Portable Wire Antennas

Second Edition - March 31, 2015 - 11 additional chapters added including information on
traveling wave antennas, directional broadband antennas, long wire antennas, high signal to noise ratio receiving antennas and high gain DX antennas that can be field deployed for emergency or recreational use. An additional modular wire antenna kit is described that covers all of the antenna designs in the book in variations that cover 160-10 meters.

This is not a book on antenna theory. It does provide clear easily understood explanations on the principles of antenna operation, transmission line considerations, impedance matching, baluns, tuners, and the pros and cons of different types and configurations of wire antennas. This book is written with the intention of enabling a new comer to amateur radio to understand the theory and practical considerations of this subject without getting lost in mathematics and complex theory.

Portable, reliable HF communication is required for emergency management, expedition communications and recreational uses. This book is about selecting and constructing portable HF wire antennas that will provide maximum performance with low power, light weight and low bulk. All the information required to assemble antennas and antenna kits that can be deployed in multiple configurations is provided.


Special attention is given to wire antennas deployed at low heights above ground, a situation confronted by operators on the move. Special attention is also given to NVIS (Near Vertical Incident Skywave) communications, which is also optimum with low antenna elevation. NVIS propagation enables communications in the 50-500 mile range regardless of terrain and independent of repeaters.