One of the most useful additions to my portable monitoring kit has turned out to be something very simple: a commercial VHF/UHF TV aeral, repurposed into a portable radio fox hunting aerial setup. It’s cheap, rugged, easy to transport, and it works exceptionally well.
This setup has quickly become my go-to for locating unknown transmitters, checking coverage, and doing VHF/UHF direction finding around Northern Tasmania.
The Antenna Choice: Commercial TV Log-periodic antenna
Instead of a purpose-built amateur beam, I’m using a standard VHF/UHF TV antenna. These are designed to pull weak signals out of the noise over a wide bandwidth, and that wideband nature makes them surprisingly effective for monitoring and fox hunting.
Why it works so well:
-
Good forward gain across VHF and UHF
-
Clear front-to-back directionality
-
Broad enough beamwidth to sweep areas easily
-
Built to live outdoors, so portable use is effortless
For receive-only work, especially with scanners and SDRs, it punches well above its weight.
Case-Mounted, Portable, and Protected
To make it practical, the antenna is mounted to the side of a hard case, turning the entire setup into a self-contained portable unit.
Key features of the setup:
-
Side-mounted antenna for stability
-
Coax permanently run into the case
-
BNC connector on the outside for scanners and SDRs
-
The case can be closed and transported with everything connected
-
Excellent protection for both the feed point and cabling
No loose adapters, no stress on connectors, and no last-minute scrambling to wire things up in the field.
Open the case, connect the radio, and you’re operational.
Direction Finding Made Simple
The real advantage of this setup is how intuitive it is to use:
-
Strong peak when pointed at the signal
-
Clear drop-off as you rotate away
-
Deep nulls off the back help reject unwanted transmitters
-
Easy to “walk the signal in” by repeating bearings from different locations
It’s directional enough to be effective, but forgiving enough that you’re not constantly fighting razor-thin beamwidths.
Why This Setup Works So Well
-
Low cost: TV antennas are easy to find
-
Wideband: covers most of what scanners monitor
-
Portable: case-mounted, protected, and quick to deploy
-
Effective: real-world gain and directionality
For anyone doing VHF/UHF monitoring, scanning, or light fox hunting, this is an incredibly practical solution.
Final Thoughts
You don’t always need specialist or expensive gear to get excellent results. This portable VHF/UHF TV aerial setup has proven itself time and time again around Launceston, whether chasing unidentified signals, checking coverage, or just enjoying a bit of hands-on radio direction finding.
It’s robust, simple, and, most importantly, fun.
And at the end of the day, that’s exactly what radio should be.
