A top band aerial for small gardens 

Thanks, I’m glad you found the video useful. Cheers, Ray.

Thanks!

eddyaudio thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

Buck Brown thanks!

EA7LL thanks!

Thanks, glad you liked it.

Alf Large good luck!

AMATEUR & 11M RADIO TIM Yapton, just down the road from me! Might hook up on 40 metres sometime. Glad the aerial is doing well. Cheers, Ray.

Thanks!

Thanks John, glad you found the video useful. Cheers, Ray.

Instablaster

Andy Watts thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks, Lee. It's nice to get positive feedback. Cheers, Ray.

Thanks! Nice to hear from you. Cheers, Ray.

Thanks for your feedback, Steve. Good luck with your aerials. Cheers, Ray.

Thanks Ray, It still amazes me how some hams still get confused about doublets, perhaps they should start over and listen to you ha ha, keep up with vids I,m sure lots get enjoyment from them. 73 SK

Hi, glad you like the new video. Wow, your earth system sounds amazing! I don't have enough land for a decent earth, that's why I'm using the doublet. OK on your radio restoration. It's great fun getting some of these old radios working again. Thanks for posting and all the best. Cheers, Ray.

I have two RX aerials Home made Wellgood 1 Meter diameter active aerial for around the UK and a half size K9ay loop 80/40m bands with 4 switched directions with a W7iuv pre amp used for dx much lower noise than other aerials Check the internet for details.

Excellent!

Dan N hi!

Happy days! Back to school!

I didn't know they were closing it down.

@@g4nsj Yes, Absolute has gone. The BEEB are pulling out of MW. It will no doubt make the smaller sites untenable for the rest.

I used to chat with Eric most evenings! Happy days!

nickjaxe That’s excellent, thanks for the feedback. Cheers, Ray.

VK6OP Excellent, let me know how you get on. Cheers, Ray.

CT 2116 Tim brilliant, well done! Might hear you on the air some time. Cheers, Ray.

Thanks so much, I really appreciate your kind comments. More videos coming soon. Cheers, Ray.

Risteardof Banu Hi and welcome! I hope you enjoy the members’ area. Let me know how you get on with the radio. Cheers, Ray.

Hi Mark, thanks for commenting. Have a go with a doublet, you won't be disappointed. Cheers, Ray.

Definitely a decent radio would be good. Plus a good aerial.

Hi Paul, that's good about Radcom. Well done! Glad you like the videos, thanks for your kind comments. Cheers, Ray.

Thanks for replying, John. Good luck with your aerial. Cheers, Ray./

Hi Joe, it's nice to hear from you. It's good that you're getting into Spain. Your aerial must be working pretty well! Hope to hear you on the bands soon! Cheers, Ray.

What Joe said. Thanks Ray, for sharing what you know with those of us just coming up in the hobby-it can be pretty tough to get info, and you share it freely. Frank, WY0WDR.

Wyowanderer777 Thanks, I’m pleased that the videos are useful. Cheers, Ray.

I am usually on 40 and 20 meters I have had many a chat with one of Rays good mates from way back in his youth when my mate married his wife they moved to Plymouth from Hampton the strange thing is the bbc radio 1 and 4 is still on medium wave in those areas even though the bbc shut down 648 years ago the signal is kinda weak in some areas but readable

Well said

Thanks Doug.

Thanks, Shane. Happy new year! Cheers, Ray.

Thanks!

Happy New Year! Adrian

Happy New Year!

Robert Roche Hi Robert, get the type of washing line made of wire with a plastic coating. That should work well! Cheers, Ray.

Excellent! Glad you gave it a try. Thanks for letting me know. Cheers, Ray.

Excellent, I'm pleased you're doing well. happy new year!

Hi David, Good luck with the doublet. Let me know how you get on. Cheers, Ray.

Thanks!

The trouble is that using loading coils at the ends of the wires won't have much affect. You're better off taking the wires off at angles, if you can. Let me know how you get on. Cheers, Ray.

John Stuart Hi John, that’s a great idea, if the phone line isn’t connected to anything the other end. Give it a try! Cheers, Ray.

@@g4nsj Thanks for the reply Ray. I love your channel!!

For 20 metres you could use something like this... www.g4nsj.co.uk/vert.shtml

neil beeline hi, sorry I’m not early up on FM antennas. I think a Discone might be worth looking at.

@@g4nsj Thanks , I was thinking about a discone.

Excellent!

Hi Robert, sorry for the delay in replying. Making the best of a bad situation is all we can do. Cheers, Ray.

Just make the dipole or doublet as long as you can and as high as you can and it should be great.

Tonyv1951 I used to be on the 1933 net. I’ll give it a go and see what happens.

Hi Bill, I haven't forgotten about the ATU video. Coming soon! Cheers, Ray.

Hi Mike, that's a good idea. The problem is, loading coils don't work well at the end of aerials, such at the end of the wire, as there's no current flowing through them. It can make a difference, though. So it might be worth trying. 73 Ray.

@@g4nsj 1) Antenna Guru LB Cebik W4RNL (SK) tested the Inverted U antenna, a dipole where the outer half of each element dropped straight down (basically missing horizontally) , and found that there was only ~0.6 db (~ 1/10th S Unit) drop in its Horizontal signal. 2) 40m end fed antennas are made to work on 80/75m by adding a 110uH coil at their end, I presume giving ~3db (1/2 S Unit) drop over a full size, as half of the antenna is basically missing on 80/75m. 3) Your configuration is similar to base loading the antenna, as the main radiating (high current) section is missing, and we know that base loading is much worse in losses than middle or end loading. That's why Bugcatcher, Hustler resonator, Screwdriver... antennas are much more popular than Base Loaded mobile antennas for HF. 4) A popular Homebrew add on for the Hustler 4-BTV base antenna is to make a metal bracket out of L aluminum mounted just under its 10m trap and mount a 17m Hustler resonator to add 17m. Using LB Cebik's work it should only loose ~0.6 (or less) db over a full size element. So it seems to me that end loading the 80m flattop for 160m would work much better than not doing so. BUT I could be wrong, I have been before and will be again! (wink) 73 mike

Andy Linton you’ll need a balanced ATU when using 300 ohm feeder. The feed point impedance is complicated. You’re right about a dipole being 72 ohms but search the net for an in-depth explanation. Get up as much wire as possible and it should work reasonably well. Cheers, Ray.

Signal Hunter The problem is the foil would upset the balance. Properly balanced line won’t pick up local interference.

Hi Wally, that's all very interesting. I love experimenting with aerials. In fact, I get more fun playing with aerials than I do chatting on the air. Thanks for the input. Cheers, Ray.

wally crail For those who have contacted me, I want to clear up a point. The attenuation caused by the surrounding trees and buildings isn’t altered by the type of aerial. A vertical radiates more ground wave than a horizontal, the attenuation from the surrounding area is the same. It’s just that the effect of the attenuation is less as there is more signal. Broadcast stations use vertical aerials because they have a far lower angle of radiation. In other words, they radiate more signal closer to the ground, ground wave, which is perfect for local reception. Several people have said they were confused so to clear this up... There isn’t less attenuation of the ground wave from a vertical aerial. There is more ground wave radiated from a vertical. A vertical aerial doesn’t attenuate the ground wave less than a horizontal aerial. It radiates more ground wave.

Graham R Dyer I did try one years ago. I must try one agin as it was very good.

Hi Rob, I'll make a video about my ATU if I get time. Cheers, Ray.

Yes, a dipole is directional. A closed one could be used, yes.

Yes, I'll add that idea to my list.

DL6UK I’m afraid I don’t have any info. If I were you, I’d use a doublet... forget the coax.

johnny mac Hi, sorry I don’t know anything about them. I only work on 1940s radios. Sorry about that.

no worries

Hi, I've never had any dealings with Sinclair stuff. Sorry. Cheers, Ray.

Sinclair got busted a few times for bigging up his products. The Micromatic personal receiver kit had little chance of working as it was supplied with reject transistors. Sometimes the learning curve is too sharp!

Yes, it should be good on top band.

Thanks! I'm not sure about the Delta Loop. If I discover anything, I'll let you know. Cheers, Ray.

I don't think there are any other options. Horizontal wouldn't be any good so I don't know what to suggest. Sorry about that. Cheers, Ray.

MM0IMC Amateur Radio Channel Yes, it can go through a brick wall. I use a KW107 or a CAP. CO. ATU.

Radio Workshop I've got terrible plasma, TV QRM from the next door's TV. It's next to one end of my inverted V dipole. A MFJ-1026 and bhi noise cancelling DSP speaker fail to kill it, do you think a doublelet would help? 🤔

Possibly, it’s certainly worth trying.

The ladder line through walls , that depends how close the brick wall comes to the ladder line it will affect it due to the capacitance effect of the brick , remember balanced line has to have consistant spacing between the conductors , 450 ohm is about 2 to 3 inch spacing so I think you would need say 4 inch clearance around the ladder line. I use a home brew balanced matcher , simple parallel tune circuit tap the feeder on to the coil, wind a 6 turn coil around the center of the coil and series tune with a cap about 500 pf this is for your 50 ohm match.

I'll help if I can. Hope to hear you on top band one day.

Hi Jeff, You will need a properly balanced ATU between the ladder line and the radio. If you can't do that, then connect one to pos and one to neg. Cheers, Ray.

@@g4nsj The radio business is all acronyms it would seem. ATU must mean something like antenna tuning unit? And one must have this to listen with this type antenna on a receiver too? I have a simple piece of wire now that i rolled out there and hooked it to some structure and then a fence and finally a tree or two and it works pretty decent but i bet not as good as yours. Any particular type of antenna tuner you figure i should purchase?

Jeff Crane hi Jeff, ideally you will need an aerial tuning unit that is advertised as balanced. They are not cheap.

@@g4nsj Hello Ray; I want to tell you i have spent adequate time studying the tuners and as best i can tell, they are for trancievers/transmitters; I am hooking this antenna to a receiver only. The simple reason is i want to listen and learn for a while. I hope to become at least reasonably capable are reading CW , and practice with a key and tone generator (think that is what they call it anyway) and so my question is, do i hook the twin lead/ladder line to the positive and negative antenna connections on my old receiver or will the ATU still be required. (PS) i found out there is a reasonable kit put out by MFJ that would build an ATU just about like what you have built yourself too. thanks and i found another video you made on how you built your ATU years ago.

Jeff Crane hi Jeff, they work on receivers as well as transceivers. Just connect the ladder line to positive and negative and try it.

Chad Jones I’ll certainly give them an earful. Cheers, Ray.

Thanks!

That’s right.

john sorry, I don’t know the Euro-Comm Magitenna. I’ll try to find out about it.

Lord Paul Brace one of them actually helped me put an aerial up! I have great neighbours. Just as well!

@@g4nsj Thats nice when you have neighbours like that, I have always had good neighbours too but I think it goes a long way when they can always come knocking holding a radio that needs fixing "mind you with me its radios, Laptops, cell phones, tablets and the occasional lcd tv ha ha

Hi Jake, if it's twin line, it will work as a balanced 75 ohm feeder. However, it will be rather like coax inasmuch as you will only be able to use the dipole on one band. So, if the dipole is cut for 80 metres, then you will only be able to use the aerial on that band. Use 300 ohm feeder, and it can be used on other bands too.

thanks for the reply. I am going to use it on a resonant dipole. how do you think it would work on 10m with regards to loss? well take care 73 good dx from the USA.

jake michael it should be fine on 10m.

No, I haven’t. I’ll have to give it a go one day.

@@g4nsj Hi re noise issue on 160 m I found on the web the circuit for the Wellbrook loop it goes under the guise of the Wellgood loop I have built it an works very well the loop is 1 meter diameter made from rg 213 the pre amp is push pull broad banded from medium wave to 30 mhz works very well on 160 m . Tried it indoors but best kept away from the house.

Dambuster thanks, I’ll look into that.

@@g4nsj The loop works from 12 volts a little trick I used to get the 12 volts I connected a 12 ohm- ish res 2 watt in series from my 13.8 psu. the cost of the loop is about £40 -ish I brought the P.C.B board,s from the author because the components layout are printed on the board makes life easy. 73 G4LMZ.

Dambuster ok, thanks.

Hi Garry, I try not to use baluns or coax. With a decent ATU and a balanced aerial, baluns aren't necessary. Cheers, Ray.

I'm still here! Been rather busy with work but more videos coming soon. Cheers, Ray.

thats great to hear ray ;-)

Hi Tommy. OK, all noted. I'll take a look at your Facebook page when I get a minute. Cheers, Ray.

I used to but I've not been there for a while. I'm usually on 1980 kHz these days.

Radio Workshop I'll listen out for you. I can't TX though I get more reflected power than forward power on my long wire.... :(

MIKE THEES thanks, Mike.

Tim Smith thanks, I’ll give it a go.

rambo1152 The best ATU I’ve ever has is the KW 107. Its worth getting one, if you can.

Isszarya excellent price!

Thanks for that, Vicky. I'll check it out later when I'm in the radio room. Happy Christmas! Cheers, Ray.

John Earnshaw OK, thanks! 😃