Five-band HF Linked Dipole [updated January 2025]

An improved build

This antenna was first described in the November-December 2023 Communicator. After a year of using it, I’ve developed some improvements. - Updated January 2025

I appreciate inexpensive but effective antenna design. Sure, you can spend hundreds of dollars to buy a multiband antenna for POTA or GOTA but they are so simple to build, why would you want to? You can enhance your skills and communication capabilities by constructing custom antennas.

One popular and versatile option is the multi-band HF dipole antenna often called a segmented or linked dipole. This antenna design allows for effective communication across multiple HF bands by connecting or disconnecting sections along its length making it an inexpensive asset for ham radio operators, particularly outdoors enthusiasts and those needing a light, packable wire antenna that can be erected almost anywhere, and with good results—better than an end-fed, because each segment of the antenna is pre-tuned during construction, and can be used safely even when no antenna tuner is available.

Ideally it is hung from a pole or tree branch at 20 feet (6m) as an Inverted V, with the center point high and the dipole legs spread at least 110-120 degrees. I have worked the globe with this set-up on sideband and 20 Watts.

 

Oly one side of the dipole is shown 

As before, each of the five sections is cut to the band so no tuner is required. It is a marvellous POTA antenna, far better than any vertical, Hamstick or commercial antenna that I have tried.

You can read/download the updated article at: https://bit.ly/LinkedDipole

~ John VE7TI

The SARC Communicator - January-February 2025

Even better for 2025

New desktop publishing software opens up even more possibilities for the SARC Communicator, the digital periodical of Surrey Amateur Radio Communications. This issue is now available for viewing or download. Another new feature is a smaller version, best suited for mobile devices, available here for viewing or download. The advantage of the larger version being higher resolution graphics and photos. 

The best new feature, in my opinion, is the ability to provide you with a compete Table of Contents [below]. This should enable better accessibility from search engines. 

You will find some great articles in this issue, along with our regular columnists.

Now read in over 165 countries, we bring you 120+ pages of Amateur Radio content from the Southwest corner of Canada and elsewhere. With less fluff and ads than other Amateur Radio publications, you will find Amateur Radio related articles, projects, profiles, news, tips and how-to's for all levels of the hobby.

Download the January - February Communicator in 
LARGE or SMALL format, or read it on-line like a magazine

Previous Communicator issues:

Search for past Communicator issues

and a full searchable index is HERE.  

As always, thank you to our contributors, and your feedback is always welcome. 

The deadline for the next edition is February 15th.

If you have news or events from your club or photos, stories, projects or other items of interest from BC or elsewhere, please contact us at communicator@ve7sar.net

73,

John VE7TI
'The Communicator' Editor

The Table of Contents for the January-February 2025 Communicator issue:

• The Rest of the Story: Charles Wheatstone 4
• News You Can’t Lose: Field Day results are in 12
• Page13—News You Can Lose 13
• Radio Ramblings: Reflections 15
• Does  the  Ghost  of  Salvador  Dali  Haunt  ChatGPT? 26
• Tech: A transceiver on your Android phone 27
• Xiegu G90 Review 28
• Another Tape Measure Antenna 31
• POTA is Calling - Will you answer? 32
• A Different Kind of Foxhunt 34
• USA Radio Orienteering Championship 35
• Mastering iCOM HF: A deep dive into filtering capabilities 37
• Schooling ChatGPT on Antenna Misconceptions 42
• LIDS: The Less Involved Data Society 43
• Experimental Maritime Mobile on 630m 44
• From the ATV Journal 48
• B.C. QSO Party 50
• A Light Dipole 52
• An Easy Field Strength Meter 53
• AMSAT - OSCAR 7 55
• Dutch Amateur Radio Operators Detect Signals From Voyager 1 56
• Update on the Local High Altitude Balloon Project 57
• They Don’t Make ‘em Like They Used To… 58
• LingoSat ISS Deployment 59
• Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame Appointments 2024 60
• The Santa Barbara 1925 Earthquake 62
• Ham Radio Outside the Box: Antenna height matters 65
• What Did Beethoven Do For Ham Radio? 68
• VE9KK - The World of CW: I am at peace with the RFI gods 69
• K0NR - 2 Meters:  Handie-Talkie or Walkie-Talkie? 71
• Which Modes Have You Operated? 73
• KB6NU’s Ham Radio: Hurricane Helene 74
• Pico-based SDR runs stand-alone 75
• Foundations of Amateur Radio: The venerable QSL bureau 76 
• No-ham Recipe: Oatmeal brown bread 79
• Back to Basics: Codes & encryption 80
• Profiles of SARC Members: Jeanne Wilson VA7QD 88
• CQ WW DX Contest [CW] 92
• ARRL 10m Contest 94
• RAC Winter Contest 96
• SARC News… 97
• SEPAR Report 103
• Ham Leftovers... 107
• QRT: Blog vs PDF? 108

Commemorating the RCAF Centennial

The Royal Canadian Air Force celebrates 100 years of service and Amateur Radio marks the occasion with special event stations

Surrey, BC – The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) is celebrating 100 years of service this April, marking a significant milestone in Canada’s military history. This centennial event offers a unique opportunity to honour the RCAF’s rich heritage, recognize its dedicated personnel, and generate enthusiasm for its promising future.

Throughout 2024, the RCAF will be showcased in a past, present, and future context, emphasizing its contributions to national safety and security, international peace, and global stability. The RCAF 2024 Team is curating a year-long program that includes international, national, and regional events. These events include the RCAF Run, RCAF Gala, Legends of the Sky, and participation of allied air demonstration teams in Air Shows across Canada. The program also includes initiatives to inspire future generations of Canadians through Science, Technology, Engineering  and Mathematics (STEM) activities.

To commemorate this occasion, Amateur Radio operators across Canada and beyond are invited to participate in a month-long event. They will have the opportunity to make contacts around the world on all amateur radio bands and modes using special event RCAF callsigns. These callsigns have been granted to provincial amateur radio groups specifically for this event. In British Columbia, Surrey Amateur Radio Communications is the proud sponsor for VE7RCAF. This callsign will be available for use by all British Columbia ISED certified operators by booking time slots during April 2024.

We're hoping to have all bands and modes worked, including GOTA, POTA, and whatever else you can activate. If you are a VE7 or VA7, you can reserve a time slot. Go to the direct calendar link which is now live at: https://bit.ly/VE7RCAF and look for April 2024. The operating rules are at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_fkPdYJ7DDDSLRVGY6822hJ_gd0nEfy6/view?usp=drive_link. Please use your own callsign as the operator, but VE7RCAF as the station callsign for the log.

The VE7RCAF and several other provincial QRZ pages are also active now. QSL cards and awards will be available to commemorate contacts, and special recognition will be provided to those who contact all the RCAF special event stations across Canada during the month.

The RCAF Centennial is more than a celebration; it’s an opportunity to showcase Air Force personnel and their accomplishments, demonstrate air and space power, enhance the reputation of the RCAF, and proudly honour its distinguished history and heritage.

For more information on the RCAF 2024 Centennial, please visit the official website at RCAF 2024 Centennial: https://rcaf2024arc.ca/

Contact Information: VE7RCAF@gmail.com

~ VE7SAR

Working POTA: A beginner's guide and video

 

SARC in the park!

We had an interesting workshop on Saturday, September 16, 2023.  'SARC in the Park' was a presentation by Dmitry VA7DVO for our members interested in POTA activations. You will find more about getting started in POTA at their website, and in our free digital magazine 'The Communicator'.

With an easy to build and inexpensive segmented 5-band wire dipole antenna, we made several of the 17m SSB POTA contacts shown in this video, including Switzerland, Italy and with a mobile station in Northern England.

The antenna plan is at: https://bit.ly/SARC23Sep-Oct on page 45.

Dmitry VA7DVO presenting POTA at the OTC

The on-site demonstration took place at Serpentine Fen Wildlife Refuge. 

Alex VA7PVC, Dmitry VA7DVO , and Leandro VE7LSI at Serpentine Fen

Here is the presentation on video and a look at the activation

https://youtu.be/RTAKs40DHjQ

Do you want to know what else is happening at SARC?

All our events are now available through our 'live' calendar at: https://ve7sar.net/.

~