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Author Topic: This Amateur Radio Antenna Is Made From a Single Tape Measure?  (Read 1752 times)

Offline ThaDood

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I was asked, yet another weird question, of how I would like to be buried, when I finally bite the big one. The answer was actually pretty easy. Face-down, like a certain historical figure in the late 1980's, (I will not mention who, but some of you will get it, and that's enough.) Why??? It would be a burial that will satisfy everyone: (1) My enemies will say that it will show me where to go. (2) On the same point, I can have my enemies kiss my butt. (3) It will temporarily give someone a place to park a bicycle. See??? A WIN / WIN for everyone.

Offline redhat

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Re: This Amateur Radio Antenna Is Made From a Single Tape Measure?
« Reply #1 on: April 04, 2022, 2207 UTC »
Based on my experience using tape measures for ground radials, I'm not sure I would do this.  The cheap ones have a tendency to tear when under tension, and especially as they rust in the weather.

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Elf36

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Re: This Amateur Radio Antenna Is Made From a Single Tape Measure?
« Reply #2 on: April 04, 2022, 2237 UTC »
I've seen several antennas made with portable clothesline reels and wire. I think I'd like that better as far as pliability and better connection. There are several portable 2M and 440 tape measure antennas online. Most are handheld satellite-style antennas. I would like to make one for SO-50 since it's a 2M uplink. I have an ELK log periodic, but it has to be taken apart and put back together. I always worry about bending an element, even though they're pretty tough. If I had something like the tape measure yagi, I would likely keep it in my work truck and try for SO-50 passes more often.
« Last Edit: April 04, 2022, 2243 UTC by Elf36 »

Offline Josh

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Re: This Amateur Radio Antenna Is Made From a Single Tape Measure?
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2022, 0002 UTC »
US and other militaries have deployed dipole antennas that were of the tape measure kind. My guess is with copper coating to reduce losses common to steel conductors at rf. You just reel out the tape to the marked frequency and operate. A steel slinky is also something that has been ustilised as an antenna on hf, think they're all plastic now. Imagine a slinky dipole for the attic.
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Offline Pigmeat

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Re: This Amateur Radio Antenna Is Made From a Single Tape Measure?
« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2022, 0953 UTC »
You could use a chalk-line reel and door bell wire, or whatever you've got. Make a bunch of them for different bands and have some fun.

Offline outhouse radio

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Re: This Amateur Radio Antenna Is Made From a Single Tape Measure?
« Reply #5 on: July 03, 2022, 1201 UTC »
You could use a chalk-line reel and door bell wire, or whatever you've got. Make a bunch of them for different bands and have some fun.

i have a end fed longwire setup that's on a old fly rod reel , works quite well

Offline Pigmeat

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Re: This Amateur Radio Antenna Is Made From a Single Tape Measure?
« Reply #6 on: July 03, 2022, 1409 UTC »
If you live near the coasts where people fish from bridges, you can pick up what's called a Cuban reel. It's made for hand line fishing and they're dirt cheap. They come empty, you can fill them with what you want. They hold hundreds of feet of line.
« Last Edit: July 03, 2022, 1416 UTC by Pigmeat »