Hiya Gary, another great series of videos.!! As you may remember, I made a T2LT from your last video and it worked absolutely brilliantly from here in Tenerife, hitting the UK last summer at about S7 R4-5 on just 4w and also getting into the USA, all over Europe and across to S.America too (on SSB). For anyone watching these videos of Gary's, these antennas work and they work VERY well too.!! So easy to make as Gary says. Try one guys, you can't go wrong. Thanks again Gary for all your input into our great hobby, keep up the good work and I hope to catch you on the air again as soon as poss. Cheers buddy, all the best and 73's. Ray 34CT4149 Golden Nugget.
Hiya Swizz, Nope, i'm saving up for another radio, ( President Grant 2 or The Albrecht AE2990 handheld ) Although i'm pretty much 100% sure I don't need a licence now over here, I dare not take the chance. The authorities over here don't really know their a**e from their elbow when it comes to new rules and regs. Don't want a fine or my current radio gear confiscated, which could happen. But i'm saving hard and it shouldn't be too long now. I'm really missing being on the air and it was great to chat to you and all the other guys too. Will let ya know as soon as I know something definite buddy. All the best and 73's to you and all. Cheers. Ray 34CT4149
I've seen both of your videos and the antenna you've made is absolutely fantastic and I might make one myself and try it out on the 10/11 meters I've got a Sigma Venom Silver Rod Hy-Gain 5/8 wave and I have made contacts in to Canada on the 20 meters with it and I made a really good contact to Brazil South America on the 10 meters with just the 10 Watts and I can also tune it down on the 15 and 12 meters and the SWR is always 1.0 right through both bands and the same thing on the 20 meters 1.0 but it seems to work brilliant on most of the HF bands and like I've said before I'll try and construct a T2LT antenna as well. Taanks and best 73's Stephen M3SNV 73's.
Brilliant video and thanks for going to the trouble of the remake. I actually made one after your first video and it works brilliant and its my main home base antenna.
A few 'experts' did come along to say the antenna was crap but it's widespread use over the last few years has proved it's effectiveness particularly as a rapid-deployment portable antenna. All the best!
Hi Gary, Thanks for reply. I am disabled, in enforced lockdown since 12th March and I can't put up heavyweight metal antennas. I bought a ready made T2LT type similar to yours. I would like to say that since I have returned to CB after 30 odd years I am impressed by the many homebrew antennas available these days. I paid 25 odd quid for mine. I wish I had seen your 2 videos before doing so. Even in my disabled capacity I could have made one if I followed your good vids. I have been back active for 1 month and have made qso's with 16 Countries so far all QRP. So these antennas do really work well. If I was you I would start to build a few and sell on eBay, a great way to get some extra cash to put towards any new expensive radio toys you want but can't afford. Anyways Mate thanks for great vids, Please keep making them. 73s Keith
Are you using rg58 from radio to antenna, if so how long is the feedline? Good easy built, much more broadband than I expected, so I wonder if coax loss might be making the SWR seem lower than actual? I guess the loss might keep the radio happy showing a good load, but the DB loss might shorten the range. If it is a short feedline, maybe the reading is accurate, much better than some of my past experiences.
Hi there - I generally use the version of the antenna that has the join just after the choke on the radio side and to that I can attach various feeders (both RG58 and RG213 of no specific length). SWR varies very little and I have tested it at that join and the readings are as expected there too, which indicates that the specified choke is doing a good job and the feeder is not acting as part of the antenna. Having said that, the choke isn't going to be 100% effective, which is why I still consider it more of a low power antenna rather than a high power one, but I have heard of guys putting 100w through it Ok. Cheers.
@@ukcbtv My point, lossy coax drops SWR and broadens out the bandwidth. If under 50 feet, not an issue but longer lengths it matter. I once had a very long 270ft doublet fed with ladder line 450 ohm with a 4/1 balin at the end then about 40 feet of very lossy rg8, the SWR was flat above 13 megs all the way to 60 megs. The reading was false with newer rg213 it had to be tuned everywhere. To build an antenna showing maybe thousands how using a likewise lossy feedline can misinform new viewers and radio folks and when their bandwidth isn't even near the shown antenna, they are distressed thinking they did something wrong when it worked as well as it should. RG58 is fine to build the antenna, but the loss may be greater than a new user will realize if it is fed with RG58.
How high was the mast on this? You said 1/4 wave so if I'm guessing right, about 17'~? (The part where the shield stops and it is only core is approx 8.5'?)
Mast is a 6 metre one, so getting on for 20ft long - this would make the centre of the antenna just over 11ft from the ground and 8.5ft from the top. I've also used 8m (26ft) and 10m (33ft) masts before with little variation in SWR.
@@ukcbtv Ah...I just assumed it was 11 meter. So that's a 1/2 wave for your 6m (and 8/10m) then, yes? (why did I think 1/4 wave?) Is the 10m pretty stable @ 33ft? Seems it'd be a bit "floppy". Reason being is that I'm thinking of making one for good ole 11m but thought a mast this long for 1/2 wave wouldn't really be feasable. Was thinking of making it from 5' sections of pvc pipe... Is 1/4 wave height ok if I couldn't get 1/2 wave?
Thank OM, I appreciate the videos on making the T2LT. I am tempted to try one myself. I was curious to know if you also have a home base setup and if you would be inclined to do a video of it? If not, no worries. 73 de 2CT2112
Nice one Gary im going to give one a go...do you use some kind of ground post for the mast as we have never seen you start right from the beginning... Thanks
Hi Mark - I've never considered the T2LT of this design to be a high power antenna but more of a temporary/portable/emergency thing due to the fact that there's going to be some RF leakage past the simple choke - for a well made one, I'd say 30w to 50w, however I have heard of ops using 100w or even 400w (I suspect they were hiding behind a tuner for the latter though). Cheers.
Good video fella I followed your instructions, I just have the pl259 to solder on. I will come back after I have tried it, and let you know how I get on.
@@ukcbtv Hi Mr 104 well i tried the 2lt today, SWR great on mid and the muppets. Creeping up a little on the low channels, its just a tad short for that. I am impressed, just for anyone elses info, i have no waste pipe. Here is how i did the choke, i used a kitchen roll. Took some off until i had the right measurement. Then taped the coils together.
Really Bitchin' sunglasses, are they Revo Aeros? Interesting that your SWR is so low, considering a 180° dipole is theoretically 74Ω or 1.45:1. I've also done a bit of this type of 'field-fun', (albeit with less wind!) but usually just use 3-4 106" guy lines to insulators as the counterpoise for the upper 1/4 wave. I always get 1.1:1 or less, it seems to retain a low TOA, and is usually broad-banded as heck. XLNT build/test videos! Edit # 693: - So if I were to find you on the band(s) - where/when would I need to look? 73zzzzzzz from the left coast of the USA.
***** Cheers Gary. I was near Clee Hill last weekend in a caravan and just had a small antenna on top of a 2m speaker stand. My plan is to try and fit the pole inside the stand (assuming it will fit) hopefully for a bit more stability. I'm restricted into what I can tie the ropes to as where the stand is located it is mostly concrete / slabs but can tie ropes to posts / fittings etc. If you can let me know please the diameter at the bottom (hopefully it will be less than 35mm). Weather permitting in the summer I can have a walk up to the summit and try out a T2LT - have to plan a route though as doesn't look a simple path up. I can see the NATS equipment at the top and guess I am around max 2 mile away and around 400-500 feet below on the eastern side of the hill
Marcelo Luiz Pires - Indeed a lovely place to tune and test an antenna! I have made the antenna with the wire inside for a permanent base install and it worked fine (choke was on the outside still). Important for these antennas is that the rod is only fibreglass with no carbon content. Cheers
Hi John - the T2LT is electrically the same as a centre-fed dipole so can be used horizontally. Performance when talking to local users with vertical antennas will be around 2-3 S-points down and the antenna will be directional (if run north-south, east and west would have the most gain). However, horizontal antennas tend to pick up less interference and and can be good when working DX when the skip is running. Well worth a try. Cheers.
I know many people buy these antennas ready made, but to successfully make one and use one, will make the contacts that much sweeter and you'll know how to fix things if they go wrong. Good job! Cheers.
Hiya Gary, another great series of videos.!!
As you may remember, I made a T2LT from your last video and it worked absolutely brilliantly from here in Tenerife, hitting the UK last summer at about S7 R4-5 on just 4w and also getting into the USA, all over Europe and across to S.America too (on SSB).
For anyone watching these videos of Gary's, these antennas work and they work VERY well too.!! So easy to make as Gary says. Try one guys, you can't go wrong.
Thanks again Gary for all your input into our great hobby, keep up the good work and I hope to catch you on the air again as soon as poss.
Cheers buddy, all the best and 73's.
Ray 34CT4149 Golden Nugget.
Enjoyed talking to you with my T2LT also Ray - are you having any luck getting back on air?
Hiya Swizz,
Nope, i'm saving up for another radio, ( President Grant 2 or The Albrecht AE2990 handheld ) Although i'm pretty much 100% sure I don't need a licence now over here, I dare not take the chance. The authorities over here don't really know their a**e from their elbow when it comes to new rules and regs. Don't want a fine or my current radio gear confiscated, which could happen.
But i'm saving hard and it shouldn't be too long now.
I'm really missing being on the air and it was great to chat to you and all the other guys too.
Will let ya know as soon as I know something definite buddy.
All the best and 73's to you and all.
Cheers. Ray 34CT4149
Hi Gary,
Have really missed being on the nets too mate. Hoping to be back on air again by the time the sporadic comes back though.
TTFN, Cheers.
73's
I've seen both of your videos and the antenna you've made is absolutely fantastic and I might make one myself and try it out on the 10/11 meters I've got a Sigma Venom Silver Rod Hy-Gain 5/8 wave and I have made contacts in to Canada on the 20 meters with it and I made a really good contact to Brazil South America on the 10 meters with just the 10 Watts and I can also tune it down on the 15 and 12 meters and the SWR is always 1.0 right through both bands and the same thing on the 20 meters 1.0 but it seems to work brilliant on most of the HF bands and like I've said before I'll try and construct a T2LT antenna as well. Taanks and best 73's Stephen M3SNV 73's.
Brilliant video and thanks for going to the trouble of the remake. I actually made one after your first video and it works brilliant and its my main home base antenna.
Hi Gary. I have just watched these two construction videos & wow what a great antenna. Pity I can't make one myself. Good job Mate !!! Keith
A few 'experts' did come along to say the antenna was crap but it's widespread use over the last few years has proved it's effectiveness particularly as a rapid-deployment portable antenna. All the best!
Hi Gary, Thanks for reply. I am disabled, in enforced lockdown since 12th March and I can't put up heavyweight metal antennas. I bought a ready made T2LT type similar to yours. I would like to say that since I have returned to CB after 30 odd years I am impressed by the many homebrew antennas available these days. I paid 25 odd quid for mine. I wish I had seen your 2 videos before doing so. Even in my disabled capacity I could have made one if I followed your good vids. I have been back active for 1 month and have made qso's with 16 Countries so far all QRP. So these antennas do really work well. If I was you I would start to build a few and sell on eBay, a great way to get some extra cash to put towards any new expensive radio toys you want but can't afford. Anyways Mate thanks for great vids, Please keep making them. 73s Keith
Great video Gary. Will be giving one a go.
but you bought one instead fred :O(
Excellent, it looked a bit cold on the cliffs though, even if you did say it was a nice spring day!
It's a bit less viscous down this way Bob!
@@ukcbtv Aye, it can be a bit nippy below the kilt up here!
Are you using rg58 from radio to antenna, if so how long is the feedline? Good easy built, much more broadband than I expected, so I wonder if coax loss might be making the SWR seem lower than actual? I guess the loss might keep the radio happy showing a good load, but the DB loss might shorten the range. If it is a short feedline, maybe the reading is accurate, much better than some of my past experiences.
Hi there - I generally use the version of the antenna that has the join just after the choke on the radio side and to that I can attach various feeders (both RG58 and RG213 of no specific length). SWR varies very little and I have tested it at that join and the readings are as expected there too, which indicates that the specified choke is doing a good job and the feeder is not acting as part of the antenna. Having said that, the choke isn't going to be 100% effective, which is why I still consider it more of a low power antenna rather than a high power one, but I have heard of guys putting 100w through it Ok. Cheers.
@@ukcbtv My point, lossy coax drops SWR and broadens out the bandwidth. If under 50 feet, not an issue but longer lengths it matter. I once had a very long 270ft doublet fed with ladder line 450 ohm with a 4/1 balin at the end then about 40 feet of very lossy rg8, the SWR was flat above 13 megs all the way to 60 megs. The reading was false with newer rg213 it had to be tuned everywhere. To build an antenna showing maybe thousands how using a likewise lossy feedline can misinform new viewers and radio folks and when their bandwidth isn't even near the shown antenna, they are distressed thinking they did something wrong when it worked as well as it should. RG58 is fine to build the antenna, but the loss may be greater than a new user will realize if it is fed with RG58.
How high was the mast on this? You said 1/4 wave so if I'm guessing right, about 17'~? (The part where the shield stops and it is only core is approx 8.5'?)
Mast is a 6 metre one, so getting on for 20ft long - this would make the centre of the antenna just over 11ft from the ground and 8.5ft from the top. I've also used 8m (26ft) and 10m (33ft) masts before with little variation in SWR.
@@ukcbtv Ah...I just assumed it was 11 meter.
So that's a 1/2 wave for your 6m (and 8/10m) then, yes? (why did I think 1/4 wave?)
Is the 10m pretty stable @ 33ft? Seems it'd be a bit "floppy".
Reason being is that I'm thinking of making one for good ole 11m but thought a mast this long for 1/2 wave wouldn't really be feasable. Was thinking of making it from 5' sections of pvc pipe...
Is 1/4 wave height ok if I couldn't get 1/2 wave?
How long is your feed Line is the feed Line effect the SWR ?
If the choke is constructed well and working as it should, feeder length doesn't matter.
Thank OM, I appreciate the videos on making the T2LT. I am tempted to try one myself.
I was curious to know if you also have a home base setup and if you would be inclined to do a video of it? If not, no worries.
73 de 2CT2112
Nice one Gary im going to give one a go...do you use some kind of ground post for the mast as we have never seen you start right from the beginning... Thanks
Hello Gary,
What amount of watts can be put through the T2LT?
Hi Mark - I've never considered the T2LT of this design to be a high power antenna but more of a temporary/portable/emergency thing due to the fact that there's going to be some RF leakage past the simple choke - for a well made one, I'd say 30w to 50w, however I have heard of ops using 100w or even 400w (I suspect they were hiding behind a tuner for the latter though). Cheers.
Good video fella I followed your instructions, I just have the pl259 to solder on.
I will come back after I have tried it, and let you know how I get on.
Cheers Steve - glad the videos were of assistance! A.t.b
@@ukcbtv
Hi Mr 104 well i tried the 2lt today, SWR great on mid and the muppets.
Creeping up a little on the low channels, its just a tad short for that.
I am impressed, just for anyone elses info, i have no waste pipe.
Here is how i did the choke, i used a kitchen roll.
Took some off until i had the right measurement.
Then taped the coils together.
@@CBRadiouk1 - great idea with the kitchen roll as the choke size is critical to the operation of this antenna! Cheers.
@@ukcbtv
I also gave you a little shout out fella, told my subs I watched your vid to make it.
Talk soon bud.
@@CBRadiouk1 - give me a shout if you head out on the hills, it'd be good to get you in the radio. A.t.b
Really Bitchin' sunglasses, are they Revo Aeros?
Interesting that your SWR is so low, considering a 180° dipole is theoretically 74Ω or 1.45:1. I've also done a bit of this type of 'field-fun', (albeit with less wind!) but usually just use 3-4 106" guy lines to insulators as the counterpoise for the upper 1/4 wave.
I always get 1.1:1 or less, it seems to retain a low TOA, and is usually broad-banded as heck.
XLNT build/test videos!
Edit # 693: - So if I were to find you on the band(s) - where/when would I need to look?
73zzzzzzz from the left coast of the USA.
Hello Gary, what are you using as the guy ring on the pole and also what is the diameter at the bottom of your 6m pole please. Thanks Keith (26CT1071)
***** Cheers Gary. I was near Clee Hill last weekend in a caravan and just had a small antenna on top of a 2m speaker stand. My plan is to try and fit the pole inside the stand (assuming it will fit) hopefully for a bit more stability. I'm restricted into what I can tie the ropes to as where the stand is located it is mostly concrete / slabs but can tie ropes to posts / fittings etc. If you can let me know please the diameter at the bottom (hopefully it will be less than 35mm). Weather permitting in the summer I can have a walk up to the summit and try out a T2LT - have to plan a route though as doesn't look a simple path up. I can see the NATS equipment at the top and guess I am around max 2 mile away and around 400-500 feet below on the eastern side of the hill
Beautifull place! Have you tried putting the antenna inside the rod? Did you do a similar test, just like in flowerpot antennas?
Marcelo Luiz Pires - Indeed a lovely place to tune and test an antenna! I have made the antenna with the wire inside for a permanent base install and it worked fine (choke was on the outside still). Important for these antennas is that the rod is only fibreglass with no carbon content. Cheers
you drink beer.. so what ? my hero :O(
How would running the antenna horizontally affect performance?
Hi John - the T2LT is electrically the same as a centre-fed dipole so can be used horizontally. Performance when talking to local users with vertical antennas will be around 2-3 S-points down and the antenna will be directional (if run north-south, east and west would have the most gain). However, horizontal antennas tend to pick up less interference and and can be good when working DX when the skip is running. Well worth a try. Cheers.
@@ukcbtv I can imagine running it as an inverted V would make it decent for local/omni talk and still use for skip.
;)
what are the diferences from this one to the bazooka antenna please the one where you foled the outer braid back on itself
***** well the simpler option it is then thanks so much for this finerly get somthing going mobile 2 leg antenna just a pain to set up
***** well i have now built one so will give it ago only have a am hand held i belive is midband so we will see how things go my fm rig packed up
will keep ya updated not expecting much on am myself
Do you sell these antennas? And if so how would I go about purchasing 1?
Hi - I don't sell them, but a guy on eBay does www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DRX111-T2LT-1-2-Wave-CB-11m-Portable-Antenna-System/293365875894
you dont sell these by chance do you?
I don't, but there is a guy in Wales who lists them for sale on eBay - apparently they're Ok and cheap too. Cheers
UKCBTV what should i search for?
+30CalCoreLokt - search for 'T2LT CB Antenna' (seller is in Abergavenny).
UKCBTV would you say these are betger than the horizontal dipoles sold on ebay?
Electrically the T2LT is a dipole, so should work about the same if mounted horizontally.
I made one
I know many people buy these antennas ready made, but to successfully make one and use one, will make the contacts that much sweeter and you'll know how to fix things if they go wrong. Good job! Cheers.