JOTA Antenna Need Not Be Fancy
I just came back from helping prep a ham station for a Camporee coinciding with the world wide Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) event.
They have just two antennas: a two meter omni and a ladder line fed 135 foot dipole. The dipole is inverted V style atop 12 sections of 48 inch aluminum military mast. The top of the antenna is about 54 feet AGL. Coupled with a good balanced tuner, this thing can work quite well on most of the bands.
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- Simple JOTA Station
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- Ladder Line
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- Boy Scouts practice sending CW
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- Scouts making contacts
The first contact from Virginia was with Japan on 20 meters phone. Not too shabby for such a simple antenna.
Tomorrow we will give it the big test. I know it will work fine because it has already proven its worth during many field days.
If the only antenna you have it a ladder line fed dipole, put it up and go for it.
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