Absolute novice guide to making a wire dipole

[Smurf Hunter]

Randy, K7AGE has been putting out good instructional videos for years.

While I personally knew most of this material beforehand, I would have appreciated having it to reference make when I was making my very first HF antennas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84F4UgSWmQo

[Carl]

The simple dipole is a thing of beauty and can be made with the simplest of components as in PVC pipe and 'found' wire.
And when coax can't be found a half wavelength of wire and quarterwave counterpoise make an excellent antenna....
If the Halfwave is a mystery,it should not be...a few simple numbers ,most are multiples of 17 feet can save the day when
the elements take down all of the aluminum yard art that passes as antennas these days.

[PrepperJim]

This is great. When I get into HF, I can use this as a guide for 10 M.

Does anyone have a good source for the balun?

[Carl]

Here is one I like for balun:

http://www.randl.com/shop/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=1970&products_id=72253

[PrepperJim]

For some reason, I could not see Carl's picture from my work computer. I guess they block some links.

I was wondering about an antenna tuner. There are tons of them out there. How can one evaluate the difference between a high dollar one and one sufficient one to tune a 10m dipole?

[Carl]

My 'picture' is a link to a page on Rand L's website for a good 1 to 1 balun.

As for a tuner ,if 10 meters is the only band you want to us you can just cut the dipole to correct size and it will be TUNED.
A tuner will come in handy when using other antennas and bands but is not needed for one band/one antenna.
I have a good rule of thumb when looking for an antenna tuner....Look for the letters "LDG" and you will be fine.
LDG makes automatic tuners that are great and cost very little more than most manual tuners you will find (manual tuners ,best for money is MFJ)

Dipole cut chart link :  http://www.chem.hawaii.edu/uham/10.html

Hint: about 8 feet 4 inches for the 10 meter band PEERR dipole side and this does not include the length needed to tie to insulators.

[PrepperJim]

Yeah, my work blocks photobucket and other sites. That is why many of the pictures show up as broken links.

[armymars]

  For a manual tuner on 10 meters, if your not running to much power then one with closer spaced capacitors plates will have a little bit less loss then the big ones.  I use to make one for the higher bands using the magic "T". The coil has only a few turns in it so losses are low. 

[DDJ]

I found that once I had my first diepole made it was not much work to add a second and third wire to it to make a 3 band fan diepole that I use for 40, 20, and 10 meters.  They say I should have a 15 but I do not see it on my Nano VNA.  I do not have a tuner, or anything on it at this point.  I did in end up having to replace my original 40 meter wire because I lost SWR that was more likely that I raised it at both ends and made it more of a horizontal than an inverted V.