Long Wire Antenna With 9-1 Balun

Using T106-2 Torroid

Through a very gracious donation I was able to get a toroid ring...and was able to build this small yet very good antenna. It is what I am running now and I love it to the point I am looking for another toroid to make another. This is how I made it

You will need the following items to make the antenna

1 plastic enclosure to hold the toroid and have the antenna wire and coax connect to
1 powdered iron toroid T106-2 or T130-2
3 approx 20" pieces of 22 AWG solid insulated copper wire (ideally different colors)
2 # 8-32 x 3/4" hex head machine screws
2 # 8 lock washers
2 # 8 ring wire lugs
2 # 8 flat washers
2 # 8 lock washer/nut combination
2 # 8 wing nut
1 SO-239 panel mount connector to connect the antenna to your radio

You also need antenna wire....I used 50 feet stranded. You can get away with 30 feet but longer will help. What you need to avoid is having a length that is 1/2 wave. So find the 1/2 wave length of the freq/bands you want to use and stay away from those lengths. Its best if you use either 17, 36, 44, 49, 53, 59, 72, 88, 98, or 102 foot lengths.

Drill one 5/8" hole for the SO-239 connector, and one 11/64" hole for the counterpoise wing nut on the lower side of the enclosure. Next, drill an 11/64" hole in the upper right side of the box for mounting the antenna connector.

Now to work on the toroid...this is critical to get right. Take your time and make sure all the windings are tight around the toroid and use the pictures for guidance

Wind the three 20" pieces of insulated solid wire onto the toroid. Place the wires as shown green-black-red, and wrap the toroid 9 turns so that it looks like the photo below. Notice there are three wires extending from the left winding and three wires extending from the right winding. As the connections are completed, the steps refer to the specific wires by left or right and color.

NOTE: Count turns by counting the number of times the wire goes thru the toroid center. Crimp together and solder the left black wire with the right red wire When the step is completed, it will look like the photo below.

The next three steps should appear as shown in the photo below. Crimp and solder a # 8 lug to the left red wire about 2" from the toroid. The completed lug will later connect to the antenna connection bolt on the upper inside of the enclosure. Twist the left green wire with the right black wire. Strip the ends of the two wires and twist together at about 2". This twisted pair will solder to the center connection of the SO-239 connector in a later step. Trim and strip the remaining right green wire at about 2". Cut an additional 2" piece of green wire, and crimp and solder both wires to a # 8 lug. The 2" green wire will connect to the ground connector on the SO-239 already installed in the enclosure. Strip remaining green wire end 3/8" and bend into a hook for connection to the SO-239 ground connector. The SO-239 connector and ground lug should be installed through the keyed hole in the lower right with the mounting nut securely tightened. Solder the green and black twisted pair to the SO-239 center connector. Solder the green wire hook to the ground lug on the SO-239 connector.

From inside the box, place an 8-32 machine screw through a lock washer, the # 8 lug on the green wire, then through the lower 11/64'" mounting hole. Place a flat washer on the outside protruding machine screw followed by # 8 lock washer/nut and tighten securely. Place a # 8 wing nut on the machine screw to finish the counterpoise connector. Position the toroid inside the box to allow connection of the red antenna wire lug to the 8-32 machine screw on the upper right box side. Place an 8-32 machine screw through a lock washer followed by the # 8 lug connector on the red wire, and put it through the 11/64" hole on the top. Place a flat washer on the outside of the box followed with a # 8 lock washer/nut. Tighten the nut securely. Next, place the wing nut on the antenna connector.

I used some hot glue to secure everything in place and I used some clear silicone to seal up the project box to secure everything from rain and the other elements. The jist of what I have done is below.