Homebrew a quarter-wave vertical antenna
Here is a simple quarter-wave vertical antenna you can make for the 27 MHz HF CB band, or for the higher-frequency Amateur Radio ham bands. Just use the sizes in my table as a starting-point, and don't be afraid to get your hands dirty, so to speak. Ham Radio should be a 'hands-on' hobby!
Categories: radio antennas Tags: DX antenna, HF antenna, portable antenna, quarter-wave antenna, UHF antenna, vertical antenna, VHF antenna
What's a good VHF/UHF ham radio antenna?
I will be purchasing a Yaesu FT-7800 dual band VHF/UHF radio in the next couple of weeks.
I am seeing all kinds of antennas being advertised with different connectors (N-connectors, PL-259 plugs, BNC and SMA fittings). They are quoted at various dBs of gain, and different wavlength designs. It is confusing.
Does having a higher DBI get you better range? And does buying a longer antenna mean you are going to get better receive and transmit signals?
I will be purchasing a vertical antenna for the two bands and was just looking for a little bit of help to understand what these things actually mean when you are operating the radio equipment.
The set up will be mobile, in a vehicle.
Categories: Radio Q&A Tags: dbi, dual band radio, little bit, radio antennas, recieve, vertical antenna, waves, yaesu ft