How To Build A 10 Meter Dipole
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- Опубліковано 28 кві 2015
- The Technician class has access to a part of the 10 meter amateur radio band. They can operate CW, digital and phone. Antennas for 10 meters are small and easy to build. A dipole antenna is one of the easiest antennas to build.
The length of the dipole is 468/ frequency in MHz. I made this antenna for 28.3 MHz, which made the antenna 16.5 feet long. - Наука та технологія
THIS reminds me fondly of the days an amateur radio operator suggested I make an 11 meter dipole to talk "skip" on lower side band of channels 36-40 on my CB radio. I made my own and tuned it to the natural resonance of the channels , hoisted it high and had tonnes of fun on it!
+wesley mccurtain Yup, same thing
Thank you so much for making these videos. In today's internet focused world, an internet Elmer is a welcome find. Keep up the great work.
+william chamberlain thanks
I cannot tell you Randy how helpful this was to a new guy. Very simple and to the point..... My dipole is now up and ready for testing tomorrow. I used it for a attic stealth antenna because of my HOA. Thank you...
Thank you for the effort you put into your videos. I built a 20 meter dipole using this method. It resonated at 14.2 MHz and only 1.7 SWR on the high side of the band (no adjustments needed). Although this antenna is mounted inside the attic, my first contact was with an operator in Miami.. I am located on the NH/MA border.
Glad to hear that you made this for 20 M. Have fun.
Thank you for taking the time to pass information and advice along to new Hams...thank you for the time and assistance you share.
Randy this is an excellent presentation of how to make a 10 Meter dipole!!!
Great video! I was just thinking about getting on 10 meters- thanks for making these.
Thank you...Looking forward to your next show.
Great stuff, Randy! I sure enjoy your videos and appreciate all the effort you put into them for all of us.
Mark
W4MMR
Great Video It is a PL-259 and a SO-239 having taught many classes I know how easy it is to make small mistakes. Again great video
Thomas Lufkin I get tongue tied sometimes.
Fine job there Randy, thanks. Love your video editing, very funny when you speed yourself up. We`ll be watching for pt.2. 73,
Joe KC3BXZ
Thanks for producing such a great and easy to follow video!
I haven't gotten my ticket yet but I enjoy making antennas for 11 m currently until I test but I enjoy your video keep up the good work
Mahalo Randy for this video, it was perfect speed for us beginners w/o making us feel like idiots. I'm using your video's to build my first antennas. 2m & 10m :) 73 & Aloha from Island of Hawaii, WH6FVC
Basic antennas are easy to build. Have fun and be radio active.
K7AGE, I'm becoming more & more active everyday! I'm learning Skywarn, DMR Active, now thanks to you, HF!!
Looking forward to part 2
Thank you for the great video
This video is fantastic!!!! Thank you so much
My first dipole was for 6 meter SSB, and I made the center insulator out of one of those plastic bins you get croissants in from Food Lion, some hardware I had lying around and a few feet of TV coax. Worked surprisingly well.
Always have a BNC to F barrel lying around. 75 ohm coax is useful stuff, and it's everywhere.
Sounds good
Neat video. Makes me go look at the available 10m sets out there.
I haven't been active for quite a while, but I recall seeing projects that would convert CBs into 10 Meters. I recall seeing several projects that would convert AM CBs to FM including the repeater offset. I do not recall how long ago it was when I saw this, but I know I saw it in print. The internet did not exist then.
Randy next time talk about the "delta loop antenna" It´s a great antenna. I think it´s a much better choice. And it´s very simple to build, you can build it without a balun. Using just a little 75 ohm coax for mach, to obtain 50 ohm on the feed line.
73
Thank you for the video. I just wanted to make sure I did not have my measurements wrong. But I used my RigExpert AA-600 and my VSWR is less than 1:1.6 and my radio is showing 1:1. I will take that all day long.
Ill subscribe, why not. Great video simple and straight forward.👍
Love it.Guam looking forward making me one.
Thanks for sharing??
Building of Baluns would be a great video as well. 73's W7WZA
Good information, nice to see a UA-cam Ham in my backyard. WS7PB, Cave Junction, OR.
I drive through there once in a while!
I've got that exact same calculator. Had it since middle school. Still works fine after over 20 years!
I'm attempting this tonight
20 year ago I built a 10 rotable dipole. Using copper water pipe. I loaned it out and never got it back.
Thank you .
Another GREAT video, Sir!!! My only thought was at the 11:00 min point where you put the far end of the red wire through the insulator--a "newbie" may not know how far from the tag end to put the wire through the insulator. Maybe show putting a Sharpie mark at the 8' 3" point just as a reference mark (starting point) for possible future tuning by unwrapping/rewrapping the wire in case they need to lengthen or shorten that end. Love your videos!!! Rich, W2RRK
+Richard Kelly good idea
Whenever I find a $50.00 radio I’m all in. 😆
Dogbone insulators, like most other stressed insulators, are designed to work via compression. Wiring up a dipole with the ends being pulled apart is a surefire way to break the insulator as it is being stressed at its weakest point. If you attach the end of the dipole and the suspension wire (preferably nonconductive) at opposite ends such that they are pulling towards each other through the insulator (compression), the insulator should not break. If it ever DOES break, the way the insulator holes are opposed at 90 degrees will ensure that the suspension wire and dipole end "hook" keeping your antenna up in the air.
See: www.mtechnologies.com/dipole/bvc-007f.jpg
Do like am radio tower builders and use guy wire insulators called Johnny balls those support weight of swaying towers in a pull type measure
Nice.
I was wondering what range you got on that dipole. Can you easily dx on all dipoles? I am thinking of making one an inverted-v and putting it on top of my screen porch.
A useful video. Got confused by your pronounciation of 'Solder' as 'sudder'!
I would have used some shrink wrap to seal my connection at the Balun, when I was done soldering the connection.
Just got an any tone. (Ten meter) mobile rig (am/FM) . Plan to use that as base /mobile rig. Useing a salvaged bread board. To carry it around. Has no ssb yet am at 29000-29200/fm at 29600. Will be a jump start as interest is on my golden years as its easy to wrangle wire tks Fer the class on ten 73 de kv4li
Excellent video. Hope your are doing well.
73
KI5YHO
Thanks Randy !! Our Kansas club loves your videos !! Thank you very much and keep them coming !! www.sekarc.net/2015/06/technicians-10-meters-build-antenna.html
Is there an advantage of the egg connectors over a sheet-bend knot?
Hi Randy, Thank you so much for this video. I am a tech and I have been doing my home work to find out how to get on 10m with my Kenwood TS530S. I am going to use a ladder feed that goes into the 2 (left 7 & right) 8'3" wires. My question is, if I will use antenna tuner (AT230) that has a SWR meter on it will I need to tune the antenna with an analyzer? Thanks, KK6FGY
+bsdguy You can tune the antenna with the AT230. Cutting the antenna to that length should be good for the tuner.
Sorry to bother You Randy But I am a Canadian who is studying for amateur Radio Licence and I was wondering if a person could use OutDoor Clothes Line the kind that is plastic coated over braided strands of wire if a person could use Clothes line what would you use which kind of Balun I have a HF Radio given to me and I would like to make a antenna that i can listen to HF with right now I am using a 2 meter Omni antenna outside and it works so so but be nice to hear more also since only to receive could the antenna be put horizontal instead of inverted any info beappreciated
What kind of bandwidth can you get from something like that without a tuner that is , I know most times it’s based on 2 :1 or less .. i’m thinking more like 1:5 or less 100Khz ? Does the size of the wire used determine that
Fantastic video Randy. de KB0WZH
I wonder if Houston still uses 28.325? Dipoles are fun too.
good video, as usual. A couple of questions:
1) what would we see with a 4:1 balun
2) When would a 4:1 be desirable?
thanks.
Your fan always, Chris (N1WKO)
PS - the next time you are back East, come by the museum. You wouldn't recognize the shack..
The 50 ohm load would measure 12.5 ohms through a 4:1 balun.
Chris Kelling 2) a 4:1 or a 6:1 balun can be used to make an off-center fed dipole. This way you can make multi-band dipoles.
The impedance, depending on how long you cut your wires, of the antenna will be around 200Ohm (where you use a 4:1 balun to match it to a 50Ohm feedline (coax)) or 300Ohm (there you use a 6:1), ...
Chris Kelling A 1:4 balun is desirable if you want a 1:1 SWR since a 1:1 balun is a bad match and will give you about 1.6:1 SWR.
I still vote that Techs should be able to use all of 10m. If not all then at least have some use at the upper parts in the FM section, so they can use FM 10M repeaters. That's just my opinion though. I'm a general so it doesn't effect me as much.
retrogamefox I am going to try for my license. If I use 10 meter can I only talk on 28.300-28.500 cw and ssb or can I also talk on 28.000-28.300 cw rtty and data.
Indrid Cold Closed up? Really? I will let those guys in Canada that I worked a couple of nights ago know that we really did not have a QSO so they can take me out of their log books and I will do the same. I am sure it was something I dreamed but it sounded real.The hobby is not for everyone and if poor conditions keep you away it may not be for you. It is what you put into it and if you put nothing in then don’t look for much in return.
HI Randy, What would be the difference if you just used the wire as a long wire mounted horizontally into an unun instead of cutting it in half to make a dipole? maybe its a stupid question but Im interested. thx
That becomes an end fed dipole. I believe the balun used this is a 9:1 or so. Google end fed antennas.
Thats what I thought, thats what I use myself. Would be interesting to see the swr results side by side if cut same length.
that was a good video im thinking of making one , 1 problem though i dont have a high place to hang it could it go under the eves near the rain gutters from my house run the coax out my window to the ballon witch would be 5feet away .would know of some more on the stealth side that i could use for 10 meter
Don't hang it really close to the gutters. Give it a try
ok, il hang it half way from hse to end of the eves il see how that works.
Hi Randy, nice video, good work, I have a couple of questions, what kind of BalUn was that? A voltage Balun or a Current Balun and what purpose did it server? I look forward to your comments, KK4EDE... 73
+Michael Katt It is a 1:1. It helps to balance out the antenna to the coax and helps prevent any RF from coming back down the coax to the shack.
@@K7AGE I know that I am late to this video, but, yes it is a 1:1 balun. But, is it a voltage or a current balun? If it is a current type then it is a common mode choke and those are the ones that help prevent the coax shield from acting as part of the antenna. And at 1:1 they really should be called line isolators as they do not do any impedance transformation that makes any difference as a dipole antenna's characteristic impedance is around 72 ohms and poses very little of an impedance mismatch and a matching transformer is not needed.
Can you also show how to tune with a simple SWR meter (or at least address that in the video)? I can afford one of those, but the Antenna Analyzer is a little pricey.
Dan Long Before I got my antenna analiyzer I used the SWR meter built into my FT-817. It's pretty simple to do. Hook up the antenna to the radio. Set the radio to an unused frequency and pick a mode that will give you full output power. CW is a good mode if you have a key. FM will also work but it's technically not legal in the US to use FM on HF except the top end of the 10 meter band. But If you are using low power and keying up for just a couple of seconds I don't think it really matters. You can also use AM if CW and FM aren't an option, but AM doesn't put out full power when you key up. Anyway. Once you have a mode and frequency picked key the radio. You should see a reading on the radios SWR meter. If the antenna was made right the SWR should be a bit high since you want to make your antennas long so you have room to adjust. Make a note of the SWR. Take the antenna down, shorten each leg of the dipole a little making sure each leg is the same size. Hook the antenna back up and key up again. You should see a lower SWR. Keep doing that until you get the lowest SWR. On a dipole without a balun you can't go lower than 1.5 SWR unless you have feedline losses. So once you get to 1.5 you are done. I hope that helps.
purplemutantas OK but, tuning up at full power is fine on an FT-817 but unwise on higher power rigs.
I’m a former Air Force and looking at your call letters I wonder if the AGE stands for Aircraft Ground Equipment besides Alpha Golf Echo. I am currently studying for my ham Technician license and hope to take the test online soon.
Nope. That can from the FCC. Years ago I was WA2AGE. When we bought our land I change to K7AGE.
New to the hobby. Why do you divide 468 by the MHZ what does 468 represent and what does an swr 1.1:1 mean?
low SWR is a good match www.eham.net/article/23802
Is stranded better than solid core wire? Can either be used?
Stranded will hold up better to the flexing from the wind.
Do you really need a balun? or can I just run a pos / nag lead?
+Walt Prescott need to know this as well
+Walt Prescott The balun helps to balance out the antenna and reduce RF coming back down the coax into the shack. You don't need to use the balun.
Can you tell us the difference between these commercially available antennas and that you and I made?
Probably in the mechanical components. The commercial guys hopefully have researched and chosen quality and strong parts. You can certainly build a dipole that will last many years. If it comes down, build a stronger one. You can save a lot of money by building your own dipoles.
Yes and most importantly, we learn. Thats the whole I do radio. SO far, loving your series. Excellent work. Thanks for your time and thoughts put to your channel. @@K7AGE
Ok I see this is old, but I’m new. What if you don’t have a balun? Do you need the balun? Can a balun be purchased on the cheap? Thanks! -73- W1KPS
If you don't have a balun, just connect the coax with the center in one wire and the shield on the other wire.
Is a balun necessary?
@@kevinshieldsw1kps785 No, a balun is not necessary on a dipole. A dipole's characteristic impedance is around 72 ohms and is close enough to the 52 ohm characteristic impedance of coaxial cable.
Hi what's the best height for 11 meters?
You didn't account for velocity factor I reckon, still a great video, thanks for that!
468 is just starting place to figure out the length. Always cut the wire longer and trim back.
that's probably smart haha, I'm just in the theory part of things and will make sure to follow that advice as soon as I get the real estate to practice :D
Hi Jonathan. The 468 formula INCLUDES the generally accepted velocity factor of 0.95, so Randy’s starting point calculation is correct.
Ha, you have the same calculator I've been using for i think 30 years.
does the gauge of the wire used for the dipole matter?
Not really. Needs to strong enough to hold it up. Stranded is better than solid to prevent breaking.
@K7AGE what size coax cable are you using for the 10 meter ? Thx
If my antenna, made per these specs., is a little long can I just fold the extra wire back at the end insulator -- or will the dbl'd-up wire cause any sort of issues. Not talking about folding back many feet of wire, but if I needed to shorten each half by 6-8 inches (just as example) would it still function properly by just folding those bits back and twisting over. Hate to cut of few inches here and there and just throw little pieces away, if it is Ok to just fold them back over...never know when that antenna gets taken down and re-purposed for something else.
Thank you for the time and effort you put into sharing your knowledge with others.
Raymond - WF7BSR
Update: I saw in your other video (ua-cam.com/video/Ogxp3yjAzCs/v-deo.html) that you did fold over small sections of wire when shortening the antenna. Thank you.
Hi Raymond. There’s no problem with folding excess wire back at the end insulators. As electrons run along the surface of a conductor (i.e. the antenna wire), by folding and twisting back, the electrons “see” the cable as a single cable, terminating at the insulator. 73.
3:23
What is 468, A constant?
Yes
!♡♡♡
I am told day in and day out that 10 meters is not that great anymore because of the sun spots and space weather. Does that mean that there is no one on 10 meters or does that mean that conditions aren't that favorable but people continue using that band anyway?
KM4WJV
Yes, 10 isn't what it used to be. The propagation has been poor. 10 does open, but you may have to listen around.There have just been a couple of 10 meter contests, and the guys are complaining of poor openings. Here is a good site that covers 10 meter beacons. These are good to check to see if the band is open. swling.com/blog/2016/02/guest-post-listening-to-10-meter-radio-beacons/
I'd love to check but my moron lawn guys mowed over my 80m dipole that I had on the ground overnight to perform modifications, i spliced it but i know it's going to mess everything up, so i guess a new 80-10m dipole is what i'm getting for Xmas
That's true to an extent but it DOES open during the low part of the cycle so keep checking it! You never know when it will pop open. HAVE FUN!
SO-239..
Why did you use a 1:1 balun instead of the proper 1:4 balun, just to confuse everyone? Also, where can you find a balun for just $5?
steve c A 1:1 is the correct for a resonant dipole that is using coax. The dipole should be around 50-75 ohms or so. If I was building a non-resonant dipole it would be closer to 200 ohms and fed with open feed line. Then a 4:1 would be needed and a tuner. I found that balun for $5 at a swap meet. New, they are around $30.
K7AGE I realize you can use a 1:1 balun or just connect the coax directly to the dipole and it still works in a pinch but neither one was a good match in my testing. I tried using a 1:1 balun, 4:1 balun and direct connection with just an SO-239 and tested each one with my antenna analyzer. The direct connection was naturally the worst with over 2:1 SWR. The 1:1 balun gave me 1.6:1 SWR and the 4:1 was the best with about 1.04:1 SWR. I tried that on 2 different dipoles, one for 10M and one for 40M and got the same results! Wonder why that is?
Liveing in the mountains of habersham mt churhee not far am high for fm ihome ir9 used fm antana on the floor
I need to get my license back. Expired too long. Need to test again. I don't even know how that's going to work in this covid worshipping society.
Boring