This antenna projects hub at VU3DXR.in brings together practical HF and VHF/UHF designs for stations of all sizes. From compact balcony loops and shortened 40‑meter dipoles to high‑gain VHF collinears and satellite‑ready delta loops, each project includes dimensions, photos, and tuning notes so you can reproduce the results in your own shack or out in the field. Use this pillar page as a central index—browse the HF or VHF/UHF sections, choose a project that fits your space and equipment, and follow the links to detailed build articles.
HF Antennas
Antenna – Rockloop HF Antenna for 10,15,20 metre ham bands
Compact multi‑turn loop for 10/15/20 m, using simple tubing and tuning capacitor to deliver efficient DX from tight city spaces and noisy RF environments.
Antenna – Foldaway Loop Antenna
Portable HF loop that folds flat for storage yet tunes multiple bands, ideal for hotel rooms, balconies and stealth deployments where full‑size wires are impossible.
Terminated End Fed Vee Antenna (TEFV)
Broadband terminated end‑fed V antenna covering multiple HF bands with minimal retuning, trading some efficiency for low noise and wide frequency coverage.
Half Rhombic Antenna with Counterpoise
Single‑wire half‑rhombic with resistive termination and counterpoise, giving strong directional gain and quieter reception on HF without needing huge open farmland.
Multiband Half Wave End Fed Antenna
End‑fed half‑wave covering several HF bands from one feed point using a 1:49 UNUN, perfect for balcony mounting and portable QRP SSB or digital mode operation.
Do it Yourself 80M Trapped Dipole Antenna
80‑meter trapped dipole that also covers higher bands, using simple trap coils and capacitors to shrink overall length while keeping SWR manageable for most rigs.
Short Linear Loaded Ham Radio Band HF Antenna
Linearly loaded HF element that shortens classic dipole dimensions dramatically, enabling 40/80 m operation from apartments without sacrificing bandwidth.
Terminated Mini Loop Antenna: Small Space Ham Radio Antenna
Tiny resistively terminated loop that offers wideband HF coverage and low noise, ideal for compromised urban installations and SDR monitoring setups.
Terminated Antennas for HF Ham Radio: A Technical Guide
In‑depth tutorial explaining theory, design and measurements of terminated HF antennas, with practical examples and when to choose them over efficient wires.
HF Delta Loop Antenna
Full‑wave HF delta loop configuration that improves low‑angle radiation and noise rejection, built with inexpensive wire and a simple matching section or balun.
Multi Band Capacitor Loaded Shortened Dipole Antenna
Capacitor‑loaded HF dipole that shrinks physical length while handling several bands, showing practical loading methods, simulations and performance notes.
Aperiodic Multiband Wire Antenna: A Simple and Effective Design
Non‑resonant wire antenna covering wide HF spectrum with resistive termination and broadband match, especially suitable for SDR spectrum monitoring work.
GM4JMU Shortened Dipole Antenna: Compact Performance for HF Bands
Re‑creation of GM4JMU’s shortened dipole, optimized for limited‑space HF operation with detailed dimensions, construction photos and tuning hints.
Compact 40M HF Antennas: Short Dipoles & Short Verticals
Collection of reduced‑size 40‑meter dipoles and base‑loaded verticals tested from Chennai, comparing patterns, SWR plots and trade‑offs for city hams.
40m Vertical Antenna: Compact Base-Loaded Design for Powerful HF Operation
Base‑loaded 40‑meter monopole using small coil and top hat, delivering solid DX from a single support pole with simple radial or counterpoise system.
Build Your Own Indoor Antenna for 7 MHz HF Band
Indoor HF wire for 40 m, routed along walls and ceilings with matching network so apartment operators can still work NVIS and regional nets indoors.
Shrinking the Dipole: Building the Shorty Forty Antenna for 40M Band
Shortened 40 m “Shorty Forty” dipole using loading coils to fit tiny yards, with NEC modelling, cut‑and‑try dimensions and efficiency notes.
Building End Fed Half Wave Antenna (EFHW) for 40M – 10M
Classic 40–10 m EFHW using 1:64 transformer and wire length tables, optimized for multiband operation with internal tuner or external ATU.
Loaded Loop Antenna – A Practical Balcony HF Solution
Perimeter loop with inductive loading for balconies, allowing multiple HF bands from a compact rectangle with low visual impact and reduced noise.
Shortened Inverted V Antenna for 80 Meters (3.700 MHz)
Inverted‑V with loading coils to fit 80 m into modest plots, giving regional NVIS coverage for evening nets and emergency work.
How to Build a Reduced Size 40M Antenna – Complete DIY Guide
Step‑by‑step construction of a reduced‑length 40 m radiator, comparing shortening techniques with measured SWR and bandwidth graphs.
Morgain Antenna: Dual-Band Dipole that Beats Traps
Dual‑band Morgain dipole that avoids trap losses using bent elements, offering efficient two‑band HF operation from a single wire.
Build Your Own Multiband G5RV Antenna: A Classic Ham Radio Project
Detailed build of the G5RV multiband HF antenna, including Indian parts sourcing, ladder‑line lengths and tuner tips.
20–40–80 Meter Loaded Multiband HF Dipole Antenna
Three‑band loaded dipole for 20/40/80 m, using coils and careful segment lengths, ideal when only one HF wire can be installed.
Tree Mounted Quarter-Wave Vertical Antenna
HF quarter‑wave vertical that straps to a tree trunk, discreet enough for stealth operation while still using proper radials or counterpoise.
Understanding the Bazooka Coaxial Dipole Antenna Design
Technical deep dive into the coaxial bazooka dipole, illustrating construction, bandwidth advantages and practical use cases.
Active AM Band Antenna for Better Reception
Medium‑wave active antenna with tuned input and low‑noise amplifier, greatly improving AM broadcast reception for DXing and SDR use.
FM Bazooka Antenna for Superior FM Radio Reception (88–108 MHz)
Coaxial bazooka scaled for FM broadcast, providing robust wideband match and strong local and semi‑DX reception from simple construction.
Slim-Jim Antenna for FM Broadcast Band Reception (88–108 MHz)
Slim‑Jim folded monopole tuned for FM band, with low radiation angle and solid stereo reception using minimal rooftop space.
9:1 UN-UN Long Wire Transformer for HF Antennas
9:1 unun transformer that lets you feed non‑resonant long wires, including core selection, winding details and measured impedance curves.
4:1 UN-UN Transformer for End-Fed Antennas
Broadband 4:1 transformer optimized for EFHW and off‑centre‑fed designs, covering winding techniques and common‑mode considerations.
W5GI Multiband Collinear Antenna: A Proven HF All-Band Wire Antenna
Explanation and build notes for the W5GI HF collinear, with analysis from local on‑air testing vs standard dipoles and G5RVs.
VHF/UHF Antennas
DIY – 137 MHz V-Dipole Antenna for Weather Satellites Reception
Simple V‑shaped dipole for 137 MHz APT satellites, including cutting dimensions, mounting tips and example NOAA weather images.
Simple Horizontal V Antenna for NOAA Weather Satellites Reception
Horizontally oriented V dipole for polar‑orbiting satellites, with practical mounting ideas for rooftops and balconies.
Simple 2M VHF Sleeve Dipole Antenna for Rapid Field Deployment
Half‑wave 2 m sleeve dipole built from coax and metal sleeve, rolls up easily for emergency or portable repeater work.
Hotel Antenna for 2 Meter and 70 Centimeter Amateur Bands
Compact dual‑band radiator tailored for indoor use in hotels or apartments, providing respectable 2 m/70 cm performance.
UR0GT Broadband Avia Antenna (RW4HVN Mod)
Wideband VHF airband antenna based on UR0GT/RW4HVN design, suited for SDR‑based aviation and utility monitoring.
DIY 145 MHz Twin Delta Loop Antenna for Ham Radio Operators
Two stacked delta loops for 2 m giving extra gain and directivity, ideal for simplex, SOTA and weak‑signal work.
145 MHz Delta Loop VHF Antenna
Single full‑wave VHF delta loop with simple matching and support, providing low‑noise horizontal performance on 2 m.
Popovic Dual Band Antenna for 2m and 70cm Bands
Elegant Popovic‑style dual‑band design sharing one radiating element, with solid SWR on both 2 m and 70 cm.
High Gain Collinear Antenna for 145 MHz and 433 MHz Bands
Collinear stack covering both VHF and UHF ham bands, built using coax sections and phasing stubs.
Building the FBK Sleeve Antenna for VHF/UHF Amateur Radio
FBK variant of sleeve antenna that operates on multiple VHF/UHF bands, a practical general‑purpose vertical.
Building a Quarter-Wavelength Coaxial Collinear Antenna for 2 Meters
Quarter‑wave coaxial collinear for 2 m using repeated λ/4 segments to create vertical gain, with NanoVNA plots.
Full Wave Loop Antenna for VHF UHF FM Radio Bands
Series of full‑wave loops for 145 MHz, 435 MHz and FM broadcast band, with perimeter calculations and matching.
VHF Collinear J-Pole: The DIY Super J-Pole Antenna
Super J‑pole derived design for VHF that adds a collinear section above classic J geometry for extra gain.
3 x 5/8 Collinear Antenna for 435 MHz UHF Band
Three stacked 5/8‑wave elements for 435 MHz providing significant UHF gain for repeaters and satellite use.
Twin-Lead J-Pole Antenna for VHF and UHF Amateur Radio
J‑pole antennas built from 300‑ohm twin‑lead for 2 m and 70 cm, inexpensive, roll‑up friendly and easy to tune.
J-Pole Antenna Using 300 Ω TV Ribbon Line
Classic 300‑ohm TV ribbon J‑pole for VHF, with dimension tables, soldering hints and mounting suggestions.
Hourglass Loop Antenna: A Stealthy Performer for VHF and UHF
Hourglass‑shaped loop that fits inside windows or balconies, offering respectable VHF/UHF performance discreetly.
Building a Double Bazooka Antenna for HF and VHF Ham Bands
Coaxial double‑bazooka scaled for both HF and VHF segments, combining broad bandwidth with moderate noise rejection.
Faulkner FM Loop Antenna for Superior FM Reception (88–108 MHz)
Directional FM broadcast loop based on Faulkner design, improving selectivity and gain for DX‑grade FM listening.
ZED Dipole Antenna – A Simple and Smart Design for VHF/UHF
Z‑shaped compact dipole for VHF/UHF that folds into a neat profile, ideal for portable ops and stealth installs.
Square Loop Antenna for 144/430 MHz – Complete DIY Dual-Band Build Guide
Dual‑band square loop with feed arrangement to resonate at both 2 m and 70 cm, for base or rover use.
A Broadband Butterfly Antenna for VHF and UHF
Butterfly‑shaped wideband antenna serving scanners and SDRs, covering large portions of VHF and UHF spectrum.
Dual-Band RW4HFN Antenna for 145/430 MHz Bands
Compact dual‑band RW4HFN design, optimized for 145/430 MHz use with dimensional charts and performance notes.
Simple High-Gain Collinear Antenna Using Coaxial Cable
Straightforward collinear built entirely from coax, offering several dB of gain on VHF with minimal hardware.
Stacked 5/8-wave VHF Antenna for 146 MHz
Two 5/8‑wave elements stacked and phased for 146 MHz, giving extra vertical gain for FM repeater coverage.
