I'm looking for a suitable antenna that I can use to operate over AO-7 in mode A . The main requirement that it be hand-held.
I've looked on the Internet and, so far, I haven't found any off-the-shelf antennas. I did, however, find several websites that have instructions for home-brew designs but none were specifically for mode A.
One possibility that occurred to me is to combine 2 different types, such as an eggbeater for 2 m and a hand-held HF loop for 10 m. One drawback that I see for this arrangement is that it might be too big or too heavy for it to be practical as a hand-held unit.
Does anyone know of a commercially available mode A antenna suitable for hand-held operation or know of a home-brew design for one?
Thank you.
73s
Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL
A loop for 10 meters is 8 feet (app. 2.4 meters) on each side - totally impractical for hand-held use. I have had some success using a 10 meter mobile whip on a mag mount on the car, and even better luck using 2 mobile whips in a horizontal dipole configuration at the top of a 10-foot (3M) mast, rotated by hand for the best signal.
If you wanted to get really creative, you could use 4 whips, crossed at 90 degrees, and add a proper phasing cable between them to make a turnstile, but that's a lot of stuff to lug around with you, and getting really far from your objective of hand-held.
Otherwise, your only option for something remotely hand-holdable for HF is some type of active antenna, such as the MFJ-1020C.
George, KA3HSW
----- Original Message ----
From: B J va6bmj@gmail.com To: amsat-bb amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Sun, October 23, 2011 11:07:36 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Antennas For AO-7 Mode A
I'm looking for a suitable antenna that I can use to operate over AO-7 in mode A . The main requirement that it be hand-held.
I've looked on the Internet and, so far, I haven't found any off-the-shelf antennas. I did, however, find several websites that have instructions for home-brew designs but none were specifically for mode A.
One possibility that occurred to me is to combine 2 different types, such as an eggbeater for 2 m and a hand-held HF loop for 10 m. One drawback that I see for this arrangement is that it might be too big or too heavy for it to be practical as a hand-held unit.
Does anyone know of a commercially available mode A antenna suitable for hand-held operation or know of a home-brew design for one?
Thank you.
73s
Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL
Hi Bernhard!
I'm looking for a suitable antenna that I can use to operate over AO-7 in mode A . The main requirement that it be hand-held.
Other than what KA3HSW suggested, the closest thing to a handheld 10m antenna may be a whip of some sort. Or possibly go with some sort of wire antenna. Still not truly handheld, but a small antenna for 10m will make hearing the downlink a tough exercise.
During the past summer, I took out my Buddipole dipole and its 8-foot mast and tripod to work with AO-7 in mode A. I settled on an L configuration, where the horizontal part of the antenna pointed toward the satellite. I would move the antenna every minute or so, and held my Elk antenna toward the satellite for the 2m uplink. That worked OK, but not great. I could easily hear my 5W CW signals from an FT-817ND through the mode A transponder. It was much harder when I went to SSB at the same power level. I made one mode A SSB QSO with W7JPI, and that was hard work. Now that I have a back yard to work from, coupled with the end of the summer heat here in Arizona, I may revisit that over the next few months.
Good luck, and 73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/
participants (3)
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B J -
George Henry -
Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)