We've all seen those ubiquitous orange wire winders at Walmart or any of the home improvement stores, usually selling for around a dollar each. Here is a simple antenna wire winder created by cutting down one of those dollar wire reels. And you thought I forgot about the 'free bonus'? Not at all. Essentially, all that needs to be done to convert a dollar extension cord winder into a handy-dandy portable antenna reel is trim it to size. One word on their use: While it is ever so tempting to hold the reel with one hand and wind up the antenna wire with the other, that will produce twists and kinks in the wire. There are a number of alternate methods of winding up your antenna wire including, but certainly not limited to: I'd love to hear what you come up with. Please consider sending me any photos of your antenna winder creations.
Amateur Radio: K3RLL
ANTENNA WINDER
Here is one solution to reeling up your portable wire antennas, and it comes with a bonus.
If you've settled on the use of a wire antenna for portable operations, probably based upon their low cost, effectiveness and fairly light weight, then a way to store them is essential. It can be challenging to wind up a fair length of wire without twists and the resultant kinks that inevitably occur. What is a ham to do?
What do you do with those extra end pieces left over after cutting down the wire reel into a more appropriate size for light weight antenna wire? They can be drilled to make excellent and very sturdy insulators for the wire antenna - and they will match your tasteful orange winder. How good is that?
Now, you have some options with this process. Depending upon the amount of antenna wire, you may choose to trim all but an inch or so off each of the four ends and thus have a storage reel, complete with handle, for a 40 meter or 80 meter wire antenna.
Or, you may choose to trim the orange wire winder more severely for antennas composed of less wire. Here is an image of a NorCal88 doublet fed with TV twin lead on an abbreviated orange wire winder. Please note that the cuts were made to preserve the handle.
With only a small saw, an inexpensive extension cord winder and your imagination, you will be able to create and use any number of novel and creative reels for your portable antennas.
a.) Rotate the winder end-for-end as you wind up the wire to completely eliminate any twisting or kinks, or
b.) Switching hands ever so many 'winds' of antenna wire will come close.
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