Ham Radio HF Unity Gain Antenna Survey (

A Necessarily Incomplete Survey of Amateur Radio HF Unity Gain Antennas--a look at the many, many antennas used in ham radio that have about the same gain as a good dipole. I select the antenna to be used in the Reference Station.
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[@presidentspilot]

Mr. Casler, without a doubt, you are a NATIONAL TREASURE!! I thank you, Sir, for all that you do, for the entire Ham Fraternity!!

[@JustAThought1000]

I’m appreciative of both the time and the knowledge you are giving us, the viewers.

[@zeproo]

The most instructive video ever seen on youtube about HF antenna's. I learned soo much. My reflex, instant subscription lol. Thanks !!

[@Bdub1952]

40/20/10/6 - my MFJ-2010 OCFD is cheap, readily available, easy to put up, and it WORKS. No tuner required. Thanks for the great content, David. 73, N7BWB

[@jwerp0]

Bw Bacon I also selected the MFJ-2010 as my antenna when I got back into ham radio last June after a hiatus of 38 years. I have mine mounted about 35 feet high. It works remarkably well on 40 and 20. My rig doesn’t work on 6 meters and 10 is pretty much dead so I haven’t used it on these bands. It is simpler than the alpha delta since it has just a single wire on each side of the center insulator however it doesn’t cover 15 meters. 73 - WA8MDC

[@anthonyrosa5006]

Were gonna have some fun with it... Worth a thumbs up right there. Good video Dave.

[@BartVanAllen]

Well done intro to beginners antennas, and I agree mostly. One note - I have an old 5BTV ('60s construction?) that I have used about 35 years now, and I also find that it slowly decays in tune-ability over time as you mentioned. When opening up the traps, the coils grow whiskers. Removing them makes all well again. Plus the hornets nest in the one that has the bottom open, which I cover with plastic window screen, also messes them up. "Tuned"-ish radials work ok along with the ground rods for static drains, and I plan to add insulated wire fencing screen for improving the capacitance connection to ground when I figure out how to weave it around the garden - very small yard, so it isn't straight forward. I mostly use the 80M OFC, which is 1.0 - 1.2 SWR across the 40M band, and not much more on 20 even wrapped around the small yard fully 270 degrees. All the others can be tuned with the radios internal tuner except 60, 30 and 6M. I use an outboard tuner instead of the internal which makes it all work nicely. Can't wait to see your results with the chosen antenna! Thanks again sir, and 73

[@jimgiordano8218]

The 14AVQ was my first antenna as a novice in 1971, I had good luck with it. I added the 80 meter kit to it. I also used it on 11 meters with my CB with excellent performance. I would get 30 miles on 11 meters on a mast 10 feet of the ground. This video has been a great lesson for me. Thanks Dave.

[@ProperLogicalDebate]

Tools, time, raw materials, knowledge, Elmer to teach you, someone who you can teach, someone to encourage, and most importantly a supportive spouse.

[@graywolf1911]

This was excellently done Dave!! This will help many new hams and hams that have not gone too far down the road yet.

[@realFoxBox]

Dave: "20m is only open during the day, at night what do you do?" Me: *goes to bed*

[@sraiken]

Outstanding presentation. Thank you Dave. Hope to meet you some day. I am a little south of you in northern NM. I am ready to watch the next step.

[@timbacchus]

Hygain 18AVT was my first antenna in 1965 and still use it at the cabin in northern Arizona

[@K3KTB]

I love my Alpha Delta DX-EE. Have it mounted in my attic and have reached Brazil, France, and Alaska.

[@supremetalentco]

Likewise here

[@davidsradioroom9678]

Your survey may be "incomplete" but it was quite comprehensive. I learned a couple things.

[@douglassharafanowich8605]

Just a correction about the Transworld Vertical Dipole antenna (mentioned @ 41:31). This antenna has NO WIRES between the horizontal capacitance arms. The 20-10 model is resonant on 20m. It uses a remote powered (9v-12v DC) switch box at the radio to switch between different bands in the tuning circuits in the box mounted on the center pole of the antenna. This is also where you attach the coax from your radio. Note: The coax and the cable for the switch box must be led away from the antenna at 45 degree down angle to the ground in order to achieve proper SWR. Hope this helps. :-)

[@davecasler]

Thanks for the info.

[@markmarquardt8016]

Excited to see this video and looking forward to the next video.

[@9999plato]

I just passed my general and need antennas for my FT847 so this is great information. I just got my dual band mobile installed yesterday, an IC501. It looks like I need at least 4 antennas for the 847 since it separates 2m, 70cm, and 6m, HF.

[@Tracks777]

lovely content

[@whitefordpipeshandmadebymi7238]

I really enjoyed watching this video! Take care Dave ! 73 de ve3hip in welland Ontario Canada 🇨🇦

[@sphexes]

I love 20 and 40. Your advice is quite sensible and affordable. 80m? Hmmm I'm generally not there with only 100 watts. I'll hear "put some more fire in your wire!". It's where the grizzled old guys stay away from Lids, Kids and Space Cadets.

[@DAVIDGREGORYKERR]

an UNUN driving a longwire is cheap and easily made, if you have copper microbore pipe what about a Slim-Jim antenna the height of your house and the matching stub close to the first floor window where you can access it so you can get a better match.

[@garysoutham8746]

Hi Dave , I am VE3NCV from Ontario , Canada. I love this video and its content. Have you seen the DX Comander made in England by Callum McCormic ( M0MCX or M0XXT) . IF you could do a report on it that would be nice. Callum includes everything you need. 6 - 80m or 9 bands( or vertical wires) . It seems like a nice antenna. I really like your videos and they give lots of ideas for the ham for antenna idess. Thank you for what you do.

[@tomw5vlt119]

I like DX Commander (and Callum, great shows). As a vertical it may be a good solution. Sometimes though he does these things with antennas tossed over this or that, or run between this and that, that look a mess and would not pass muster with my wife or my POA. Great show. Love his demonstrations of antenna modeling.

[@amudlifecrisis]

That dipole is a logical choice for the reference station. I think you did an excellent job covering the myriad of other options. No one antenna is going to satisfy every viewers needs and limitations. For those who are space limited or can’t leave an antenna up due to HOA restrictions the DX Commander is about the same price as the reference antenna. It’s basically the same, it’s a fan dipole but in the vertical. Much cheaper than those vertical antennas in the catalog.

[@davecasler]

I'd love to test one someday.

[@s_linz]

I considered that one but it's not really something that you set up for a base station... More of a field antenna it seems.. I went ahead and ordered the alpha delta dxee. That way I can complain to David if I don't like it ;-)

[@Andy2e0ree]

40m doublet will work on. 40 to 6m

[@graphguy]

This is, for the newbie like me, is fantastic!

[@americaswayout4489]

A very cost effective yet very well engineered several band vertical you didn't mentioned is the DX Commander. It is easily built and after the first time assembly can be easily packed and used portable. For about 200.00 you can be on several hf bands. Just search for DX Commander to find many videos and also how to get it. The Brit that makes these is rally a good fellow to deal with and is always helpful.

[@davecasler]

The DX Commander gets mentioned a lot. I haven't seen one yet.

[@donalfinn4205]

The DX Commander pole is too light. Won’t last in high wind like my Spiderbeam does. When I saw how light my pole from DX was, I didn’t consider putting it up for one second.

[@williamstaylor5449]

On the high-end (of price and quality) are the Ciro Mazzoni magnetic loop antennas (Baby, Midi, and Stealth) which have remote tuning units. They are listed on page 54 of your DX Engineering catalog. I have been told that they perform quite well.

[@williamstaylor5449]

I jumped the gun, you mentioned the Ciro antennas, but missed their tuning units. However, a great video.

[@llcraven]

Excellent information, Dave. Thanks for doing this video. Lonnie, K4KZ

[@supremetalentco]

Learned a lot for this video. Thank you.

[@Dennisjp-8318]

Jolly. Good show

[@paullalli7774]

Not a bad basic explanation of antennas in general. Sort of a 'condenced' explanation of a complex subject, so never a 'stand alone' thing.

[@JamesOrcutt]

Great information ...my backyard is 15 x 30 feet and live in HOA hell. but i can go straight up

[@chrismayer7762]

Great video Dave

[@michaelmacdonald3408]

Can you use .8 to 1mm Mig welding wire which is copper coated.

[@wb2dx717]

you totaly missed the best hf vertical . no groung radials required covering 80 to 6 mtrs the gap titan dx and as of 2020 it sells for under 500 dollars

[@FrostyDog9186]

I don't know, everyone says you need radials for a vertical, but I got 105 countries in about a year with 100W, a 6BTV, and no radials. *shrug*

[@blueharley2]

then your coax braid is the counterpoise. As is your radio's chassis and even the microphone cable braid if you don't have a tuner. With a tuner, every external metal surface downstream of the tuner is a counterpoise. Glad it works for you. I tried running without radials, and my computer blue-screened when I transmitted over 10 watts and I could hear myself on my computer speakers. The shack RF even destroyed the transistor final of my 100w amp. Never again.

[@FrostyDog9186]

@@blueharley2 I had a 1:1 current balun at the antenna feed point , one side to the antenna, one side to the radial plat with nothing attached (I had intended to put down radials, but wound up selling the house before I got that far) and the coax shield was grounded to the station ground at the shack end of the coax run. I never had issues with RF in the shack, nor with RFI of any kind on any band--including when I ran the antenna on 6m, which it isn't even spec'd for, all with VSWR under 2:1 just using the rig's built in ATU to touch up the match. I don't know, I think the physics that shows that radials have a real positive effect on vertical antenna performance is indisputable but, as with many things in HAM radio, I think their importance is often overstated. Many people say that a vertical just doesn't work at all without radials and that is demonstrably not true.

[@JimN5QL]

I have a 60 foot Tower and a fan dipole for 40 and 80 m that is configured as an inverted V. I used Home Depot Romex Wire that I stripped all of the insulation off of. I think it was about 100 feet for each strand. To harden The Wire I tied the ends to my tower base and stretch them about six or eight feet. It has been close to 20 years and it is not shifted frequency at all from stretching. Also I believe that the ham sticks are Center loaded. The loading coil is near the top of the fiberglass Pole. I experimented with the ham stick a lot. On one version I removed the loading coil and placed a large coil that I could tap and it would run from 40 to 10 meters

[@davecasler]

Good catch--you're right that the loading coil on the hamsticks is not far from where the stinger attaches.

[@tomw5vlt119]

Well, Dave, A: I guess we'll see how this gets put together, but I'm not encouraged by this selection. My shack is in my house, metal roof, and contrasting to an End Fed - where I can run it from my house out away from the house without going over the roof, and with the feed line very close to the shack - with the Dipole I'm anticipating that it’s either going to run over my metal roof (which doesn't sound doable) or it will make me run a long feed line out away from the house/shack. The dipole seems inflexible to various viewer's reality than an end fed or vertical. I don't understand the selection, but we'll see how it gets addressed for "reference situations that various viewers may be dealing with." I think folks may get more bands out of an end fed, too. Yes, there's a tuner involved, but I'd consider that a reference solution solved better at the desk, rather than a challenging-to-insurmountable antenna placement/engineering problem. My two cents. B: Please include in the antenna placement coverage ... how to approach placement relative to geographic direction (North, South... degrees); eg. what are we targeting, what are the considerations on directionality; how do we determine how to place it directionally relative to gain, and goals? C: Can you address relative to the previous two points, a question I always have and haven't seen answered anywhere... how does this antenna transmit (or other antenna types if they're all the same) ... from it's entire length? ... from the ends? Thinking about relative to placement near structures, roofs, etc. it can make a difference in planning if we have to think about it transmitting or being obstructed or affected from structures or objects at different points along the length of the dipole. Edit... Oh boy, don't think you mentioned this, but this ALF-DX-EE is a parallel dipole antenna, which means three diff lines running across the horizon/line of sight? That's going to be much more visible with wires and spacers... anti-wife, and anti-POA. It was the DX-EE model, correct? I cannot do this unfortunately. 73

[@davecasler]

It's a reference design, not a mandated design. The reference design will need to be adapted to everyone's personal situation.

[@francismcclaughry9851]

i HAVE THREE RADIAL ON THE NO TUNE ANTENNA. I ran one down the side ot the house and one to the north.. i just attached them to the tower base. this is probably the wrong way to do it.

[@JT-py9lv]

I have no dog in this hunt. I'm here to learn.

[@zenithtuberadio]

Would my Kenwood SP530 cover shortwave signals?

[@s_linz]

If we have an IC7300 and use an Alpha Delta EE cable, do we need to remove the SEP static guard as the instructions state? Or does the ICOM play fine without removing it?

[@davecasler]

If using coax, the antenna is fine without removing the static guard.

[@michaelbradley8508]

Very good video... I'm only halfway through the video but I have a question. If you are making this station for the IC-7300, why didn't you choose the ALF-DX-CC antenna. It covers more bands and is only $20.00 more. Michael VA6XMB

[@davecasler]

Length. At 82 feet it's twice the length of the DX-EE.

[@cmvb69]

What is the greatest angle you can do with an inverted v antenna, i have a 135-145 degree angle not sure if this is ok or ahould i try and get it closer to 90 degrees ?

[@davecasler]

Well, the minimum angle is generally considered to be 90 degrees. Of course, at 180 degrees it's a regular dipole. So anything in between.

[@mikemcdonald5147]

I know you have said in the past you have a height limitation in your area. What about a wolf river coils antenna, or a buddipole?

[@davecasler]

Loading is okay, but it reduces the amount of a band that a given antenna can cover. I have a Buddipole and did a video about it some time ago.

[@francismcclaughry9851]

i WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MOBILE STEPPER AND A cB ANTENNA. DID I say this. ten and eleven meter is startling;g open up.

[@jhlewis10]

Chameleon has a remote tuner and rotator

[@davecasler]

Thanks for the tip.

[@afleak]

Like your videos Dave but i feel you do new hams a disservice by ruling out home made antennas. A dipole is easy to make and needs minimal tools. New hams need to know that they don't have to spend big bucks on a commercial antenna when getting started.,

[@davecasler]

I recently did a video on a homebrew 40m dipole.

[@francismcclaughry9851]

my gap is only about five feet off the ground.

[@BillSchell1]

Very well done video as usual. I've had a Alpha Delta DX--EE antenna for a while and was a bit disappointed at the SWR bandwidth on 40m. Check out the QST review here: www.alphadeltaradio.com/pdf/DX-EE%20Jan%20QST-1.pdf (or just google 'swr bandwidth dx-ee'). The antenna uses a trap for 40m to get the length down, hence the issue. Note that the ic-7300 only auto-tunes up to a 1:3 SWR, so you may not be able to get all of 40m on the 7300, without going into 'emergency' mode (menu->set->others->emergency->tuner), where it will tune up to a 10:1 SWR at half power. I haven't used that mode personally very much, so I can't say much about it. The DX-EE has three wires, one for 40m and 20m, one for 15m and one for 10m. I ended up removing the trap and the 40m extension on that wire of the DX-EE (leaving the 20m section) and dumping the 10m wire for a 66ft wire for 40m. SWR is now nice and low across all of 40m. 10m is pretty dead these days, so you don't lose much. The antenna is a bit longer, however. You do need to re-jigger the wire spacers a bit. -Bill / W2WZ

[@davecasler]

Thanks for the tips

[@francismcclaughry9851]

i HAVE A TWENTY METER BOOM ANTENNA IT IS LARGE AND THE WIFE WOULD LIKE ME TO GET IT OUT OF THE GRANGE A TWEETER METER BEAM. TO TWO METER ANTENNAS AND A FOUR FORTY METERS. i HAVE A VERSATILE LAYING OVER HERE IN THE DOOR WAY. IT HAS SIX TRAPS. I have a mfj antenna tuner . I have three antennas in the yard. the big gap. and then there is a no tune antenna on a tower. the problem with it is that it will only handle a hundred watts.when I bought the vertical. I did not think i was going to get an amp. I have two of them that I don't use because the limit of the watts that I can feed in to the antenna. I HAVE A FIVE HUNDRED WATT AMP AND I have an old detron that i DON'T USE. i HAVE BIG GAP IN THE YARD. IT IS CLOSE TO THE GROUND.. IT IS JUST HARD AT MY AGE TO GET SOME ONE TO HELP ME PUT THEM UP.

[@Tracks777]

lovely content