A very common question that I receive from people inquiring about my antennas is “Does a J-Pole antenna need to be grounded?” Of course there is a very easy answer: no and yes.

J-Pole half wave antenna groundingJ-Pole antennas are half wave antennas by design. Actually they are a half wave antenna sitting on top of a quarter wave matching section. One great advantage of a half wave antenna that it doesn’t require any special grounding or a ground plane to operate. That’s why you’ll find half wave antennas mounted in difficult antenna situations, like on a boat or a vehicle roof made out of fiberglass. I’ve got a antenna I use on my bicycle that ‘s a half wave, because there really isn’t enough metal in the bike to make a effective groundplane.

As for the second half of the question: yes the J-Pole should be grounded. But instead of an RF ground, the antenna should have an electrical ground to protect it in case of a lightning strike. An electrical ground doesn’t enhance the RF radiation of the antenna, but it is an important safety feature on any installation. A simple electrical ground would consist of a ground line from the antenna either bonded to the tower system or run to a buried ground rod.

The lack of a groundplane makes it easy to mount this antenna just about anywhere. You could put it in your attic, on a chimney or a temporary mast. In fact the lack of a groundplane makes the J-Pole a great choice as an emergency or field antenna since there is less parts you need to assemble in deploying the antenna.

 

Receive My Weekly Message

Subscribe to the KB9VBR antennas newsletters, the best amateur radio value in town. Receive notifications when new videos are posted, Find out what Michael is working on, sales & promotions, and get news about the amateur radio community. All coming to you about once a week. 

You have Successfully Subscribed!