Comments on: Homebrew a Half-Wave Dipole Antenna http://www.walkietalkietwowayradios.com/radio-antennas/homebrew-a-half-wave-dipole-antenna/ Learn all about 2-way radios for work and play Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:13:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Admin http://www.walkietalkietwowayradios.com/radio-antennas/homebrew-a-half-wave-dipole-antenna/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Admin Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:15:25 +0000 http://www.walkietalkietwowayradios.com/?p=92#comment-19 You are perfectly right, Todd. That's why in the early days of experimentation with two-way radio a ham with spark-gap transmitter would just announce he was on - for example - the 80 meter band. Others wishing to communicate with him would cut their antennas to 40 meters (a half-wavelength) and go for it. They hadn't invented frequency crystals back then or VFOs (variable-frequency oscillators) which were - and still are - used to 'tune' a 2-way radio up and down a radio band. Also the antenna didn't have to provide those old radio sets with a perfect 50-Ohm match, like we need for best performance with all modern solid-state rigs. That's why we 'tune' our HF antennas with an antenna analyzer, a grid dip oscillator, or at the very least an SWR meter! Store-bought antennas, especially VHF and UHF ones, usually come pretty much pre-tuned out of the box. You are perfectly right, Todd. That’s why in the early days of experimentation with two-way radio a ham with spark-gap transmitter would just announce he was on – for example – the 80 meter band. Others wishing to communicate with him would cut their antennas to 40 meters (a half-wavelength) and go for it.

They hadn’t invented frequency crystals back then or VFOs (variable-frequency oscillators) which were – and still are – used to ‘tune’ a 2-way radio up and down a radio band. Also the antenna didn’t have to provide those old radio sets with a perfect 50-Ohm match, like we need for best performance with all modern solid-state rigs.

That’s why we ‘tune’ our HF antennas with an antenna analyzer, a grid dip oscillator, or at the very least an SWR meter! Store-bought antennas, especially VHF and UHF ones, usually come pretty much pre-tuned out of the box.

]]> By: Todd L. http://www.walkietalkietwowayradios.com/radio-antennas/homebrew-a-half-wave-dipole-antenna/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Todd L. Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:48:48 +0000 http://www.walkietalkietwowayradios.com/?p=92#comment-18 For those anywhere other than the United States (that would be about 95% of the earth's population), 142.65/f(MHz) will give you the half wave in meters. We Americans are so funny. We refer to bands my wavelength in meters but measure our antennas in feet and inches :P For those anywhere other than the United States (that would be about 95% of the earth’s population), 142.65/f(MHz) will give you the half wave in meters. We Americans are so funny. We refer to bands my wavelength in meters but measure our antennas in feet and inches :P

]]> By: Admin http://www.walkietalkietwowayradios.com/radio-antennas/homebrew-a-half-wave-dipole-antenna/comment-page-1/#comment-17 Admin Thu, 30 Jul 2009 05:13:57 +0000 http://www.walkietalkietwowayradios.com/?p=92#comment-17 I'm glad you found it useful, Jose. :-) You are welcome to post any radio-related questions here on my web site, and I will try to help you. I’m glad you found it useful, Jose. :-) You are welcome to post any radio-related questions here on my web site, and I will try to help you.

]]> By: jose http://www.walkietalkietwowayradios.com/radio-antennas/homebrew-a-half-wave-dipole-antenna/comment-page-1/#comment-16 jose Thu, 30 Jul 2009 03:32:55 +0000 http://www.walkietalkietwowayradios.com/?p=92#comment-16 i love it,thank you very. i love it,thank you very.

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