OUR READERS SAY…

Bomb-Mounted Yagis

The following letters were in response to WA5VJB’s June Antennas column, which included discussion of the 3-element Yagi mounted to the side of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, 75 years ago to hasten the end of World War II:

Hi Kent,

I read your article in June CQ magazine about the antenna mounted to the side of “Fatman.” I’m interested in any design formulas or requirements when making one like that for either 2 meters or 436 MHz. Does it have to be mounted to a ground plane or flat metal surface? (Sorry, I don’t have any bombs in my junk box … hee hee). I have never in all my days seen something like that! Just when you think you’ve “seen it all” a new item pops up.

– 73, Jim Kocsis, WA9PYH

WA5VJB replies:

Hi Jim,

Just take half a Yagi!

Yes, all elements must be electrically part of ground.

If you wanted some rooftop gain on your car, take a 1/4- wave mag mount. Get two more mag mounts without coax. Make one a bit longer, one a bit shorter, and stick them near the 1/4-wave with coax