http://www.jonz.net/W3DHJ/6mhalo.html

This is the 'Jones version' of the Lawn Chair 6M Halo as viewed through the rear window of the mobile. Ain't that just the sexiest thing you've ever seen on the outside of a vehicle?

I read the article: Six Meters from Your Easy Chair by Dick Stroud, W9SR in the January, 2002 QST with some interest. Dick described a 6M Halo antenna that was built from the aluminum frame of a 'generic' lawn chair. It is always a pleasure to peer into the working mind of another homebrewer and scrounger.

However, I put the article and the idea aside, because I had no interest in a 6M vertical antenna for this QTH (nor, for mobile operation, either.) And, that was how the antenna was 'portrayed' in the article. However, later in the Summer of 2002, I became Very Interested in improving my meager 6M mobile operation. Heretofore, I had been running 10W out of an ancient IC-551 into a 2M 5/8 wavelength whip -- which 'worked' well as a base-loaded 6M 1/4 wave vertical -- but, probably radiated like crap. I knew deep in my heart that it was not 'fair' to the other op to have to try to copy my peanut whistle.

Harmonic Convergence: It came to pass that one day I was

A: Pondering a better antenna for 6M mobile.

B: Thinking of a better transceiver for 6M mobile.

C: Feeling that the stock market hadn't really hurt me that much.

D: Reading the email copy of the "AURORA REPEATER ASSOCIATION SWAPLIST"

There was a used IC-706 MKII listed for sale. Whoa!, I thought. That'll give me 100W on 6M -- it'll do mobile Quite Nicely -- and, to boot, I could dabble in HF mobile. I whipped out my checkbook and became the proud owner of the newest rig in my collection. (I had been using 2 TS-520's, an IC-551, and an IC-251A. I am soooo Last Century.)

While waiting for UPS to drop off my new rig, I had time to ponder just exactly how I was going to 'solve' the 6M mobile antenna problem. I looked at several of the 'commercial' 6M halos that are available. They all looked FB, and the prices were not out of line. But, the Olde Home Brewer and Scrounger was already feeling guilty for buying a transceiver. So, I toyed some with the idea of homebrewing the antenna. I played mental games with a few ideas, and eventually circled back to the January, 2002 QST article. Hmmmmmm.... I wondered if I couldn't crank out something along those lines that would both: radiate horizontally and do 85 MPH?

Well, I think I succeeded. Ergo, these web pages. On the following web pages I hope to explain my thinking, design, material selection, construction techniques, and (yes) mistakes.

The project web pages are meant to be read in sequence. The next in sequence, now, is "6M Halo - Project Beginnings" -- found below. However, if you are returning to re-read a specific section, all of the other individual pages are linked here. Subsequent pages each link on to their successor and back to this - the project's initial page.