How to Make a Folded Dipole Antenna for 6 Meters

A dipole antenna is a simple design that's easy to build and effective within certain frequency ranges. The folded dipole variation of the antenna employs wires that are folded back upon themselves for a more compact antenna. When constructing a dipole antenna, the starting point will always be the frequency, or wavelength, the antenna is designed for. A 6-meter dipole antenna will operate best at 51 MHz, useful in many VHF applications.

Things You'll Need

• 20 feet of 300-Ohm twin lead antenna cable
• Wire cutters/strippers
• 1-by-2-inch piece of 3/4-inch plywood
• Two wood screws
• Screwdriver
• 300-to-75-Ohm antenna transformer
• 75-Ohm coaxial cable

Instructions

1. Remove 1/2 inch of insulation from both leads on both ends of the twin-lead cable, using a set of wire cutters. Twist together the two wires on each end. This creates a closed loop of wire.

2. Cut one of the twin leads in the center of the wire loop. Strip away 1/2 inch of insulation from each side of the cut wire.

3. Screw two wood screws halfway into the wood block, separated by 1 inch. Twist the bare wires from the center of the wire loop, one around each of the screws.

4. Slide the U-shaped connectors onto one end of the transformer under the heads of the screws, one under each screw. Tighten the screws until they're flush with the wood block.

5. Plug one end of a 75-Ohm coaxial cable into the other end of the transformer. Plug the other end of the cable into your receiver.

6. Suspend the antenna from the middle and ends at the highest location possible for the best reception.

References

• "The ARRL Antenna Book"; American Radio Relay League and R. Dean Straw; 2007

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish