Tools Required.
Hacksaw
Mitre Box (to cut the pipe square)
Electric Drill
Drill bits
Tape measure
Crimp tool for fitting coaxial fittings.
Soldering iron and solder.
Knife
Pliers
Side cutters
Wire strippers.
Black marking pen
White marking pen (for marking black coaxial cable)
Materials.
20mm White PVC Pipe (25mm outside diameter)
20mm end caps
20mm female coupler (sleeve joiner)
Fishing line
RG58 coaxial cable
Coaxial fittings (either PL259, SO239, N male or N female)
Each antenna requires a length of about 1200mm of PVC pipe to construct.
PVC pipe comes in 3 metre or 6 metre lengths and a number of classes that define its pressure rating (wall thickness).
One 6 metre length allows the construction of 5 antennas with minimal wast of pipe.
The lowest pressure rating available would be suitable for pogo stick antennas.
Notes on Pogo Stick Antennas.
The design by Will VK6UU suggests dipole segment lengths of 425mm each and choke coil of 9 turns on a 20mm PVC pipe (25mm OD).
Other suggestions are 440mm for the upper segment of the dipole and 470 for the lower, or, 457 for the upper and 447 for the lower both with a choke of 9 turns.
The 440mm/470mm antenna tunes in the 147MHz segment and the 457mm/447mm tunes in the 146MHz segment.
VK2ZOI suggests 450mm for the dipole lengths and 10.5 turns on the choke, or 457mm for the dipole lengths and 9 turns on the choke.
In various designs, choke coil varies in number of turns between 9 and 11.
In recent WARG designs, the PVC pipe has a PVC cap at the top and a female PVC coupling at the bottom with a short attached section of pipe to provide weather protection to the coaxial fitting (plug or socket).
The coaxial fitting is not mounted on the PVC pipe but is attached to a short pigtail of coaxial cable coming from the choke winding.
