Vertical Antennas
Vertical Antennas can be quite simple: a vertical radiator fed against “ground” (which might be the body of a car). This is historically known as a “Marconi” antenna. But often we want to raise it up higher, where we have to provide some sort of a replacement for a connection to the physical ground, and we might end up with a vertical dipole, or something more like it.
The simplest type is a Quarter Wave Vertical fed against ground, as is used for MF broadcasting up through the VHF/UHF range.
Efficiency depends on the Ground Connection.
Sometimes we have to Shorten a Vertical to make it more practical.
A Longer Vertical, may give better performance.
Understanding the Quarter Wave Ground Plane antenna.
Understanding the 5/8 wave antenna.
Ground Characteristics in the area around the antenna have a large effect on performance at low angles of radiation.
Elevated Ground Systems (or Radials) can reduce ground losses.
We might just use a Vertical Dipole.
Or a Vertically Polarized Full-Wave Loop.
A Coaxial Dipole is pretty simple, but can be difficult to get working properly.
EFHW (End-Fed Half-Wave) Antennas, including J-Poles
Vertical Antenna Projects
Simple VHF Ground Plane
Roll-up J-Poles for 2m and 15m
Bicycle J-Pole
Tuning a J-pole
What is a Slim-JIM antenna?
Converting a CB mobile whip to a 2m Mobile EFHW
Backpack 2m EFHW
Improving your 2m Rubber Ducky antenna by adding a ground radial
Portable 80m Verticals for ARDF transmitters
Dual-Band Matching Network for HF verticals
Switched Multiband Matching Networks for HF verticals
Colinear Wire Verticals for 2m
“Clothesline” HF Vertical
Random Vertical Wire with base transformer
The Inverted L Antenna – a “mostly vertical”.
Using a Dipole or Doublet as a vertical antenna