AD5X

Low Cost HF Antennas &

Accessories

Phil Salas - AD5X

[email protected]

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X PVC Tubing

‹PVC pipe: Considers the inside diameter (ID) of

the pipe.
‹For PVC pipe (schedule 40):
z 1/2" PVC pipe has an ID of 0.6" and an OD of 0.85".
z 3/4" PVC pipe has an ID of 0.8" and an OD of 1.1".
z 1" PVC pipe has an ID of 1.05" and an OD of 1.3".

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Aluminum Tubing

‹Aluminum tubing: Considers the outside

diameter (OD) of the tubing.
OD(in.) ID(in.)
0.375 0.259
0.500 0.384
0.625 0.509
0.750 0.634
0.875 0.759
1.000 0.884

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

 PVC/Aluminum Tubing
AD5X
Connection
‹ 3/8” Nut presses into 1/2” PVC pipe.
‹ 1/2" OD AL tubing slides into 1/2" PVC pipe.
‹ 1/2" PVC pipe slides into 1" OD AL tubing (0.884" ID).
‹ 3/4" OD AL tubing slides into 3/4" PVC pipe.
‹ 3/4" PVC pipe slides into 1.25" OD AL tubing (1.134" ID).
‹ 1" OD AL tubing slides into 1" PVC pipe.
‹ 1" PVC pipe slides into 1.5" OD AL tubing (1.384" ID).
‹ 1” OD AL tubing slides into 3/4” PVC “T” or coupling.
‹ 1.25” OD AL tubing slides into 1” PVC “T” or coupling.
‹ 1.5” OD AL tubing slides into a 1-1/4” PVC coupler or “T”.

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Aluminum/PVC Connection
1-3/8” AL
1/2” PVC 1/2” AL 1/2” PVC 3/4” AL3/4” 3/4”
PVCPVC

3/8x16 Nut

1” PVC 1-1/2” AL 1” AL 3/4” PVC “T” or coupling

1” AL

1-1/4” AL 1” PVC “T” or coupling 1-1/2” AL 1-1/4” PVC “T” or coupling

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Antenna Building Hints

‹ Use stainless steel hardware with aluminum.

‹ Use brass hardware with copper.
‹ Three ways to attach telescoping tubing together
z Hose clamps (stainless steel)
z Drill clearance & interference holes for SS sheet metal screws
z Drill clearance & tapped holes for SS screws

Interference
SS Screw
Fit or Tapped
- OR -

Clearance
Hole

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X 40/15 Meter Vertical

‹1/4 Wave on 40 Meters, 3/4 Wave on 15 Meters

‹Need a total height of 33 feet.
‹Use three 12-foot aluminum tubes
z 1” OD, 0.875” OD, and 0.750” OD
‹Or six 6-foot aluminum tubes
z 1” OD, 0.875” OD, 0.750” OD, 0.625” OD, 0.500” OD,
and 0.375” OD

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Vertical Antenna Construction

SS Screw
- OR - Interference
Fit or Tapped

Clearance
Hole

1” AL 1” AL
Antenna Antenna
- OR -
3/4” PVC
Coupling
1/2” PVC
1” Copper Pipe
Ground 1/2” to 1-1/4”
PVC Adapter 1-1/2” Copper
Pipe

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X 40/15 Meter Vertical (Cont.)

‹Use as many radials as possible

z Radial lengths > vertical height
„ Many short radials are better than a few long radials
z 500’ 18 gauge bare stranded wire @ $14 (Home
Depot)
‹Put RF choke across feed-point to bleed off static
charges.
z 40T #16 enameled wire on T200-2 torroid
z High value resistor is also OK.
‹Seal open coax ends with “Plasti-Dip” or “Liquid
Electrical Tape” (Home Depot).

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X 40/15 Meter Performance

‹40M - 1.5:1 VSWR worst case

‹15M - 2:1 VSWR worst case

‹Other Bands
z 20M - 16.5 feet
z 17M - 12.9 feet
z 12M - 28.2 feet (3/4 wavelength)
z 10M - 24.8 feet (3/4 wavelength)

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X 40/20 Meter Trapped Antenna

‹Wanted to operate these two bands without

changing the antenna length.
‹Need a trap to “disconnect” the upper part of the
antenna so it will work on 20 meters.
‹The trap also provides inductive loading on 40
meters thereby shortening the antenna.

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X 20 Meter Trap Construction

‹4.7 uhy inductor with 27 pf parallel capacitor

z Inductor: 23 turns #18 insulated wire
z Capacitor: 1-ft length of RG-58
‹Both measured with Autek RF-1 SWR analyzer
‹Grid dip final assembly
z Adjust inductor turns or trim coax
‹Coat with “Plasti-Dip”

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X 20 Meter Trap Details

3/4” PVC Tube

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X 40/20 Meter Performance

Resonance/VSWR Band-Edge VSWR

7.13 MHz/1.3:1 1.8:1 @ 7.3 MHz, 1.5:1 @ 7.0 MHz
14.2 MHz/1.1:1 1.3:1 Worst case across the band

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X No-Trap Multi-band Vertical

‹Start with basic 40/15 meter 33-foot vertical

‹Parallel feed a 20 meter 16.5-foot wire vertical
z Only 1/8λ on 40 meters
‹Add 10-meter 1/4λ decoupling wire as shown
z Couples 10-meter 1/4λ fed section to upper 1/2λ 10-
meter section

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X 40/20/15/10 Meter Vertical

33’

8’

16.5’

8’

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X 160 Meter Antenna

‹How about 160 Meters?

‹Want CENTER-LOADING to improve radiation
resistance
z 33 Feet is only 1/16 wavelength on 160 meters
z Radiation resistance: 1.3 ohms base loaded, 3.5
ohms center loaded

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Center-Loaded 160 Meter Coil

‹Need ∼ 125 uhy

‹Used B&W 3031 coil (2-1/2”D, 10TPI, 10”L)
z $19 from Surplus Sales of Nebraska
‹Strengthen the 3/4” PVC pipe with a 3/4” wood
dowel dipped in varnish.
‹Will need base capacitive matching
z Needed 2700 pf (1000VDC minimum)

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X 160 Meter Loading Coil

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X 160 Meter Performance

‹160 Meter Performance

z 1.2:1 VSWR at resonance (1817 KHz).
z 2:1 VSWR Bandwidth = 10 KHz
z Calculated efficiency: 16%
z Base loaded efficiency: 8%
‹How about 80 Meters?
z 25 uhy coil required
‹Don’t tap 160 meter coil
z Reduces “Q”
‹Use 680 pf base matching capacitor

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

 40, 40/20, & 160 Meter
AD5X
Antennas

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Roof/Fence Support

Tie-wrap

½ “ PVC
3/8X16 Rod

3/8X16 Nut

Sectioned 3/4X1/2 PVC “T”

Antenna
mast

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Eve Support

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Fence Support

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X NPT-to-Ham Connection

‹1/8 NPT plumbing thread is really a tapered 3/8

X 24 thread - the "standard" thread for most
mobile antennas.
‹Since it is tapered, you can chase it with a 3/8 X
24 tap.
z Not really necessary. 3/8x24 stud screws into it.
‹Also, a single-hole SO-239 UHF connector
screws nicely into a 3/8 NPT thread!

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Base Station Antenna Mount

1” Al Ant.
Mast
#8 Sheet metal screw
(Stainless steel)

1/2 x 3/8
NPT Brass

External
wires 3/4 PVC “T”

UHF Single Hole

3/4 x 1/2” PVC

#8 Machine screw – 2 places

Head inside “T”, nuts outside “T”
(Stainless steel)
1” Copper
Ground #8 Sheet metal screw
(Brass)

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Dipole Center Insulator

½ x 1-1/4” PVC ½
½xx1-1/4” PVCPVC
1-1/4”

1-1/4” PVC “T”

½ x 1/8 NPT ½ x 1/8 NPT

Brass Brass

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Building Loading Coils

‹ Use 3/8” diameter wood dowel or fiberglass rod for the

coil support.
‹ ¼”D fiberglass Bicycle Flags are also good.
z Use ¼” compression-to-1/8 NPT Male/Female brass adapters
z Be careful when working with fiberglass!
‹ B&W 3027 Coil (~60 uHy)
z 2”D x 10”L
z Surplus Sales of Nebraska (www.surplussales.com)
z $15 ea
‹ MFJ-404-008 (~60 uHy)
2.5”D x 5”L
z

z $15 ea.

Note: Reinforce ends of coils with Home Depot 2-part quick

setting clear epoxy.
Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X
AD5X 3/8”Dia. Rod Coil Support

3”L x 1/8”D
brass rod 1/8 NPT Brass
0.7” nipple Coupling

3/8”D wood/fiberglass rod

1/8 NPT Brass

Coupling 3”L x 1/8”D
brass rod

Coil Support Section

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Coil Details

Coil: MFJ-404-008 @ $14.95

2.5”D x 5”L
Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X
AD5X ¼” Fiberglass Rod Coil Support

3”L x 1/8”D brass

rod, 2 places

0.7” nipple

1/4”D fiberglass rod

¼ compression- ¼ compression-
to-1/8NPT M to-1/8NPT F

Coil Support Section -

Bicycle fiberglass rod

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X ¼” Fiberglass Coil Support

¼ Compression-to- ¼ Compression-to-
1/8NPT Male 1/8NPT Female

¼”D Fiberglass
Bicycle Flag

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X ¼” Fiberglass Support Coil

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Find the Tap Point

Radio Shack RS270-373

Micro Clip

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Final Tap Point

MFJ-605-4001 Silver-plated coil clip

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Build your Own Coil

‹Items needed:
z Desired PVC pipe form (OD and length)
z Nylon Edge Trim (8-TPI)
„ McMaster-Carr 85085KB, $10.29 for 25x12-3/4”
strips
z 14 Gauge bare copper wire
„ McMaster-Carr 8873K51, $10.20 for 80-feet
z Tie Wraps
„ To hold ends of Nylon Edge Trim to PVC pipe
z Hot Glue

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Build Your Own Coil

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Build Your Own Coil

L(uhy) = d2n2/(18d + 14l)

where:
d = diameter (wire center to
wire center in inches)
n = number of turns
l = length of coil (inches)

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Conclusion

‹You can build very effective, low cost antennas.

‹Most parts are readily, and locally, available.
‹Normally, only standard hand tools are
necessary.
‹There is no reason why your home-built
antenna can’t operate at least as well as the
expensive commercial antennas!
z Quality is often better when you build it yourself.

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X

AD5X Parts Suppliers
‹Aluminum tubing – Texas Towers, ACE, Home Depot,
McMaster-Carr (www.mcmaster.com).
‹Fiberglass rods/tubes
z Max-Gain Systems: http://www.mgs4u.com/
z Walmart/Bicycle shops: ¼” diameter fiberglass bicycle
flag
‹PVC, brass plumbing parts, tubing, stainless
steel hardware
z ACE/True Value/Home Depot/Elliott’s/McMaster-Carr
‹Air-wound coil & coil taps
z MFJ-404-008 coil, MFJ-605-4001 coil tap
z B&W coils (Surplus Sales of Nebraska)
Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X
AD5X Parts Suppliers (Cont.)

‹ Tools: Solder-It Company: http://www.solder-it.com/

z SolderPro torches (SolderPro 50 is $19.95 @ Radio Shack)
z Aluminum Solder Paste
z Silver Solder Paste (Silver Solder Paste is $4 @ Radio Shack)
‹ Hand Tools
z Harbor Freight 39391-0VGA Tap & Die Kit @ $12.99
z 11/64” cobalt drill bit (for drilling #8 clearance hole in stainless
steel): ACE Hardware store
‹ Stainless Steel hardware
z Jacob Schmidt & Son (www.jschmidtstainless.com)
„ Also sells drill bits for stainless steel
z ACE Hardware store
z McMaster-Carr (www.mcmaster.com)

Richardson, Texas Phil Salas – AD5X