Lew G8KJJ Junk box satellite antenna

Pennine Ham presentations are always interesting and in some cases motivating. This was the case with GW4VXE presentation on a “Guide to using satellites in amateur radio”. The presentation certainly captured my interest and so I started planning how I might get involved. My first task was to make or buy a dual band antenna so that I could listen to the amateur QSO’s using satellites. The antenna described here is a hybrid Moxon-Yagi design that has been published on the Internet and in periodicals by many radio amateurs. Rather than copying a published design I decided to look in my junk boxes, of which I have many, and select materials that might provide the components for the project. Having selected the materials needed, I modelled the antenna using EZNEC software.

The result is seen below. The main materials are:- An off-cut of 38mm x 25mm PVC trunking, some leftover 8mm copper pipe from a previous project and some reclaimed 5mm aluminium rod.

The modelling shows that the antenna has a good SWR over the entire 2 Metre and 70 Centimetre bands. Good SWR doesn’t necessarily mean the antenna will work well but it is a step in the right direction.

In use.

Before trying to monitor satellites I worked a couple of stations around Nottingham and received reasonable reports on 2 metres and 70 centimetres using an ID-50e handheld transceiver. So far so good. Using “Look4Sat” which is a satellite predicting application for Android devices, I tried listening to some satellite beacons with mixed results. The International Space Station produced the best results although copying stations working through the repeater was difficult. Putting a preamplifier between the antenna and the “HT” made all the difference and the copy was excellent. The big test will come when I summon up the courage to try and communicate through a satellite. One issue I need to solve in the meantime, is how to switch the preamplifier out of circuit when transmitting. Or I could add more elements to the antenna!

This initial report from Lew has now been followed up by more work and successful reception and transmission through the ISS and other satellites ! December 2025