FAQ

Since 2001 I’ve built and sold thousands of the J-Pole antennas. I’ve also had lots of questions about installation, operation and performance. Since there is no such thing as a bad question, I’m listing the most frequently asked questions here.

What are the all copper J-Pole antennas constructed with?
My J-Pole antennas are constructed out of Type M solid copper pipe for the ultimate in durability and weather resistance. All joints are soldered with rosin core solder. An SO-239 connector is soldered onto the antenna at the point of lowest SWR.

How do your two meter J-Poles perform on the 440 MHz band?
The two meter J-Pole is tuned for maximum efficiency at the 2 meter band where the SWR is 1.2:1 or less at 146 MHz. It is a pretty good performer on the UHF band where the SWR is 2:1 – 2.5:1 between 445-450Mhz. This is still within the range of what modern radios can handle.

Can you build antennas for any other frequencies?
I can build you a custom antenna for any frequency between 40 MHz and 500 Mhz. If you have a special antenna need, please email me and I’ll give you a cost estimate.

I need an antenna for my HF, 10 meter, or CB radio. Can you help?
At this time I do not produce any antennas for the HF spectrum. This would include antennas for short wave, hf, 10 meter or CB radios. But I am investigating new products, so check back from time to time to see if I have any new offerings that may meet your needs.

How are your antennas shipped?
I use USPS Priority Mail to ship my antennas. I find that Priority Mail gives you the best price, speed, and deliverability. The 6 meter antennas are shipped UPS 3 day select which works best due to their length. International orders are usually shipped USPS Airmail Parcel Post.

Can the antenna be painted?
As the copper J-Pole is exposed to the elements, it will develop a dark brown patina. You may paint the antenna with nonmetallic paint to protect it and help it blend into the surroundings. If you want to keep the antenna looking shiney and new on the tower, you can also paint it with a clear enamel paint.

I recommend the following procedure if you are planning to paint the antenna. First shine the antenna with some fine ’00′ steel wool. Then clean the antenna with a rag or paper towel soaked with isopropyl alcohol. Alcohol is flammable so do this in a well ventilated area. Also let the rag dry out in the open before throwing it away to prevent spontaneous combustion. Tape the connector up with masking tape and apply one or two coats of spray enamel paint.

Is there any special way in which the antenna needs to be mounted?
The antenna is naturally at dc-ground, so it does not need any isolation from the mast. The antenna can be mounted directly to a metal mast with hose clamps or U-bolts. The J-Pole can be detuned by nearby large metal objects. You should keep it at least 6 feet away or above metal buildings and the like.

I live in an apartment. Can I still use your J-Pole antenna.
You will definitely see an improvement with an antenna like a J-Pole when you compare it to the rubber duck antenna found on today’s HTs. Try clamping the antenna to the balcony or deck railing, to planting it in a flower pot filled with landscape stones. Try putting it into the attic space if you have access. As a final result, prop it up in the corner of the room. If you do that, follow RF safety guidelines and keep the transmitter at a lower power setting.

How to I connect your antennas to my hand held portable radio?
While the J-Pole antennas are designed to be superior base station antennas, they will all work very well with your HT or hand held radio. In fact I highly recommend the breakaway model for portable use. The antennas have an So-239 connector on them, and I recommend using coax cable with Pl-259 connectors to connect the antenna to the radio. You willl need an adaptor to connect the standard coax with Pl-259 connectors to your portable radio. Radio Shack does sell an BNC to SO-239 adaptor and an SMA to SO-239 adaptor. If you can’t find the adaptors at Radio Shack, try Tower Electronics or Ham Radio Outlet. These adaptors will let you connect an HT to any antenna using standard coax cable. It’s a good idea to have a few of these in your go bag just for these reasons.

How much power will a J-Pole antenna handle
J-Pole antennas have been designed and constructed out of a wide variety of materials. The choice of construction materials can greatly affect the performance and power handling of the antenna. Typically, the 2 meter all copper J-Pole antenna will handle 250 watts or more of power. Copper is a very efficient conductor and will tolerate and dissipate heat energy very well.  I’ve personally tested my 2 meter antenna at power levels up to 170 watts without issue and am confident that the antenna will go higher. 

Can I use your antenna on a repeater
J-poles will certainly work well as a repeater antenna . They have an omnidirectional doughnut shaped radiation pattern. This makes them a good choice as an antenna for low to moderate elevation levels and would be a great choice as a remote base or receive antenna on a repeater system.

How does your six meter antenna perform?
The six meter antenna works really well. I had one ground mounted and was able to hit a repeater 40 miles away with 5 watts. The return signal was about half scale on the on the radio and I had excellent signal quality going into the repeater according the other half of my QSO. Another person mounted his on his chimney and is able to talk simplex with 100 watts for more than 40 miles and still have a full scale signal. These examples exhibit average behavior of the antenna, but your mileage may vary.

What type of coax should I use?
Coax size is dependant on a couple of factors, most notably the length of your run and the frequency of your antenna. VHF and UHF signals are more prone to attenuation in the coax, so a low loss cable should be selected. For a run of 100 feet, here are the loss figures in decibels for some of the more popular coax types:

A loss of 3 db will cut your power in half. A six db loss will cut your power into 1/4. I recommend RG-8 if your cable run is over 50 feet and RG-8X if it is less than 50 feet. You shouldn’t use RG-58 for VHF/UHF unless it is a very short run (less than 15 feet.). GMRS J-Pole users should only use RG-8 for short runs and Belden 9913 for longer runs. Loss figures for other frequencies and cables can be found at the Cable Experts.

The SWR is really high on my antenna. What should I check?

1. Check the coax, make sure there are no problems associated with it. The connectors should be well soldered or crimped without any shorts and there should be be any apparent kinks in the cable.
2. Check the mounting location, nearby buildings will affect the SWR. Keep structures at least six feet away from the antenna, or make sure the antenna is above the structure.
3. Make a balun to keep RF from coming back down the coax. Make a coil of about 5 loops of coax with a coil diameter of about 6 inches. This coil should be located about a foot away from the feedpoint of the antenna. Secure the coil with cable ties or electrical tape.
4. Inspect the antenna itself. Is the solder loose or cracked at the feedpoint. If it is, let me know.

   

   Balun Coil at the feedpoint