Bipod
last updated 30 November 2024.
The bipod is one way to support the end of a wire antenna, especially in a parking lot, or a public park, where driving stakes into the ground is not possible, or not permitted. I have also found it convenient for antenna testing, as it is easy to lower the end of the wire for adjustment.
In this case, I used two 2.5m (8 foot) bamboo garden stakes, held together with a tie wrap. This supports the antenna rope (at the top) at least 2m (6 feet) off the ground. Taller posts will get the rope up even higher, enough that a person can walk underneath. A bucket with sand or water, or other weight, puts tension on the antenna rope and holds the bipod upright.
The rope from the antenna (horizontal at the top of the photo)is crosses over the two posts where they cross, then is wrapped around one or both (or tied if desired) before dropping down to the weight. That keeps the bipod from slipping along the rope.
The whole assembly can be picked up and moved as needed. The end of the antenna can be lowered for adjustment simply by picking up the bipod legs and moving them towards the other end of the antenna, then laying the assembly on the ground.
The bipod can also be used with the rope anchored to a stake, where additional height is needed at the end of the antenna. In that case, the stake should be spaced further from the bipod so it isn’t pulled vertically out of the ground, as would be the case with the bipod shown in the photo.
Note that a tripod (with 3 legs) doesn’t work as well in this situation: the pull on the antenna rope will tend to lift the back leg off the ground, which is why it is replaced by a weight instead.