Welcome To OZ-Tenna
This has been a long time coming but in the end the result will be some nice antennaa for the Amateur Radio community.
Not only that, we’re breaking all the advertizing rules in publishing tests on products both in the field comparisons as well as results for VNA and antenna analyzer sweeps.
Tech doc is also high on the agenda.
Working Prototype - First Peek
This antenna is about 6 months old now. It has been used a half dozen times and become my go to QRP 40/20m antenna.
Tests both at my QTH and in central Victoria in the JMMFD indicate comparable performance of an OCF. See the FAQ for more test details – and later in this blog.
There will be some final construction changes aimed at making it more robust.
Some notes;
- Looking closely, this is a winder with the antenna and radials wrapped around it. The tag on the middle top is to hold while you are wrapping wire onto it.
- Outer dimensions of the winder are 150mm X 65mm.
- Colours may well change. We may print in Orange for everything.
- Not shown are 2 off 3D printed pegs for tying down the radials.
- There is a 64:1 transformer and a 1:1 common mode balun in this design. You must use radials.
- The tranasformer was neasured at 91% efficiency using a back to back test of two units and a NanoVNA. Actual scans will be published.
- It uses a BNC connector, peeking out on the left-hand middle side.
- The orange wires are 2 off radials, each 2m long with a peg-cinch at the end. We use orange wire on these to help make them more visible and reduce tripping hazard.
- You can see a small compensation coil peeking out at the bottom right hand corner. This helps align the resonances to the amateur bands.
- The orange 3D printed part near the loading goil is the end of the antenna main radiator.
- We’ll probably supply small lengths of 2.5mm or 3mm cord to the holes in the ends of the winder arms for tying off the winder and balun to a pole or other support.