Homebrew bug catcher antenna

 

It was mounted on a mahogany pole up a tall tree in the back yard. The. Supposed to have about 7db gain. May 19, 2023 · Using some old components left over from prior projects, Jim W6LG builds a manual antenna. 10m -160m Multiband “Z” Antenna. Jan 1, 2021 · Whereas my Blazer following behind him had just a single homebrew bug catcher style whip on the back bumper and got all the weird stares. . I built a 3 element 30 meter beam that I put up this fall which works GREAT. I have always had Texas Bug Catchers on my mobiles. So Cal. Tested and works as designed. A great document that can guide you in making your own cobweb aerial. The Patreon Link: patreon. Bug Catcher Top Hat & Whip. Antenna Rotators; Baluns/Unun. With minimal effort, you can become an 'HF Mobile-er' and enjoy rag-chewing and DXing on the go. Made this from stuff I had lying around. My best SECOND antenna was a secondhand Gotham 2 element 15m yagi that cost $20. The coil supports are numbered on the ends and should be arranged counter-clockwise around the supports as viewed from the numbered ends. This Apartment Antenna lets you operate 40 through 10 Meters on HF and 6 and 2 Meters on VHF with a single antenna! Sep 2, 2009 · 09/02/2009 After October 31, 2009, GLA Systems -- the manufacturer of the Texas Bug Catcher antennas -- will cease taking orders for new antennas; according to their Web site, all orders received before that date will be filled. Depending on how it’s constructed, it can withstand higher SWR with lower losses than coax. One of the locals used a Bug Catcher that had a custom control panel made for it. The balanced feeder provides some advantages. It worked wonders, and was fed by some CATV coax, buried in the ground. Open Box MFJ HF "Bug Catcher Style" Apartment Antenna - MFJ-1622. TEXAS BUG CATCHER. I like building antennas and winding coils has always been a challenge. I saw these a while ago and thought they were a great idea but too expensive. One that I built was made of twin lead for the Low and High Bands. SHAPING THE BOTTLE. 6 inches. HF "Bug Catcher Style" Apartment Antenna. Click here for a sneak peek at what is in the current or upcoming issue. g. •Small loop antennas can be almost as efficient as dipole antennas over 20m –10m; over 160m –30m performance within one S-unit •High efficiency require larger construction (e. Below is a simple drawing of the 20 meter version: CONSTRUCTION: Now cut both pipe sections in half and solder the appropriate fittings on. OPTIONAL CORK STEP: You will generally use these for larger bugs. This time, I wanted 17 meters, but didn't want to rip apart my 20m one. The Texas Bug Catcher has been around for years and is a good example of a no nonsense. It can be easily mounted on a truck lip, mirror, luggage mount, or tri-mag mount. 11b/g wireless networking. EDIT – If you’re thinking of building the Desert Ratt 2, although the pictures in this post are numerous and quite large, I do recommend reading all the text too, as I have included wha… Many many miles, over 65,000 to date (the antenna is on the car 99% of the time, the other 1%, it comes off for garages and car washes), many tree limbs (well not that many) Numerous bug splats and at least 1 bird hit. I then hooked up my key and received similar reports on CW for 40 & 80 meters. Terminated Sloper Antenna. 2K+ bought in past month. Head to Hackaday to get the template and full steps for this build . Well, it's going to be 39 degrees this weekend they are saying, but I'm talking another 30 degrees above that before I want to spend hours outside experimenting with antennas. The homebrew loop on the balcony of a hotel. M. May 17, 2013 · One big plus point of the RTL-SDR devices is the the ability to sample wideband signals, theoretically over 2MHz this offers tantalising opportunities for software based decoding of signals. CUTTING THE BOTTLE. Radio Frequency Identification Systems. 160m Half-Sloper Antenna. Cons are that the Alpha MOTO is just a little less efficient WTB Bug Catcher Antenna Coil 80 meter large dia and Cap hat Large dia. The frequency is 1080 MHz so the length of each side of the dipole should be 234/1080 = 0. It is free and easy. "Wild Bill" W5DNE of the Pasadena ARC for demonstrating how to draw arcs off bug catchers with a pencil, what RF feels like off a non grounded DX-100, taping an NE-2 to your whip, and how to go MOBILE in an old red Renault by using a 1000W Dynamotor. In the week when we celebrates Hidetsugu Yagi’s 130th Birthday we selected 5 homemade Yagi-Uda Antenna Project for the 7 MHz. Operate your HF mobile and enjoy DXing! The MFJ-1624 bugcatcher design uses large highly-efficient air-wound inductor -- far out performs other compact HF antennas. and your usual coaxial cable plugged in. com/JimW6LG Oct 24, 2019 · Here's the down and dirty! Maniac style! ;-) K1GMMThese motors are extremely low amperage draw,strong as hell and will run effortlessly of your rigs power su Sep 6, 2013 · If that is the case then shorten he antenna to around 20. He had the Motor that adjusted the Coil Tap, controlled by a small box that was able to remeber his favorit settings. 7. Jul 25, 2023 · Hang the traps on the lower branches of some trees in your yard, preferably a decent distance from any eating or gathering area. 11. PVC sections bolted together, and 1/2 Antenna Loading Coils category is a curation of 26 web resources on , Home Brew Loading Coil for AD5X Vertical, Make Your Own Loading Coils, Loading of Short Antennas. 00 and two hours to build. Archived post. 3. DIY 1KM Wi-Fi Antenna. This idea gets me excited to design some more homebrew beams over the Winter. Oct 8, 2013 · The more I look at it, the more I want to homebrew a bug-catcher. HF Antenna Cookbook. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 40-10m Mobile Antenna Bugcatcher Mfj-1624 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products! Aug 12, 2013 · lincoln. FREE delivery Thu, Jun 6 on $35 of items shipped by Amazon. My bug catchers had ranged in coil size from a 2. A PVC frame supported in the center for a rotor would allow "aiming Mar 22, 2017 - MFJ HF "Bug Catcher Style" Apartment Antenna - MFJ-1622 Convert base loaded antennas to highly efficient center loaded antennas. Jan 14, 2016 · Instructions. After assembling and mounting the BugCatcher on the vehicle it is suggested that you first tune for maximum receiver noise at the chosen frequency. #5. As the popularity of radio (in general) grew, manufacturers filled part of the need by supplying receiving gear. ADS-B is transmitted on 1090 MHz. Though it has several steps, the humane bug catcher is very easy to make. Included here is the field set up and where I tuned it. #3. 40m - 80m - 160m Short Dipole Antenna. Madison Electronics for lots of good/cheap parts and ARC-5 units. 080" dia. 160m Linear Loaded Sloper Antenna. Double Extended Zepp Antenna. Each issue is your source for equipment reviews, technical tips, projects, and news. This passive mag loop takes advantage of the Airspy HF+ Discovery ‘s exceptionally high dynamic range and is an impressive performer. A better solution is make up a *Q Coil* that is what the Texas Bug catcher guy called it I tested idea with a home brew job then bought his coil still have it. Henry's father, Henry Sampson Allen, died one month before Henry was born. re. 09 meters above ground using a few trees in his back yard. Bug catcher antenna? 5. On 80 meters, the bugcatcher with the largest coil is only about Nov 18, 2003 · Mojave Desert. The antenna is a 10 - 160 meter horizontal loop fed with 450 ohm ladder line all the way into the ham shack to an Palstar AT1500BAL balanced line antenna tuner. Not very big! Oct 8, 2011 · 53. He uses a 4:1 balun along with a length of 450 ohm ladder line to feed the antenna. Most home and office Wi-Fi connections have a relatively short range. Connect the antenna to an analyzer and find your resonant points on the coil. Mar 10, 2020 · Advantages of the Doublet. Henry Lee Allen, born July 31, 1937, in Tallahassee, Florida, died on June 28, 2020 at his home in Caddo Mills, Texas. For me, the 8. The RG58 was at a 90 degree angle. Finally, here's one of our own HDTV antenna projects. A better design is to make a 2 m dipole with one (or two) closely spaced (about 1 inch) 70 cm 1/2 wave parasitic element (also called coupled resonator). $3499. Technical Application Report. Same thing for neighborhoods FILLED with telephone poles loaded with power lines, phone lines, cable TV junk, etc. It is a 25 ft. The YT clowns have probably never heard of antenna modeling. Simple by design, but one must learn to mach it up for the lower bands. B. TEXAS. Use MFJ Bug Catcher, MFJ-2620/2640T, MFJ manual screwdriver antenna, Hustler or any loading coil with 3/8x24 threa 4 1/2 foot long, 3/8 inch diameter fiberglass/copper conductor with 3/8x24 male and female mounts on ends. For most of us, that frequency range is outside our experience. Sep 12, 2021 · The cobwebb antenna originally designed by Steve Webb (G3TPW) is a fairly simple antenna to build, requiring only a few hand tools & simple skills. It is relatively short and easy to deploy with only the unun and free end of the radiator needing attachment points. Fed it with rg58, need to cut it off and solder on an so239 so I can feed it with something less lossy. vertical antenna, made from three 10 ft. The periodic ADS-B Out broadcasts from aircraft contain information Jul 19, 2012 - Details of the 'Texas Bug Catcher' antenna on Lisa Hayes' Big Orange Van. But not with this amazing project, which requires just a Wi-Fi dongle, a mesh wire spoon, and a baby bottle. PLEASE remember the word PATIENCE especially when tuning on 75 meters. Xiegu VG4 7. Pros are that the Alpha MOTO is quieter so you can hear more stations over the QRM. Jan 16, 2024 - 2 Tube GU-84b Multiband HF Projects - Amplifiers. short verticals) The supports are designed to slip over a 2 inch piece of PVC pipe and glued in place. And I am working on a 5/8 wave vertical 160 meter full wave loop antenna. I have built many different antennas for scanners. FS - Texas Bug Catcher Components. Bug catcher antenna. I have used several different mobile antennas over the last 20 + years and the KJ7U design is by far the best. The MFJ-1624 bugcatcher design uses large highly-efficient air-wound inductor -- far out performs other compact HF antennas. Feed with 52 Ohm coax. Feb 12, 2018 · Home-brew Compact 6dBi Collinear Antenna (first published September 2005, details of higher-gain version added July 2013) This page details the construction of an easy-to-make collinear 360 degrees omni-directional, vertically polarised, antenna for 802. 1. Or fastest delivery Wed, Jun 5. Small Business. MAKING THE HANDLE. 5 1/2 foot whip collapses to 2 1/2 feet for easy storage and garages. 5 feet and move the tap point up or down and all around on the antenna until you get an appropriate match This is how I match my 112" bug catcher on 6m, because the antenna is far to long for a 1/4 wave match Mar 22, 2011 · Video showing my PMR 446 Homebrew Antenna. Jan 28, 2004 · Probably the most efficient HF mobile antenna is a 'Texas BugCatcher', followed by a screwdriver, then maybe Hustler, and then the hamsticks and Outbackers, in that order. List: $39. Dipoles With 1:1 BALUN; The Original Texas Bug Catcher Texas Nov 11, 2018 · Designing an antenna for 1090 MHz. 5. Standard 3/8-inch x 24 mobile antenna mount built-in for MFJ Mobile Whips, bug catchers, Hustlers and screwdriver antennas. Some place a funnel in the top of the bottle to better collect bugs, but the trap works fine without the funnel. #7. She died when Henry was six, and he A better solution is make up a *Q Coil* that is what the Texas Bug catcher guy called it I tested idea with a home brew job then bought his coil still have it. Jul 22, 2014 · Leave 2 even tails for antennae. Nobody even sees it, but put up a simple openwire-fed dipole in the front yard 2014-07-03. I save you the dumbing putting it together and get right to the point. mobile antenna that retails for $14. Texas Bug Catcher Mobile Antenna. Build a space efficient trapped dipole antenna for 40-80-160 meter bands using RG-58 and PVC pipe by W8NX. Off-Center-Fed Full-Wave Doublet Antenna. Drawing above is the layout of the Wonder bar for 10 meters. This antenna tuned to better than 1. QST. As a portable antenna, it’s hard to beat, especially as an inverted vee. Click here to view the current digital QST issue. simple way to attach a top hat on to whip. Aug 18, 2022 · Bottom line? This linked endfed halfwave antenna with a 64:1 unun is an interesting antenna build that has the distinct advantage of being multi-banded for the higher HF frequencies, including 17M, 15M, 12M, and 10M. Oct 18, 2020 · Henry L. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Jan 14, 2010 · WOW, I agree with the other hams, what a great idea. 9. 5' antenna was the best compromise for being able to switch bands while driving. The MFJ-1624 Mini Bug Catcher is a highly efficient base-loaded antenna that covers the 6 to 40-meter HF bands. You will have to rig some type of insulated support for the wire elements. Nov 13, 2012 · I chose the EARC end fed 6-40. W. Feb 16, 2022 · Cheap and easy to build antenna, for reception of the Very Low Frequency stations. Base loaded for minimum wind load and stress. 70' #14 or #16 wire (ground radials) and various nuts, bolts and clamps from the junk box. The Best First Antenna, Hands Down. QST is the monthly membership journal of ARRL. Having to stop to swap antennas just to see if another band was open was an annoyance. 2) Cross wire to other side of pvc, and run 5 feet wire Home Brew Basics. Marcus Schrader built this full-wavelength 40 meter loop (143 feet/43. One such wideband signal is the ADS-B messages broadcast by most commercial aircraft. Everything you know about making a dipole still works for this. How to use tools you may already have to make low cost, effective antenna coil clips that are easy to adjust. 2. any further: This antenna isn't a 1,000 -foot longwire broadcast band signal catcher. J-Pole made from electrical wire fed with coax then inserted into a rollerblind pvc tube which is oval shaped. (5 foot sections makes for easy portability) Total cost around $25. The MFJ-1622 Apartment Antenna covers 40 through 2 Meters, mounts outdoor to windows, balconies, railings, and works great indoors mounted to desks, tables, and bookshelves! 200W PEP. "Effective November 1, only orders for items that are in stock at the time will be accepted. You will. Nov 23, 2003. After some iterations in putting it up and figuring out how a Gamma Match is done, I started working _REAL_ DX. Bug Catchers. . Cam Nature Bound Bug Catcher Vacuum with Light Up Critter Habitat Case for Backyard Exploration - Complete Kit for Kids Includes Vacuum and Cage, Green (Original Style) 2,651. Pipe fittings can be glued into the ends of the pipe to allow attachment to the antenna mast and whip. 1”copper tubing) •Portable loops (e. 5" diameter home brew to a Henry Allen made 4-80 Texas Bugcatcher coil They have ranged in length from 8. Signal transmission reports for the antennas were: Ham Sticks S4, Chameleon V1 S5, Texas Bug Catcher S8, Alpha MOTO S7. Bug Catcher? 13 Jul 1, 2008 · Jul 1, 2008. As a result, you end up being restricted in what you can do with the signal outside a small radius around the router. Its 2 1/2 " long by about 2 1/8 diameter and has 9 turns of silver plated wire . T. At the time, I was a Novice running 75W DC input w/ xtal control. Also a reason people will run antennas like a screwdriver, or a Texas Bug Catcher for this reason. The winner of the QST Cover Plaque Award for July is John Miller, K6MM, for his article "A No Excuses 160 Meter Vertical Antenna. Big Bug Catcher HF antenna. Though the real advantage to those things is you can lay the bottles down and move them around without worrying. Resources listed under Antenna Coils category belongs to Antennas main collection, and get reviewed and rated by amateur radio operators. coax loop) less efficient but comparable to other portable antenna solutions (e. When I pour from bottles I just pour slow towards the end and stop when I see the yeast starting to come out. 5’ to 5. We strung it in the trees of the campsite, fed-end high with a 60 foot RG58 feed, 45 degree of slope with 35 feet of wire. High Power Balun Unun 3. As well, some notes on how I Half Delta Loop Antenna. Effective December 31 Built-in antenna mount with SO-239 coax connector and two U-bolts lets you mount most standard and homebrew vertical antennas. The copper colored lines are the wire "triangular loops" attached to the loading coil in the center of the antenna. 5 KW; MFJ; Radiowavz. Texas Bug Catcher? 12. MAKING THE LID. Used linear-loading. The parallel portions of the antenna above the break have in-phase currents and thus radiate efficiently. Try using one of those huge 'Trucker' coils and the 102" whip, attach a wire jumper with an alligator clip (long enough to bypass the coil) at the connection below the coil. 59 meters) and suspended it 20 feet/6. It was simply a center fed dipole. Join the ARRL today to start receiving your monthly issue of QST in print AND digitally. Reflector elements can be added if slight directivity is Mar 27, 2022 · Tuning and testing the home brew 40m dipole I built in a previous video. This antenna has a 9 to 1 un/un and requires 30 ft of coax feedline. Step 6: Glue a pink or red pom pom to the top of each antenna with a hot glue gun. Mar 19, 2023 · Those work ok on 2 m but on 70 cm the radiation pattern is terrible. I decided that I wanted to give a motorized antenna a try and I finally took the plunge and purchased the Hi-Q 3-80 short. 5’. 2:1 on 15, 20 and 40 meters. On the HF bands, a bumper-mounted “homebrew” antenna—that costs about the same as the VHF antenna—added the bonus of a fun day at the workbench! My HF antenna is a “bug-catcher” style vertical that has netted me CW and phone contacts worldwide using my ICOM IC-706MkII. Hello 2DX727: I agree with Doc there, those Bug Catcher Antennas work great on the lower Ham Bands. 217 feet, or 2. Attaching the antenna to a trunk lip mount, mirror or luggage mount, or tri-magnet mount takes only Everything Antenna. 9 MHz Full-Wave Loop Antenna. My comparisons for shortwave listening/DXing would be my old standbys: a homebrew end -fed longwire and a 50 -foot sloper, both fed A 70 cm corner reflector made from leftover junk. 6. His mother, Ethel Mariah Ferrell Allen, was left to raise Henry and his seven siblings. 5M 4-Band Base Station Vertical Antenna | for HF Transceiver. 4-BAND COLA ANTENNA 20-17-15-10m. 4. But it is a very good all-around performer on the entire HF spectrum-and by that I mean all the way down to the broadcast band. WTB Bug Catcher Antenna Coil 80 meter large dia and Cap hat Large dia. There are no products listed under this brand. The lower the frequency, the less efficient it is. Found some more pvc laying around. So now I will be ready for Spring, Hi, Hi. Antenna. 99. Page 2. This antenna project has come about due to a friend entering into the amateur radio hobby and wanting a more “hands-on” approach to getting his first station assembled, rather than just going Sep 17, 2017 · Here's another HF loop antenna idea if you have some trees or tall supports in your backyard. Even at best, an HF mobile antenna is not very efficient. If you decide to try and catch tiny ones and are concerned 2014-07-03. Allen, W5TYD SK. In this dumb short video, I make an antenna out of junk. $255. So starting with a height limit of 8 feet of pvc: 1) Run wire from bottom up to 5 feet. Fear not. 40 meter Yagi antennas, are complex to build due to the overall antenna dimension, and the world wide web unfortunately does not offer many projects, but we discovered some realizations that could inspire you to Feb 27, 2020 · With the wires stapled or glued to the "legs" of the fractal design, connect the balun to the antenna. Description. Step 7: Glue the white pom pom eyes to the opposite side of the lid (the front). Figure 1 Basic 2M Slim Jim Antenna. The antenna consists of Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. Concentric Open Loop Antenna Fed Off-Centre similar to the cobwebb antenna but resonating on 20-17-15-10 meters band. Jul 17, 2021 · 10. Go figure. need a shunt coil , transformer or transmatch to get the 50 ohms load on 20 thru 160m. dimensions are in the video,73's Thought I would do a bit of experimenting with some home brew antennas for GMRS. Because of the low losses at high SWR, you can use the doublet as a multi-band antenna. May 15, 2012 · Nominations Invited for 2012 Philip J. It's food for thought, but will have to wait for some warmer weather. Now made dual band vhf/uhf by 2 dipoles in parallel. Exclusive built-in inductive matching network keeps SWR low. Starting with the dawn of amateur radio, it was the rule (not the exception) to build your own gear, including transmitters, receivers, antennas, amplifiers, and even test gear. Brands Tag Cloud May 14, 2021 · An upgraded version of the Vhf dipole antenna. 95. This Apartment Antenna lets you operate 40 through 10 Mar 10, 2020 · I devoted a good portion of the presentation describing how to build a passive loop antenna design by Airspy’s engineer and president, Youssef Touil. 8. In Part 2 I have connected 6 radials to the DX Engineering radial plate under the Hustler 4BTV vertical antenna. Texas Bug Catcher Feb 9, 2011 · Hot Rodz Capacity Hat Hustler Antennas Top Hat on top of the MFJ mini bug catcher. BUG CATCHER OR OUT BACKER. Trapped dipole for 40-80-160 meters. Aug 20, 2013. Jul 15, 2013. Take that callum! 🍺Patreon: Apr 13, 2020 · 36 thoughts on “ Homebrew Loop Antenna Brings The Shortwave World To You ” Thomas Thornton says: April 12, 2020 at 11:45 pm RE: BalUn vs UnUn: Actually, the loop itself is balanced, as the A 27 pages pdf file revealing secrets of the cobwebb or cobweb multiband antenna with many pictures and assembling details. 55. Key features are: • Good radiation efficiency, because of low angle radiation • Unobtrusive • No ground plane radials, so wind resistance is low • Rugged Construction – no radials to break or 11-08-26-001 Jan 2004. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award The SO-WATT – Homebrew SWR Wattmeter HF+6m. The Coat Hanger DIY TV Antenna. 5-21. Fill bottle halfway with water. " This antenna is designed for stations having a difficult time putting a decent signal on 160M from small or CC&R'd lots. An Ice storm and several blizzards, this antenna keeps on ticking A better solution is make up a *Q Coil* that is what the Texas Bug catcher guy called it I tested idea with a home brew job then bought his coil still have it. 10. Using Hustlers, Bug Catchers, Ham Sticks, and home brew mobile antennas in the past, I have found that if you like to operate multi-bands it sure is a hassle to pull over and change whips or taps just to QSY! A 10 to 80 meters band qrp antenna tuner by KC8AON, based on Steve Weber, KD1JV "ALT or Altoids L Tuner" Digital QRP SWR & Power meter A KD1JV Melt solder kit, a swr and power meter operating from 160 to 6 meters ideal for portable and field use Homebrew C-L-C QRP Antenna Tuner This is a C-L-C type tuner with a reflected power indicator. Use green 2-little soda bottles to better blend in with the environment. "SAP" The Texas BugCatcher is relatively easy to tune and tuning can be accomplished by anyone with a little patience and experience. Jan 30, 2016 · 21269. We’ve provided some detailed photos and also a video. I have a 1/4 wave I am happy with. ck na el ps as cg mw ri af pe