Ham Radio Ground plane antenna

thingiverse

I wanted to create a 20m HF Ground Plane antenna for portable use by utilizing a telescopic fishing pole as a mast. I aimed to have four radials and the vertical radiator, each measuring 5m long, with the ability to store the wires neatly, preventing tangles, and allowing you to simply unwind and layout the wire and plug in your coax. There is ample space in the fingers to accommodate additional wire, making it possible to use longer radials and radiator for the lower bands. I previously created a similar device from plywood before acquiring my 3d printer, but this one is much nicer - no splinters are present either! I have a portable 40m vertical with eight radials, four for 40m and four for 20m - I haven't tried it yet, but looking at it, I believe that all of it would fit on here too, so another print will be underway soon. My print time was approximately 4.5 hours. Notice that there are two strain relief holes for the centre radiator, but I also used the pentagon cutouts for the radials, 'taking a turn'. The strain relief should enable the plastic unit to support its own weight if the radiator were to be hung, say, from a tree support. I utilized PLA.