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I'm just getting back into amateur radio after a 10 year hiatus. I have a HF radio that I want to get back on the air with, but am unsure which antenna option I want to go with. I want a single antenna to do 80m - 10m. I am not overly concerned with performance, but would like something better than loading up my gutters.

The tuner I will be using is a Yaesu FC707 and all I know about it is that it has a built-in dummy load and only accepts a coax connection (no balanced line directly into the tuner).

Right now I am considering two options...

1. Buy a vertical multiband antenna for 300$ and attach it to a pole about 30' in the air, next to my house. I also may mount the antenna on the ground next to a tree (I don't want it out in the middle of the yard where the dogs will ruin it).

2. Run a loop of wire through the trees in my back yard, at a height of 30', forming a rectangle with a perimeter of about 210 feet with one of the supports being a pole attached to the side of the house. I was planning to mount a balun at the mast next to the house and run coax to the tuner. What is this kind of antenna called? The cost for something like this would probably be less than 100$.

I'm just trying to get back on air quickly and inexpensively. I would like to spend as little as possible, so I'm looking at option 2 more seriously, but I don't want to waste my time with setting up something that isn't going to work moderately well.

So, I'm asking for your comments now. =)

hi n0zkj I think you might find this intresting hope it helps 73 mike KB3LZZ http://www.qsl.net/wb1gfh/antenna.html

Hi Mike, thanks for the response. I've read over that page a number of times, I was wanting to use the twinlead, but I am planning to use a metal pole attached to the house and the stormwindows on my house are made of metal as well. Twinlead can't come within a couple inches of either, right?

-Curtis

Use stand off insulators available at Radio Shack.

The perimeter wire is called a rhombec. Twin lead wire is insulated, ladder line is non insulated.
try a hustler 6-btv best bang in a verticle for the buck/ Dx engineering is the best price I found.

Bob WB2JKS

Check out the DX Engineering website. I am using the setup they recommend and it works well. I feed a 75 meter inverted V with 300 ohm windowline, that comes down to the ground to a 1:1 Dx Engineering balun...that's one to one, not FOUR to one balun...mounted on a short 4 foot pole driven into the ground. I have an 8 foot ground rod at the base of that. I then run a six foot piece of coax from the balun thru the wall of my house to my wide range antenna tuner, then a short piece of coax from the tuner to the radio. I can load and work all bands from 75 thru 10 with flat swr with this set up. I have been using this basic antenna system for the past 35 years, and it works well. Note that they recommend a 1:1 balun, not a 4:1 balun. But go to their web site and read what they say about using baluns and you will understand. This is the best all round, all band antenna system I have tried in the 38 years I have been on HF. Check it out.

Hi-Your option number 2 is a horizontal loop, which should work with ladderline to a current balun. I have a vertical loop of 150' of wire, fed with 450 ohm ladderline, then to a 4:1 current balun. Then RG8X into the shack. It works well, cost not a whole lot, but does require a tuner. Good luck and I hope this is useful info. 73. Glenn-----KA2SSX.

Take a look here: http://chat.qth.com/viewtopic.php?t=4455

That is a multiband (80 - 10m - - even 6m) and it works very well CONUS and into some DX. Low VSWR and virtually free of any restrictions band to band. And it's easy to build once you have the torroids. I built mine out of easy to find plumbing supply parts and aluminum stock found at most good hardware stores.

Have fun with it - 73's de Marty, KN0CK

An easy solution is to use a G5RV with latter line and coax attached via a balun. Relative inexpensive. Very reliable. Does not require a tuner but can be used with a tuner. As easy to install as an 80 meter dipole.

I used one in Chad Africa for years one end a 75 feet the other at 20 feet above ground, giving it some horizontal and some vertical characteristics.

Gave good results for a compromise antenna.

Cheers,

AL