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