Ham Radio River Coil Antenna

I like to thank Marty VK4KC • The Mad Dog Coil, DIY ... for his wonderful project to inspired me to make one.
I love to operate mobile and I will be doing that for a while, even though I forgot to mention that I was mobile during these contacts.
The measures for the antenna and the ratios I followed the MFJ telescopic whips manual.
In my case the 20m band was set. Antenna length 9'2", ratios 12', from top include 5 turns coil column 4.
The PVC pipe is about 50mm, 2 inches in diameter. The antenna connection at the bottom is 3/8-24 which I could not find local so I ordered a few on line.
Over all I'm happy with the results, I love the challenge and try to get better.
www.qrz.com/db/ve3dal

[@qrplife]

“I don’t always run a base loaded vertical, but when I do it’s with a homebrew coil.” - the Most Interesting Ham In The World.

[@VE3DAL]

I agree with you, thank you for commenting. 73 de VE3DAL

[@derekthwaytes4689]

what a good Idea using the ribbed pipe to maintain the spacing of your coil

[@VE3DAL]

Thank you Derek!

[@JaySteiner]

Thats a real nice antenna build. Great job!

[@VE3DAL]

Thank you so much Jay! 73

[@M7XCB]

Fantastic idea about tumble dryer pipe I will have a go making same antenna as this in summer time it very cold here in UK. Great video

[@VE3DAL]

Thank you so much! This season we have been lucky and still mild weather. I hope success in your project. Best 73's de VE3DAL

[@glennstevenson6242]

Very nice, well done!

[@VE3DAL]

Thank you Glenn!

[@davidnachbaur6805]

Nicely done

[@VE3DAL]

Thank you David.

[@willian.direction6740]

Great method of making the coil. Well done Almir good work. vk5cz ..

[@VE3DAL]

Thank you so much Willian! Best 73's

[@williampeacock9473]

Very nice antenna build . I have one of the MFJ 1979 antenna and the radio is a YAESU ft891. I would like to build a coil like yours. You done a great job on putting the coil together. 73 AE4OY William Peacock EM-81UF Blackshear, GA USA

[@VE3DAL]

Hi William, I'm sure you can build one is very simple and if you have any question let me know. Thank you! 73 de VE3DAL.

[@kennethblackwell1137]

Well done..Thanks..!!!

[@VE3DAL]

Thank you! 73

[@tombaffa9374]

Good job

[@VE3DAL]

Thank you.

[@hanomag251]

Nice antenna. I'm looking to get myself a new antenna cause I would love to go mobile. I was looking to buy maybe a Buddy pole or a Cameleon antenna but seeing what you have done, I think I would like to try to build one!!! By the way, I'm in Gatineau!!! If I ever have a problem building it, I will contact you!!! Thanks for sharing your antenna!!!

[@VE3DAL]

Hi Clarence. This was a very easy project I'm sure you can built one and if you have any questions let me know. oh we are neighbours. 73

[@vironpayne3405]

The Chameleon antennas are definitely well built, but there may be better electrical performers. Ruggedness and frequency agility doesn't always translate into RF performance. My Emcomm III Portable does well on 20m and up, but it seems lacking 40m and lower, even with additional counterpoise wires and choking. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pITLdYyij6x-osU

[@royceweslowski3730]

Looks like my Texas bug catcher. Tapped inductor had less loss than other antennas I have tried.

[@VE3DAL]

I had some fun with this antenna but very tricky. 73's

[@vaunsphotography6820]

Very nicely done! Thanks for sharing 👍 de N7MRF 73s.

[@VE3DAL]

Thank you so much! 73

[@vaunsphotography6820]

@@VE3DAL my pleasure!

[@chanelkuini5883]

Job good

[@VE3DAL]

Thank you! 73

[@CoveiraoPS3]

If you want to have wire antennas at home, you're just good with portable antennas. You lose contort but you win at the qrm levels. Just be careful at winter operating radios with antenna tunners outside. The ATU of my qrp radio stopped working the day I took it to the field at -35c.

[@VE3DAL]

Thank you. I will follow your advise because winter in Ottawa is brutal. I have a wire antenna at home for 20m at the moment and I noticed I can do better with the coil mobile. 73 friend.

[@LiveFree-pk8ej]

I ordered 2 wolfrivers coils and I live in Alberta

[@VE3DAL]

Very nice antennas! 73's.

[@geoffpriestley7001]

I use a dv27 on a boot mount with an extended whip, well its actually a brazing rod. Managed japan from the car using 50 watts . I think the bloke on the other end was doing all the work G7JZM.

[@VE3DAL]

Sometimes that happens with me too, lol. 73

[@dougtaylor7724]

If you have an attic you can put a loop for 40 and a fan dipole for 20-10 meter.

[@VE3DAL]

Hi Doug, I have an attic but what concerns me is the noise that produces. For indoor I'm thinking magnetic loop antenna . That will be my future project. Best 73's VE3DAL

[@dougtaylor7724]

Attic antennas work surprisingly well, as long as you don’t have a metal roof.

[@VE3DAL]

@@dougtaylor7724 Maybe one day I will try it.

[@williambarrett70]

MFJ does offer a similar antenna. Had one. Not fond of moving the contact up and down the coil (lazy). But it'll do in a pinch. LMOAO. Thanks, and 73. WW5MB

[@VE3DAL]

In my case the SWR varies depending of the location, but with a SWR meter makes it easy to calibrate. 73 friend.

[@johnfloy]

Could always run a end fed wire at the, they are very stealth. Wife might go for that one.

[@VE3DAL]

Yes I agree, I'm thinking a vertical or dipole end fed that will go under her radar, LOL.

[@JAFO.]

You might want to try building a 40m HALO - it's only about 17' per side and around a 12-15ohm feed point so a 1:4 balun usually dials it in within about 1.3:1 swr and it's a small but mighty horizontal DX antenna you can whip together in the field in about 5-10 minutes - if you design, build & support it thoughtfully. - Imagine, a 40m DX antenna only 17' on a side - square. Now the 20m Halo is only *1/2* that size and outperforms a vertical by a mile.

[@VE3DAL]

It's funny, this morning I woke up thinking about a horizontal antenna mobile, this is a great idea. For sure I will looking into that soon. Thank you for commenting I appreciated! 73

[@JAFO.]

@@VE3DAL You bet! It's all about the fun, and what's the single most important part of any station? - The only thing we can really still have a hand at building - *_the Antenna!_* I'll check back hoping for a HALO review!

[@JAFO.]

@@VE3DAL Another good one is a Moxon, but they get a bit large for a mobile/portable mast system below about 12m.

[@VE3DAL]

@@JAFO. At the moment i'm playing around with some antenna traps and maybe figure out from there.

[@VE3DAL]

@@JAFO. I was thinking maybe to get a MFJ mast 10m and add another 8ft. for rotation if needed to get started.

[@andresilveira9552]

You’re not alone. I’m facing the same problem with my wife. I also have another big problem. When I use my radio near my home, the RFI causes the GFCI outlets to trip. 😢 What is that little support you used to hold the antenna in place? I use a 10 in. nail to keep my wolf river coil in place.

[@VE3DAL]

Hi Andre. To support the antenna I used a heavy duty photography tripod which had the same screw thread as the antenna. My electronic skills are very basic, I never had RF problems like you did. For the winter I installed a moxon antenna using the trees in my backyard and it took a while for my wife to notice and she ok with it. Best 73's my friend de VE3DAL.

[@andresilveira9552]

@@VE3DAL My friends in Brazil use the moxon antenna. I am new to HF and am learning a lot from another brazilian friend in Montreal. For now I only use the wolf-river coil with a chameleon 17’ whip. Thank you for the nice video and the reply. 😉

[@VE3DAL]

@@andresilveira9552 I grow up in Curitiba, Brazil and now I live in Ottawa, Canada for 35 years.

[@K1ZEK]

Nice job and welcome to Ham Radio. 73 de Leo k1zek k

[@VE3DAL]

Thank you so much Leo! 73 de ve3dal.

[@Dennis-sb7gp]

My screwdriver antenna is high q and kind of difficult to tune.

[@VE3DAL]

So far I'm very happy with this one. The tap setting changes a little depending the location I'm.

[@benhawke7231]

Put an antenna in your attic. 👍

[@VE3DAL]

I'm not sure what kind of SWR I will get after all the trouble of installation.

[@benhawke7231]

@@VE3DAL It's usually not too bad. Also you can tune it out if you need to. I think the worse dbl loss I got from an attic ant was 3.

[@K1QS_Radio]

grow a pair!

[@rukosody420]

New house, new antenna and why not a new wife

[@VE3DAL]

Because I love her!!!

[@teamtacoslick]

That antenna looks great! great job!

[@VE3DAL]

Thank you so much! 73