Optimizing Multi-Band Wire Antennas

Simple pieces of wire are not the most sexy ham radio antennas, but they are probably the most ubiquitous, if for no other reason than that their cost-performance ratio is very good.  When it comes to the lower bands, there is little else that is more practical for most of us than using a wire [...]

An Optimized 20 Meter Vertical Collinear Antenna

After a few months of pondering how to build a simple pull-up vertical collinear antenna, I think I've finally got it!  The motivation for such a design is the fact that I have tall trees for a support and can actually pull such an antenna up into the trees to 100 ft. or even higher. [...]

Antenna Comparisons using JT65 & JT9 Signals along with NEC Models

True understanding of a problem is confirmed when one can validate theoretical model predictions with measurements.  It is too easy to believe pretty pictures that modeling programs produce, especially when making meaningful measurements is so difficult.  In this article I try to take the bull by the horns and see how close I can come to [...]