Ideally, if you are going to transmit, you want a properly-tuned resonant antenna. But, sometimes, it isn’t practical. [Ham Radio Rookie] knew about random wire antennas but didn’t want a wire antenna ...

A so-called random wire antenna is an end fed antenna. As typically installed, it is a compromise antenna but great for portable use because it is easy to pack and easy to install. One end goes ...

So far in the $50 Ham series, I’ve concentrated mainly on the VHF and UHF bands. The reason for this has to do mainly with FCC rules, which largely restrict Technician-level licensees to those bands.