How to Turn a Fishing Reel Into a Ham Radio Antenna 

superb video. Much appreciated Colin... one minor point to also remind people of is that you MUST NOT use insulated wire... If you do the turns left on the reel act as a muckle great inductor that mess everything up. With uninsulated wire they are all shorted out so don't load the antenna (one turn of copper slug tape on centre of the spool can also prevent the last couple of turns when mostly unwound accidentally being isolated & acting as an inductor). Another trick is to mount this onto a short length of plastic drain pipe. This bungees onto farmers fences very quickly then you just drop your telescopic fibreglass fishing pole down into it (then crock clip an earth onto the fence wire as a free "infinite" groundplane (some people might like to check with a wet tongue first that it isn't an electric fence 😝 ... but the insulators on it generally give that away)

Excellent project Colin. I've enjoyed a number of your videos now, and I enjoy the straightforward/practical style. It's also nice to see I'm not the only one who's garage is in disarray. 🤫Keep up the good work. 73 Chuck KE5LY

This answered all my questions about how it's assembled. Thank you!

I modified 1 of your kits and it still works a treat keep at it mate.

Excellent presentation of a very useful device. I see great applications for portable/field use. Good job, Colin......

Excellent! Thanks for this!

FANTASTIC Colin. You are a true Genius I keep saying that on and on. Over and over again. Good Job Buddy 💯👏👏👏👌

I have build the vert 1/4 and the endfed a love this system! 73

Great job on the build Colin, I know the SS wire works like you said.

Genius. Thank you for sharing.

Great video!

Nice instructional video Colin. I wondered how ou prepared the fly reels -- and now I know! 73 Bruce G4ABX

I love this system

Good morning, excelente. Congratulation.

The glue lined heatshrink is termed ATUM.

Great video, Colin! Definitely going to have to give this a try. Maybe 1/4λ or 5/8λ wave vertical with a couple of tuned radials all using this method. 73 de KB7ZUT

Ingenious

Well presented video, still stick with my simple resonant vertical, especially the stainless steel telescopic one piece ant for 20m. As you know, I don't use multiband ants or ununs/ baluns etc. Still looking for you in my log. 73.

Hi Colin. Cracking video. This could be the quick to deploy ( and take down ) solution I need for 'portable' up on the North Yorkshire Moors - the last place you want to be in the winter when the weather turns 'inclement' ! 🤪 Does the residual stainless wire on the reel have a significant effect on the SWR ( Inductance ) ?

I'm a little unclear. Is the yellow cord actually a wire, so you can have say 132' of it wound on the spool? I guess I missed that part

I would extend the bolts and add an actual spring between the penny washer and a second penny washer on the outside of the spool and then add the wing nut and nylon lock nut. does anyone know how much the reel / spool(s) combo ships to the US for?

Can you provide links to videos showing deployment and usage ? Thanks

What you really need is a beach caster with a multiplayer. Think how many trees you could lob your wire over 😅

How dyu get these high in trees for example

What is the purpose of the slave reel why is it needed?

Nice. Just enough detail.

Excellent video Colin. Have you tried using electrick fence wire for the antenna? It works well.