Top Amateur Radio Websites – Issue 2642

This week, we’ve pulled together a few items that touch on practical antenna builds and some of the perennial challenges in our hobby. There’s a good look at VHF/UHF Yagi construction, specifically the isolated element method, which can be quite useful for those looking to roll their own directional arrays for local work or satellite passes. We also have a portable 6-meter quad design that might just be the ticket for your next Field Day or VHF contest outing. For the HF crowd, there’s a neat take on a 2-band Zeppelin dipole, something that comes up often when space is tight. And, because RFI is always lurking, we’ve included a solid guide on ferrites and baluns, along with a technical deep dive into balun theory and testing. Finally, a handy APRS network visualizer rounds out the selection, offering a different perspective on real-time tracking.

VHF/UHF Yagi Construction: Isolated Element Method

This resource details an isolated element construction method for VHF/UHF Yagis. It focuses on building 6-element OWA Yagis for the 2m, 1.25m, and 70cm bands, benefiting those who prefer to homebrew their antennas.

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6m 4-Element Quad Antenna: Portable Short Boom Beam with 8 dBd Gain

Here are construction details for a portable 6-meter 4-element quad antenna. This design features a short boom and offers 8 dBd gain, making it ideal for VHF contests and Field Day operations.

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Zeppelin Antenna as a HF 2-band Dipole

This guide provides detailed construction instructions for a 2-band HF Zeppelin antenna. It's tunable for harmonic operation on bands like 10m and 20m, offering a shorter physical length for space-constrained setups.

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A Ham's Guide to RFI, Ferrites, Baluns, and Audio Interfacing

This is a comprehensive guide by Jim Brown K9YC on understanding and mitigating radio frequency interference (RFI). It covers ferrites, baluns, and audio interfacing, proving invaluable for hams troubleshooting noise issues.

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APRS World

APRS World offers a free, web-based visualizer for the live APRS-IS network. It features an interactive world map, station pages, weather, and telemetry, providing a useful tool for tracking and monitoring APRS activity.

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BALUNS – Technical Presentation by VE2AZX

This technical presentation by VE2AZX covers various aspects of baluns. It discusses different types, construction techniques, and testing methods using SWR analyzers for HF applications, benefiting those seeking to optimize their feed lines.

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That wraps up this week’s selection of resources. We hope you find these insights useful for your next project or operating session. Be sure to follow us for next week’s roundup and share your thoughts or comments on our social channels.