Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Use a propane torch and solder to attach the 1/2-inch copper female-to-3/4-inch threaded male adapter to the 104-inch length 1/2-inch copper water pipe. Drill a 3/16-inch hole through the soldered copper junction. Strip off an inch of insulation and insert one of the 12-inch No. 12 copper stranded copper insulated wires into the drilled hole from the inside of the pipe adapter and solder it securely in the hole. Do not solder the end cap on top of the copper pipe until you have made final adjustment to the antenna height.
Use PVC cement to attach the two 3/4-inch threaded female PVC-to-3/4-inch PVC pipe female adapters to the 6-inch length of 3/4-inch PVC pipe. Drill a 3/16-inch hole all the way through the pipe near one end (top) of the PVC pipe assembly to create two holes for the two wire antenna leads.
Drill one 3/16-inch hole in the exact center of the steel 55-gallon drum lid. Attach the other 12-inch No. 12 copper stranded copper insulated wire to the drilled hole using one of the 1-inch long by 3/16-inch metal machine screws. Center the 3/4-inch galvanized flat base threaded pipe mounting flange over the attached wire at the center of the drum lid.
Drill 3/8-inch holes through the four flange mounting holes and through the drum lid. Strip a few inches of insulation off each end of the four 104-inch wires. Use the four remaining 1-inch-long by 3/16-inch metal machine screws to secure the pipe mounting flange to the drum lid while you insert each of the four 104-inch No. 12 copper stranded copper insulated wires (ground radials) between the flange and drum lid and around each screw as you tighten them in place. Solder one 3/8-inch flat washer to the end of each of these four ground radial wires. Be sure to keep the center holes of the washers clear for insertion of 1/4-inch stakes.
Attach the 3/4-inch PVC pipe assembly to the assembled base (drum lid and flange). Use needle-nose pliers to push the 12-inch wire from the base through one of the drilled holes in the PVC section. Use needle-nose pliers to push the 12-inch wire from the copper pipe through the other hole in the PVC section. Twist the wire clockwise by hand until you cannot turn it easily any longer. Attach the copper pipe antenna assembly to the PVC section until it is hand-tight.
Firmly attach the 1:1 choke balun to the PVC section of the now-standing antenna using the two heavy-duty zip ties. Strip off an inch of insulation and securely attach the two exposed wires to the output terminals of the balun. Attach the coaxial cable to the coax connector of the balun. Use silicone caulk to seal all openings and all connectors from the elements.
Stand your nearly-completed antenna in an open area right on the ground. Stake out the ground radials at right angles and hammer in the four 1/4-inch diameter by 10-inch steel rod tent stakes. Run the coaxial cable into your operating position and attach to an SWR meter and then to your radio. Transmit a signal at the center of the CB band on Channel 19. If your SWR is under 2:1 and is acceptable to you, leave the antenna as it is and solder on the copper end caps to seal the top of your new antenna.
Adjust the length of your antenna by incremental shortening to obtain an acceptable SWR. Use a hacksaw or pipe-cutter to remove half-inch increments from the top of the antenna and recheck SWR with each increment you remove until SWR is 1:1 or until it is acceptable to you. Solder on the top copper end cap.