[Antennas] portable antenna question

[Terry Conboy]

At 08:11 PM 2004-05-05, Mark Mills wrote:
>I have a question about a portable hf antenna. I have a Realistic Htx-100 
>(10 meter) transceiver which I want to use on the CW mode at 5 Watts with 
>a portable battery. I will be using the rig on the beach here in Florida. 
>I would like to use a simple vertical antenna like a hamstick which I 
>would have attached to a metal rod stuck into the sand. Would this antenna 
>get out or would it not work without some type of radials?. I want 
>something small and very portable because I will be using it often.

A hamstick on 10m is essentially a piece of fiberglass with a wire running 
up it.  If you're cheap like me, just get a 10' piece of PVC pipe (1/2 or 
3/4 inch), jam 1.5 feet in the sand, tape or tie-wrap 8.5 feet of #14 wire 
(insulated house wire is great) along the pipe.  Connect this to the center 
conductor of your 50 ohm feedline and connect two or more 8.5 foot radials 
(any gauge insulated wire) to the shield of the coax and lay them on the 
sand.  You can cut the 10' pipe in half (or thirds) to make it easier to 
transport and use a PVC union (no glue on one side) to connect the sections 
together when operating.

A standard stainless steel CB whip will work great, too, if you cut 4 or 5 
inches off.

Near salt water, a vertical will work like gangbusters, IF there are any 
sunspots and IF anyone else is on 10m!

73, Terry


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