		Line 34:
	just below 7 Mhz		just below 7 Mhz

-	===~~Wide Banded~~ Amateur Radio Antennas===	+	===Multi Band HF Amateur Radio Antennas===
	If there is one antenna that hams use that is wide banded, the [http://www.hamuniverse.com/g5rv.html G5RV] would fit the bill. This antenna has many variations, and		If there is one antenna that hams use that is wide banded, the [http://www.hamuniverse.com/g5rv.html G5RV] would fit the bill. This antenna has many variations, and
	a good Google search will turn them up. For receiving only, a transmatch may not be needed. This antenna would work well for desktop receivers, but might be too much		a good Google search will turn them up. For receiving only, a transmatch may not be needed. This antenna would work well for desktop receivers, but might be too much

Ka3jjz: /* Wide Banded Amateur Radio Antenna */

2020-08-27T00:47:18Z

Wide Banded Amateur Radio Antenna

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:47, 27 August 2020
Line 34:		Line 34:
	just below 7 Mhz		just below 7 Mhz

-	===Wide Banded Amateur Radio ~~Antenna~~===	+	===Wide Banded Amateur Radio Antennas===
	If there is one antenna that hams use that is wide banded, the [http://www.hamuniverse.com/g5rv.html G5RV] would fit the bill. This antenna has many variations, and		If there is one antenna that hams use that is wide banded, the [http://www.hamuniverse.com/g5rv.html G5RV] would fit the bill. This antenna has many variations, and
	a good Google search will turn them up. For receiving only, a transmatch may not be needed. This antenna would work well for desktop receivers, but might be too much		a good Google search will turn them up. For receiving only, a transmatch may not be needed. This antenna would work well for desktop receivers, but might be too much

Ka3jjz: /* The G5RV Antenna */

2020-08-27T00:46:58Z

The G5RV Antenna

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:46, 27 August 2020
Line 34:		Line 34:
	just below 7 Mhz		just below 7 Mhz

-	===~~The G5RV~~ Antenna===	+	===Wide Banded Amateur Radio Antenna===
	If there is one antenna that hams use that is wide banded, the [http://www.hamuniverse.com/g5rv.html G5RV] would fit the bill. This antenna has many variations, and		If there is one antenna that hams use that is wide banded, the [http://www.hamuniverse.com/g5rv.html G5RV] would fit the bill. This antenna has many variations, and
	a good Google search will turn them up. For receiving only, a transmatch may not be needed. This antenna would work well for desktop receivers, but might be too much		a good Google search will turn them up. For receiving only, a transmatch may not be needed. This antenna would work well for desktop receivers, but might be too much
Line 40:		Line 40:
	on your local RF environment, of course.		on your local RF environment, of course.

-	~~Unfortunately this is another~~ antenna ~~that~~ takes up ~~a fair amount of space; what~~ if you don't have the space (or understanding neighbors?)...	+	Another popular wide banded HF antenna is the Carolina Windom - one version of this takes up only about 66 foot, and is shown [http://www.hamuniverse.com/k4iwlnewwindom.html here]
		+
		+	What do you do if you don't have the space (or understanding neighbors?)...

	===Loop Antennas===		===Loop Antennas===

Ka3jjz: Created page with "==Antennas== Along with a radio, you'll need an antenna. It's best to put them outdoors, where you can more easily get away from noise sources within the home. There is one cardi..."

2020-08-22T23:12:00Z

Created page with "==Antennas== Along with a radio, you'll need an antenna. It's best to put them outdoors, where you can more easily get away from noise sources within the home. There is one cardi..."

New page

==Antennas==
Along with a radio, you'll need an antenna. It's best to put them outdoors, where you can more easily get away from noise sources within the home.
There is one cardinal rule with outdoor antennas; NEVER EVER put them where they could fall on power or phone lines. Apart from being a source of noise, there are considerable (and potentially lethal) shock and fire hazards.

Indoor antennas tend to be much less effective - you have to contend with picking up noise from any number of sources within the home, as well as shielding from the home's
construction. There are options for indoor antennas that work, but keep in mind that they are far less effective than their outdoor cousins

This article is not intended to be comprehensive - there are many books on this subject. Some of the most authoritative are written by the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) and the Radio Society of Great Britain. Check out dealers such
as Universal Radio for their availability.

===Whip antenna built into the radio===
Most portable radios include a small built in whip antenna. While this is often satisfactory for listening to high powered shortwave broadcast stations, it is usually insufficient for listening to lower powered pirate stations, except under the best of conditions.

===Active Antennas===
These antennas often consist of a short whip element tied to an amplifier. For this reason, they are often referred to as E Field antennas. As such they are problematic at best;
they are often prone to hear more noise than signal, and if the receiver hasn't got a particularly good front end, overloading may be an issue. If the unit has a gain control, this will help to some
degree. See the [https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Active_Antennas_KB6RWX Active Antennas] article for a more complete discussion of this topic. Examples include the
[https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/2531.html Bonito Boni-Whip] and the [https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/1413.html MFJ-1020C]

===Random wire Antennas===
As the term implies, a [[Random Wire]] is a wire antenna of random length. A random wire generally works well for signal reception, and is an improvement over the built-in whip antenna that is included with many portable radios.
The king of random wire antennas is the [https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/2205.html Vibroplex PAR EF-SWL] antenna which is widely available. This antenna features
a box with various methods of connecting and grounding; it takes some experimentation to figure out which combination works best in a given environment. While the 45 foot length would be fine for most portables and SDRs, to
really be efficient at 4 Mhz (the lowest HF band currently used by pirates), the antenna needs to be lengthened. Fortunately you can easily replace the antenna wire.

===Dipoles===
A [[dipole]] is perhaps the most basic radio antenna. The most commonly used dipole is the half-wave, so named because the total length is approximately one half of a wavelength long at the desired center frequency. The antenna is made up of two wire elements, each about a quarter of a wavelength long. Coaxial cable is used to connect the wire elements to a radio or transmatch.
Dipoles are usually cut to a specific frequency, and will be most efficient there and on odd wavelengths from that point; hence a 4 Mhz dipole will work well on 12 Mhz, a 5 Mhz dipole will
work well on 15 Mhz, and so on. Outside these ranges, the efficiency of a dipole can drop off. There are more wide banded dipole designs, although such antennas can take up a good deal of
space - these include the classic [https://www.dxzone.com/5-best-diy-fan-dipole-antenna-projects/ fan dipole] and the [[T2FD]]

Using dipoles in a listening mode really doesn't require much retuning; in fact some dipoles are actually close enough to pirate frequencies that they are still relatively efficient. A dipole
cut for the 75 meter ham band will work just fine to hear 4 Mhz pirates; A 60 meter dipole will also work with the 5 Mhz pirates, and a 40 meter dipole will work with the pirates that are
just below 7 Mhz

===The G5RV Antenna===
If there is one antenna that hams use that is wide banded, the [http://www.hamuniverse.com/g5rv.html G5RV] would fit the bill. This antenna has many variations, and
a good Google search will turn them up. For receiving only, a transmatch may not be needed. This antenna would work well for desktop receivers, but might be too much
for low end SDRs and portables without some front end protection. The same could be said of using this antenna on a wideband receiver such as the AR8600 mentioned elsewhere, depending
on your local RF environment, of course.

Unfortunately this is another antenna that takes up a fair amount of space; what if you don't have the space (or understanding neighbors?)...

===Loop Antennas===
Loops have been around in one form or another since the birth of the broadcast industry. An argument can be made that they are one of the oldest known types of antennas.
They are resistant to noise, and on frequencies below about 3 Mhz or so, have directional properties in a very small space. The resistance to noise often makes them
an attractive choice for indoor installations. They can easily be hidden to avoid the scrutiny of a HOA. These antennas work best close to the ground, unlike wire
antennas that often need to be high up and in the clear. Experiments have shown that some loops become omnidirectional if mounted horizontally and higher up, instead of mounting
vertically as is the norm.

Loop antennas come in many varieties. Some are passive - meaning they have no amplifier. Others are active (they have an amplifier to overcome the low signal pickup that
is typical of these antennas). Some examples of these antennas are:

; Passive Loops
*[https://v3.airspy.us/product/ant-youloop-1/ YouLoop]
*[http://doxytronics.com/ HF-319 SignaLoop]
*[https://www.lnrprecision.com/loop-antennas/ W4OP Loop Antenna]

; Active Loops
*[https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-rf-pro-1b DX Engineering/Pixel Pro-1B]
*[[Wellbrook ALA 1530plus]]
*[https://mfjenterprises.com/collections/mfj-enterprises/products/mfj-1886?_pos=1&_sid=9d162eb10&_ss=r MFJ-1886]
*[https://www.w6lvp.com/product/amplified-receive-only-mag-loop-antenna-with-power-inserter/ W6LVP Magnetic Loop with Power Inserter]

There is even a type of antenna called a [[Sky loop antenna|Skyloop]]. These antennas are not small and require a considerable amount of space to erect.

You can find an extensive list of many different types of loops [https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Loops here].

---
* Return to [[Pirate Radio New Listener Guide and FAQ]]
* Return to [[A Brief Survey of HF Receiving Equipment]]
* Go to [[SSTV]]

[[Category:Pirate radio]]