~ URBAN ANTENNAS - Volume 1 ~

* * *Direct from Belgorod, Russia! * * *

Folks, we are very pleased to bring this fresh, new masterpiece of amateur radio literature to you direct from Russia! Written by Igor Grigorov, RK3ZK, of Belgorod, Russia for antenneX, for the first time, we are now able to learn how the problems of operating from close or restricted environments are solved in that part of the world. Igor summarizes it this way:

Let's let Igor tell you more about this new book, URBAN ANTENNAS - Volume 1 written here in his own words:

"...The increasing urban mode of life has touched the radio amateur hobby to a much greater degree than it has most other hobbies. Urbanization of the world's population is growing very rapidly. At the start of the 20th century only 14% of the Earth's population lived in cities. Then, in the 1960's more than 50% lived in cities. Now, at the beginning of this, the 21st century, more than 75% of the Earth's population lives in cities.

In the USA, at the beginning of the 21st century, more than 78% of population lives in cities, and one-half of the USA population now lives in huge cities having more than one million residents.

It is very true that an effective antenna is necessary for radio operations. And it is also true that any effective antenna requires that it be located in a good open space, but space is usually not available in a city. Let's open many of the old communications and engineering books that refer to antennas and see what kinds of antennas they have to offer for radio amateur use. There we will find many effective ones, such as the half-wave dipole, the quarter-wave vertical, the full-size quad, along with many other remarkable antennas that are simple to set-up, and they all provide excellent operation. But, alas, they all require a place to mount them!

In a city, the architectural demands usually do not allow a place for antennas. Where antenna restrictions are imposed, those living in apartments, condominiums, rented flats, hotels, and hostels often do not even dare talk about erecting any antenna for amateur radio operations. In many residential sub-divisions in the USA, even those who own their own home frequently encounter similar restrictions, although some own large lots. As a result, it seems that many radio amateurs do not have any possible way of installing even a receiving antenna, much less a way for mounting a transmitting antenna to interface radio waves with the ether!

In the 21st century with the process of the world's population shifting to the cities accelerating, is it really necessary to stop enjoying our amateur radio hobby? NO! I have good news for you! It is still quite possible for us to launch radio waves into the ether with small-sized, imperceptible "invisible" antennas! This book is devoted to my sharing and explaining practical ways of doing this!

In the middle 1970's, when I first started my hobby of operating amateur radios, there were no problems with installing normal full-scale antennas. Then, as I changed my residence from place to place, and moved to more, more, and even more urban places, I installed more, more, and even more small-sized antennas for my amateur operations. I constructed and tested hundreds of varieties of different types of antennas, which I put up and then hide on my radio set. This experience allowed me to realize I could still launch radio waves by coupling them into the ether with small antennas and still enjoy normal amateur operations, even though none of the neighbors ever suspected that there was a radio amateur working near by.

During the last few years, the ether has become appreciably less cluttered. A large percentage of both the military and commercial stations have moved from the high-frequency short wavelengths to VHF, the "woodpecker" propagation radars that had been contaminating the ether so badly have now been turned-off, and the long wavelength impulse navigation systems have also been turned-off.

Modern radio transceivers ensure both excellent signal transmission and reception, with receivers having very high sensitivity and excellent frequency stability. They enable an operator to gradually reduce the power transmitted into the ether, and enable the radio amateur to operate using simple "substitute antennas" to couple signals into and from the ether.

In this book the descriptions of different types of urban antennas tested by me during my 20 years of amateur radio operations are listed. The construction concept of each of these antennas is made on the basis of a known type of existing antenna, and the types of antennas used as the basis for my various configurations are given. The expositions of single-band antennas for operation on 136 kHz, 27 MHz, and 144 MHz in city conditions are listed. The construction of antennas for mobile is described as many people spend much essential time every day while traveling on the road to and from their job. Amateur radio operation from a car has become a common routine matter. Many radio amateurs are also fond of operating from campaigns, parks, and forests with QRP gear. In this book many construction questions are answered concerning many small inexpensive antennas for QRP-expeditions, which are easily made, easily erected, and easily tuned, which make it possible to conduct a wide range of experiments. It is possible to say with confidence that in our century, this the 21st century, amateur radio in the city, even in the absence of a good place for antennas, will not die! The 21st century will be a century of small-sized antennas, High-Tech gear, and, certainly, a time for doing many experiments with small-sized antennas designed for operation in city conditions!

I hope this book gives you, my fellow radio amateurs and experimenters, new ideas concerning construction of small urban antennas that will allow you to work within most city conditions, and even occasionally during "impossible" conditions! All of the antenna projects published in this book have been assembled and tested by me. I know they are good. You can safely start making any of the antennas described in this book. They all work! So experiment! And may you have good operation from your cities, too! — IGOR GRIGOROV 73!..."

And, here's a preview of the content of the 220-page book which contains over 240 diagrams and tables:

Read a review of the Urban Antennas Volume 1

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