Half-Wave Flower Pot Antenna – 2M or 2m/70cm Dual Band
This is the basic 2m Half-Wave antenna using grey
25mm conduit – to build a Dual Bander with 70cm
capability - Continue the steps from Page 4.
Materials: 25mm Conduit Minimum 1metre;
Coax: Min 2 metre; Nylon line 500mm, Al-foil
Longer conduit, will give more room below the coil
to attach to the antenna support. [Think about
YOUR mounting & choose a suitable length].
The Flower Pot is made by placing some coax
inside the conduit & where it exits, making a coil
on the outside.
You will strip off some black outer sheath & the
metal braid inside, leaving the centre metal core
protected in the white inner dielectric material.
The stripped piece of coax inner will become the
‘Radiator’ - the radiating portion of the antenna.
Always refer back to Image 1 for the design.
Image 1 – the Basic VHF 2M Design Read the steps, choose your conduit & coax
length & test your ‘turns’ before continuing…
The Conduit needs 2 holes; the coax starts inside
conduit, exits out a hole, makes a coil on outside &
goes back into the conduit.
Drill 2 holes into the side of the conduit for entry & exit
of the coax [see ‘tips’ on easing the coax in & out].
Make the ‘top’ hole approx. 925mm from the top (this
distance is the length of the radiator plus a small
clearance between its end and the end-cap).
The spacing between the holes must allow for 9 tight
turns of your conduit.
Wind 9 coax turns temporarily on the conduit, mark &
measure – then drill the 2nd hole according to your
measurements.
The Coax: Length is Your choice.
2metres allows a short ‘connector’ tail out the
bottom of the conduit [if using 1metre conduit –
for longer conduit – adjust the coax length!].
Strip 457mm from one end. Remove both outer
black sheath and metal braid to form top element.
See image 3 & refer back to image 1 for where this
exposed dielectric will sit inside the conduit.
The point where black outer sheath & braid begin
is called the ‘feedpoint’.
Image 3 - 457mm exposed dielectric
1
Secure the top of the ‘Radiator’
Take 500mm nylon fishing line or similar.
Tie fishing line to the top of the upper element securely.
This line will be used to pull the radiator taut; it will clip
over the top of the conduit – [see Image 1]
Later you will make a notch at the top of the conduit to
hold it in place.
Measure/Mark Coax: Measure 447mm down from
the feedpoint (the point where braid/outer sheath
now starts); See Image 5
Image 5 – Mark 447mm on coax This is the point where coax exits the conduit &
the coil begins i.e. it’s the distance to the start (or
top) of the choke coil.
Mark this point on the coax as a reference/stop
point when inserting the coax into the conduit.
Some Steps prior to installation:
File the holes ‘sideways’; file to the shape of the coax
going & and coming out on the angle see photo right.
Heatshrink the feedpoint to seal against water entry.
To assemble antenna:
Insert the radiating portion (together with the piece of
nylon line) through the top coil hole.
Manoeuvre it to top of conduit.
Stop when your ‘marker’ reaches the top coil hole.
See Image 9 - Your mark should just disappear into the
hole.
Image 9 insert coax to your ‘mark’
2
Fish-out the nylon line and pull it taut.
Temporarily straighten the radiator.
This will “set” the bend at the choke coil top.
Make a 9 turn choke/coil on the outside of the conduit
Form the coil – your previous practice should have given
you precise hole distances.
Ensure the ‘mark’ on the coax remains at the top hole &
isn’t lost in the conduit or made part of the coil.
After 9 turns, insert the end of the coax back into the
conduit, push it down & out the bottom of the conduit.
See image 11- note tight coil of 9 full turns.
Image 11 – choke, note 9turns & mark visible at hole
Cut notch in top of conduit Fit a connector to lower end of the coax; measure
Make a small notch in the edge of the conduit, pull the the SWR & if necessary trim the top element – or
nylon line taut and catch the nylon line in the notch. add a little length by soldering a scrap of wire.
This ensures the radiator remains at 457mm long inside Once satisfied with the SWR, fit a conduit end-cap
the conduit. to clamp the nylon line in place and hold the
radiator straight
Finishing Tips Don’t use coax with a foil shield as the foil tends to
break at the sharp bends at the choke entry/exit points.
Don’t block or seal the bottom end of the conduit.
If this happens, the antenna will not work!
This is to allow condensation to drain away.
Silicone/seal the coil entry and exit holes to
minimise water entry
RG58 Coax Self Resonant Frequency (MHz)
PVC Conduit Former
Diameter
Coil Turns
25mm 32mm 50mm
4 - 160 -
5 150 136 85
8 142 106 65
9 135 100 60
Heatshrink the bottom end to provide a buffer for 10 129 95 57
the exiting coax and neaten the base.
12 117 84 52
Wrap PVC tape over the coil and the entry/exit
15 105 75 47
holes to minimise water entry
3
2m/70cm Dual Band Half-Wave Flower Pot Antenna
The idea The Science
The half wave 2M version of the Flower Pot Operation on the third harmonic is achieved by using
antenna is easily modified to a dual band antenna a sleeve technique so as to form quarter wave
for operation on a band that is the [approximate] phasing sections (at the higher frequency) to end feed
third harmonic of the fundamental resonance. two half waves in phase at the third harmonic.
[e.g. 145MHz x 3 = 435MHz – that’s 2M to 70cm
or VHF to UHF] This arrangement provides useful gain (3dB) on the
higher band. The sleeve technique maintains the
The modification involves placing a coax phasing impedance matching for both bands and (probably
sleeve of aluminium foil around the outside of fortunately) there is sufficient longitudinal impedance
conduit. in the choke coil to provide the required isolation at
the third harmonic.
First construct the 2M antenna , then fit the sleeve
as shown in image 14.
Dimensions for a 2m half-wave Flower Pot
– WITH Outer sleeve for 70cm Band
Sleeve material can be aluminium
(Kitchen) foil, copper foil, brass shim,
building alfoil sarking or salvaged
coax braid.
A
B
T
B
iB
p
C
sT
B
i
A
p
T
s
i
p
A Image 14 – Design of Dual-Bander
s
A
4
Note dimensions in Image 14.
Foil is 235mm long and must be at least 80mm
wide to ‘wrap’ around 25mm conduit.
Foil position is Marked as “B”
Foil top edge to top of radiator is marked “A”
Foil lower edge to top of choke is marked “C”
Foil is positioned so that the centre of foil is
over the feedpoint [hidden inside the conduit]
Wrap the foil around the coax and fix
temporarily.
Image 15
Before fixing the sleeve permanently in place,
check SWR on 2m
The foil sleeve should not change the 2m SWR -
it may raise the resonant frequency slightly.
With the sleeve fitted, the SWR should not be
greater than 1.15:1
Check SWR on the 70cm (430 – 450 MHz) band -
expect SWR less than 1.2:1 at band edges and
less than 1.1:1 in band centre.
If SWR is outside these limits, adjust position of
sleeve (+/- 5mm max) and, if necessary, trim
sleeve length to lower SWR.
IF trimming sleeve length (dimension “B”) adjust
dimensions A and C accordingly to keep centre
of sleeve adjacent to feedpoint of the inner 2m
radiator.
When satisfied with the SWR, fix foil in place and
protect the sleeve with UV protected PVC tape or
heatshrink.
Loss in grey electrical conduit
Grey electrical conduit is lossy, however it is
very UV resistant. The design compensates for This document is prepared by VK4ION
the effect of the conduit by shortening the
For BARC Members
elements (by about a 2% factor) but otherwise
the conduit appears to have little effect on the
The original document & images come from VK2ZOI
radiation efficiency.
