The first Antenna I built was a quadrifilar helix (QFH) to received 137 Mhz NOAA satellites. The design is based on G4ILO's design which is based on Chris van Lint's design. Temporary location outside with a hamtronics LNK-137 preamp. As G4ILO points out on his site, this particular QFH design does not have high gain horizon to horizon, for example, my $10 2m ground plane below will receive a signal when the satellite is low in the horizon, where this QFH can not receive a signal (verified with a simple test: coax switch switching between two antennas). For someone like me, not living in an area with paging interferance, considering a different QFH design... or going with a ground plane antenna.
Experimented with just a "long wire" to improve my SWL.
Next antenna was a $10 2m ground plane made with #8 copper wire and a SO-239 socket. Shown here temporarily mounted on a ladder to receive the APRS transmissions relayed through the Internaltional Space Station (ISS) as it flew over. Currently using it as my main scanner antenna.
Some where around 2013 I build the "435 MHz AMSAT" yagi. It was to receive AMSAT satellites.
Future antenna projects will probally be more satellite focused antennas. Maybe a turnstile:
Would like to build a MT magazine UHF Satcom antenna project
Another future project will probally be a better HF antenna, maybe a
ENIGMA 2000 'COVERT' LOOP ANTENNA". Or maybe just buying a Wellbrook ALA1530S+!
Also need another scanner antenna, considering a
Off-Center Fed Dipole.
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