Simple 20m Ham Radio Dipole Antenna

If you are new to Amateur Radio and looking to put up a horizontal dipole antenna, this video is for you! We go step by step through the process of building this simple antenna and then put it up and show you that it does work, even from a really low 12 foot height!

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A few years ago when I started my journey with Amateur Radio, I read and watched a lot about antennas. I loved the idea of making my own, but I didn't have any HF/VHF radio experience (none whatsoever) and didn't know what to expect. Many articles and videos took a high-level approach to the topic, but there were very few that succinctly showed the basics.

In this video we create a very simple horizontal dipole antenna that, with no calibration, and no use of an antenna analyzer (other than the SWR meter built into the IC-7300), we were able to make contacts between 700-1000miles in just a few minutes. This video is not intended to be an all-encompassing build video, nor is it supposed to give the end-user an in-depth understanding of the physics or best practices.

A few notes for the technical minded: Having a balun is a good practice, but I didn't use one because, strictly speaking, it isn't necessary. Likewise, I didn't show it, however, when we tested for SWR, we turned down the power to 3 watts to prevent problems.

Thank you to my local friends and fellow operators at the Wattsburg Wireless Association and Radio Association of Erie for helping me to get started several years ago, and tolerating my endless questions ever since.

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