My Antenna Designs
Below is a list of antennas I have made, along with rough instructions on how to make them.
Dual Band PVC/Tape Measure Yagi
2m70cm Yagi on Osterhout Mountain
by NEPATrains.org - All rights reserved
My homemade 2m70cm 3 element yagi antenna on top of Osterhout Mountain. I was able to pull in signals from Hazleton and Lake Wally!
[more info]This is my 2m/70cm PVC and Tape Measure yagi antenna. It is simply five 1-1/4” PVC crosses cemented together at the appropriate lengths, with tape measure segments clamped on the crosses to act as the elements. My design is based heavily on other PVC and Tape Measure yagi antennas found across the internet. It is able to be oriented outwards, or straight up for satellite communications. With this antenna, I am able to receive communications from Hazleton in Tunkhannock!
2m70cm Yagi Pointed at NOAA 18
by NEPATrains.org - All rights reserved
My 2m70cm Yagi antenna pointed at NOAA 18.
[more info]Hurricane Dorian as seen from NOAA 18
by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Public domain
Hurricane Dorian as seen from the NOAA 18 satellite. This NOAA APT broadcast was received with my 2m70cm yagi antenna.
[more info]Extension Cord Adapter Antenna
Extension Cord Adapter Antenna
by NEPATrains.org - CC BY-SA 4.0
My homemade PL259 to standard US female plug adapter. This allows me to use any outdoor extension cord as a shortwave antenna. It works well enough to pull in stations that I couldn’t hear otherwise!
[more info]This is by far my least scientific antenna. My homemade PL259 to standard US female plug adapter. This allows me to use any outdoor extension cord as a shortwave antenna. It works well enough to pull in stations that I couldn’t hear otherwise!
It is simply an RG8X cable soldered to the end of an extension cord, with the proper connectors. The coax cable is soldered to the ground wire of the extension cord. The coax shielding is unfortunately ignored, as soldering it to any other wire would create a ground plane directly next to the main element.
Eventually I will create one of these with two back-to-back female plugs, to allow you to make a proper dipole out of extension cords!