Antenna Wire Winder Kit

thingiverse

When I operate my radios portable for Parks or Summits On The Air, I very frequently use long-wire antennas that require an unbalanced Impedance transformer. I build my low-power 9:1 and 49:1 unbalanced transformers on FT50-43 torroid cores with 26 AWG magnet wire. I've experimented with various winders and other ways of keeping my antenna wire and transformers organized and at the ready, but could not find a commercial or ready to print solution that implemented all the features I wanted. This antenna winder kit is my attempt at creating the perfect antenna winder for a fully self-contained random-length or 1/2-wavelength antenna. This kit includes a winder with built-in transformer/BNC mount and an end insulator for end-fed antenna builds. Materials required for final assembly: 1 short length of shock-cord (about 4") 1 short length of paracord or other general purpose cord The photos show how the unit is intended to be assembled. Holes are spaced to accommodate an FT50 size torroid and a standard panel-mount BNC jack. Small zip ties are used to retain the torroid and the antenna wire is secured by looping through the 3 holes as shown in the photo of the end insulator. I really hope this design is useful!