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Homemade handheld antenna

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aslsa.rng(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 7:02 am Post subject: Homemade handheld antenna

Bob, Just got through mounting my A-22 handheld in my trike. Now I'm wondering about a better antenna than the rubber ducky that it came with. Calculated length for a 1/4 wave centered on 127Mhz is 23.25". I'm thinking of nothing more than a piece of 1/16" SS welding wire shoved into a BNC connector. Any input by radio heads will be greatly appreciated. 



Thanks,

Rick

  [quote][b]

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Neal.George(at)hurlburt.a
Guest

Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 8:43 am Post subject: Homemade handheld antenna

Rick - 



That will work, but I'd suggest a piece of music wire rather than stainless.

Music wire will accept solder, so you can solder the wire to the BNC center

pin for a better electrical connection (then pot it with epoxy for

strain-relief).  You'll also be happier if you put a tight 180-deg bend or

small loop in the end (also soldered) to mitigate scratches, snags and

gouged eyes. 



Neal 



==================

Bob, Just got through mounting my A-22 handheld in my trike. Now I'm

wondering about a better antenna than the rubber ducky that it came with.

Calculated length for a 1/4 wave centered on 127Mhz is 23.25". I'm thinking

of nothing more than a piece of 1/16" SS welding wire shoved into a BNC

connector. Any input by radio heads will be greatly appreciated.



Thanks,

Rick

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pwmac(at)sisna.com
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 9:15 am Post subject: Homemade handheld antenna

Hi Rick,

  I just got finished with antenna tuning on all my vhf radios. Made 

a big difference. Like you I use lengths for my common freq.

If you go to the Ham radio store they will sell you a VHF Whip 

antenna for a hand held. It will make a huge difference. Mine is 

~16.7" long. They have adapters for the different connectors as 

required. I have not used the rubber ducky since I got the whip 

antenna. Obviously the one I bought was not tuned for 127 but the swr 

is just fine across a large range of freqs. Maybe they will have a 22 

or 23' one?

BTW, Correct length for 127 is 22.1" for 1/4 wave per my calcs. Cut 

yours 23" an then re-cut for best swr.

Paul

==========

At 08:58 AM 6/18/2009, Rick wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  Bob, Just got through mounting my A-22 handheld in my trike. Now I'm 

wondering about a better antenna than the rubber ducky that it came 

with. Calculated length for a 1/4 wave centered on 127Mhz is 23.25". 

I'm thinking of nothing more than a piece of 1/16" SS welding wire 

shoved into a BNC connector. Any input by radio heads will be 

greatly appreciated.



Thanks,

Rick

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akfotoman

Joined: 19 Apr 2006
Posts: 120
Location: Anchorage, Alaska

Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 9:55 am Post subject: Homemade handheld antenna

I mounted an antennae on my( Antares ) trike using a 1/4 wave whip on

the wing keel tube and ran the coax down the vertical mast with a BNC

adapter on my VXA-700 and it works fine. It is a bit directional though

and the next time I will mount it in on the bottom of the pod and put at

least a six inch diameter metal disk around the antennae mount.

RS



Rob Stapleton, Photojournalist

Anchorage, AK

KL2AN

Skype:rob.stapleton.jr

--

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_________________
Have cameras, will travel!

nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect
Guest

Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 7:04 pm Post subject: Homemade handheld antenna

At 09:58 AM 6/18/2009, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  Bob, Just got through mounting my A-22 handheld in my trike. Now I'm 

wondering about a better antenna than the rubber ducky that it came 

with. Calculated length for a 1/4 wave centered on 127Mhz is 23.25". 

I'm thinking of nothing more than a piece of 1/16" SS welding wire 

shoved into a BNC connector. Any input by radio heads will be 

greatly appreciated.



Thanks,

Rick


	


   Rick, how are you sir! Long time no speak!

   How well "exposed" is the rubber duck? Unless

   your mounting situation masks the antenna with

   nearby conductive structure, I don't think you

   would benefit much from a more optimized antenna.

   Your mission profile just doesn't call for getting

   weather reports from an RCO that 100 miles out

   on the horizon.



   Have you encountered communications issues that

   you thought might be improved by a better antenna?

        Bob . . .



         ---------------------------------------

        ( . . .  a long habit of not thinking   )

        ( a thing wrong, gives it a superficial )

        ( appearance of being right . . .       )

        (                                       )

        (                  -Thomas Paine 1776-  )

         ---------------------------------------

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jindoguy(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 8:07 pm Post subject: Homemade handheld antenna

We've been missed by all the big storms again this spring and I count that a long way toward things being pretty good.I'm expanding my mission profile by taking the trike to its first towered airport for the chapter 980 Fly In at IDP this Saturday. Rather than having to call ahead, I added a power tap (21st century cigarette lighter receptacle) to the panel and a bracket from the forward mast to attach the A-22. The radio stands atop the panel and the rubber ducky, or any other antenna for that matter, stands vertically above the wind screen. There's no structure exactly parallel to the antenna, although the forward mast (a 1 1/4" aluminum tube) is about two inches from the antenna base and this distance gradually increases. As I was out in the hangar this evening my eyes fell on a disused telescoping antenna from an ELT. Its BNC connector mates right up to the radio and gives me a "tunable" length. What the heck, the price was certainly right.

 Thanks to all who responded. Great help just a few keyboard clicks away.

Rick



On Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 10:04 PM, Robert L. Nuckolls, III <nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com (nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com)> wrote:

  	  Quote: 	
		  --> AeroElectric-List message posted by: "Robert L. Nuckolls, III" <nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com (nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com)>

  

 At 09:58 AM 6/18/2009, you wrote:

  	  Quote: 	
		   Bob, Just got through mounting my A-22 handheld in my trike. Now I'm wondering about a better antenna than the rubber ducky that it came with. Calculated length for a 1/4 wave centered on 127Mhz is 23.25". I'm thinking of nothing more than a piece of 1/16" SS welding wire shoved into a BNC connector. Any input by radio heads will be greatly appreciated.

  

 Thanks,

 Rick

 	
 

   Rick, how are you sir! Long time no speak!

   How well "exposed" is the rubber duck? Unless

   your mounting situation masks the antenna with

   nearby conductive structure, I don't think you

   would benefit much from a more optimized antenna.

   Your mission profile just doesn't call for getting

   weather reports from an RCO that 100 miles out

   on the horizon.

 

   Have you encountered communications issues that

   you thought might be improved by a better antenna?

 

 

        Bob . . .

 

         ---------------------------------------

        ( . . .  a long habit of not thinking   )

        ( a thing wrong, gives it a superficial )

        ( appearance of being right . . .       )

        (                                       )

        (                  -Thomas Paine 1776-  )

         ---------------------------------------

 

 

 

 ===========

 -List" target="_blank">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?AeroElectric-List

 ===========

 http://forums.matronics.com

 ===========

 le, List Admin.

 ="_blank">http://www.matronics.com/contribution

 ===========

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aslsa.rng(at)gmail.com
Guest

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 2:07 am Post subject: Homemade handheld antenna

Bob, My apologies for missing part of you question last night. My primary concern with the rubber ducky was its performance at low altitudes (200 to 500 feet) where I normally fly.



Rick



 On Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 10:04 PM, Robert L. Nuckolls, III <nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com (nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com)> wrote:

[quote] --> AeroElectric-List message posted by: "Robert L. Nuckolls, III" <nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com (nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com)>

 

 At 09:58 AM 6/18/2009, you wrote:

  	  Quote: 	
		   Bob, Just got through mounting my A-22 handheld in my trike. Now I'm wondering about a better antenna than the rubber ducky that it came with. Calculated length for a 1/4 wave centered on 127Mhz is 23.25". I'm thinking of nothing more than a piece of 1/16" SS welding wire shoved into a BNC connector. Any input by radio heads will be greatly appreciated.

  

 Thanks,

 Rick

 	
 



   Rick, how are you sir! Long time no speak!

   How well "exposed" is the rubber duck? Unless

   your mounting situation masks the antenna with

   nearby conductive structure, I don't think you

   would benefit much from a more optimized antenna.

   Your mission profile just doesn't call for getting

   weather reports from an RCO that 100 miles out

   on the horizon.

 

   Have you encountered communications issues that

   you thought might be improved by a better antenna?

 

 

        Bob . . .

 

         ---------------------------------------

        ( . . .  a long habit of not thinking   )

        ( a thing wrong, gives it a superficial )

        ( appearance of being right . . .       )

        (                                       )

        (                  -Thomas Paine 1776-  )

         ---------------------------------------



 

 

 

 ===========

 -List" target="_blank">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?AeroElectric-List

 ===========

 http://forums.matronics.com

 ===========

 le, List Admin.

 ="_blank">http://www.matronics.com/contribution

 ===========

 

 

 

 



[b]

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nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect
Guest

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 5:57 am Post subject: Homemade handheld antenna

At 05:05 AM 6/19/2009, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  Bob, My apologies for missing part of you question last night. My 

primary concern with the rubber ducky was its performance at low 

altitudes (200 to 500 feet) where I normally fly.


	


    Understand. Given that your radio horizon is so

    close compared to most airplanes, I'm doubtful

    that improving antenna efficiency over that

    of the rubber-duck will yield any improved

    "range".  In fact, depending on how well the

    radio noise is controlled from your ignition

    system, you might want to keep the antenna as

    far from the engine as practical.



    It's an easy test. Rig a temporary antenna

    in your remote location of choice. We could

    do some extreme range testing with the two

    antennas to see if the extra effort has a

    return on investment.



        Bob . . .



         ---------------------------------------

        ( . . .  a long habit of not thinking   )

        ( a thing wrong, gives it a superficial )

        ( appearance of being right . . .       )

        (                                       )

        (                  -Thomas Paine 1776-  )

         ---------------------------------------

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