New to Shortwave (HF)? Daunted By Antenna Choices?

Also you don't have to spend alot of money doing tnis. I found A large coil of used cat 5 cable for 3 bucks at A yard sale. Played with that , still have some left over. I have A very good 40 meter dipole 8 years old . Working great. $3.00 spent , use your junk box.....

 

I agree 110% - when I started using my nanaVNA ( i.e., https://g.nw7us.us/nVNA34 ) to tune my antenna system using my manual antenna matching unit (in my case, a used MFJ Deluxe Versa Tuner II), it made a fun and major difference.

I have a switch that allows me to select either the nanoVNA or my transceiver as the SOURCE (Transmitter). When I need to adjust the antenna matching unit, I just switch to the VNA. I do not have to transmit a significant signal on the band, but can get my match close to 1:1, and then switch back to the rig for a quick check and fine-tune (there could be a slight difference, if you don't calibrate the nanoVNA just right).

There are some great videos out on YT that help you learn and setup the nanoVNA. Examples:





This one is about using a network analyzer (like the nanoVNA) with a matching unit:

 

I would add....put something under your deck! I did that when I first moved into my QTH, because I had nothing else to work with (time/money/etc). How imperfect could a wire on a balun, 5' off the ground with wire strung the best I could in the midst of driving snow? With the help of a tuner, it loaded well enough to put me on the 40 and 80 meter band with 60 watts output....and I could make contacts. Of course I replaced that with something better, but it saved me from 'zero' time on the air to having fun and hoping for better.

 

No, it must have been turned off.

 

I have always home brewed my Antennas and never looked back! From fence top rail to aluminium running and pvc pipe for an insulator.

 

A dipole(resonant or not) is such a great way to begin to understand antenna systems. Plus they are so EASY to construct. Plenty of DX to be had on a simple dipole!

 

I fully agree with the first post and the other opinions as well. I restarted my ham activities less than 3 months ago (after almost 40 years...) and just set up a Windom-like antenna in the attic, folded several times to fit to the available space. I works pretty well on 40 and 20 meter bands. I use the same type in the garden for 80 meter, deployment height is less than 30ft only. 44 countries until now... with 20 watts (CW of course, and in Europe).

What I recommend is investing into a good antenna analyzer - it really pays back. And playing with the antenna and baluns is a great fun too! We can see that physics is really working.

 

When I was a Novice I was testing my mighty 50W transmitter into a light bulb. I was very surprised when someone was calling me when I let up on the hand key!

 

And don't forget the 'missing third' of the antenna - its environment. Can a 1/4 wave vertical match or beat a 3-ele Yagi? It can - from a beach. Not everybody has a beach nearby, but a clear site with good ground will make a big difference, compromise antennas or not.

 

Fairly new Ham here. Only been licensed since 2017. I have had a lot of fun constructing my own wire antennas. I have a 130'80 to 10 meter end fed, a 20 meter dipole flat top and 40 meter dipole in an inverted V all work great and are set up to be resonant in the middle of the band. I have made a contact to New Zealand from my QTH in Texas with the 20 meter dipole and 100 watts. No need to spend tons of money when you get in to the hobby on antennas. the right length and a good ground and you are off to the races!

 

CQ TEST Yaa Yaa

 

When I was young and very limited in antenna space I worked for many years with 100W in an invisible antenna. That was twenty meters of coil wire (0.2mm) to the nearest light pole in the street and back with nylon fishing line to the top story of my house where my shack was, where a rolling coil tuned to the bands 80 to 10 meter. It withstood all storms and nobody saw it without knowing where it was. Even my next door neighbor never knew since I did not use it during the soccer match on the TV, (no satellite yet), I used a quarter wave wire to the ground of the transceiver to avoid burning my fingers or my lips. 73 de Hans 3da0aq

 

I have been absent from the hobby for over 25 years, with the exception of a couple or three QSO's over local repeaters with a hand held over the last three years.

I decided to make a comeback, but did not know really what to expect, as I have forgotten a lot and the hobby has changed dramatically since I was last on HF. I have limited space and the garden is due for renovation before I can erect anything of worth. The garden won't get done until January, due to covid issues causing delays. Anyhow, I acquired a Xigu G90, having heard so much about the price and built in ATU and SWR meter. I could not wait to try it out, but what do I use for an antenna, with my current restrictions?

Can't wait until the garden is done than I can get something better up, but for now I am having fun with my bit of wet string.

 

++ on the nanoVNA. In my earlier post when I said:
"... I used this out-of-the-box configuration for a while and then adjusted the length a bit to improve the performance in the low portion of the bands where I work digital modes. I really wanted 15m and 30m, so earlier this year I added a parasitic resonator below the main antenna. "
All that was done using a recently acquired nanoVNA.