Amateur Radio Blog
Past few years I have been building common mode chokes, 1:1 baluns aka 1:1 ununs on request. One of the questions asked by fellow hams is where to install it, which depends on the type of antenna. Then the ‘counterpoise’ enters the story and why certain antennas need one. So Continue reading Why does an antenna require a counterpoise?
The space available for an HF antenna at my location is very limited. The plot where I live is only 5 meters wide. If you want an HF antenna that covers the 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10-meter bands, you quickly end up with an antenna like a Cobweb. I Continue reading Review of the 7-band AWK Cobweb antenna
It seems like some kind of magic object, the 1:1 balun. Some say it can solve many antenna problems. It could turn a bad SWR into a good SWR. Increase antenne bandwith. Reduce interference in reception. Prevent RFI that causes interference to electrical devices at your neighbors and your own Continue reading Why does an antenna need a 1:1 balun?
You often hear about it and it is a hot topic on forums, repeaters and club gatherings. I have interference (RFI) on my equipment or that of my neighbors caused by my own radio signal. What can I do about it? First of all, the best strategy is to tackle Continue reading How to prevent RFI caused by EndFed, vertical and dipole antennas
Because of the very limited space for antenna placement, 20m2 at most, I have experimented a lot with different antennas for transmitting and receiving over the past few years. Most important for me is the performance on the 10 meter to 20 meter band. For those bands, I have now Continue reading The Cobweb vs Rybakov vertical antenna part 1
In the world of amateur radio, the terms balun, unun, common mode choke, line isolator and impedance transformer are often used. But also often mixed up and sometimes lead to heated discussions on forums and social media groups. For your convenience (you don’t have to ask on a forum or Continue reading The difference between a balun, unun, common mode choke, line isolator and impedance transformer
When I worked with the Cobweb antenna for a while, I started to miss working the lower bands, 30 to 80 meters. Now it’s not easy having all your antennas on only only 20m2 of space on te roof. I can’t fit an EndFed, G5RV or a Windom. I can Continue reading The surprisingly well performing Rybakov HF vertical
If there is one antenna that has grown considerably in popularity in recent years, it is the Cobweb antenna. The Cobweb is so popular because of various reasons, like its small size, only 2.8 x 2.8 m for a version with the 20 meter band, as its longest wavelength. In Continue reading Cobweb antenna pros and cons
It’s been a while since I posted again, but then I have something to report. Last year, I started experimenting with variants of a horizontal polarized omnidirectional antenna. The Cobweb, the Cobwebb and the Classic Halo. I can now tell, from my own personal experiences, which of these variants could Continue reading Multiband Cobweb(b) vs Classic Halo; final verdict
There is no other band that is affected by so many forms of propagation as 6 meters (50 MHz). Sporadic-E (Es) in summer and midwinter. TEP (transequatorial propagation) around March/April and September/October. F2 propagation and aurora in periods of high solar activity. Meteorscatter and the almost daily present troposcatter. But Continue reading The Hula Hoop Halo; a simple DIY antenna for 6 meter band DX
The Cobwebb is an antenna that has gained in popularity in recent years. The horizontally polarized omnidirectional antenna is suitable for the 10m, 12m, 15m, 17m and 20m band. All elements are fed through one single feed line. At only half wave length above the ground, it will outperform any Continue reading A different approach to tuning the Cobwebb antenna
Better horizontally than vertically polarized If you only have limited space for an antenna, but still want to DX on HF on multiple bands, you will soon have to rely on a vertical antenna. DX’ers among us know that on the 10 and 20 meter band you can often work Continue reading How to build a limited space 10 and 20 meter band Square Halo DX antenna