Give Your Radio’s Signal Some Air Part 2
Last time we talked about some indoor and vehicle antennas for your HT (handy talkie). We discussed the magnet mount antenna for your vehicle. The metal rood of your vehicle is what makes magnetic (mag) mount antennas so effective. Effectively, the roof in your vehicle becomes the other half of your antenna, or what is called a “counterpoise”. Well if it works with a metal roof, can we use it indoors, as well? Sure! When I started out in amateur radio, I bought a mag mount antenna. When I was nor in my vehicle, I sat it up on a high place in my shack on an unused pizza plate. Tops of refrigerators or big pieces of metal sheeting work as well. In fact, almost any piece of magnetic metal will yield some result. How will you know what piece of metal in your house works? Try it!
Now let’s talk about some outside antennas. The first outside antenna I build was a ground plane. I made it out of 12 gauge solid copper wire. I found an article in a ham radio magazine. The article was called something like “The Ugly Groundplane Antenna”. The article gave the dimensions for a two meter groundplane antenna. I thought to myself, “Why not try to build one? I bought an SO-239 connector and some wire and built one. I had it set up in my upstairs shack by pinning it to the ceiling with a map pin and some string. I had no way of measuring its effectiveness with any SWR (standing wave ratio or reflected power) meter, but it worked effectively enough for me to hit the GARS and other repeaters. I even took it out and set it up for a public service net. I strung it up on the inside of the roof of pavilion where the event was set up. It looked cool and it was effective.
Next month, we’ll discuss a couple more antennas. Until next time.
David Harden
KJ4CMY