Starting in HF

Post by **M6AVH** » 14 May 2013, 15:48

What is the best antenna to use. I have been looking at the http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/320946478404? ... 97.c0.m619 just to get me on the air and learning.

I do not have a lot of space but will be able to use radials depending on the length of them.

Regards,
Chris
M6AVH

Post by **GW0DIV** » 14 May 2013, 17:44

They are ok to get you started, but they're no DX magnets.

Post by **pete_uk** » 14 May 2013, 19:20

Yeah, it will get you on the air. You may need some radials put out.

Look at it like this, a local ham I know had his mobile HF antenna on the roof of his SUV on top of a hill a few weeks ago in the evening and he worked Saudi Arabia on the thing. Its only 5ft tall!

I don't know your limitations as far as garden goes, but 10w and one of those should get you across Europe.

Do remember that the propagation will have a much bigger say than the size of your antenna!

Post by **Martinedwards** » 14 May 2013, 19:29

it'll work.

I have a G5RVjr that cost 1/4 of that, is much more stealthy and I have 91 DXCCs since October......

Post by **cottonfoo** » 14 May 2013, 19:35

Welcome to the site Chris. How much space do you have?

Steve.

Post by **M6AVH** » 14 May 2013, 21:06

I will get some pictures and sort out my site blog and show you what I have so far. I have a 12 meter telescopic pole which I have put up but taken it down to three sections so its just the same height as the house or just above otherwise it just swings about in the wind and I don't have guy ropes on it which I think I need to add to it.
but luckily I now have another mast out of that which I can use when mobile.

The back garden faces directly across the the sea im not by the shore but almost very close , So I can get a directional HF or any other directional antenna and point it in that direction which should improve the range.

Once I have the blog up I will post a link to it.

I used to be on this site a while back as farehamweather but re-registered as I am now getting back into Amateur radio and I have moved to West Sussex. I love the community here! See you around

Post by **moggy** » 15 May 2013, 19:55

Depends how big your garden is to which to use ive been told a good wire half or full size is as good as or better than a vertical im using a alton arrays half size wire its only 10m high at centre and slops to around 8m at the ends and works very well with 10w im on 26 dxcc countrys worked and a few have been good ones uae afghanistan stateside a return from a vk but i lost him in the qrm.
Or if you have size in garden a rotatable di-pole or a mini beam or even full size beam lol i also have on the mast a 3 element triband zx mini so all depends on size of garden and what or how ugly your prepared to make your garden

Post by **kr0ne** » 15 May 2013, 20:07

...and don't forget that you can happily bend a wire dipole into all sorts of shapes to make it fit in the space that you have.

When I first started out, it was ages before I found anything in a book that confirmed it was OK to do this.

It's not ideal and the radiation pattern will change a little but it will work - often better than any of the 'compromise antennas' that are out there.

Wire is also cheap!

Post by **jeff66** » 15 May 2013, 20:09

Use a wire. cheap and fun to make. best bang for your buck!

Post by **Panteneman** » 15 May 2013, 20:52

M6AVH wrote:I will get some pictures and sort out my site blog and show you what I have so far. I have a 12 meter telescopic pole which I have put up but taken it down to three sections so its just the same height as the house or just above otherwise it just swings about in the wind and I don't have guy ropes on it which I think I need to add to it.
but luckily I now have another mast out of that which I can use when mobile.

The back garden faces directly across the the sea im not by the shore but almost very close , So I can get a directional HF or any other directional antenna and point it in that direction which should improve the range.

Once I have the blog up I will post a link to it.

I used to be on this site a while back as farehamweather but re-registered as I am now getting back into Amateur radio and I have moved to West Sussex. I love the community here! See you around

Fortunately for you, your new location will be ROCKING for not only HF, but for ALL bands.

The sea is your friend - "Nature's Linear Amplifier".

A forum member used to live in the middle of nowhere in Scotland, by the coast. He had the combination of hills AND the sea being nearby. The DX he used to get was unreal; he used to get a tonne of 'near path skip' and was able to access most areas of the UK on the top end of HF (read: CB & 11m). You'll have a good path on 2m and 70cm into Europe with far more ease than most people inland that are on this forum.

Also, there's been decent conditions on the bands recently too - not forgetting we're entering Sporadic E season with Summer being around the corner.

Slap some decent antenna's on your gaff, and you'll be laughing.

Post by **NoiseBoy** » 17 May 2013, 18:18

You need to be within a wavelength of the sea for noticeable gain from the antenna. Its just nice to have a clear sea path because it means you dont have any hills or large building in the way to attenuate the signal.

@OP. I would strongly recommend choosing 1 or 2 bands, 17 or 20 and 40m probably make the most sense and then stick up a resonant antenna for each band. They can share the same pole either fed from one feeder or with one element being parasitic. Try a vertical as you the have the pole already or a delta loop if you have some 75ohm coax kicking around. It will almost certainly be superior to a low G5RV.

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