Building a 29 Foot Vertical Antenna for HF Ham Radio

How I build a 29 foot “random wire” vertical antenna for portable HF ham radio #portablehamradio #hamradioantenna #hamradio

[@rdpoulson]

I Walt I'm recent to the ham radio hobby - really, really enjoy your videos regarding building custom antennas - please keep giving us more!!

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thank you! 73, Walt

[@porfok8798]

i have exactly the same antenna,. 29 feet random wire plus 17 feet ground wire using 9:1 unun. it can perfectly installed in a 10 meters pole. I used in POTA activation in mobile. The pole is installed behind my car. its performance uis good.

[@BrokenSignal]

That's a really cool radio!

[@KeystoneInvestigations]

If you want a kick *ss antenna, try this one. I made a FULL wave vertical for 40 meters! I inflated a weather balloon and lifted that sucker up! But since that thing is almost 133 feet high, you need a totally windless day. (or night)

[@olafelsberry420]

I hope you and your wife are doing well Walt, always stay great brother.

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thank you so very much my friend! 73, Walt

[@RF_Burns]

LDG ununs? Rubbish... I THOUGHT - UNTIL I STARTED USING THEM! A true case of "Better than the sum of its parts". They perform brilliantly and the colour coding makes them perfect for "grab-and-go" portable ops. Inexpensive too!

[@AdamSWL]

I heard somewhere that LDG have discontinued these UNUNS? Real shame if they have.

[@RF_Burns]

@@AdamSWL Still for sale here in the UK but could be old stock. I'll pick some spares up just incase 👍

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

roger that!

[@ka4ezy]

@@AdamSWL I believe they only canceled the 49:1 unun. The rest still show as current products on their web site.

[@Jeff_AA8HF]

I've been using a similar setup with great results. Packtenna 9:1 with 29' radiator. I tried one or two 17' radials for a while but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. I ended up using just 50' of coax with no choke and was getting lots of 2-5000 mile DX with just 20 watts - Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, most of Europe and 2 QSOs with Russia from here in Michigan (without the benefit of saltwater) a week ago when band conditions were better. The 29' random wire is a fantastic portable DX antenna ... but nothing very works well when the bands are was bad as they were the last few days. Another great video Walt.

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thank you! 73, Walt

[@KeystoneInvestigations]

29 feet is such a treat When there is RF in the air The antenna does show That Walter knows He's K4OGO! 😃

[@Matt-qq8dh]

Thank you for a great video. This is my favorite setup because I'm handicapped and it is simple and easy. I have 29 ft of 16 gauge speaker wire taped to the bottom and top of a DX Commander Classic 10-meter pole, not taped in the middle. I extend and collapse the pole when needed. I have the LDG 9:1 like you have in the video and an LDG 1:1 for my common mode choke. I put this setup on my back deck that overlooks the backyard which is 9 feet high. I modified this setup and used a tire anchor mount to put the DX Commander pole in. I got the tire anchor mount from another video you made "Urban Ground Plane - HF Vertical Antenna Over Concrete". It works. I just had to anchor the mount with a cinder block and a 25 lb. dumbbell. It helped me figure out a setup that would work on my deck that overhangs my backyard by 9 feet. This will be my primary setup. This is the setup that I told you in another comment, that I made my first DX contact in Texas. I appreciate your videos very much. Thank you for all the ideas you present in your videos.

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thank you! 73, Walt

[@Chuck1855]

Walt I love the way you do antennas you inspired me to teach a class in July on the rubskov antenna. I have to finish building this week then get it on the air and test with my new ldg 4-1 unun. Going back to pick up a ldg 9-1 and 1-1 Choke. Thank you

[@wildbanjoman99]

I have a 26ft homemade one out of EMT metal pipe with 16 radials going into a ATU and it really does preform very very well! Great antennas!

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thank you! 73, Walt

[@snelldeful]

I'll try this week. Just need to cut a bit of wire.

[@Kinetic79]

That Tentec with the modules is so cool… I love how they wrote the MHz right on there. It actually has style, despite its simplicity 😀

[@scottmorris4914]

Ten-Tec had some great projects, but this small company just could not keep up with the other companies.

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Me too, I love this radio

[@mariodesmo]

I like those old school radios, much more than the latest rocket-ship, three dimensional, parallel differential-drive models, with warp drive. If you know what I mean... Good Luck!

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Me too! Thank you! 73, Walt

[@fredwatkins8177]

My number 1 antenna I learned to make here about a year ago when you first tried it. Not being anywhere near the salt water I place a four wire ground plane under it, wires are about 15' long. Works wonderfully.

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Awesome! 73, Walt

[@Tommyr]

LOVE these simple verticals!

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thank you! 73, Walt

[@mcdeadsquirrel]

Never ceases to amaze me .....Thanks so much!!!! Upstate NY

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thank you! 73, Walt

[@19095987]

I used that exact antenna for a POTA activation in the LBJ Grasslands. I logged 85 across multiple bands.

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Awesome! 73, Walt

[@corsavic1]

What can i say Walt this is the way of the ham .......brill

[@MikeN2MAK]

I love the 29’ random wire. I experimented with counterpoise and found 6.5’ worked best for me and made 40M more tunable with an internal 3:1 tuner. But everyone’s mileage may vary due to ground conditions.

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

I've used that length on EFHW antennas before with success. I'll have to give it a try on the randoms. 73 my friend

[@robertmeyer4744]

I have tried the 29 ft vertical with 9:1 with 4 -17 ft ground plain . works good with good band conditions . I have to E tune on my 7300 to make work. lots of FT8 on 50 watts . my core got quite warm but not hot after hours of many contacts. good 20/17/15/12/10 meters . did not try 30 or 40 meters. or 60 /80 meters. I have with longer wire sloped set up. the bands been bad past few days. I did get NVIS on 10 meters yesterday FT8 at 400/500 watts . 1 contact. trying hours. got warm ferrite. 1/2 wave end fed vertical with 49:1 with 2 stack FT 240-61 wound 10 AWG. 3KV cap. I make my own UNUN and Baluns . I don't like I re wrap try again. I leaned 10 meter pole into tree for vertical some times . works good if band good. 73's

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Roger that, 73 my friend

[@jameslarrimore1419]

Wow awesome

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thank you! 73, Walt

[@brianfields4479]

Thanks for sharing, yes the flare messed things up a wee bit, and 40m was dead here, but then one hour after dark and the greyline peak, the band opened up and I got 14,000 miles into the uk then Sweden on 20m. It would seem after a flare the greyline gets a hf delay somehow hi. 73.

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Awesome! 73 my friend

[@MirlitronOne]

Note: propagation conditions are so bad at the moment that Walt has had to resort to using 50W! 😱

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

hahahahaha

[@martinsalt1839]

Another great video there Walt, thanks. I was just about to order the LDG 4:1 to make a Rybakov, now I've seen this video I'm not sure whether to buy the 9:1 , don't really want both at the moment. Which do you consider the better performance antenna, the Rybakov with 4:1 or this random wire antenna with the 9:1 ?

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

I like both, I'd probably go with the Rybakov with a slight edge over this because I'm a 20-10 meter guy. If you're after 40 meters this one is probably a better performer.

[@chuckdaddyo]

Hey Walt. I’m just starting on this path. Passed my general last week. What size size portable mast should I start with?

[@richiec7602]

Another great video, Walt. Is there such thing as a fan vertical antenna like a fan dipole? If so, I would like to see you build one.

[@brianfields4479]

Dx commander makes fan verts.

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thanks! Yes, the DX Commander antenna system is basically what you're explaining. I'll eventually get one up. 73, Walt

[@francv2112]

would this work well hanging the wire from a tree instead of using a pole? love your videos Walt, 73 from Canada

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Thank you! Yes it would work well that way. 73, Walt

[@titotoro8296]

Hi Walt!... just a quick question: what do you use to log the QSO's? Many thanks for your videos. Cheers!

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Hi, I use QRZ.com

[@ChrisKD9YSW]

Yep so need to get 1 more unon

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

roger that!

[@mobiltec]

How did that choke on the coax get there? You do that or did you buy it like that? And what is that choke?

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

That is the Chameleon 50' coax with a built in choke. 73, Walt

[@HAGALAZMANNAZ-iy8yg]

Hi! I am from Poland and I am looking for this LDG - RU-9:1 - UNUN 9:1 200W. Where I can buy? Thx

[@christophersmith1155]

if i build a HALF WAVE ground plane for 11 meters. I need a UNUN ? 4.1-9.1 ?

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

No, a vertical that is 8 feet, 6 and a half inches will be a quarter wavelength for 11 meters and not require an unun. Check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZ-0gmCvpaunm5Isi=s2_37y3tE05VPnQV

[@johnnorth9355]

29' - is that what they call the whole 9 yards (and a bit) ?

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

LOL yes indeed. 73 my friend

[@truckinguy92]

I thought a counterpoise wasn’t needed for an EF antenna?

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

That’s a debate and true for a horizontal or sloping halfwave. From what I’ve read and found on verticals a small counterpoise makes a difference

[@cWatts-zv3oo]

Walt, other than length and unun.....how does this differ from the rybakov? Thanks!

[@n8sdr473]

It doesn't

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

These are both very similar antennas, I've found that the 29' is a slightly better antenna for the 40 meter band because of it's length being longer and closer to a quarter wavelength for that band.

[@n8sdr473]

@@COASTALWAVESWIRES right- however for DX you need to choose wisely on the lengths (you don't want to produce more than a .64 wavelength) on the bands you intend to use. if you go to 3/4 wave your already folding your radiation pattern back into itself. Aim for non-resonate length close to 5/8 or .64 on the band you intend to use most. Since its multi band solution some bands will be better than others- but making it too ling can hurt you unless you start making it multiplies of a wavelength. Key is making the length a NON resonate one or you're going to have issues with 9:1/4:1 ununs.