20 meter Groundplane (part 1)

Most hams are familiar with the quarter wavelength ground-plane antenna design. It is often the first antenna they buy or build for use on 2 meters after receiving their technician license. It is a well performing design that exhibits low input impedance, making it ideal for use with ham equipment without the need for special matching techniques. The antenna is easy to construct and due this simplicity is also highly economical. When considering the type of antenna to build for field day to use with my PSK31 setup this design was the obvious choice. It provides both low take-off angle and omni-directional radiation, allowing me to maximize my operating capability from a simple station. The antenna is made up of a single pole which supports the radiating vertical element and is guyed in place with nylon rope. The two radial elements are spread out and held in place by ropes. The layout for the antenna and the support pole is shown top right and a photo of the completed support pole guyed in place is shown bottom right.