16/08/23 22.
06 6 Meter band dipole 50 MHz i6ibe Ivo Pratola
MagicBand Dipole range 6 meters, frequency
50.100 MHz
Hi, with an FT-897 in hand, given the almost daily openings and sporadic in the 50 MHz range, I
decided to build an antenna for the 6 meter band; for some rare QSOs, I have always used the
trusted 10m CDP, brought into resonance with an LDG Z11-pro tuner capable of tuning anything from
1.5 to 50 MHz, the replacement of the latter with a more performing one AT-200pro has made things
more complicated, while bringing the "piece of wire" to resonate on 6 meters, the performance is
close to zero, deaf as a bell. Therefore, a resonant antenna cut exactly is needed to operate on
50.100 MHz, between the CW and SSB area of the magic-band. Between DeltaLoop, JPole, Yagi,
Halo, Cubiche I opt for a very simple DIPOLE, polarizable vertically for FM and horizontally for
eventual SSB qsos.300,000(lightspeed) : 50,100(frequency) = 5.98(metres) : 4(1/4L) = 1.497(dipole
arm length). Perfect, the open dipole will have two arms of 149 cm per side for a total opening of 298
cm. I consult the web trying to figure out how to best power it, almost everyone uses a BALUN UN-
UN 1:1 transformation ratio, basically an RFI choke. The UN-UN can be made on a T-80 TOROID , a
FERRITE ROD , in AIR , or with a simple COAXIAL CABLE by winding a 4-TURN RG-58 skein on a
10 cm diameter , held in place by strip clamps . As a radiating dipole, use a simple 2 mm electric wire
to be stretched horizontally between 2 supports, I opted for BRASS RODSfor 3 mm welders, only
that in horizontal position they flex too much, for this as a "support" I used plastic RODS for electrical
systems in the first 50 cm, held together with hot glue, the advantage of a rigid dipole is that can be
oriented with a ROTOR. Quick and easy construction at zero expense, having everything qrl and in
the drawers, on a glassnite base I created some pitches with an electric MOLA or MILL, I bolted a PL
SO-239 connector, between this and the DIPOLE pitches I welded the skein of 4 turns of RG58 un-
un 1:1 on which to screw the descent cable making the ISOLATOR and Balun of the dipole very
robust. A metal ring allows you to hook the CENTRAL ISOLATOR of the dipole on a pole. Testing and
calibration were conducted with a Yaesu FT-897 and its internal SWR meter. The calibration is very
simple, set the RTX at 50.000 MHz in FM or AM, with VFO in fast tuning and the display indicator on
SWR, switch to TX checking the SWR, if high, move quickly with the VFO, above and below the set
frequency (between 47.000 and 53.000 MHz) until finding a resonance point SWR 1:1, in my case
the SWR, from 1:4 dropped rapidly to 1:1 at 48.200 MHz, indicating that the antenna it resonated low
so it was too LONG, I cut about 5 cm of brass wire on each side with a wire cutter, at the two ends of
the dipoles, measuring a SWR of 1:1 at 49,800, cutting another 2 cm on each side, the antenna
resonated exactly at50.100 MHz. SWR 1:1 with an almost flat trend over the whole band from 50.000
to 50.999 MHz. Each arm of my dipole measures about 142 cm per side for a total of 2.84 meters .
Abundant with the measurements, position it definitively, and gradually shorten the length until the
dipole resonates exactly on 50.100 MHz, have fun. 73 Ivo I6IBE Pratola Peligna
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16/08/23 22.06 6 Meter band dipole 50 MHz i6ibe Ivo Pratola
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16/08/23 22.06 6 Meter band dipole 50 MHz i6ibe Ivo Pratola
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16/08/23 22.06 6 Meter band dipole 50 MHz i6ibe Ivo Pratola
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16/08/23 22.06 6 Meter band dipole 50 MHz i6ibe Ivo Pratola
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16/08/23 22.06 6 Meter band dipole 50 MHz i6ibe Ivo Pratola
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16/08/23 22.06 6 Meter band dipole 50 MHz i6ibe Ivo Pratola
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