For an good efficacity and directivity on radio spectrum its necessary to use an yagi antenna. It uses the graphs and principles developed by dl6wu and printed originally in the german radio magazine vhf communications march 1982. For completeness this is not the only diy tape measure yagi on instructables so also check out fn64s 2 m band radio direction finding antenna for. Projector of the sharpest beam of electric waves pdf.
Pg1ns ham radio site 2m projects directional antennas. It tends to be even more sensitive to polarity and spin of the satellite. Our results are optimised for gain, but others may be optimised for bandwidth. Musings and adventures in amateur radio, electronics home construction, and military comms equipment. This sketch shows a semiexploded view of the antenna. This link is listed in our web site directory since sunday nov 18 2012, and till today vhf 3el tape measure yagi has been followed for a total of 1277 times. Measure and cut the four lengths you will need for this antenna cutting chart. This measuring tape is industrial grade and perfect for many uses. Use metal tape measure as elements for easy foldingtransport. I did my first fox hunt more than 15 years ago and built a tape measure yagi antenna for that purpose. It is all based on this really well done drawing by nt1k. The 2 meter band tape measure beam antenna is a 3 element yagi with about 7. About vhf 3el tape measure yagi the resource is currently listed in in a single category. Now its time to step it up just a little bit and fabricate a bigger antenna.
This page covers 3 element yagi antenna calculator. Since an old 5 element version v1 of my antenna was shown in the july 2011 edition of radcom, a few people have contacted me asking for some information on how it. A simple 4 element 2 meter yagi made from coathangers or. Ive read about every article out there on tape measure yagi construction and yours is the best. To scale this antenna for any other vhf uhf frequency, read the arrl article. Be careful not to cut yourself on the sharp corners or ends. If you are wondering what amateur radio is about, its basically a two way radio. Yagiuda antennas used for amateur radio are sometimes designed to operate on. This will be the director of the antenna and will attach to the front of the antenna.
Thank you for your excellent write up on the vhf 3el tape measure yagi. A portable 2element vhf yagi may, 1997 heres a simple saturday project. All you need is two rabbit ear antennas from radio shack, two catv baluns, four feet of 34 cpvc pipe with one tee, and a bit of time. Charles recommended using a reciever with am capability as well. The beam as provided in the kit is good for 2m but it has also been successfully scaled for use on other frequencies including 121. The calculators for other antenna types such as parabolic,horn,dipole and patch are also mentioned. In the back of the room jeff and rich will be holding a build a beam workshop. This antenna is very adapted at vhf and uhf domain inside 30 mhz to 900 mhz. Hurst amateur radio club uhf tape measure yagi foxhunt. A simple 4 element 2 meter yagi made from coathangers or other common materials by pete rimmel n8pr. This page contains construction details on a 2 metre 144mhz vhf yagi beam antenna, designed for portable use. It is premarked for loop antennas and dipoles up to 30 meters. John portune, w6nbc any hams have made 2 meter lape hunting.
The formula and basics of yagi antenna calculator are also explained with example. Are you looking for a project to encourage a new generation of ham radio operators. If you pull the tape past its end, youll find that its connected to a spring. The main category is antennas for 2 meters band that is about antenna projects for 144 mhz. But the tape measure is far away from being circular.
This antenna is designed for the 2 meter amateur radio band. The vhf dipole antenna at vhf and uhf, most antenna systems are derived from the dipole or its complement, the slot antenna. Diy brick rocket stove cooking without electrical power duration. It contains formulas you can use to calculate element lengths and spacing, as well as boom length. This project is unusual, so its something that will certainly. The wb2hol tape measure beam is one of the standards for transmitter hunting. You can build this antenna for the cost of a fastfood meal. I have been using this antenna sparingly since 2010 on vhf since i dont have a.
Simply rotate the tape till the tab of the spring can be slid through the slot in the tape. Please use all safety cautions while working with tools and parts. Live simple, live free tinyhouse prepper recommended for you. A 2 meter and 70 cm portable tape measure beam work the oscar ham satellites or go transmitter hunting with this inexpensive portable dual band handheld tape measure yagi. Fox hunting, also known as radio direction finding was. Yagi antenna design basics learn more about a yagi beam. Diy 2m tape measure yagi antenna tape measure, antenna. This is my build of a tape measure yagi antenna centered around 146mhz. The antennas described in this article were built as the result of several discussions between kent and a cuban radio operator.
Dual band tape measure yagi antenna july 19, 2015 amateur satellite, antennas, ham radio amateur radio, antenna, ham radio, satellite, saudisat 1c, so50, yagi michael while i wait for my arrow antenna to arrive, i thought i would experiment and build a dual band tape measure yagi since i already had most of the parts on hand. If there is any wind, forget trying to use the antenna. Vhf 3el tape measure yagi workshop february 1st posted on january 9, 20 by webmaster a part of next months meeting will consist of a build a beam workshop where you can build a 3 element vhf yagi that is made from pvc and measuring tape. The entire antenna was weatherproofed with clear acrylic spray paint. Simply twist the tape so it disconnects from the spring. Their students will assemble a precut, three element tape measure yagi for 2 meters, solder on the coax and give it a try. The antenna is useful especially if you want a portable antenna for back packing etc. Ac9lfs adventures in electronics and amateur radio. Cheap yagi antennas for vhfuhf by kent britain, wa5vjb edited by john maca, ab5ss editors notes. The tape measure antenna is a home brew 2 meter antenna made out of pvc pipe and a steel tape measure. The tapemeasure antenna is a simple, handheld 2 meter yagi.
Disassemble the tape measure by pulling the tape out of the case. This antenna is designed for twometer operations, which, for a newbie ham operator, is one of the bands available under the technician license in the us. The open ends of the boom and the pl259 connector were sealed with a self sealing silicone tape called rescue tape. Product title xtreme signal long range yagi style vhfuhf hdtv ant.
General description of a yagi the word yagi is used to describe a type of antenna and is credited to very famous japanese antenna experts by the names of yagi and uda. Hurst amateur radio club uhf tape measure yagi foxhunt antenna 1 2 1 1 4 1 8 hairpin match 12 or 14 awg solid copper wire form to shape sand away paint solder coax and hairpin match to driven element on tape ends to bare metal view a 11 16 spacing 5 turns rg58 coax and wrap with tape center freq. This lightweight antenna is perfect to use for fox hunts or as a portable directional antenna for. It is designed to give you a better basic understanding of how the yagi is designed and the basic functions of each of its parts. Construction plans for a tape measure yagi antenna, used to find hidden transmitters and fox transmitters. Using the traditional 2m tape measure beam performs very poorly on so50 or receiving any cubesats with a weak downlink. To scale this antenna for any other vhfuhf frequency, read the arrl article. Our club is interested in fox hunting and ive been looking for a good design to have our members build. Some are based on lookup tables, some completely hide their algorithms. Camden county amateur radio society georgia ccars inc.
Tape measure foxhunt antenna dara thursday night group. This will be the director of the antenna and will attach to. Both open ends of the copper loop were outside the boom with approximately 1. Qm5 yagi for 2 meters band the qm5 antenna is a simple 5 elements yagi with 1. A simple yet effective 3el vhf yagi directional antenna that could. Antenna developed for the us 2m amateur radio band 144mhz148mhz. I used a harbor freight tape measure as the sacrifice for the antenna elements.
The feed point is usually placed at the centre of the dipole, for although this is not absolutely necessary, it can help prevent. Once you have cut the tape measure to length, put vinyl tape on the cut ends to protect yourself from the sharp edges. Participants should bring a compass, map, protractor, ruler, pencil, vehicle, vhf radio receiver, directional antenna, omni directional antenna, gps with favorites places you know will be a good next location after the start point saved to get you around safer. Due to material, i decided on a 5 element yagi built for vhf since all i would have to buy is more 38.
Most antenna simulation programs used by radio amateurs allow only to enter circular elements. It is quite possible, that other calculators deliver slightly different results. They can be made using various materials and in varous sizes. This website by dara thursday night group is licensed under a creative commons attributionnoncommercialsharealike 3. Yagi calculator is a program to assist with the design of long yagi antennas. The spring will recoil into the case and the tape will be ready for trimming. The 2 meter tape measure antenna k4ive version are you looking for an easy kid friendly project. Nevertheless, here are my tapemeasure beam observations.
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