Ham Radio 360: the “Packtenna” N3WG/KJ6VU
Episode 23 is here and I'm finally able to share with you the PACKTENNA from Nick and George. Packtenna is the Exciting New Packable/Portable antenna from N3WG and KJ6VU that I've been dying to share with you! Over the years, we have tried many different antennas. We found that most commercial antennas are either too bulky and heavy to be easily hauled around or are two small to be efficient. So idea of the PackTenna was born. The challenges for coming up with the design for PackTenna included the following, somewhat conflicting goals: 1. Full size, no compromise performance, especially given the limitations of a quick portable setup. 2. Small enough when packed up for trail use (think SOTA) and air travel. 3. Quick to setup and take down. 4. A modular design that can evolve over time as your needs change. 5. An open design that makes it easy to make modifications and add your own options. With these goals in mind, we decided to base the design on using wire elements and fiberglass telescoping poles for the support. This combination allows us to construct full size antennas in many configurations including horizontal dipoles, inverted vee, ground planes, long wires and resonate wires to name a few. We selected antenna hardware designed for backpacking which keeps the size and weight down and then designed a unique feed point system that allows for quick setup and improved performance. Head over to Packtenna.com for the latest! *Here is a link to the Packtenna Users Manual* (added 4-10-15) *A link to Pricing Information* (added 4-13-15)* KB1HQS in Print! Click for more info