new rig old antenna

[KC7NRY]

 About to get an Ft-857, but have a 6m/2m/440 antenna. Also have a 102" whip. How to match the whip to 6m and 10m until I figure out how to choose the best antenna when I pass Element 3 next month??? Going to be at least a year before I recover from the cost of this radio...is there an efficient and economical way to utilize the whip until I spend $3-400 on an antenna solution??

[K5LXP]

...is there an efficient and economical way to utilize the whip until I spend $3-400 on an antenna solution??

Cut the whip to 10M, then use a Larsen 2M 5/8 antenna on 2M and 6M with a diplexer.  That'll get you on 10, 6 and 2M pretty easily, efficiently and inexpensively.


Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM

[N6AJR]

the 857 has 2 outputs on the back  one for 2m/440 and one for hf.  I don't remember if you can put 6 meters onthe 2m/440 side or not with a menu choice.  this means one antenna for  vhf/uhf and one for the rest.  Youcan find a nice used 5BTV or such for a hundred bucks or so, or make a fan dipole, or find a used sgc 237 and put at the bas of a long wire. look up homebrew antenna on google.