Hi Peter, Many thanks for all that useful information, Alan has also been very helpful. Regards Kenny Skye ----- Original Message ----- From: "peter chadwick" <g8on@xxxxxxxxxx> To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2012 3:16 PM Subject: [modeleng] Re: TRIO TS530S HF Transceiver > The problem with a dipole is that it basically for one band only, although > a dipole for 7 MHz can be used on 3 times that i.e. 21 MHz. For a starting > set up, especially as you'll only be listening, I would use a random > length of wire of any length you can get - 80 odd feet always worked well > for me - and fed via an antenna tuner. The tuner needs an earth, the best > you can do - not just a bit of wire in the ground, although I've worked > very succesfully with a water pipe earth. Some 4 foot lengths of copper > pipe, driven in about 6 feet apart and conencted by the heaviest gauge > copper wire you can get/afford, but not braid. > > Probably the simplest tuner (unless you make your own) is the Z match. > Examples aren't made any more but are frequently available on E bay as the > KW E-Z match, the KW107 and the KW109. Also worth the joining the KW > Radios list (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KW_Radios/) - such things > appear there, too. Can be anything up to £100, depending on model. The Z > match is easier to tune than the more popular T match such as made by MFJ > and others in the US. On the other hand, for years I used a home made > tuner for which I admittedly scrounged the coil and the piece of > floorboard it was all built on, but the total cost was about one shilling > after buying stuff in the local club junk sale, and it did everything that > a expensive commercial one would do, except look pretty. Of course, you > could build one - it's not difficult once you have the capacitors, > especially if you have any machinery available. That was 1969, so it would > cost rather more now! > If getting a good earth isn't possible, especially with a Z match tuner, > you can use what is called a 'W3EDP antenna' adfter the inventor. This has > 83 feet of wire on one side of the tuner, and other side a > 'counterpoise' - a piece of insulated wire run out, low down, not > necessarily even in a straight line, and of differing lengths for each > band. > I'd suggest you get the books from RSGB to getting the amateur licence - > there's a book for each class. Also the older RSGB Radio Communication > Handbooks, especially the ones from the 1970s are a bit better on > antennas, and, I feel, on basics. Likewise the older ARRL (American Radio > Relay League) handbooks. The RSGB books 'HF Antennas for all locations' > by Moxon, and the 'HF antenna collection' by Davidare useful, too. The > library should be able to get them. > The only commercial antennas I've ever had were a trap vertcial which was > useless, and Yagi (beam) antennas. All the others are home brew. > Peter G3RZP > > > > =======================================Message Received: Apr 28 2012, > 07:56 AM > From: "kenny macdougall" > To: modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Cc: > Subject: [modeleng] Re: TRIO TS530S HF Transceiver > > > Hi Hams, > I am getting frustrated about all the different types off antennas, would > this do for my rig. > http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item0786525204 > Kenny > Skye > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "stepney" > To: > Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 9:27 PM > Subject: [modeleng] Re: TRIO TS530S HF Transceiver > > >> Kenny, >> http://www.ac6v.com/antprojects.htm >> is one place to start. >> >> However, one of the simplest and most efficieint aerials is 132ft of >> wire, either spliy into two 66ft legths, and the centre connected to the >> rig, or else the entire length connected at one end. >> An earth is important, a copper rod (a piecce of tube works well) >> hammered into the ground. >> >> Alan >> On 04/04/2012 16:34, kenny macdougall wrote: >>> Alan, >>> Where do i start, sounds a bit complicated to me, can you please point >>> me >>> in >>> the right direction. >>> Kenny >>> >> >> MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. >> >> To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, >> modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject >> line. > > MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. > > To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, > modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject > line. > MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. > > To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, > modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject > line. MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST. To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, send a blank email to, modeleng-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.