This post is mini intro to SOTA and my first
expedition.
As a new ham operator, the first problem that
I came across is that if you want to do HF (high frequencies (stuff below 50
MHZ), you need long antennas. The 20
meter band (~14mhz) requires an antenna half that, 10M or ~33 feet long. Going to a lower frequency, a longer
wavelength, you need to have a longer antenna.
For example, the next most popular band is 40 meters, and yup, you need
20 meter dipole or something else. My
lot is wide enough to hold that and if I
put it on the side, it’s blocked by my neighbor’s house. Sure, there are way to use a shorter antenna,
but if you want to get the most range from the radio you have, a long dipole is
the best.
