6-Meter Inverted V Dipole Design

As six meter or the Magic Band season is around, it will be good to have at least a 6m dipole, though a Yagi with three elements or more will certainly be better for working DX. For a resonant inverted V dipole tuned to the 6-meter band, here are the calculated dimensions and construction details using 2.5 mm² insulated copper wire.

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Antenna Dimensions

Because you are using insulated wire, the Velocity Factor (VF) will be slightly lower than bare copper, requiring the physical wire to be roughly 3–4% shorter. Additionally, the inverted V configuration typically lowers the resonant frequency compared to a flat dipole.

Component	Dimension (Metric)	Dimension (Imperial)
Total Length (1/2 Wave)	~2.78 Meters	9′ 1.5″
Individual Leg Length	1.39 Meters	4′ 6.75″
Initial Cut Length	1.45 Meters	4′ 9″

Note: Always start with the “Initial Cut Length” (1.45m per leg). This gives you extra wire to wrap around the insulators and allows for “pruning” to reach a perfect 1:1 SWR.

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Construction Specifications

• Wire Type: 2.5 mm² insulated copper is excellent for this frequency. It is mechanically strong and can easily handle higher power.
• Apex Angle: Aim for an interior angle between 90° and 120°.
  • A tighter angle (90°) lowers the feedpoint impedance closer to 50 Ohms, which often results in a better SWR match without a tuner.
  • A wider angle (120°) behaves more like a standard horizontal dipole.
• Height: The apex should be at least 3 to 5 meters (10–16 feet) above the ground for effective 6m propagation.
• Balun: Use a 1:1 Current Balun (or an air-core “ugly balun” consisting of 5–6 turns of RG-58 coax on a 2-inch PVC form) at the feedpoint to prevent RF from traveling down the outside of the coax shield.

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Tuning and Optimization

1. Mounting: Secure the center insulator to your mast and pull the legs out to your desired angle. Keep the ends of the wires at least 2 meters above the ground to minimize ground loss and detuning.
2. Initial Measurement: Check the SWR. Most likely, the antenna will be slightly “long,” meaning the resonant frequency is lower than 50 MHz.
3. Pruning:
   • If the SWR is lower at 49 MHz, shorten both legs equally by 1–2 cm at a time.
   • Do not cut the wire immediately. Fold the excess wire back on itself and twist it; this electrically “shortens” the wire while allowing you to let it back out if you over-tune.
4. Final Target: Aim for the lowest SWR. On 6 meters, the bandwidth of a dipole is relatively wide.

Here is my homebrew 6m dipole prior to mounting. I had soldered two elements directly to an SO239 connector. It was a really tough job to solder the outer connection to the SO239 base. Luckily I got near 1:1 SWR after mounting without any further tuning.