Hi everyone,
I’ve been on a kick lately with building simple wire antennas. I’ve experimented with a bunch of verticals, like the Buddistick, Pac-12, and the Harvest Taurus RO-109 HF Base Antenna. But none of them have quite lived up to my expectations.
So, I decided to revisit an old favorite: the Yo-Yo Wire Antenna. I’ve had good luck with this design in the past, so I figured it was worth another shot.
Here’s what I did:
- I ordered a balun from Amazon.
- I picked up some spools of wire.
- And, of course, I grabbed a couple of those handy camp clothesline reels.
I whipped everything together, and now I have two Yo-Yo antennas ready to go: one for 15 meters and one for 10 meters. (As you can see from the image, I labeled the reels accordingly.)
I haven’t had the opportunity to test them out yet, but I’m excited to see how they perform. I’ll be sure to report back on my findings.
In the meantime, I just wanted to share this experience with you all. Experimenting with antenna design is a fun and rewarding part of the amateur radio hobby. There’s a lot to learn, and it’s always exciting to see how different designs affect your signal.
Do any of you have experience with Yo-Yo antennas? Or other simple wire antennas that you’d recommend? Let me know via email Hank
73,
KB1YNO
Additional Tips:
- When building a Yo-Yo antenna, be sure to use a wire that is appropriate for the frequency range you’ll be using.
- The length of the wire will also depend on the frequency range. You can find online calculators that will help you determine the correct length for your needs.
- Once you’ve built your antenna, be sure to test it in a safe and clear area.
I hope this blog post is helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions.