Tag: antenna theory
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What Is a Moxon Antenna? Plus Some Great Build Videos
The Moxon squeezes real gain and a strong front to back ratio into a surprisingly small footprint. Here is what it is, why it works, and where to watch it get built.
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Which Portable HF Antenna Should You Actually Bring?
Random wire, EFHW, dipole, or Moxon. Each one earns its spot in a portable kit for different reasons. Here is how to decide what actually goes in the bag.
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What Is a Yagi Antenna, and Do You Need One?
A Yagi is a directional beam antenna that focuses your signal in one direction for real gain. Here is how it works and whether it belongs in your station.
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Different Antenna Configurations You Can Run With an EFHW
One end-fed half-wave wire can be deployed in a surprising number of shapes. Here are the common EFHW configurations and when to reach for each.
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How Ground Radials Impact Your Vertical Antenna
A quarter-wave vertical is only half an antenna. Here is why ground radials matter so much, and how the number and type you use changes your performance.
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How to Build a Wire Dipole Antenna for HF on a Budget
A simple, cheap half-wave dipole is still one of the best-performing HF antennas you can build. Here’s how to cut, build, and tune one for under $30.
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Building a 9:1 Unun for a Random Wire HF Antenna
A random wire is the cheapest, most flexible HF antenna there is, as long as you pick the length carefully and match it right. Here’s the 9:1 unun build.
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Why an End-Fed Half-Wave Antenna Benefits From a Counterpoise
End-fed half-wave antennas are famously simple, but that little counterpoise wire is doing more than you might think. Here is why it helps.
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Building a 2m/70cm J-Pole Antenna
A J-pole is one of the best-performing, cheapest antennas you can build for 2m and 70cm, and the whole thing can be built from a length of ladder line or copper pipe in an afternoon.
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Meshtastic Range Testing: Antennas, Placement, and Realistic Expectations
Marketing claims for LoRa range are wildly optimistic. Here’s what to actually expect from a Meshtastic node, and what actually changes your real-world range.
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Off-Center-Fed Dipoles: What They Trade Off Versus a Center-Fed Dipole
Moving the feedpoint off center turns a simple dipole into a multi-band antenna, at the cost of a genuinely awkward impedance and some real compromises. Here is how that trade actually plays out.