The antenna should be assembled on electrically insulating material such as white polyvinylchloride "PVC" pipe. The first antenna of this type was fabricated of wooden furring strips, and 12 gauge copper wire. The dimensions are included in this information package along with recommended design tips. The antenna will provide a fine signal for any two meter home station, and has also worked well in the past for mobile or portable applications, as well as transmitter hunts!

Element dimensions

Using #12 American Wire Gauge (AWG.) THHN type copper wire like that used to wire electrical receptacles in home 115 Volt AC wiring, the wire lengths will be:

• Reflector (Ref.) 86 inches (making a square loop that is 21.5 inches per side)
• Driven Element (D.E.) 81.5 inches (or 20.375 inches per side) [Note feedpoint polarization]
• 1st. Director (Dir. #1) 78 inches (19.5 inches per side)
• 2nd. Director (Dir. #2) 75 inches (18.75 inches per side)

After cross spreaders have been fabricated that are slightly longer than 1/4 th the element dimensions, they should be mounted on the antenna's boom. Let me emphasize again that all structural portions of the antenna must be fabricated from non-conductive materials. It is recommended to build the first such antenna you attempt from wood. Fabricating all pieces can be done with simple hand tools, and the element "spreaders" can be cross notched and secured to the boom with 1/4 X 3 inch bolts, nuts, and lock washers. The element spacings are as follows:

• Reflector to Driven Element = 15.25 inches
• Driven Element to Director #1 = 14.75 inches
• Director #1 to Director #2 = 36.50 inches

On the drawing with this article you will note the fabrication technique used for the wooden constructed antenna. A 1 1/2 inch TV antenna type "U-bolt" is used to mount the boom to the supporting vertical mast. 1 inch by 1 inch square stock was used for the boom, and 3/4 inch by 1 inch wooden strips were used for the element spreaders.

If the antenna is to be vertically polarized for use on FM (Frequency Modulation) or AM (Amplitude Modulation) the feedpoint connector should be installed as shown on the drawing. If Single Sideband (SSB) or Continuous Wave (CW) where horizontal signal polarization is used, the antenna should be rotated 90 degrees from that position shown. Thus for SSB or CW the spreaders would be vertical, and more to the point, the side of the Driven element where the coax connector is seen, would be parallel to the ground!

Finally by positioning the coax cable used, running it back to the boom along the driven element's spreader, an "RF Choke" type "Balun" can be wound around the boom using about 7 turns of coax. Belden RG-213/U or RG-58/AU are recommended. Hold this "choke balun" in place with electricians tape and or plastic "tie-wraps". If the smaller RG-58 is utilized, total coax length should not exceed 25 feet. Longer runs of this relatively "lossy" cable, will throw away signal gain wastefully on both receive and transmit! This smaller cable will also compromise the antenna's power handling capability. Using RG-213 the antenna can handle several hundred watts of power.