wrote in message
ups.com...
New to ham radio. Interested in building an antenna for a base station.
I dont have anything yet, just in the planning stage.


Thought about buying a handheld and using that as part of my "base
station" one maybe capable of 2 440 and 6. These seem cheaper used than
the home units.


My question is, is there information out there on how to build one? I
have a radio shack book at home that has a plan for a 440. It uses
aluminum ground wire. What I find when working with this stuff is it is
impossible to make it perfectlyu straight. Doesn't that effect the
performance? I mean it comes coiled and when I cut it to length I cant
get it perfectly straight.


Also, it is posisble to have good performance with one antenna for all
the bands? Or is it absolutely necessary to have one antenna for each
band? I have limited room.


If you go to the ARRL web page, you can find a very good antenna book. It
well worth the price. One of the fun aspects of being a ham is experimenting
with and building antennas (or is it antennae) . To enhance your fun with
expermenting one of your first purchases (after a radio) might be an antenna
analyzer like the MFJ 259 . You'll find yourself experimenting with matching
sections and different transmision lines as well. You can be an antenna nerd
in no time!



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