Tactical Dipole Lite Version 2
(CHA TD LITE V2)
Operator’s Manual
Nevada - USA
WWW.CHAMELEONANTENNA.COM
VERSATILE – DEPENDABLE – STEALTH – BUILT TO LAST
CHA TD LITE V2 Page 2
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................. 3
HF Propagation ............................................................................................................................ 3
Parts of the Antenna ................................................................................................................... 5
Antenna Configurations .............................................................................................................. 7
Inverted “V” ............................................................................................................................. 8
Horizontal Dipole ................................................................................................................... 10
Sloping Wire ........................................................................................................................... 12
Inverted “L”............................................................................................................................ 14
Recovery Procedure .................................................................................................................. 16
Troubleshooting ........................................................................................................................ 16
Specifications............................................................................................................................. 16
References ................................................................................................................................. 17
Chameleon AntennaTM Products .............................................................................................. 18
Be aware of overhead power lines when you are deploying the CHA TD LITE V2. You could be electrocuted
if the antenna gets near or contacts overhead power lines.
Photographs and diagrams in this manual may vary slightly from current production units due to manufacturing
changes that do not affect the form, fit, or function of the product.
All information on this product and the product itself is the property of and is proprietary to Chameleon
AntennaTM. Specifications are subject to change without prior notice.
CHA TD LITE V2 Page 3
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing and using the Chameleon Antenna
TM
Tactical Dipole Lite Version 2
(CHA TD LITE V2) antenna. The CHA TD LITE V2, shown in plate (1), is a broadband High
Frequency (HF) antenna specially designed for use in short to long range portable and base
station HF communication where rugged and dependable operation is essential. The CHA TD
LITE V2 is the result of experience gained from over six years of daily on-the-air base station
usage of the original CHA TD Lite. The CHA TD LITE V2 is an excellent choice for a permanent
base station antenna, due to its’ rugged design and ability to operate on all ham bands from
160 – 6m, using your rig’s built-in antenna tuner. The CHA TD LITE V2 will operate from 1.8 - 54
MHz without any adjustment, making it ideal for military, government agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS), Civil Air
Patrol (CAP), Amateur Radio Emergency
Service (ARES) / Radio Amateur Civil
Emergency Service (RACES), Salvation Army
Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN),
and amateur radio operators (hams)
involved in field communication. The CHA
TD LITE V2 is configurable to facilitate NearVertical Incident Sky wave (NVIS)
communication and its broadband design
supports Automatic Link Establishment
(ALE), frequency-hopping, and spreadspectrum modes when used with an
automatic antenna tuner. The CHA TD LITE
V2 can be deployed by the operator in the
field in less than 15 minutes, using almost
any available support, with no masts or
guying required.
Plate 1. CHA TD Lite V2.
Antennas built by Chameleon Antenna
TM
are versatile, dependable, stealthy, and
built to last. Please read this operator’s
manual so that you may maximize the
utility you obtain from your CHA TD LITE V2.
HF Propagation
HF radio provides relatively inexpensive and reliable local, regional, national, and international
voice and data communication capability. It is especially suitable for undeveloped areas where
normal telecommunications are not available, too costly or scarce, or where the commercial
telecommunications infrastructure has been damaged by a natural disaster or military conflict.
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Although HF radio is a reasonably reliable method of communication, HF radio waves propagate
through a complex and constantly changing environment and are affected by weather, terrain,
latitude, time of day, season, and the 11-year solar cycle. A detailed explanation of the theory
of HF radio wave propagation is beyond the scope of this operator’s manual, but an
understanding of the basic principles will help the operator decide what frequency and which of
the CHA TD LITE V2’s configurations will support their communication requirements.
HF radio waves propagate from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna using two
methods: ground waves and sky waves.
Ground waves are composed of direct
waves and surface waves. Direct waves
travel directly from the transmitting
antenna to the receiving antenna when
they are within the radio line-of-sight.
Typically, this distance is 8 to 14 miles for
field stations. Surface waves follow the
curvature of the Earth beyond the radio
horizon. They are usable, during the day
and under optimal conditions, up to around
90 miles, see table (1). Low power,
horizontal antenna polarization, rugged or
urban terrain, dense foliage, or dry soil
conditions can reduce the range very
significantly. The U.S. Army found that in
the dense jungles of Vietnam, the range for
ground waves was sometimes less than one
mile.
Frequency
Distance
Frequency
Distance
2 MHz
88 miles
14 MHz
33 miles
4 MHz
62 miles
18MHz
29 miles
7 MHz
47 miles
24 MHz
25 miles
10 MHz
39 miles
30 MHz
23 miles
Table 1. Maximum Surface Wave Range by
Frequency.
Sky waves are the primary method of HF radio wave propagation. HF radio waves on a
frequency below the critical frequency (found by an ionosonde) are reflected off one of the
layers of the ionosphere and back to Earth between 300 and 2,500 miles, depending upon the
frequency and ionospheric conditions. HF radio waves can then be reflected from the Earth to
the ionosphere again during multi-hop propagation for longer range communication. The most
important thing for the operator to understand about HF radio wave propagation is the concept
of Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF), Lowest Usable Frequency (LUF), and Optimal Working
Frequency (OWF). The MUF is the frequency for which successful communications between
two points is predicted on 50% of the days of in a month. The LUF is the frequency below
which successful communications are lost due to ionospheric loses. The OWF, which is
somewhere between the LUF and around 80% of the MUF, is the range of frequencies which
can be used for reliable communication. If the LUF is above the MUF, HF sky wave propagation
is unlikely to occur.
The HF part of the Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum is usually filled with communications activity
and an experienced operator can often determine where the MUF is, and with less certainty,
the LUF by listening to where activity ends. The operator can then pick a frequency in the OWF
CHA TD LITE V2 Page 5
and attempt to establish contact. Another method is using HF propagation prediction
software, such as the Voice of America Coverage Analysis Program (VOACAP), which is available
at no cost to download or use online at www.voacap.com. The operator enters the location of
the two stations and the program shows a wheel with the predicted percentage of success
based on frequency and time. ALE, which is the standard for interoperable HF communications,
is an automated method of finding a frequency in the OWF and establishing and maintaining a
communications link.
Even under optimal conditions, there is a gap between where ground waves end (around 40 to
90 miles) and the sky wave returns to Earth on the first hop (around 300 miles). NVIS
propagation can be used to fill this gap. The frequency selected must be below the critical
frequency, so NVIS can normally only be used on frequencies from around 2 to 10 MHz.
Frequencies of 2 – 4 MHz are typical at night and 4 – 8 MHz during the day.
Parts of the Antenna
The CHA TD LITE V2 is comprised of the following components, refer to plate (1):
A. Matching Transformer, EMCOMM III. The EMCOMM III Matching Transformer provides
broadband impedance matching for the CHA TD LITE V2.
B. Transformer Eyebolt. The Transformer Eyebolt is located on the top of the Matching
Transformer and is used to suspend the Matching Transformer.
C. Top Antenna Connection. The Top Antenna Connection is located on the top of the
Matching Transformer. It is marked “A”.
D. Bottom Antenna Connection. The Bottom Antenna Connection is located on the bottom of
the Matching Transformer.
E. UHF Socket. The UHF Socket, SO-239, is located on the bottom of the Matching
Transformer.
F. Antenna Wire. The Antenna Wires are two 60 foot lengths of insulated wire.
G. Wire Connector. The Wire Connectors are located at one end of the Antenna Wires and
connect them to the Matching Transformer.
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H. Insulator Loop. Three Insulator Loops are permanently attached to the Antenna Wires; one
on each end and one floating along the length of the Antenna Wire.
I. Carabiner. The Carabiners are removable pear-shaped stainless steel hooks with a spring-
loaded gate.
J. Line Winder. The Line Winders are used to store the Antenna Wires. They enable rapid
deployment and recovery of the CHA TD LITE V2.
Plate 1. Tactical Dipole Lite V2 Components.
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