An easy and quick building of active PA0RDT Mini-Whip receiving antenna (based on TH components) or RA0SMS Mini-Whip receiving antenna (based on SMD components). The module includes a schematic (SMD, TH) and PCB GERBER files (SMD, TH). Based on the submitted files, you can order PCB manufacturing at the factory (PCBWay, JLCPCB). The antenna consists of the antenna itself and power feed unit (PFU). In turn, I developed PCB for the independently manufacturing based on the existing circuit. As a result, the self-made manufacture of the Mini-Whip antenna is cheaper than buying a ready-made device.
- Antenna Mini-Whip (TH) (Components list, Assembly guide)
- Antenna Mini-Whip (SMD) (Components list, Assembly guide)
Example of working an SDR receiver on antenna Mini-Whip: Wide-band WebSDR in Enschede, the Netherlands
The detailed description of the principle of operation: Fundamentals of the MiniWhip antenna
Note that the Mini-Whip broadband active receiving antenna may not provide sufficient reception quality. If you are interested in working at a narrow frequency band or at specific values, the best solution would be to use a narrow-band antenna (for example, a half-wave vibrator, provided that you have enough space to install it).
- Not intended for use in the transmission path
- Frequency range: 10 kHz - 30 MHz
- Power: DC 5 - 13 V, 100 mA
- RF connector: SMA
- Feed line: 50 Ohm coaxial cable
- Used PCB Material: FR-4
- PCB thickness: 1.6 mm
- PCB copper weight: 1 oz
An important point is the good grounding of the antenna.
List of changes Antenna Mini-Whip (TH):
Version 7.0.EE: the RF line width has been recalculated using Saturn PCB Design V7.08. At the moment, the resistance of the RF line is close to 50 Ohms.
List of changes Antenna Mini-Whip (SMD):
Version 5.0.EE: the RF line width has been recalculated using Saturn PCB Design V7.08. At the moment, the resistance of the RF line is close to 50 Ohms.
| Source | Description |
|---|---|
| PA0RDT Mini-Whip | The original circuit of the active receiving antenna was used. The PCBs for TH components on platforms EasyEDA was implemented. |
| RA0SMS Mini-Whip | The original circuit of the active receiving antenna was used. The PCBs for SMD components on platform EasyEDA was implemented. |
| Fundamentals of the MiniWhip antenna | Description of the principles of operation of the antenna. A qualitative article with a detailed step-by-step description. |
| Grounding of MiniWhip and other active whip antennas | Explanation of the need for a good grounding of the active receiving antenna. |
| Теоретические основы антенны MiniWhip | Translation of the two previous articles into Russian. |
And also some videos about Mini-Whip (Russian language, original names saved):
- Антенна Mini-Whip. Изготовление активной приёмной антенны на все КВ диапазоны.
- Антенна Mini-Whip. Устройство запитки антенны по кабелю.
- Антенна Mini-Whip. Проверка антенны в полях. Приём сигналов в диапазонах ДВ/СВ/КВ.
- Антенна Mini-Whip - активная приёмная КВ/СВ/ДВ/СДВ антенна.
- MiniWhip vs Dipol. Сравнение работы антенны MiniWhip и диполь на диапазон 40м. Радиосвязь.
- Jerome - Changes to the antenna power supply are proposed, the changes consist of adding versions of PCBs with the possibility of using an RF isolation transformer.