I hope if I am able to get as far as the building process it won't take me much more than that.  It would be nice to have my own machine shop for some things.  My equipment amounts to a cheap drill press and my workbench is the garage floor hahaha.

Brian Howell

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From: Chris Smolinski [mailto:csmolinski@...]

Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2020, 4:21 PM

To: main@sdr-radio.groups.io

Subject: [SDR-Radio] Off Topic - Antenna Design Software

On Sep 10, 2020, at 4:14 PM, Brian Howell <bhowell@...> wrote:

Nice!  How long did it take to build?

Brian Howell

Not long, an hour or two once I found the materials.

Chris Smolinski
Black Cat Systems
Westminster, MD USA
https://www.blackcatsystems.com

From: Chris Smolinski [mailto:csmolinski@...]
Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2020, 9:37 AM
To: main@sdr-radio.groups.io
Subject: [SDR-Radio] Off Topic - Antenna Design Software

On Sep 10, 2020, at 9:12 AM, Alan G4ZFQ <alan4alan@...>
 wrote:

effort only to find out that a coat hanger does a better job than my antenna 

Brian,

That's the way!
Use straightened coat hangers, I'd bet you would find it very difficult to prove a "proper" antenna was better.

73 Alan G4ZFQ

Since you are NOT transmitting, SWR really doesn't matter all that much. Why not use the tried and true method of a dipole cut for 54.310Mhz and the reflector 5% longer and director 5% shorter. The spacing set to .125 the wavelength on the director/reflector distance to driven element.

Coincidentally I recently built this quick and dirty 8 element Yagi for 434 MHz. I used pieces of 14 gauge wire for the elements, coat hangers would have been better :)


https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,69753.0.html



Chris Smolinski
Black Cat Systems
Westminster, MD USA

https://www.blackcatsystems.com