You purchased a handheld radio that has a short "rubber duck" antenna attached and you can’t talk to your buddy because you can't quite get line of sight to the station you are trying to reach. If only you had an external antenna that could be mounted higher. You could buy one, but they can cost $100 or more. You could make your own, but where would you start?
This Antenna Build Workshop will walk you through the design principles of building a custom external 1/2 wave dipole antenna. You will learn the math involved to build an antenna for any frequency you may want to use. You will then apply this newly learned knowledge and will build an antenna to work in the MURS band. The MURS band is in the 150 - 155MHz range and contains 5 specific channels where there is no license required to operate.
The class will then discuss the means to which one can connect their newly built antenna to their radio. Having the right coax is key to making sure as much your radio's output power makes it to the antenna as possible.
The cost of the workshop includes materials for ONE antenna. If you would like materials for TWO antennae, please choose that option when registering.
You purchased a handheld radio that has a short "rubber duck" antenna attached and you can’t talk to your buddy because you can't quite get line of sight to the station you are trying to reach. If only you had an external antenna that could be mounted higher. You could buy one, but they can cost $100 or more. You could make your own, but where would you start?
This Antenna Build Workshop will walk you through the design principles of building a custom external 1/2 wave dipole antenna. You will learn the math involved to build an antenna for any frequency you may want to use. You will then apply this newly learned knowledge and will build an antenna to work in the MURS band. The MURS band is in the 150 - 155MHz range and contains 5 specific channels where there is no license required to operate.
The class will then discuss the means to which one can connect their newly built antenna to their radio. Having the right coax is key to making sure as much your radio's output power makes it to the antenna as possible.
The cost of the workshop includes materials for ONE antenna. If you would like materials for TWO antennae, please choose that option when registering.
Length: 2 hours
Time: Varies
Type: Classroom, Hands-on
Audience: Everyone
Prerequisites: None
What to Bring: Pen and paper for notes
Topics covered:
Antenna Design and Construction
Antenna Polarization
Antenna Tuning
Coax Feedline concepts
Use of pigtails
