20 Meter Moxon Antenna
Building a compact, portable vertical Moxon antenna for 20 meters with PVC and wire.
Description
A 20-meter vertical Moxon antenna, designed for portable operation, is detailed with specific dimensions for its driven and reflector elements. The project outlines the construction process, including the use of PVC pipe for the frame and #14 AWG insulated wire for the elements. The antenna's compact size and directional characteristics make it suitable for field day operations or limited space environments, offering a gain of approximately 5.5 dBi and a front-to-back ratio of 20 dB.
Testing revealed a 1.2:1 SWR at 14.250 MHz, demonstrating good impedance matching across the target frequency range. The Moxon rectangle design provides a clean radiation pattern with minimal side lobes, which is advantageous for reducing QRM from unwanted directions. This build offers a practical solution for hams seeking a lightweight, easily deployable directional antenna for 20 meters without the complexity of a full-sized Yagi.