I am preachin' to the choir here with this post, I am sure. But since Southern California was under STORMWATCH again last night (we're expecting at least 0.03" of precipitation), I decided to build one of those cheap "tape measure 2M Yagi" antennas from plans seen all over the Web.
I mean, I mention them during my satellite presentations as an affordable entry into high-gain ... I have a couple links on my Work-Sat Web site for plans ... I can see in theory where they should work - but I've never built one myself.
So I stuck the PVC pipes together ... soldered the matching element ... straightened it all out, and took it outside for a test.
OH MY GAWD.
This is something that EVERY ham should do. What a dramatic increase in a handheld's performance a couple dollars' worth of stuff can accomplish! I heard a NOAA WX station (technically, out of range for this 2M Yagi) in San Diego that I have never heard from the house before. Every repeater of the six I immediately hit were received more clearly than with even the best of HT antennas ... and as good or better than my Cushcraft A148-3S (retailing for sixty bucks).
Sorry - have to stop writing. I am way too old to get this excited about this hobby ...
Clint Bradford, K6LCS http://www.work-sat.com