Navigation

     Contact Details

     Peter Miles
     Northam, Western Australia
     QRZ Page: VK6YSF

 

     Email

     

 

       Social Media

             

 

    Buy me a coffee

If you found information on this site interesting, beneficial, or learned something new, please consider buying me a cup of coffee by clicking the coffee cup below. It helps keep the website going and is greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

BROADBAND HF TRAVELLING WAVE DIPOLE

Broadband HF Travelling Wave Dipole (2 - 30MHz) Version#2. October 2016


 

With the view to establish a quick and easy multi-band antenna deployment for portable and camping operations a travelling Wave Antenna with and 9:1 voltage balun is one possible solution.

Description

A dipole can be modified by inserting resistive loading networks so as to produce standing waves between the feed point and the networks. With the suitable voltage balun the resistive network values dipole sections can be adjusted to developed a travelling wave dipole whose VSWR is less than 2:1 from 3 to 15 MHz and does not exceed 2.6 to 1 from 2.3 to at least 30 MHz. 

Figure 1 Broadband HF Travelling Wave Dipole

 

Construction

The physical assembly is extremely simple and cost effective consisting of stranded stainless steel wire, light weight end and centre insulators fashioned from fibre-glass rod. The centre insulators and support attachment consisting of a heavy duty stainless steel key ring.  See the below photo 1. This arrangement was chosen so that alternative baluns can be easily swapped in and out.

Photo 1  Broadband HF Travelling Wave Dipole apex and feed point assembly including bulun.

 

Figure 7 Broadband HF Travelling Wave Dipole (1 - 60MHz). AIM 4170C antenna analyser plot.

 

AIM 4170C antenna analyser explanation

SWR

Standing Wave Ratio.

Zmag

Total Impedance.

Phase

Phase angle between voltage and current.

 

Figure 8 Broadband HF Travelling Wave Dipole radiation plot at 3.650MHz. MMANA Antenna modelling.

 

 

Figure 9 Broadband HF Travelling Wave Dipole radiation plot at 5.30MHz. MMANA Antenna modelling.

 

Figure 10 Broadband HF Travelling Wave Dipole radiation plot at 7.150MHz. MMANA Antenna modelling.

 

Figure 11 Broadband HF Travelling Wave Dipole radiation plot at 10.120MHz. MMANA Antenna modelling.

 

Figure 12 Broadband HF Travelling Wave Dipole radiation plot at 14.150MHz. MMANA Antenna modelling.

 

Figure 13 Broadband HF Travelling Wave Dipole radiation plot at 21.2000MHz. MMANA Antenna modelling.

 

Figure 14 Broadband HF Travelling Wave Dipole radiation plot at 28.500MHz. MMANA Antenna modelling.

 

Details of the 6:1  voltage balun. See: 9:1 voltage balun  

 

 

TOP OF PAGE

Page last revised 12 March 2024

 

 

   Space Weather

   https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/

    

   Notice Board

VK6YSF JS8Call and Olivia 8/250 operations.

Current activity is generally focused - though not restricted to - JS8Call operations on the 20m, 30m, and 40m bands.

Olivia 8/250 is used occasionally on the 20m band.

Proposed band and mode activity is often communicated on HamSpots: https://hamspots.net/js8/ or my profile on 

X: https://x.com/vk6ysf97230 .  

Feel free to contact me to discuss or arrange a schedule for a contact.

Post date: 2 January 2026

 

Western Australian SSTV net 

Popular Western Australian SSTV net for both digital and anolog SSTV.

Generally found at 7214.0kHz LSB every afternoon from 08:00 UTC (4:00pm WST)

For more details: https://www.wasstv.net/wasstv.net/index.html

Post date: 8 December 2025

 

VK6MJM LF (136kHz) and MF (474kHz) Beacon

VK6MJM is a  LF/MF station located in Manjimup, Western Australia.

Common Mode: FST4W 300 (Similar to WSPR)  

Note: other modes and sub-modes may be used.

Station details were presented by Peter Hall (VK6HP) at PerthTech 2024.Presentation PDF: Peter Hall VK6HP at PerthTech

QRZ Page: VK6MJM on QRZ.com

Post date: 10 March 2025

 

 

 

 

 

All content may be used for unlimited distribution with full credits.

Amateur Radio Station VK6YSF - Promoting amateur radio communication and experimentation.