Questions tagged [antenna-system]
The system composed of an antenna and a feed line, and possibly also an RF ground connection, antenna tuner, balun, phasing device, et cetera.
4
votes
1answer
52 views
Are Elevated Radials Necessary for Elevated, 5/8-wave “Ground-Plane” Antennas?
Currents at the base of an elevated, 5/8-wave, vertical ground-plane (GP) transmit antenna are lower than when that vertical conductor is 1/4-wavelength. Does this mean that the performance of the ...
2
votes
1answer
78 views
Stacking DB8 “bedsprings”
I'm trying to receive a UHF TV signal 86 miles away. Considering the height of the transmitting antenna and the height of the receiving antenna, I should be able to just make line-of-sight between ...
2
votes
2answers
72 views
G5RV Jr. fed with ladder line and coax
I am a new ham and I was just given a G5RV Jr. I have about 20 feet of coax plus about 60 feet of 450 ohm ladder line I can feed it with. Can I extend the G5RV Jr. feed line with the ladder line I ...
7
votes
2answers
135 views
How did hams manage to tune their antennas before VSWR meters?
In the early 20th century --back when the hobby was still new-- before VSWR meters and antenna analyzers were invented, how did radio operators know whether they were tuned for maximum power out?
...
1
vote
1answer
94 views
How is RF Power at Receive Antenna Output Terminals Calculated?
Is the Friis equation sufficient to make this calculation? Must other considerations also be evaluated?
1
vote
2answers
77 views
True near field distance for a short monopole antenna?
Antenna properties:
Height x Diameter = 3.3 inches x 1.4 inches
Test Frequency: 900 MHz
(Wavelength = 33 cm or 13 inches)
I see some conflicting formulas to calculate the near field distance for ...
5
votes
5answers
108 views
Signal path to maximize RFI rejection in an urban environment
Urban ham here (Cambridge, MA - FN42ki - KC1JZE) looking for tips to make this hobby possible in the city. I rarely can hear both sides of HF phone transmissions, and have yet to make contacts despite ...
6
votes
1answer
63 views
Two antennas on different sides of a building
I live in the 4th floor of a building with one side facing south and the other north. I am able to use my 2M mobile base transceiver with a mobile magnet mount antenna placed just outside the window. ...
2
votes
1answer
81 views
How high an SWR can the USRP 2901 (B210) handle?
I connected a USRP 2901 (B210) to an amplifier I designed. The USRP seems to shutdown every time I try to transmit. I guess I messed up with the input impedance matching on the amplifier. Is it the ...
4
votes
3answers
161 views
Radio stops receiving as soon as the antenna is threaded all the way
Is it normal for the antenna conector of the radio to have 18ohm resistence between the inner socket(signal) and the thread (ground)?
When I connect the antenna works fine if only the inner plug ...
3
votes
1answer
73 views
Electrical Earth
I have moved to a new flat which is on the 4 floor, luckily the landlord has let me put an OCF dipole outside with coax feeding through an existing hole in the window frame. I'm looking for some ...
6
votes
4answers
294 views
Why do we distinguish between balanced and unbalanced?
I hear all the time, "you need a balun between your balanced dipole and unbalanced coax to stop the common-mode current" when it seems the proper advice is "you need something to stop common-mode ...
6
votes
3answers
196 views
Lightning strikes nearby and coaxial cable
A direct hit on my home by lightning is very, very unlikely. However, many lightning strikes that hit Earth nearby are by far the main hazard for ham radio gear (in my opinion, after 60 years in the ...
7
votes
3answers
220 views
Attic Dipole - Impact of Ethernet over CAT5/6
I've been thinking about putting 20m and 10m dipoles up in my attic (HOA), but I also intend to soon put some Ethernet cable to a WAP (with PoE) through the attic.
I was intending to feed this with ...
10
votes
1answer
139 views
Does Coax Limit the Maximum SWR a Transmitter 'Sees'?
A recent discussion about SWR led to the assertion that a length of coax cable will ultimately limit the SWR to which the transmitter will be exposed.
By experimenting with an SWR calculation tool ...
5
votes
4answers
321 views
TV strong station has no signal when coax is connected
Right, not directly ham radio related, but this puzzles my ham brain. I have several TVs connected to a distribution amp connected to an outside antenna. All but one work fine, and the one won't ...
2
votes
2answers
137 views
Using one of two antenna tuners connected in series
I have:
A Kenwood TS-590SG.
2 antennas up, a tri-band beam and a fan dipole.
I run both antennas to a MFJ-998 auto tuner.
I also have a MFJ versa tuner IV.
The auto tuner works good for 80-10 meters ...
0
votes
2answers
271 views
Do the radials of a quarter or 5/8 wavelength antennas connect to the braid of the coaxial cable?
I'm studying for my foundation license (in the UK) and I have these diagrams:
Do the radials in a quarter or 5/8 wavelength antennas connect to the braid/shield of the coaxial cable? If so, how does ...
1
vote
1answer
109 views
Two devices + one antenna
What I have:
GSM 900 repeater
900 - 2400 MHz MIMO antenna 2xSMA
MIMO 4G Router works with 1800 MHz LTE
Is it a good idea to connect GSM repeater via SMA splitter to one of the antenna cables? Will ...
0
votes
2answers
48 views
Determing short or open location in antenna system
I have a G5RV antenna. It used to work fine. I had it disconnected for several months. Now I can't get it to load. I think there may be a short or open in the coax. Is there a way to determine how ...
7
votes
6answers
541 views
Use a TV coax and balun for a poor-man's OCFD?
Can I use TV coax and a cheap TV balun to build a poor-man's OCFD? Marginal performance is acceptable if it saves money. If I could listen to 10% of transmitters within a 100 mile radius that would be ...
2
votes
4answers
526 views
What is an antenna tuner? Why bother with resonant antennas in the first place?
There are a lot of antenna tuners on the market that have various capabilities in terms of how they can allow random radiators to work with our transceivers.
What exactly do they do? My ...
2
votes
2answers
255 views
Grounding Help - Where To Route My Wires
Here is my situation. My antenna mast is on the opposite side of the house from my ham shack, same with the power service entrance. I have installed ground rods roughly every 16 feet with #6 wire ...
0
votes
2answers
385 views
G5RV Jr and Ladder Line feed Lying Flat on the Roof?f
a semi-old, mildly grumpy, damn lazy new General Class Op, back after nearly 40 years since last license.
Live in an old 2 story Mediterranean Sunset District Avenues home with a flat, beam-bitumen-...
1
vote
1answer
171 views
Wide bandwidth HF power combiner schematic and formula
I want to build (not purchase) a wide bandwidth power combiner.
It should combine signals from 2 TFD antennas cut for 15 MHz lower frequency and used for receive only. Upper frequency is 30 MHz so ...
4
votes
2answers
316 views
Stealth HF station setup advice
I need some advice on setting up my first HF station in a somewhat restricted townhouse community. If I had a detached house with a backyard I’d probably already have everything setup. But with this ...
3
votes
3answers
455 views
What is the point of high gain antenna with respect to the maximum EIRP
OFCOM states that the maximum EIRP within the UK for 2.4 GHz is 100mW. Simply put, what is the point in being able to buy 2.4 GHz high gain antennas which can say do 24dBi, which already puts the ...
0
votes
1answer
159 views
guard planes in differential antenna PCB designs
The designs I have seen all seem to have this surrounding stitched-to-the-ground copper pour surrounding them. Why put it on a differential antenna PCB like below ? And why are those thin lower left ...
5
votes
4answers
396 views
What exactly is impedance?
I see "impedance" used everywhere.
Equipment has an input and output impedance.
Antennas and feedlines all have this 'impedance' thing.
For someone that understands DC electronics, Ohm's law and a ...
2
votes
2answers
118 views
How to safely connect a digital output to a receiver's antenna input?
Suppose I have a 3.3 or 5V GPIO digital signal (from an Arduino or Raspberry Pi, etc.), periodically toggling at some HF or VHF frequency. Since it has such a "dirty" spectrum, I don't want to hook ...
1
vote
3answers
239 views
High SWR on a Jeep with Spare Tire Mount
I just installed a spare-tire mount and Browning BR-180 dual band antenna on my Jeep JK. Initial SWR testing show nothing higher than 1.4:1 across both bands so I didn't try to tweak it.
Then I put ...
0
votes
1answer
182 views
Using the VHF port for 6m on an Icom IC-706mkIIg transceiver
My Icom IC-706mkIIg transceiver has two output ports:
one for its VHF/UHF bands (i.e. 2m/70cm)
one for the HF bands, and also 6m!
I have a couple of broadband VHF/UHF antennas whose transmit specs ...
2
votes
2answers
169 views
Using two antennas with IC751A — one for transmitting and another for reception
Is it safe to use one antenna for transmitting (main antenna PL connector) and another for reception connected to ANT IN connector at the backside panel?
1
vote
2answers
103 views
Serial matching stub combined with RF choke
If I use RG6 coaxial cable in odd multiples of 1/4 wavelength as a serial matching stub, can I also use it, without modifying the length, as a coiled RF choke balun at the antenna feed point?
2
votes
1answer
115 views
What dictates ladder line max frequency? [duplicate]
When using ladder line to feed an antenna, I've seen it written that
The spacing should not be over 1 percent of the highest-frequency wavelength, and that’s the only real consideration with ...
7
votes
3answers
1k views
Antenna for a cramped attic
Brand new Ham. I bought a cheapo UV5 right before I got my call sign. I want to set up a decent 2m/70cm station for starters and I realize that a better radio is important but wanted to knock out the ...
3
votes
3answers
320 views
Which is better in my situation: Balanced dipole, or as much wire as possible in the air?
I'm finally getting to the point of hopefully putting up a HF antenna. The idea is to start with a simple, straight wire dipole using trees as support points. (No traps or coils.)
However, with the ...
1
vote
0answers
40 views
Can two directional antennas be connected without an amplifier to improve reception? [duplicate]
Can two identical yagi antennas be linked together to improve a cell phone signal?
The idea is to put one antenna on the rooftop and the other in the house, and connect the two with feedline but no ...
2
votes
1answer
276 views
What do we mean by “RF in the shack”?
What does "RF in the shack" mean? How does it interfere with devices around coax?
1
vote
2answers
154 views
Match 420 Ω to 50 Ω
Is there any practical way to match the output of my PA which is 420 Ω to my antenna which is 50 Ω at 434MHz?
I was thinking about adding a pi-network and using a VSWR Meter with the output of the ...
2
votes
5answers
428 views
What would be the easiest and most cost effective ground system for a startup UHF/VHF station
I just passed both my Technician and General Class license this past weekend, and am now contemplating my first station. To get my feet wet I'm planning on getting a Yaesu FT-7900R Dual band Radio ...
4
votes
1answer
421 views
How to bypass LNA for TX in UHF Antenna?
I want to work with amateur, low power, and/or pico satellites. I would like to use an Eggbeater or Turnstile antenna with my UHF 433 MHz radio, since those antennas are very cheap and easy to build ...
1
vote
0answers
78 views
OCF Antenna Feed Line [closed]
I built a OCF HF antenna. The feed line contains a 4:1 balun and a line insolator (choke) per instructions. When checking the radio end of the coax, I get a "grounded" response between the inner wire ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Running ladder line through window from inside shack to outside dipole antenna - what to watch out for?
For HF operating, I am considering running a ladder line from the ATU just inside a window, through the window (squeezing it between the window and the window frame; not actually through the glass), ...
2
votes
1answer
131 views
Should I ground a 2 array crossed yagi-uda antenna?
I am using 2 array crossed yagi-uda antenna operating at 437.025 MHz. Where and how should I ground it? Should I ground at mast of antenna or to its metallic boom?
5
votes
2answers
8k views
Connect two receiving antennas to the same radio
I have built a 1090 MHz ADS-B antenna roughly following some video instructions. It appears to work reasonably.
However, because of how it is placed, it captures signals for more or less a half of ...
9
votes
6answers
1k views
While backpacking, is it worth mounting the antenna to the backpack frame (above my head)?
I am planning a trip with a large group in 6 weeks. We will be spread out in small groups on a trail in a mostly desert plateau landscape perhaps 5 miles apart, but mostly in a straight line.
I'm new ...
10
votes
3answers
3k views
Share antenna between receiver and transceiver?
I recently put up a fan dipole for 80/40/20/10. I'm looking for a way to share this antenna with a receive-only SDR and my shack transceiver. Obviously I can just switch this antenna between the two ...
9
votes
1answer
663 views
What does a lightning bolt symbol next to an antenna connector mean?
On the back of my Yaesu FT-897, next to each of the antenna connectors, there are lightning-bolt-ish symbols. What do these mean, and is there something I ought to be doing because of that?
I have ...
6
votes
1answer
492 views
What are some ways to ground a transmitter+antenna in an enclosed attic?
If I want to minimize "RF in the shack" and lightning hazard, what some good ways to ground a transmitter and indoor antenna in a top floor room or attic with no exterior access? (say a multi-story ...
