Foundations of Amateur Radio

The other day I was asked about what antenna should you get as your first one. This question is pretty simple, but the answer is likely much less so.

You might recall that I've pointed out that we can prove you physically cannot build the ideal antenna, so by definition all antennas are compromises.

You might also find yourself being bamboozled by claims about how an antenna is the perfect match across all or many frequencies. The same is true for a dummy load where the purpose is not to radiate at all.

With that in mind and armed with a healthy dose of scepticism, you can now go hunting for the answer.

On my journey through this minefield of mysticism I went from a self built wire vertical on a squid pole with a 16 radial ground plane and an electronic antenna coupler, through a set of purchased single band verticals, a wire dipole, a wire delta loop, a Buddi-pole, a magnetic loop, a multi-tap vertical, and many others along the way.

Some of those antennas were bought, others were built, several were given to me and some have been loaned by fellow amateurs.

I should mention that the antennas I named were all for HF frequencies. On VHF and UHF, 2 m and 70 cm, the list consists of four antennas, I started with a simple vertical and in my car I use that almost exclusively. I also have two larger verticals at home, depending on what I'm doing I'll swap between them but for the past year I've had a 10 m vertical which also happens to be resonant on 2 m, so I can swap between HF and 2 m without climbing on a ladder.

Building an antenna can be very rewarding but also very frustrating. Similarly, buying an antenna is no guarantee for success.

This means that every environment is different and many combinations of antenna and location are doomed before you start.

Essentially you have to start a process to find what works for you and your environment, a fixed location, or a car, portable, mobile or something else, in my limited experience there really isn't a substitute for trial and error.

That being said, getting your hands on a balun and some wire is a good place to start. If you're looking for something that takes up less space, a vertical is often another way to get going.

Currently in my car I use a multi-tap vertical. At home I'm playing with a 10 m vertical and a magnetic loop. When I set up portable on my own I'll use my squid pole vertical and if I'm with others I'll help string up as much wire as we can. At my local radio club I'll use one of several Yagi antennas and if I'm at a friend's place I'll use whatever they have plugged into their radio.

This confusing mismatch of antennas reflects about six years of experimentation and I've not even mentioned the pile of failures sitting in the corner of my shack.

Two more comments. Getting or borrowing an antenna analyser is a good idea and the amount of money you spend on an antenna is no indication of success.

That's not really an answer, but it's the best I have.

I'm Onno VK6FLAB