2 M Band Duck Tape Antenna

This guide will show you how to construct a simple and effective antenna using common household materials. This project is a 2-meter band antenna out of duct tape and copper foil tape. I originally made a video about this on Youtube on Ham Radio Rookie.

Video Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5itl1uWGtU

1. Duct tape
2. Copper foil tape (¼-inch wide)
3. Soldering iron and solder
4. Flux
5. BNC cable
6. Magnetic connectors (optional, for finding the feed point)
7. NanoVNA (optional, for finding the feed point)

Cut two pieces of duct tape to the desired length of your antenna.

Place the two pieces of duct tape face to face, sticky sides together. This creates a more durable base for your antenna.

Cut a piece of copper foil tape to the same length as the duct tape base. Carefully lay the copper foil tape lengthwise along the top of the duct tape base. If you need a longer antenna, you can simply overlap additional pieces of copper foil tape, the adhesive won't interfere with the signal.

Optional: If you have a NanoVNA and magnetic connectors, you can use them to find the optimal feed point for your antenna.

Attach the magnetic connectors to the BNC cable, then place one magnet on the front of the antenna and one on the back, sandwiching the copper tape.

Connect the BNC cable to the NanoVNA and run a sweep to analyze the antenna's SWR.

Slide the magnetic connectors along the length of the antenna, observing the SWR readings on the NanoVNA. The point with the lowest SWR is the ideal feed point.

Once you've determined the feed point, prepare your soldering iron and solder.

Apply a small amount of flux to the copper foil tape where you'll be soldering.

Carefully solder the feed lines from your BNC cable to the copper foil tape at the feed point. The copper foil will heat up quickly, so work swiftly to avoid melting the duct tape.

After soldering, inspect the connection to ensure it is secure.

Cover the soldered feed point and any exposed copper foil with a piece of duct tape to protect it from the elements

Congratulations! You've successfully built a duct tape antenna. This design can be changed to different frequency bands by adjusting the length of the antenna!