How does a screwdriver antenna work?

The motor, operated remotely by a momentary DPDT switch, moves the whip and loading coil so that part of the coil is inside the base (and electrically bypassed, or inactive) and the rest of the coil is in use as a loading coil tuned for the selected band.

How big of an antenna do I need for a ham radio?

A basic antenna setup for such a station is to use a dualband VHF/UHF antenna to cover 2m and 70cm, along with a multi-band HF antenna. This won’t actually result in an antenna system that covers all of the ham bands, but it can be a good start.

Will a 2 meter antenna work on 70cm?

Some 5/8 2m antennas work great on 6m. But, they generally don’t work on 70cm. However, the only real way to know is to try it. If you have access to an antenna analyser, try that.

Can a car antenna be used for ham radio?

As long as you stick with whip antennas, and go slow, you shouldn’t have problems. Mounting your ham radio antenna off of the side of the hood, like a car stereo antenna, or on a fender, is another good spot.

Do you need a screwdriver for HF mobile?

Check to make sure the ground system does not come into contact with the screwdriver antenna. between the antenna and a ground. This will be more necessary for the lower HF bands such as 40 and 80 meters. Attach one end of an impedance matching coil to the wing nut on the lower part of the antenna.

How did the screwdriver antenna get its name?

I decided to build a basic screwdriver antenna for the mobile, patterned after the original DK3 introduced by Don Johnson, W6AAQ back in 1991. This is a multiband antenna which is tuned by a gear-head motor, ultimately refined to operate from the internal workins’ of a common powered screwdriver – Hence the name.

How does the MFJ 1668 mobile screwdriver antenna work?

MFJ 1668 MOBILE SCREWDRIVER ANTENNA Introduction The MFJ-1668 manually tuned screwdriver antenna was designed for continuous operation from 6-80 meters using a supplied whip 10 feet in length. The supplied 4 ½ foot whip can be used for mobile or limited space operation. The antenna is tuned by loosening a thumbscrew and moving…

Can a ground antenna be attached to a screwdriver?

The ground should be attached directly to the vehicle frame or body. Check to make sure the ground system does not come into contact with the screwdriver antenna. between the antenna and a ground. This will be more necessary for the lower HF bands such as 40 and 80 meters.