Hello , am looking for advise on a VHF Omni directional antenna for a small fixed base operation , looked at a commercial ant. and the price is a little high for a 1/4 wave vertical , am sure the quality is there but am wondering if I could modify a Ringo or something else to work just as good , would have it resonate on 123.000 as this is our Unicom freq., a little gain would be OK .
Thanks
Phil L.
W8KLK
On Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:43:13 -0500, "Phil" <p...@imaginenet.net> wrote:
>Hello , am looking for advise on a VHF Omni directional antenna for a small >fixed base operation , looked at a commercial ant. and the price is a little >high for a 1/4 wave vertical , am sure the quality is there but am wondering >if I could modify a Ringo or something else to work just as good , would >have it resonate on 123.000 as this is our Unicom freq., a little gain would >be OK .
>Thanks
>Phil L.
>W8KLK
> "Phil" wrote in message news:jfioh102tvu@enews6.newsguy.com...
> Hello , am looking for advise on a VHF Omni directional antenna for a > small fixed base operation , looked at a commercial ant. and the price is > a little high for a 1/4 wave vertical , am sure the quality is there but > am wondering if I could modify a Ringo or something else to work just as > good , would have it resonate on 123.000 as this is our Unicom freq., a > little gain would be OK .
> Thanks
> Phil L.
> W8KLK
> Hello , am looking for advise on a VHF Omni directional antenna for a small
> fixed base operation , looked at a commercial ant. and the price is a little
> high for a 1/4 wave vertical , am sure the quality is there but am wondering
> if I could modify a Ringo or something else to work just as good , would
> have it resonate on 123.000 as this is our Unicom freq., a little gain would
> be OK .
> Thanks
> Phil L.
> W8KLK
Of course, there is always the standard 1/4 wave antenna made with an SO-239 chassis mount antenna connector. 1/16" brass rod from Menards/Home Depot, etc. works great for the elements.
At 123 MHz, the vertical element for the center pin should be just shy of 23" total from tip to bottom of the solder cup on the connector (22.83" to be exact, but not extremely critical) and the radial elements should be about 24" and bent so they droop at a 45 degree angle.
A standard PL259 connector fits nicely inside a piece of 3/4" copper water pipe. You can cut some slots about 3/4" long in the end of the pipe with a hacksaw , slide the PL259 in until the SO239 bottoms out against the pipe and secure with a hose clamp. I would use a short piece of copper pipe as a long 10' piece might be apt to bend over in high winds.
I just designed and made one for the son of one of my students. It
cost us about $5 in bits and pieces. I've posted it to my public
folder on Dropbox (jwei...@gmail.com) It will appear in Kitplanes
this May if you want to wait that long.
On Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:43:13 -0500, "Phil" <p...@imaginenet.net> wrote:
>Hello , am looking for advise on a VHF Omni directional antenna for a small >fixed base operation , looked at a commercial ant. and the price is a little >high for a 1/4 wave vertical , am sure the quality is there but am wondering >if I could modify a Ringo or something else to work just as good , would >have it resonate on 123.000 as this is our Unicom freq., a little gain would >be OK .
>Thanks
>Phil L.
>W8KLK
