Oh well, just curious.

Yesterday, I build another homebrew anteaan.

AFTER



Yes, quite similar to my previeous coax cable wire antenna... so, from what the antenna is made of? You can see a cable cutter beside the antenna. So guess the 'thing' first, before clikingthe spoiler


BEFORE



Basicelly the antennas are dipole. I coiled the ground/counterpoise wire to the base of the antenna. It doesn;t make any differences in SWR, but, it really makes the handy less hotter. I made shorter antenna from coax cable (17cm), and it had SWR 6:1 and above. Without the conterpoise, the handy was very warm. After the counterpise being added, suprisingly, the handy runs much cooler, similar, when using low SWR (1.2:1) antennas.

Lately, I heard may HAM operators are using handy on 'ceck net'. Some are portabe with 1/4wave. I am not sure wether it is directly mounted to the handy or otherwise.

FInal thoughts
1) 1/4 antenna with counterpoise it genarally good for handy. It may diffiecult to carry around, because of the length (50cm), but, considering the performance, I recommend it to others.
2) Get the best TX window. Move around and adjust the antenna horziontal, vertical, 45 deger, .... until you hear the best and clean audio ignal.I am using headseat so, I don't have to talk to the handy's microphone, and able to move the hany freely at nay position.


This morning I TX 1W from INSIDE the KTM Komuter to 9M4RZS, between Segambut and Kepong Station, QSO with 9W2PDT and 9W2RFN, and they gave R4. Yeah, I know, TX 3W on HF can reaches 7000km) during the best propagatation. So TX 1W on VHF/UHF is nothing for some HAM operators.

On other occasions, while waitng Komuter at Putra Station (near PWTC), i had QSO with 9W2TZP and 9W2ZEF. 9W2TZP located at Air Panas, has a very good base station antenna setups. I got R5 on 1W, and 9W2ZEF gave me R3. Nice to be able to TX for the 'center' of Kuala Lumpur, with lots of taller buildings and QRM from the JAMMERs. Yes, thera jammers for certain frequencies along KL Sentral setating and Kuala Lumpur Station. How I knew it? Hint: SDR! Not need SDR la... just scan....and see how many time the it stops scanning..., but SDR is much faster way...


Thank you for taking time to read this 'Not So' advanced post.
73

This post has been edited by bahathir: Oct 23 2014, 12:01 PM

Do you really need an SWR meter or you could just measure the resistance and match it?

I've learn how to use the Smith Chart back then to measure SWR by calculation wondering if it can be used in the practical manner as well.

My HackRF & HF up converter are now in KLIA, hope it will get cleared without problem:

I measaured the SWR with SWR/power meter. If I calculated the impedance using these formulas in articles below

http://www.66pacific.com/calculators/xl_calc.aspx
:http://www.ee.scu.edu/eefac/healy/indwire.html

I combined both forumals, and use Pari?GP calculator,.. I got.... near to 50 Ohm


I have short rubber duck antenna which come with the handy, and suprisingly I got SWR 1.07:1. I measured the TX field strehngth using SDR, and the 2.4:1 1/4 antenna TX much much stronger than 1.07:1 rubber duck antenna. Good SWR value doesn't mean strongner TX. Even dummy load also has 1:1 SWR, but TX nothing...

SWR is to evaluate how efficient the power bening TXed through the antenna system. We need a field strenght meter, or radio with strenght meter, or SDR, to measure the strong the TX signal.

I have 5/8 telescopic wiht ground plane antenna on attice (under the roof), which has SWR 1.2:1 and TX strenght 3 dB more than that simple 1/4 antenna. So a much longer omni directional antenna such as J pole, Slim Jim will TX much stronger signal.

Thank you

73

I just received my items today. It took longer than my first order:-

Service Type: International Letter

Shipment Activity Location Date & Time
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Customs clearance processing complete MALAYSIA October 25, 2014 11:23 am
Customs Clearance MALAYSIA October 25, 2014 10:50 am
Processed Through Sort Facility MALAYSIA October 25, 2014 10:49 am
Processed Through Sort Facility ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS) October 12, 2014 12:18 am
Arrived at USPS Facility CHICAGO, IL 60666 October 11, 2014 9:41 pm
Arrived at Sort Facility ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS) October 11, 2014 9:41 pm
Departed USPS Facility ROCHESTER, NY 14606 October 10, 2014 6:49 am
Arrived at USPS Origin Facility ROCHESTER, NY 14606 October 9, 2014 7:06 pm
Departed Post Office NIAGARA FALLS, NY 14304 October 9, 2014 1:17 pm
Picked up by Request NIAGARA FALLS, NY 14304 October 9, 2014 9:54 am
Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS October 7, 2014

Pos Laju:-

Date Time Process Office
27-Oct-2014 08:16:41 Delivery process PPL KUALA LUMPUR
27-Oct-2014 07:31:16 Arrive at delivery office PPL KUALA LUMPUR
12-Oct-2014 08:18:00 Send to
MALAYSIA UNITED STATES

It arrived in bigger envelope with thin air buble wrap.

Have you received yours?

Nope, not yet, it arrived on Friday, so they're not doing anything during the weekend. Hopefully I can get it within this week if everything is okay. Hmm, it seems that there is no movement today, yours seem to be sent to KL PPL but mine doesn't seem to move. Doesn't feel good .. USPS status says :

"October 24, 2014 , 10:20 am Customs clearance processing complete"

Okay, should've gone to another stage:

27 Oct 2014, 6:33 AM Arrive at delivery office PPL SHAH ALAM
25 Oct 2014, 8:16 AM Arrive at delivery office PPL SHAH ALAM
18 Oct 2014, 7:07 AM Send to MALAYSIA UNITED STATES

Ah, I know why it went to Shah Alam, aya.. somehow, it took the address from my old paypal instead of the address that I entered in the order form. Damn.. Now poslaju will need to send to KOTA DAMANSARA PPL since my address has two postal codes .. damn...


This post has been edited by wiraone: Oct 27 2014, 01:20 PM

Well to me it is a good news. At least you don't have to travel down to KLIA and face the custom music..

It has status arrived at PPL Shah Alam since yesterday and nothing moving right now. Is there a probability that it was due to the tax that poslaju has paid and I need to go to the counter? I'll wait for today, if there is nothing from poslaju and no movement in the status, I'll make a call to PPL Shah Alam.

It could be due to tax. I could be wrong, but all the while I understand that anything above RM500 is taxable.

Received it today, no tax, under declared by the seller. Replace my RTL-SDR with the hackrf, I could see bigger bandwidth on my grtx screen and better rx signal compared to the rtl-sdr. Recompling some of the stuff on my Mac using mac port, python was broken due to the OS upgrade, so need to get it working again.

Great..

I also noticed that NooElect under declared my items as well.

Intend to get a hackrf too but need to save up and get approval from my other half..

http://www.9w2ymp.com/radio-amateur-examination-rae-2014-12/

I am going to get a Yeasu FT2900 as my first mobile rig and make it as a base station and probably will move it into my car in the future.

I am kind of blur on how to choose the antenna.
Found that this rig needs a pl-259 connector. Is this the connector people call UHF Connector?

Do I get a magmount with the pl-259 connector and get the antenna separately(chillipadi or antenna and brackets?)?
Willing to spend around RM 200 and a bit more if needed on antenna and coax etc.

Plus, I have a UV-5R which uses an SMA Female. Ada ke SMA-F to PL-259?

Hope someone can point me to the right direction.

This post has been edited by aminpro: Nov 3 2014, 06:03 PM

It is Yaesu FT2900 by the way. I think PL 259 also known as UHF connector. Some of magmounts come with PL 259 and some come with typical BNC. But then again, you can always cut the cable and fit the connector you prefer. There are a lot of connectors available at Pasar Road.

There are so many antenna. Which should I choose? Fiberglass etc. What are the differences?

I am only referring to this website for now...

http://store.onecommunications.com.my/webs...?page=2&catID=5

First thing first, where do you want to install your antenna? Will it be a permanently there, if not, how long do you think it will be there?

If you're looking for a portable antenna which later on to be transferred to your mobile, you might want to get a mobile antenna + the magnetic mount. Find a place outside your room (probably on top of air-cond radiator). When you want to transfer it to your car, you can use the magnetic mount and the antenna on your car. It is ugly for sure.

Another solution, get a MR77, tho' it is 1/4 wave antenna, I've no idea if this is the chili-padi that you were talking about. This is a good antenna and I'm using it right now. It has a small magnetic based and I've no problem when driving at normal highway speed.

Fiberglass you mentioned probably is for a base antenna. BTW, to use the antenna with different radios, just get yourself a different type of connectors, available from ham shops or jalan pasar or even ebay. Don't forget to buy the feeder cable too

Is it possible to buy one antenna then buy the mag mount separately? Since my car is a hatchback so I don't think magmount will be suitable after thinking about it since it would be so tall if I put it on the roof.

My idea is to use magmount for house then later attach the antenna to a bracket when transferring to mobile later on. Got such antenna?

Perhaps a configuration like this?

sifu, may i know can i bring walkie talkie on flight check in baggage? domestic/international?

I think check in no problem but if international later kena inspect because of different frequency regulations?
like for Malaysia use 477MHz for license-less...