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Message |
    
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 7066
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 12:08 pm: | 
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This Topic has been moved here from the Open Area of the Coper Forum.
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN |
Wally38
Junior Member
Username: Wally38
Post Number: 23
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, September 08, 2005 - 5:29 pm: |
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How do ham radio operators transmit anywhere from 160 m to 2 meters off one antenna? Do they have several antennas or do they use a fancy antenna matcher? It might seem like a silly question to some, but I don't know much about the ham world.
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Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 3108
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, September 08, 2005 - 6:05 pm: |
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Wally most DON'T
Now i have had many multiband antennas right now my dipole covers 40-10 meters but i have 6 and 2 and 440 antennas too.
GAP and others do make antennas that cover thoes bands but NONE WELL. |
Tech237
Moderator
Username: Tech237
Post Number: 201
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Friday, September 09, 2005 - 9:05 am: |
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My HF antenna does 80-10m and like Bruce I ahve separate antennas for 2m, and 440. My mobile antenna (on the truck) is a combines 2/70cm and I am still looking for one that wont look too tacky on the MG |
Jake949
New member
Username: Jake949
Post Number: 8
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Monday, September 12, 2005 - 2:07 am: |
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Hi Wally, Most do not do 160-2m like Bruce said...most that use multiband antennas usually do so for either space reasons or time reasons! and when they have a multiband antenna, it is usually for the HF region...160-10 or 80-10, or pretty much any combo. In HF the 15-10 meter region is pretty easily handled even in an apartment setting (antenna size wise) and as you go up the length a reasonant antenna is gets smaller. For most guys with space issues 160-40 seems to be the biggest problem. Even 20 meter is pretty easy to handle.
many do use antenna tuners, but just like in the CB world there are some that won't use a tuner...they feel it is almost a sin! just comes down to personal preference and how you view antenna 'theory' i guess. :D |
Rover
Intermediate Member
Username: Rover
Post Number: 275
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Monday, September 12, 2005 - 10:57 am: |
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I don't "like" tuners because, in reality, there is NO such thing as a device that "tunes" an antenna. So I prefer a dedicated, resonant antenna for each band I work. In the real world, it is not always possible to do this, or is simply a lot of trouble to construct all these antennas, or the family objects to a "spider web" of wires all over the sky. (Bu-bu-but, dear, after it ages out you won't even see 'em. "That's all fine, but *I'll* see 'em........."DEAR"  )
In my case I was faced with a compromise because of all the different frequencies I work (ham, CAP, and FEMA). So I bought the LDG Pro-100 auto-tuner and was surprised at how well it DID work on HF and at a very reasonable price! I don't have
the BIGGEST signal on every band, but the point is, after all, to be heard-to get the traffic thru
when it counts. So I use a 75M dipole for 80 thru 20 Meters and an A99 for 20M thru 10 Meters with good results. I also have a Cushcraft AV8 all-bander vertical but I don't have all the radials in place and I generally use it for simple listening. Also have a discreet 6M dipole on the tower and a 11 element 2M beam at 75 feet.
So I DO have plenty of antennas up there, but room-wise, I am about antenna-ed out! ;)
73 |
Mikefromms
Advanced Member
Username: Mikefromms
Post Number: 764
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 11:54 am: |
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What about one of those Texas Bugkillers mobile all band ham antenna set up for base? That wouldn't take up much room?
Mikefromms |
Rldrake
Junior Member
Username: Rldrake
Post Number: 12
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 1:00 am: |
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The "Texas BugCATCHER" is one of many screwdriver type mobile antennas on the market. It is NOT an all band antenna. It is for HF only. It doesn't cover vhf or uhf bands. Some screwdrivers will do 6 meters with the top whip removed. They can be used for fixed station use (ham radio has no "base" stations). However, being a very short loaded antenna they are far from being very effecient. Being a vertical they require radials. If mounted elevated from the ground, they require at least 2 quarter wave radials per band to be used. If ground mounted, they require a radial field of multiple radials...the more the better....up to about 120 radials ideally. Screwdriver antennas are very, very expensive as compared to the more conventional, much more effecient antenna types normally used for any type of station other than mobile. In other words, about any type of antenna...from 3 dollar dipoles and othe wire antennas...to $400 commercially built verticals...will yield much better results than a $400-$900 screwdriver will in such an application. The ARRL and their British counterpart, RSGB, publish many fine books on basic antenna theory and fundamentals and are good reading for anyone interested in antennas and feedlines. |
