If you really want an effective and simple to build 2M antenna for FM
work, purchase an SO-239, (UHF Female chassis fitting) and a couple
pieces of brass welding rod, or hobby rod.

Using nothing more than pliers and a solder iron you can make a nice
ground plane antenna. Vertical piece cut to about 19 inches, three or
four radials cut to about 20 inches, and bend the ground radials down
about 45 dgreees. This will provide a near perfect 50 ohm match. Simply
screw the PL-259 on your cable on to this antenna and tape it to the
side of a wood or metal pole. Real easy, and real effective.


Ed K7AAT

.. A couple other guys who know what they're talking about are also
recommending that same arrangement. 50 ohms on the cable and 50 ohms on the
antenna --- perfect. No need for a matching device, I like it. But aren't
dipole-like configurations supposed to present 73 ohms of load? Why is a
1/4 wave groundplane only 50 ohms?

--
73
Tom H
VA7FAB

. A couple other guys who know what they're talking about are also
recommending that same arrangement. 50 ohms on the cable and 50 ohms on the
antenna --- perfect. No need for a matching device, I like it. But aren't
dipole-like configurations supposed to present 73 ohms of load? Why is a
1/4 wave groundplane only 50 ohms?

The simplest ground-plane-style antenna has its radials sticking out
sideways. It's a monopole. The actual radiator is only half as long
as a dipole, and thus has only half as much radiation resistance, and
the feedpoint impedance is only half as much as that of a dipole.
It's on the order of 35 ohms or so.

If you bend the radials until they point straight down, you've got a
center-fed dipole with the feedline running up the center. Feedpoint
impedance is somewhere around 70 ohms.

Feedpoint resistance of anywhere from 35 to 70 ohms are available via
the obvious compromise - just bend the radials down less (for lower
resistances) or more (for higher resistances).

In most installations, radials bent downwards at an angle of about 45
degrees result in a 50-ohm resonant feedpoint resistance.

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

OK, I'm sold --- a groundplane vertical it will be. In fact, I think I'll
go ahead and make it ahead of time so it's already set up and ready to go
when I get the IC2200H.
Thanks again for all the help ...

--
73
Tom H
VA7FAB

On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 22:44:41 GMT, "tom" wrote:

OK, I'm sold --- a groundplane vertical it will be. In fact, I think I'll
go ahead and make it ahead of time so it's already set up and ready to go
when I get the IC2200H.
Thanks again for all the help ...


Seeing that you are getting the rig in the future, you might want to
take your antenna to the shop when you pick up your rig. They will
probably be glad to see that it is tuned for your radio so you don't
ruin it.


--
73 for now
Buck
N4PGW

Now that's a good idea --- I'll just have to make sure I don't jab anyones
eyes out on the subway (I'm car-less in Canada). I'm trying to imagine just
how bulky it will be, hmmm --- I should be able to manage it, I think.

--
73
Tom H
VA7FAB

Now that's a good idea --- I'll just have to make sure I don't jab
anyones eyes out on the subway (I'm car-less in Canada). I'm trying
to imagine just how bulky it will be, hmmm --- I should be able to
manage it, I think.


1/8" brass welding rod is soft. If I were you, I'd cut the elements long
enough to turn the ends into little loops, for eye protection.


Ed K7AAT