Only One H.F. Antenna?

[K3GM]

Your bio says you have an Icom AH-4.  If you're not running a lot of power, you could save yourself a boat load of cash and put that coupler at the base of either a 43' wire hung from a tree limb, or the equivalent telescoping aluminum tubing.  That said, I also have and endorse the BigIR; a wonderful, albeit plain vanilla, 1/4 wave vertical.

If 80m isn't your thing, the Hustler BTV series works just fine.  I used a 5BTV some years ago, but was frustrated by the sliver of 80m bandwith it offered.  Other than that, it worked fine over a large radial field.

[WD4ELG]

Inverted L with remote auto tuner.

[KU7I]

If no restrictions of any type and ideal support strcutures available a sky loop for the lowest band fed with open wire. A full wave on 160 is only about 135 feet per side. Even if only 50 ft up it works REALLY well. Another good option is a quarter wave vertical for the lowest band of choice fed with open wire...yes...open wire. I have used both but the loop is so much quieter than the vertical. My full size 80 meter 1/4 wave vertical was 66ft tall and ground mounted. Fed with Radio Shack 300 ohm tv twin lead. Had around six 60 ft radials. Wow was it a monster on 80 to 20!

Lane Ku7i

[PD2R]

For the higher band (20 and up) I would use a Hex beam. It's only has a 21 feet diameter (turn radius is only 10'5 feet!) but uses full size element. You will have gain and F/B on 5 bands (20 - 6 meter)! That will make a big difference over a single dipole.

For the low bands (40 and down) I'd go for the inverted L since I rather work DX than Local stations.

If I could only have one antenna I would go for a centre fed dipole with open line and a balanced tuner but only if I could get up high enough (minimal Half a wave lenght for 20 meters but higher would be a lot better).

[K5LXP]

Easy.  A Hygain Hytower.

The problem with multiband doublets is they have lobes and nulls on the higher bands.  If you could rotate it that'd be one thing, but as a fixed antenna I consider that to be an unworkable compromise.  The gain lobes won't have that much gain, and the nulls can be 10-20 dB.  A vertical like the Hytower will give you great useable bandwidth, good efficiency, good TOA and an omni pattern.  As good as you're going to get for a single antenna.


Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM

[K2CMH]

>My 5BTV is used for portable ops while snowbirding.

How do you set the antenna up in a portable/transportable fashion?  Doesn't it need a substantial pole in the ground to clamp it to for support?

[K9IUQ]

A simple wire doublet fed with twinlead. 

I spent many years with a open wire fed antenna as my only antenna. Works all bands, length not too important and takes legal limit. The best choice easily for a ham that can only have ONE antenna..

Stan K9IUQ

[KI4SDY]

If you could go to two antennas, I would try a doublet for the lowest frequency feed with twin lead facing North and South. Then another doublet for the lowest frequency feed with twin lead facing East and West. That, and a switch box, will make you a very happy ham!  

The next question would be, where to put the vertical wire antenna!  

Wire antennas are very inexpensive, easy to build and hide. No sense limiting yourself.