This video was right up my alley as a prepper and new ham. I love real world kits like this. I spend most of my operating time out in the field, so it looks like it’s time to build yet another Altoids kit. Keep up the great work!
I just bought some paracord from a company called Titan Survival, the paracord has a strand of wire in it, supposedly it can be used as an antenna or small game snare if needed. Also has 25 lb monofilament line for fishing and a strand of waxed jute string for starting fires. Someday I'll experiment with the cord for making antennas, I'm not sure if I have to remove the wire from the cord or just use the paracord and expose the wire on the end. Should be fun trying it out. Any way your video subject matter reminded me of this product.
as a fellow kx3 and 817 qrp user, i suggest sodering and crimping ring terminals big enough to go around the bnc posts. I do this in the field as its a stronger hold and more secure. I like that you can screw off the caps and lock it back in. 73
Nice video, always fun to see if "it will antenna". Btw, I was on Santiago Peak today (in Orange County, CA) and 146.520 was on fire. I made QSOs from San Diego to LA. Also I made a QSO to the Yucca Valley Repeater (2m) on 50W. Almost 150mi with a ton of mountains in the way. I'm a new ham so I was super stoked.
Speaking of using structures that might be grounded, if you were crafty enough and the structure only had one ground point you could make a gamma match antenna, and then the grounded-ness wouldn’t matter. Just a thought. Fun video!
you should add some electrical wiring terminals....the white ones with the 2 screws per line. These are very handy on connecting lengths of antenna and power cables
I like to cut bike intertubs cross ways in the army we call them ranger bands thay work grate for lots of thing's i use pallet tins that the lid screws on put the range band all the way around the out side n it water proof keep my fire starter dry
Haha love it josh. I have used all kinds of things for antennas. From greenhouse frames. Out house tin roofs. Metal lampposts. Fence railings. Etc. Keep up the good work. M6yik
I’d add some plumbers emery cloth for sanding/cleaning things a little more, some mini rubber bands and electrical tape, a tailor’s tape measure, and maybe a few coax adaptors
Love the videos Josh, your content helped me get my Tech, and recently my General as well. The RFI video helped me especially, helped me find some pretty noisy stuff in my shack. 73s from W8IJC!
i think i saw a TX-500 on that bench of yours!! Very freaking cool. Cant wait to see your review of that rig. nice snag on a very highly anticipated rig!!
Long time ago in a remote jungle in Latin America was having trouble making contact using PRC-77 radio. Accidentally leaned the antenna onto a tree and got very clear communications while antenna was touching the tree.
Recommend a dogbone w/ some 550cord instead of the boxcutter. With it, you can reduce the length of your wire, without cutting, in order to tune to resonance. PSA reminder: tuners are just where watts go to die
Another awesome video Josh thank you for this! I own that little SWR indicator kit, though I have not built it. I bought a G90 before I went too far down the path of buying manual QRP tuners, though I have built a few. -building a good compact variable inductor was my biggest hurdle, but the experience was well worth it. I have this luggable kit with a piece of coax and a 9:1 end fed for an antenna. -Didn't even think about something as simple elegant and accessible as this. I think I am going to try some stuff with my G90, and may ultimately build a very similar antenna kit as yours for it! Even for SWL this is an awesome kit. Very adaptable. 73 de N2NLQ
When "flashlight" meant 2 D cells I always put a piece of 400 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper alongside the batteries, in case contacts needing cleaning. For antennas...maybe a patch of 220 grit?
How about adding a small disk magnet with a bolt thats sharpen on the end attach to center of the magnet. Pretty much a minature magnet ground clamp used on welders. Point on bolt or screw will scratch and pentrate paint or oxidation and clip alligator clip to other side.
Ditch the "tie wrap" on the long wire, use the feed wire as the wrap, OR, use a piece of solid copper ground wire, for both. Could come in handy..... I'd add: -- A square of coarse sandpaper for roughing surfaces, along with the razor blade, and a spare `gator clip. -- 6" or so of copper ground braid -- Solder on the `gator clip, and a flat, open lug to the other end of your "feed line", you get a lot more flexibility this way -- Put the same on your long wire, again, for flexibility sake. Cut the lengths right, might get a trick di-pole out of it? All of this should fit in your tin.\ BUT, why not upgrade to a small plastic case intended for fishing stuff, with the same relative footprint as the radio, and add some more goodies?
Like *all* your videos and streams, this was great, Josh! Thanks for these. As a noob, I have to ask: what type of wire is that? I guess I'm asking if it's single, stranded, what gauge? Thanks again for all the help you don't know you've given me! 🍻
A dummy load has a VSWR of 1.0:1. A "good" VSWR does not guarantee an efficient antenna. An antenna that radiates poorly (cloud or ground burner) is not a good antenna. As with many things in life, important is "location, location, location." With a dipole, height is might. Topography, man-made structures, especially electrically active ones, soil condition all are factors. Granted, any antenna is better than no antenna, especially in emergency situations. It may just not work all that well.
JOSH!!! Tell me that Russian radio is everything I hope it is!!! I've been waiting for them to come out! It seems like a great piece of kit for portable ops and I want one to backpack with.
Couldn't remember TX-500 I was so excited! Could you compare that to the 705 in your review? This is the most excited i've been about a video in awhile.
You forgot about catch 22. A well tuned antenna is not necessarily a good one, what about radiation pattern, gain etc? You're basically tuning something that's slightly better or equal as a dummy load...js
Sorry folks, don't mean to rain on the average Joe's parade,,, but I've pretty much STOPPED subscribing and or watching ALL of the REGULAR RUclips HAMM Radio domains ! HAMM Radio is not about buying all of the latest gizmos and gadgets. It's about talking on radios. It's not about buying the latest rig that just came out or trying out another Chinese made MFJ gadget that you don't need ! Anyone else that gets what I'm saying knows exactly what I'm talking about and which domains/hosts I am referring to. It seems like YT has created a little, " click " of usuals that are always showing up at some function or event, not just one or two, there are like a half dozen or so ! This hobby is expensive enough as it is,let alone all the YT HAMM wizard click telling me what I need to buy next. Take advantage of all the great used gear out there, let the newbs and millennials try to keep up with the YT click ! The have deep pockets because they don't have a family and still live rent free in thier mom's basement or garage !!! Get back to the hobby ! And yes, you don't have to have an ICOM 7300 or a grossly overpriced latest Elekraft to enjoy this hobby,,, PS I have the means to buy all of these things, the the click's actions and YT are beginning to turn me away from the hobby.
I have hundreds of videos that aren’t about buying anything and using your radios. What are you on about? Also, I too recommend buying used and tell people how to do it.
@@HamRadioCrashCourse As far as I'm concerned,,, you're at the head, of the click table ! Just go have another one of those nasty beers that get worse with each drink,,,
Did you just post this rant on a video about how to DIY an antenna? This kind of activity is as old as Marconi. -sincerely, a millennial homeowner with a 7300
Click? As in clique? Thanks for at least replying. I think the volume of videos I produce that negate your claim says it all. Maybe you just wanted to vent? I hope you feel better you got that off your chest.
You know how long we've been waiting for one of those things to show itself!
Indeed! Me too!
This video was right up my alley as a prepper and new ham. I love real world kits like this. I spend most of my operating time out in the field, so it looks like it’s time to build yet another Altoids kit. Keep up the great work!
thanks Josh , I made an impression on a non ham yrs ago by using a flag pole at work , he talks about still 10 yrs later.
I just bought some paracord from a company called Titan Survival, the paracord has a strand of wire in it, supposedly it can be used as an antenna or small game snare if needed. Also has 25 lb monofilament line for fishing and a strand of waxed jute string for starting fires. Someday I'll experiment with the cord for making antennas, I'm not sure if I have to remove the wire from the cord or just use the paracord and expose the wire on the end. Should be fun trying it out. Any way your video subject matter reminded me of this product.
as a fellow kx3 and 817 qrp user, i suggest sodering and crimping ring terminals big enough to go around the bnc posts. I do this in the field as its a stronger hold and more secure. I like that you can screw off the caps and lock it back in.
73
I'm so thankful for this channel and for the amateur radio community. What a cool hobby!
Fire extinguisher, why not? Park bench? Sure. Subway car?
Awesome vid!
Been waiting all day and thumbs up before it even premiers! Thank you for all your videos josh
Thanks for watching!
Hey, nice idea! Love the idea of having a magnet with you.
Thank you!
Nice video, always fun to see if "it will antenna".
Btw, I was on Santiago Peak today (in Orange County, CA) and 146.520 was on fire. I made QSOs from San Diego to LA.
Also I made a QSO to the Yucca Valley Repeater (2m) on 50W. Almost 150mi with a ton of mountains in the way. I'm a new ham so I was super stoked.
Speaking of using structures that might be grounded, if you were crafty enough and the structure only had one ground point you could make a gamma match antenna, and then the grounded-ness wouldn’t matter. Just a thought. Fun video!
Love that fire extinguisher antenna!! That's awesome...
The QRPGuys tuning indicator works the opposite of what you mentioned, the LED dims out when you ARE in tune. Easy to mix up. 73
you should add some electrical wiring terminals....the white ones with the 2 screws per line. These are very handy on connecting lengths of antenna and power cables
Josh,
You may want to use larger rubber bands to bind your Altoids box closed, so you can use the velcro wrap for the wire bundles or vise-versa.
I like to cut bike intertubs cross ways in the army we call them ranger bands thay work grate for lots of thing's i use pallet tins that the lid screws on put the range band all the way around the out side n it water proof keep my fire starter dry
Haha love it josh.
I have used all kinds of things for antennas.
From greenhouse frames. Out house tin roofs.
Metal lampposts.
Fence railings. Etc.
Keep up the good work.
M6yik
I’d add some plumbers emery cloth for sanding/cleaning things a little more, some mini rubber bands and electrical tape, a tailor’s tape measure, and maybe a few coax adaptors
Those are ALL great additions. Cheers!
Love the videos Josh, your content helped me get my Tech, and recently my General as well. The RFI video helped me especially, helped me find some pretty noisy stuff in my shack. 73s from W8IJC!
Awesome. I’m glad it helped!
i think i saw a TX-500 on that bench of yours!! Very freaking cool. Cant wait to see your review of that rig. nice snag on a very highly anticipated rig!!
Imagine not being able to watch this awesome video live @ 6 :(
Long time ago in a remote jungle in Latin America was having trouble making contact using PRC-77 radio. Accidentally leaned the antenna onto a tree and got very clear communications while antenna was touching the tree.
Interesting how that works out!
Im not sure what you are doing with your life but, I highly recommend knipex wire snippers. I LOVE mine. L
ol Thanks for all of the lessons!
Whaaaattt? Vaporware realized! I have a preorder in on the IC-705, but the TX-500 looks legit, hopefully some SOTA comparisons are coming!
Recommend a dogbone w/ some 550cord instead of the boxcutter. With it, you can reduce the length of your wire, without cutting, in order to tune to resonance. PSA reminder: tuners are just where watts go to die
Another awesome video Josh thank you for this!
I own that little SWR indicator kit, though I have not built it. I bought a G90 before I went too far down the path of buying manual QRP tuners, though I have built a few. -building a good compact variable inductor was my biggest hurdle, but the experience was well worth it.
I have this luggable kit with a piece of coax and a 9:1 end fed for an antenna. -Didn't even think about something as simple elegant and accessible as this.
I think I am going to try some stuff with my G90, and may ultimately build a very similar antenna kit as yours for it!
Even for SWL this is an awesome kit. Very adaptable.
73 de N2NLQ
When "flashlight" meant 2 D cells I always put a piece of 400 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper alongside the batteries, in case contacts needing cleaning. For antennas...maybe a patch of 220 grit?
Hey Josh. How about a small piece of sandpaper or emery cloth?
Good idea there too!
How about adding a small disk magnet with a bolt thats sharpen on the end attach to center of the magnet. Pretty much a minature magnet ground clamp used on welders. Point on bolt or screw will scratch and pentrate paint or oxidation and clip alligator clip to other side.
Ditch the "tie wrap" on the long wire, use the feed wire as the wrap, OR, use a piece of solid copper ground wire, for both. Could come in handy.....
I'd add:
-- A square of coarse sandpaper for roughing surfaces, along with the razor blade, and a spare `gator clip.
-- 6" or so of copper ground braid
-- Solder on the `gator clip, and a flat, open lug to the other end of your "feed line", you get a lot more flexibility this way
-- Put the same on your long wire, again, for flexibility sake. Cut the lengths right, might get a trick di-pole out of it?
All of this should fit in your tin.\
BUT, why not upgrade to a small plastic case intended for fishing stuff, with the same relative footprint as the radio, and add some more goodies?
Like *all* your videos and streams, this was great, Josh! Thanks for these.
As a noob, I have to ask: what type of wire is that? I guess I'm asking if it's single, stranded, what gauge?
Thanks again for all the help you don't know you've given me! 🍻
Link is in the description to the wire I use. 20ga, stranded.
@@HamRadioCrashCourse thanks, I must've missed it, because of 'derp!'😂
Thanks again!
A small piece of 100 grit sandpaper might also help in removing rust and or paint.
Can you do an updated video of an antenna making “survival kit” of sorts?
Yes, I think I can.
Try making a truck/car as an antenna. Will it work with the car battery still connected to the vehicle?
It's sad I spent as much time as I did on my dipole and you pull a 3 to 1 on a fire extinguisher. No justice.
The dipole is very efficient. With ATU or transformers you always have losses and it is better to you resonant antennas.
A dummy load has a VSWR of 1.0:1. A "good" VSWR does not guarantee an efficient antenna. An antenna that radiates poorly (cloud or ground burner) is not a good antenna. As with many things in life, important is "location, location, location." With a dipole, height is might. Topography, man-made structures, especially electrically active ones, soil condition all are factors. Granted, any antenna is better than no antenna, especially in emergency situations. It may just not work all that well.
Awesome video Josh!
Oh man, the infamous vaporware radio?! How even?! Do that review now! 😀
Hopefully it will go up soon!
It look like MFJ isn't selling the X5105 anymore. I was looking into getting one!
A couple of mini insulators and some string will get your radiator up into a tree. 3D print some whatever size your tin is.
I use prescription vials (from CVS) to carry small items.
Frankly things touching the ground can be used as an antenna. It's a matter of feed point.
Thanks man. Enjoyed that.
Does anyone have that specific magnet 🧲 link on Amazon thanks
The patch is a Garand Thumb reference?
Great Video. Whats the name of that magentic thing shown in the vid? I love the idea to experiment with several things being an antenna. ;) Tnx.
It’s the CountyCom ferrous metal tester.
countycomm.com/products/titanium-magnetic-ferrous-tester-living-spring-key-ring
JOSH!!! Tell me that Russian radio is everything I hope it is!!! I've been waiting for them to come out! It seems like a great piece of kit for portable ops and I want one to backpack with.
Couldn't remember TX-500 I was so excited! Could you compare that to the 705 in your review? This is the most excited i've been about a video in awhile.
Ssssshhhh, all will be revealed.
I can even tune a 50 ohm restistor !
You can tune anything, but If it tunes okay, that doesn't mean its usefull.
What specs on a laptop do you recommend to run a sdr?
Anything modernish should work, I would say 2010 hardware to be safe. But take that with a grain of salt.
I'd agree 2010 or higher. The faster the laptop the better the waterfall will render
I tuned up a gutter once out of desperation... didn't work well though.
Freaking sweet.
why wouldn't u have a 9/1 unun?
Open open open...... (vague television commercial reference...)
You forgot about catch 22. A well tuned antenna is not necessarily a good one, what about radiation pattern, gain etc? You're basically tuning something that's slightly better or equal as a dummy load...js
It’s just for fun my dude.
Oxy-di-zation You had it right :)
Thanks :D
👏👏👏😎
Sorry folks, don't mean to rain on the average Joe's parade,,, but I've pretty much STOPPED subscribing and or watching ALL of the REGULAR RUclips HAMM Radio domains ! HAMM Radio is not about buying all of the latest gizmos and gadgets. It's about talking on radios. It's not about buying the latest rig that just came out or trying out another Chinese made MFJ gadget that you don't need ! Anyone else that gets what I'm saying knows exactly what I'm talking about and which domains/hosts I am referring to. It seems like YT has created a little, " click " of usuals that are always showing up at some function or event, not just one or two, there are like a half dozen or so ! This hobby is expensive enough as it is,let alone all the YT HAMM wizard click telling me what I need to buy next. Take advantage of all the great used gear out there, let the newbs and millennials try to keep up with the YT click ! The have deep pockets because they don't have a family and still live rent free in thier mom's basement or garage !!! Get back to the hobby ! And yes, you don't have to have an ICOM 7300 or a grossly overpriced latest Elekraft to enjoy this hobby,,, PS I have the means to buy all of these things, the the click's actions and YT are beginning to turn me away from the hobby.
I have hundreds of videos that aren’t about buying anything and using your radios. What are you on about? Also, I too recommend buying used and tell people how to do it.
@@HamRadioCrashCourse As far as I'm concerned,,, you're at the head, of the click table ! Just go have another one of those nasty beers that get worse with each drink,,,
Did you just post this rant on a video about how to DIY an antenna? This kind of activity is as old as Marconi.
-sincerely, a millennial homeowner with a 7300
Click? As in clique? Thanks for at least replying. I think the volume of videos I produce that negate your claim says it all. Maybe you just wanted to vent? I hope you feel better you got that off your chest.