Antenna Tech

Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

Installing Your Ham Radio Mobile Antenna on a Vehicle

In this installment of Ham Mobile Install, we will be discussing ways to set up an antenna for mobile operations. Remember, the goal here is to get on the air […]

Assorted Antenna Adapters
Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

Building an Antenna Adapter Collection and Keeping Track of It

When I first became an amateur radio operator, I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to take within the hobby. Not yet knowing where my interests lay or what I […]

Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

Ham Radio Tech: Do Snow, Rain, and Ice Affect Antennas?

Yesterday, a heavy rainstorm caused some high SWR readings to appear on my station’s power meter. I thought things would return to normal after the storm passed, which they eventually […]

Antenna Tech / Technical Articles

In the Loop: Delta Loop Antennas

Looking for a wire antenna that’s inexpensive, easy to build, and works great for DX above 40m? A delta loop and its variants can make an effective single-band or multiband […]

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, […]