For the newer ham, the older rigs mentioned should work fine with the
typical new ham antenna. A home made half wave dipole, or paralleled
dipoles would be the way to go for minimum investment. If you used
parallel dipoles, you would NOT have to buy a tuner ($75 used), an SWR
meter $20 or more, and the jumper cables. The ham should buy a balun
($14), or coil up 6 to 8 turns of coax at the feedpoint for a cable
choke, or get ferrite beads for a bead cable choke at the feedpoint.
Kits for those are available from The Wireman, as well as all antenna
wire and materials. For lowest cost, I have used electrical conduit
wire, for dipole elements, or 7 stranded 14 ga. "receiving" antenna
wire. For insulators, I use either white plastic vitamin or pill
bottles, or PVC plumbing T's and couplers for schedule 40 half inch
pipe. Most folks have plastic vitamin bottles or pill bottles around.
For any plastic you are considering, if you don't know if it is RF
suited, test it in a microwave.
Put a cup of water in the microwave, put the plastic beside it on a
napkin, after removing all traces of foil seals with a pocket knife, and
labels (by soaking). Start the microwave and wait for the water to
boil. Terminate the test, gently check the test piece for any severe
heating. If it only gets as hot as the water vapor in the microwave,
you have an even better RF insulator at HF. Use the boiled water to
make yourself a nice cup of tea.
73,
Stuart Rohre
K5KVH
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