Antenna Tech

Propagation Graph
Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

Dipoles–A Domestic Secret Weapon

The dipole is the oldest antenna—Herr Professor Heinrich Hertz used a dipole in his 1888 experiments that confirmed Maxwell’s predictions of electromagnetic waves. The dipole (the word means “two voltage […]

Off-Center-Fed-Dipoles-Diagram
Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

Guide to Unusual Ham Radio Antennas

We’ve all heard of Yagis, dipoles, and G5RVs. But there are other antennas out there that are a bit unusual—either by name or configuration. One even grows… Carolina Windom Going […]

wire antenna center section and hardware
Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

Antenna Choices for Successful Portable Operations (Part 1)

When it comes to choosing the right gear for portable operations, you may want to consider the 4 Ps as you make your selections: Portability, Performance, Perfectly Easy Deployment, and, […]

Elecraft KX2 Transceiver on table with logbook
Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

Choosing the Right Non-Resonant Antenna

In Part One of our series on choosing field-portable HF antennas, we discussed some of the factors involved in making a decision. We looked at the practical side of matching […]

Sotabeams Telescopic Mast ham radio antenna kit
Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

How to Choose the Right Resonant HF Field Antenna

I’d estimate that about 90% of my on-the-air time lately is spent in the field. Indeed, since the first day I was licensed back in 1997, I’ve looked for any […]

close up of a slotted end of aluminum tubing
Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

How to Build Aluminum Antennas

Next to wires, antennas made of aluminum tubing and rod are the most common type of amateur radio antenna construction. There is a wide range of high-quality aluminum alloy available, […]

ham radio beverage antenna install guide illustration
Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

An Overview of Beverage Receiving Antennas–What Makes Them So Special?

(Thanks to the ARRL for sharing Figures 1-3 from the article “The Beverage Antenna, 100 Years Later” in the November 2021 issue of QST—see the reference list below.) There is […]

Beverage On Ground BOG diagram
Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

BOGged Down: Receive Antennas on the Ground

Many hams I know who are serious 160 and 80 meter operators use Beverage antennas to optimize HF reception. These antennas often make the difference in pulling a weak signal […]

Screwdriver antenna base
Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

What is a Screwdriver Antenna?

When I first heard the term screwdriver antenna, I thought it was a joke. I immediately thought of stories about loading wet noodles, bedsprings, and random trees in the forest […]

Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

Part 13: How to Build Antennas from a Blind Ham’s Perspective (and if You’re Not Blind, You’ll Learn Something, Too!)

How to Build a Dipole/Inverted-V Combo Antenna Editor’s Note: Over the next several months, OnAllBands will be featuring a series of articles from Harry “Trippy” Brown, AC8S, longtime amateur operator […]