2 Year Antenna Project

In the midst of this "work of art", is an antenna.  It's been there since March of 2023.
     

In January of 2023, I read an article in QEX (a magazine published by the ARRL) by Richard Quick, W4RQ, on a 2 meter loop antenna made with an aluminum yardstick.  I was intrigued.  I'm also forgetful sometimes - so I didn't get around to buying a yardstick until the weekend before I wanted to use the antenna (late March).  Being me, I also way over thought the project.  36 inches will surely be too short - so I bought a meter stick from Ace Hardware.  But the build instructions said use a yardstick - so I went back out and bought a yardstick from Harbor Freight.  At least that way I wouldn't be out a lot of money when the antenna ended up being too short.

Over the remainder of the weekend, I build both antennas.  Bend them in thirds.  The Harbor Freight one has a hole for hanging so that means the top bends are going to be extra short.  No problem.  I have infinite faith that the meter stick antenna will work flawlessly.  I have so much faith that I paint it right away.  The antenna is for a hidden transmitter so dulling that bright aluminum seems like the right thing to do.  One coat.  Let it dry.  Two coats.  Let it dry.  Now it's Thursday night.  I need this thing for Saturday morning at 0730.  I put it on the antenna analyzer and... its resonant frequency is 136MHz.  Fantastic for US NOAA Weather Satellites but a far cry from the 147.555MHz that my transmitter is going to use.  Try this.  Try that.  If I re-bend it, I'll mar the paint.  Admit defeat and go to bed.  Throw the antenna on the garage work bench.

After work the next day, it's 4th down and long yardage.  It's time for a Hail Mary play.  I get out the Harbor Freight yardstick version and put it on the antenna analyzer.  Tweak this.  Tweak that.  It's got its lowest Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) of 1.2 at 147.56MHz.  "Are you freakin' kidding me?!" and other rants ensue.  It's bright silver.  There's no time to paint.  Besides, it's cold in the garage and I'm not going to stink the house up with spray paint.  It will have to do.  "Seriously!!"

The bright silver Harbor Freight yardstick antenna worked great.  I had to enlist the wife's help to locate it after the event - even though I was standing right in front of the tree I hid it in.  All is well.

Except for that non-resonant antenna sitting on the workbench.

WELL... I finally made the time this week to tune it.  Two years later.  Cut.  Flatten.  Bend.  Drill.  Still too long.  Repeat.  I ended up taking off about... three inches total.  Imagine that.
     

Not bad.  When you are only transmitting 50mW, every little bit helps.

Now to work on all the other stuff on the bench.