Beach QRP with the M1ECC Vertical End Fed Half Wave for 20 Meters

[@Aimsport-video]

EFHW FTW! Thank you for yet another great video.

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thank you so much!!!!

[@TheSmokinApe]

Nice job Walt 👍

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thanks Ape!!

[@laszlokovacs8827]

Love my Slidewinder.

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Me too!!

[@agoraphobicadam1171]

My buddy Walt making things happen with only 5 watts. That's Awesome! KO4HPC 73

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thank you Adam! I could have used a few more watts last night to bust through some pileups LOL

[@hamradioqrp-k0klb]

Great, informative vid Walt.. Those DX pileups can be brutal on 5w, but love when those operators pause every 5 minutes or so and ask for qrp stations only and work them till “nothing heard” and back to the pileup... We still may not make the qso, but at least had a low power chance to try and make it.. It seems a few more ops are doing this more frequently.. thx for sharing you amazing talent in video editing and production to keep the content on point and informative in a timely manner.. great work.. k0klb

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thanks so much Kevin! Yes it is a struggle and can be quite frustrating especially when you hear guys that you know can hear you but step all over you with their power anyway. Like I said in an earlier video throwing that “QRP” tag at the end of your call sometimes is the magic pill. Looking forward to your next video my friend! 73 K4OGO

[@FEPLabsRadio]

Very cool, Walt!

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thanks! It was a windy day and I was trying to outrun a thunderstorm. Got out of there just in time!

[@johnmagee2394]

Awesome walt

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thanks John!

[@MM0OPXFieldRadio]

Nice one Walt. I worked both those stations last night though just a hop skip and a jump for me 👍

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Looks like we were both doing a similar portable setup last night! Hopefully we will catch each other next time.

[@MM0OPXFieldRadio]

@@COASTALWAVESWIRES should have put some notice out Walt. I'm sure we would have made the contact. Next time I will. There's an outside chance I will get to try tomorrow night around 20:00 utc weather dependent.

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

@@MM0OPXFieldRadio I will try to give a listen, we have rain and storms in the forecast the next few days so it my operating might be limited. Have a great day my friend!

[@Andrew-dg7qm]

It would be useful to understand what frequencies are good for SSB and QRP. Does it change for you when you try to contact other countries? Maybe a vid on this?

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Hi Andrew, when I’m working portable I’m using working the 20 meter band and hunting for people calling CQ from 14.225 to 14.350 MHz. This is the American General SSB portion of the band and is also the most popular for worldwide SSB DX calls. Hope this answers your question. 73, Walt/K4OGO

[@Andrew-dg7qm]

Hey Walt, sounds very straight forward. Good to know, thanks!

[@LB0FI]

We should schedule a QSO Walt. I just gotta get a bigger mast and build an EFHW for it.

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

We definitely will, especially in a few weeks when I’m in Poland!

[@tommycheshire5508]

Noticed that you were in the bay instead of the beach. That seems like a better idea with all the people on the beach this time of year. I liked your speaker. Where can I find one of those? Thanks in advance for your patience and kindness. Tommy

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Hi Tommy! I got that speaker at TJMaxx for $19.99. It was with all the Bluetooth stuff in the checkout line. It’s just a cheap speaker but works well and is supposedly waterproof. Yes the bay is usually calmer and has less tourists this time of year.

[@bobr6555]

Radials for an end-fed half wave? The coax outer shield functions as a very sufficient counterpoise, just put a ferrite or two 0.05 wavelength from the 49:1. VK4BOB

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Yes I know that is typical of EFHW antennas, the maker of the antenna states using radials in their instructions and I go for the opportunity of using the worlds greatest ground plane (the ocean) every chance I get.

[@Tantalicdavid]

Radials are like putting a mirror under a candle with this antenna.

[@Tantalicdavid]

Its an L/C Coupler resonant at 20m not a 49:1 transformer the antenna is mono band for 20m. @Bob R

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

@@Tantalicdavid excellent description! I don’t think some people understand the true effect of a ground plane under a vertical antenna, that’s one of the best simple explanations I’ve ever heard.

[@anonymous_friend]

What kind of wire is that for your vertical? It looks heavy and steel ? I'm new to the hobby, but I read that if you put a choke in at the box instead of the radio it will not use the feed line as a counterpoise, so you could then attach counterpoise wires to the lug on the box. I'm not certain that is the recommended method though.

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

That wire came with that antenna and you are correct it is steel and I believe it is 3mm thick. That's pretty hefty and somewhat overkill for lower power. I build most of my antennas from 16 gauge copper speaker wire. here's a similar antenna to this I built myself and yes I used a 1:1 choke at the feedpoint to keep the common mode current out of the coax and prevent it from acting as a counterpoise: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oF7IdWuEeN15mdE There's a funny quote in ham radio: ABC = always be chocking

[@tommycheshire5508]

How long should the copper braid be? That stuff isn’t cheap!

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

I use this, 13 bucks: QWORK Flat Copper Braid Cable, 20ft 6mm Copper Braid Wire Ground Lead a.co/d/93p1rKu

[@petermajor4599]

⭐👋👋👋👋🐿🍀🍀🍀🍀💪

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thanks for watching! 73!