April 1 – “Tape Measure” Yagi Antenna Workshop

If you have been interested in participating in a fox hunt but you don’t have a directional antenna, we have the perfect opportunity for you!

Clint Miller KCØJUO and Paul Cowley KB7VML with the Story County Amateur Radio Club are hosting a 2-meter “Tape Measure” Yagi Building Workshop. We will be supplying a complete kit and hands-on instruction for you to build your own WB2HOL-design tape measure antenna, with some slight enhancements to the design.

These antennas have a really great front-to-back ratio with a very deep notch in the pattern toward the rear. It uses three steel “tape measure” elements that fold easily to allow you to quickly get in and out of your vehicle and yet remain stiff enough to be self-supporting when hunting for a hidden transmitter. Between hunts, the elements can be folded or rolled to reduce storage space. This antenna design has been in use for decades for ARDF and transmitter or fox hunting, but also can be used to contact astronauts on the International Space Station, make satellite repeater contacts, extend your HT range to hit that repeater in the next county, sniff out local RFI noise, locate a stuck transmitter or jammer… the options are endless.

There are no special skills or tools needed to participate in the workshop, just the ability to follow instructions and an interest to have a good time. Each participant will get a complete kit with all the parts needed to build an antenna with a male BNC connector on the end of the coax. Adapters for your HT or handheld scanner will be available for a small additional fee when registering. We will have all the tools and supplies available so you will leave the workshop with a tested and functioning antenna. During the workshop, we will provide some additional ideas for enhancements to make later if you so choose. If you bring your HT or handheld scanner, there will be a fox hidden outside for you to practice finding.

 

 

If you are not able to attend but are interested in an unassembled kit (with instructions) and can make arrangements to pick it up in Ames or Urbandale, please register and put in the comments that you are only ordering a kit and will not be attending on 4/1.

Preregistration and prepayment is required so we can order enough supplies and save on shipping costs.

Due to additional interest, we are extending the pre-registration deadline to 8:00am on March 29th… but with an increased cost of $20 per kit (because of increased component and shipping costs).

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Payment is due at time of registration (includes ALL materials necessary to complete one antenna)
Questions: Contact Clint Miller KCØJUO at isuforester@hotmail.com

We look forward to seeing you at the workshop.

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