How To Tune An End Fed Half Wave Antenna

[@prephampaul]

Got my mini today, will be testing various wire lengths and hanging out a hotel window in Japan this week!

[@n3vanradio]

Awesome, hope you enjoy it! 73 Matt N3VAN

[@janiceemery2008]

Excellent explanation of how to tune the EFHW with the Nano. Just love that Nano case Matt. I love the way you explain the process, easy to understand. Thank you for sharing Matt and would love to see the different configurations for hanging the EFHW. Thank you.

[@n3vanradio]

Thank you very much Janice! Glad you liked it. The Nano stand is really neat addition to my little radio shack. Holds the NanoVNA nicely and has storage to keep all the nic-nacs that come with it.

[@sparky5860]

By far the best EFHW tuning video on KZbin……. Hands down……

[@johnnybigpotato2404]

This is not the proper way to tune an EFHW. The proper way involves putting a capacitor at mid feed point so you can adjust the tune without effecting the other bands. If the upper bands need adjusting, you adjust that section separate.

[@jameshazeliii7985]

​@@johnnybigpotato2404 So you have caps along your wire how do you know what size and where to place them. Then how does that work for portable durability?

[@TOMMYCUETE]

I'm a noob. I would like to get guidance on the connections to the sda

[@GiantSequoiaNation]

Nice. Video. I just subscribed! I just picked up my first Nano VNA and will post my adventures with it on my channel as well. I definitely appreciate watching you utilize the menus for real-time use. 73

[@misteraon]

Ha, saw you at Berryville today (2024). Bought a wire kit, but unfortunately my Hamfest budget was too limited to pickup a bugout unun for my future POTA kit. I was planning on building a K6ARK matching unit but am having second thoughts. Yours are reasonably small and still have a bnc but I like the fact it can handle higher wattage and looks more rugged. Nice product.

[@K4ZMF_]

Great video. I would love to see a series about EFHW. Especially different deployments.

[@geirha75]

Excellent explanation for a general efhw. I would really appreciate it if you could find an opportunity to show us how to tune the "shorty-forty" type as well, the one with a coil, multiband antenna.

[@n3vanradio]

You're very welcome and great suggestion. I have built inductance coils for adding 80m to a 40-10m EFHW antenna but never a shorty forty. Will work on that when I get back from Berryville VA Hamfest this coming weekend. Will put up a video about making one as well as tuning it. Ty again for watching!

[@geirha75]

@@n3vanradio Thanks for your answer. I'm about to build one as well. But reading about it I find it tricky to fully understand how to cut and test the wire. The longest part before the coil. It's much easier with the shorter part after the coil, which can be bent back.

[@francisboudreaux3880]

How do you bring the 40m and the 20m closer? If you adjust 40m the 20m is off

[@xavierayayaell546]

Coils or capacitors.

[@jameski5oeb668]

I would say leave a wrap of six inches on the end. I use an adjustable wire insulator and leave a bit extra for forty, your radio will put up with a bit of SWR say 2.5 it the edges. 1:1 at 7.074 will be okay on 20m-10.

[@jaywardjulian6163]

Very nice explanation

[@bigfranksworld]

Will just folding it back, rather than cutting it work okay, or does it need to be cut to actually change the frequency at the dip?

[@michaelmcghie]

I have a 50 foot run approx through lightning panel and Coax Switch. Should I calibrate my Nano in my shack and calibrate the whole run on each frequency then. I have a DXCommander Classic 40M to 10M.

[@prestonshute7243]

Did you have any caps across the internal unit?

[@KU8RLY]

This is a good video! Showing the antenna as it is setup would also help, such as how tall your mast is and what not.

[@RobertMacCready]

By cutting the wire are you not affecting all the bands. And would it not affect the low SWR on ALL bands? Also, does the Nano VNA have good instructions that come with the unit? I have a OCF end fed antenna and need to see where I'm at with SWR.

[@jerryKB2GCG]

Can you just fold over and tape it before making the cuts?

[@n3vanradio]

That is what I do. Just fold and tape over before cutting. But if the "tail" of the fold is too long it does affect the SWR slightly.

[@chuckcarter7864]

you sure can

[@robpinter5431]

Thanks for the information as I was wondering how it is done. Question, instead of cutting to length, can the excess wire be folded over and wrapped around ? Cheers VK2AGB

[@n3vanradio]

Yes and it is how I do all my antennas. I cut 67' 6" and fold at 67 feet so I can tune. But you can start at say 70' for a 40-10m EFHW antenna and then slowly fold, then cut any excess over 6 - 8". 73 Matt N3VAN

[@KE8ODY-WV-Ares-Ham-Dad-3O4]

I want that mat you got on your desk where can I get it

[@Soupie62]

While I appreciate seeing the NanoVNA, I REALLY wanted to see the actual antenna. Not just the end you are about to change, but: where is the balun / unun? Are you trimming from the balun end, or the far end?

[@thermicdude9164]

You are trimming the LENGTH of the wire so either end, but the far end is the easiest :)

[@WaterFaucet24]

How about a length of 130-133 ft antenna wire? Will that tune well with 75/80m along with some of the other HF bands (40/20/15/10)?

[@n3vanradio]

You would have to use a tuner for 75 meter on a 130-133ft wire. Will make a video on the longer 80-10m wire.

[@kb1qzh]

1. This is exactly what I was looking for. 2. Were you at the Sussex flea in 2023? I think my boss bought one of your antennas which I finally returned to him 😅

[@n3vanradio]

Thanks KB1QZH and yes I was at Sussex 2023 Hamfest and will be there this year as well. 73 Matt N3VAN

[@kb1qzh]

@@n3vanradio we should be there. The Hamsource booth

[@kb1qzh]

@@n3vanradio my POTA activations were with your endfed and an Opek HVT-600 mobile hf antenna

[@jamespence48]

A link to Carl M0SZT lengthening video would be nice.

[@n3vanradio]

Will add that, thanks!

[@SummitBidTech]

I wish you’d show how to fold it over and tape it instead of just saying you folded it and then showing it after. Aren’t these wires Teflon coated or something like that? Just folding it won’t change its electrical length will it?

[@n3vanradio]

Sorry it was hard enough holding the camera. I now have a better system and will show the folding and cutting in an upcoming video. The one wire is Polyethylene and the other is Silicone. And yes folding it will change the electrical length from what I read and based on my experience.

[@darylcheshire1618]

I bought my second roll of 16 gauge speaker wire.

[@anonymous_friend]

How are you calibrating the nanovna? calibration parts on the end of the feedline or right at the vna?

[@n3vanradio]

For doing the tuning of the EFHW wire I calibrated at the end of the SMA on the NanoVNA. Since the feedline can be part of an end fed antenna it made the most sense.

[@asherael]

I don't have a computer to tune my antenna, at best, a tinySA. can i measure or something else instead?

[@jamesaddis8726]

if listening you dont need to tune if transmitting then yes you need to tune it, you can tune without a Nano VNA you just need a SWR meter instead and use the frequency setting to tune between a higher and lower frequency comparing the SWR readings it will tell you if you need to be longer or shorter... i can tell you its a hell of alot easier with a nano VNA and the pc app Nano VNA saver

[@N3WERHamRadioElmer]

Sooo want that Nano STL file it's pretty cool N3WER 73

[@camolotrzr4204]

a terrible video!!! glaring on the screen, not explaining nothing....."Oh!! that dip is nice" wtf does that mean??? you don't show nothing!!!!

[@mikefromflorida8357]

This is America, it’s QRZee, not QRZed.

[@mikefromflorida8357]

This is America. It’s QRZee, not QRZed.

[@clifficus]

@mikefromflorida8357 Well numb nuts, considering this video was posted to be watched by people all over the world, not just for American consumption. Then the proper English spelling is QRZed. We in the English speaking world speak proper English not your version of made up crap,