David Pruett wrote:
> From the conversations I've had with non-VHFers, cost is a major issue
> to getting on VHF/UHF. On HF you can toss a $5 dipole in a tree, feed
> it witn junk coax and work a bunch of people on 80 and 40. As W3ZZ
> points out, that doesn't work on VHF. Most decent VHF/UHF antennas are
> at least $100, and a decent low lost feedline is at least $50, depending
> on how much length you need. So $150 gets you ONE BAND worth of
> effective antenna. Joe706 needs $450 worth of antennas (assuming he has
> a support for them) just to try something he might not even enjoy
> doing. And if he want to get on a band where he needs a transverter,
> that's another $400.
>
The wire antenna can be very effective at VHF and even UHF -- just as
cheap and easy as the HF brethren, if not cheaper and easier with the
reduced size requirements. Multi-element arrays and "curtain" style
wire antennas have been proven to be a nice alternative to lugging
around a lot of aluminum yagis for years.
We're talking something beyond the standard dipole. A moxon, curtain
quad, H-doublebay, the venerable quad loop.... too many designs to
mention all of them -- and I won't try to advertise one's worth over the
other here. But plenty of information about each is available on the
web tubes for free.
Build antennas for all three standard packaged bands for less than
$30. Simple electrical tape, basic tools, 50' of #14 or #12 solid, and
some modern PVC conduit/plumbing makes construction quick and easy (some
as quick as 20 minutes) and cheap. Scrap the connector in favor of
"direct coupling". This cuts the investment down to some reasonably
low-loss coax -- which can be used on HF just as readily to fantastic
effect.
Also, with simple wire antennas, there is far less chance of getting
your eye poked out when that low-mounted rover yagi swings in the wind
unexpectedly. Seriously, yagis can be a health hazard for even
experienced. (hi hi)
Is it a "high-performance" super station antenna that the seasoned "pro"
would approve? Certainly not. Are they expected to be durable,
40-year antennas you mount on the tower and forget about? Nope. In
fact, this is likely an antenna that may only survive one trip to the
mountain top. Do they have to conform to great engineering practice?
Not necessarily, as we're attempting to /demonstrate/ that something
like VHF "can" be a lot of fun.
We're talking about beginners here. You wouldn't hand a bazooka to
someone who's never fired a water pistol before, right? If they get
bitten by the bug, the prickly aluminum monsters of V/U yagi-dom will
follow.
REMEMBER -- ALL antennas are /temporary/.
73,
- Josh Arritt / KF4YLM
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