Multiband HF portable antenna, the easy way.

Short video about how to build and deploy a 20 ft. multiband HF antenna for portable operation.
/ ac2rj

[@WilliamParmley]

I came up with almost the exact same system back on the 90's and it works very well. I used 32 feet of wire wound helically on a 20 foot "Black Widow" pole. I designed my L-network tuner to connect directly to the SO-239 on my FT-817 so I could use it for pedestrian mobile.

[@ericbergmueller2981]

You have a nice spot and a nice view for radio!

[@ox6466]

I built this antenna, put it on a 14 foot light stand with 3 radials. Working contacts like crazy. My third contact on 40 meters was to Italy 4860 miles away.. Thank you so much for sharing! Makes for a great portable antenna to carry and use anywhere! 73s

[@rcobo101]

Glad it worked so well. Thank you so much for the comment, Brian. 73s.

[@marciuschester3683]

Good evening Brian, How high off the ground did you have you're antenna. I'm planning on building the same one but with a 20' fiberglass pole with 33'.9" of 18g wire attached to a 9:1 unun transformer 15' above ground with 33'.9" counterpoise wire stretched out down at 45 degree angle. Hopefully I will get some good skywave propagation conditions.

[@colinsmith4185]

Superb! I like the idea that almost everything apart from the radio is home made,this is true Amateur radio,well done! Colin G1PGI

[@rcobo101]

Thank you, Colin. 73 de AC2RJ, Ruben.

[@NoMoreRadioMyths]

This is basically what I use. But I use different wire lengths so it is resonant depending on the band so I can use the rig's internal tuner. It hides nicely in a grove of bamboo trees.

[@hondaridgelineenduser5934]

Can you make another video on this antenna I want to make one like that. What wire did you use I'm curious to know

[@mdouble100]

Very cool thanks for sharing. I love the fishing pole mast idea.

[@EverDave]

Is that Speaker wire wrapped around the pole? How did you connect it to the coax?

[@kellypaws]

That's the spirit of amateur radio right there. Even more so with a Heathkit QRP rig.

[@philnyc]

I need antenna portable antenna for 80m . Will this perform well along with a tuner ?

[@foxwedor6151]

Excellent belle video

[@keithviglucci8306]

Can you point me in the direction of how to build a small tuner like that for qrp work?

[@TomParish]

Well this is brilliant. thank you!!! I had not considered wrapping the antenna around the pole like that. Who knew. I'm going to give this a try today. I have a 27ft carbon fiber pole like that that collapses to 25 inches and only ways 10 ounces. I'm using a kx2 but I'm starting to really get curious about building a homebrew rig someday.

[@timg5tm941]

Hi Tom I am of the same mind as you. How did you get on with trying this out? 73s Tim.

[@Mark300win]

Hi Tom Parish where can i get this compact carbon fiber pole from?

[@rubenacevedo2484]

I did try a carbon fiber once...imposible to tune!. Have a fiberglass now. No problems at all. Regards.

[@Michael-lo3ht]

I wondered about that since carbon fiber is conductive.

[@rangerbud]

How much wire did you use on the vertical?????

[@benshanealroberts4140]

do u use a counterpoise?

[@benshanealroberts4140]

no counterpoise?

[@alfaqirilaataufiqillah]

How does this antenna perform for DX? Thanks, 73. de YD3KNJ

[@Garbanzo884]

Counterpoise(s)?

[@glass8121]

what bands does this antenna cover?

[@pieterdutoit9642]

Hi all great but pretty useless with out some number as spec lenth and saceing ???

[@tonyridlen]

Excellent video I just love to watch this one 73 KC9QVE Gas City,Indiana

[@eduardopower5254]

Have you tried attaching a counterpoise from GND screw on radio?. Thanks for sharing

[@rcobo101]

Eduardo, I have done it, you can see it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m57TmZeYhLOlhMU The beauty if this setup, is that can be very easy modified, and it's very good for experimenting and learning. At some QTHs and bands it improves greately with radials, but in others, I can get away without it. And when I go to the park, I may not put radials, because people and pets will trip over them. HI

[@jvclarke1]

With the number of turns you have around the 20 foot mast - are you certain that you are only using 35 feet of speaker wire?

[@rcobo101]

Joseph, totally sure, only 35 ft. :)

[@TomSP9TL]

@@rcobo101 I have a 7m long mast (23ft), do I also need a 35ft wire? Shorter? Longer? Or by trial and error find out what length suit my mast best?

[@daryllamble732]

Awesome video thanks for sharing your Ham Radio experience with us?

[@chetnapatel9700]

How can I decipher recorded digital communication over. I. R camera? I needed to know the radio frequency?

[@ElectronicNoobBlog]

That's a HAM spirit, except radio everything crafted ;-)

[@ahmedkhalil3015]

In case someone hasn't suggested this yet, maybe you'd wanna share how you've made this nice keyer. 73

[@ahmedkhalil3015]

found it! 73

[@rcobo101]

Great! It works fantastic for portable operation, I have been using it for almost 2 years and it hasn't broken yet :) 73 de Ruben, AC2RJ

[@robertjackson3856]

Is the tuner a 'l' network?

[@rcobo101]

Robert, I just posted a short video about the tuner. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2XYqXt-mrdpfdE

[@mumi009]

no radial(s) or counterpoise?

[@Tommyr]

I usually run a 13' counterpoise myself.

[@chanelkuini5883]

Fery good

[@goran586]

No counterpoise/radials ?? What is the actual length of wire?

[@rcobo101]

The counterpoise is the external conductor of the coaxial cable that connects the radio to the tuner. The wire is 35 ft. long, and is not critical.

[@redman840]

QTH,please? Very scenic,indeed.

[@Isszarya]

This is Ham Radio cheer's

[@Xantec]

Im not a amateur radio operator, so can someone tell me what QRP means?

[@magwhyte]

Generally, it means low power (

[@usernamemykel]

But you DO know what a computer is, and you PROBABLY have heard of "search engines", such as "Google" and "Duckduckgo", so why are you lazy?

[@lewerim]

How does wrapping the wire effect the antenna? I realize you're doing it to control the wire, but it must have some effect, right? I'm a fairly inexperienced ham. Just wondering. Seems like a coil...

[@rcobo101]

Erik, what I have done is to wrap 35ft of wire on a 20ft pole. It becomes a normal-mode helical antenna and it less efficiency compared to a 35 ft. straight wire antenna at the lowest frequency of operation. It's a compromise, but in my opinion it works very well. Ham radio is about experimenting, I recommend you to build it and check it out by yourself, wire antennas are cheap to build and fun to use.

[@lewerim]

Thanks, I have some research to do on what that means (but only because knowing is half the battle :) ) I set up my end fed Packtenna Mini like that the other day (I mean the "mast" is $20, so why not experiment...) and it was pretty convenient.

[@lewerim]

Strange thing. I set up my packtenna mini like this the other night and couldn't load it in any band. Very high swr. Like 14:1. I'm not sure what I did differently.

[@rcobo101]

Erik, for what I read the pack antenna is a 9:1 unun and in the video I am using an L-Tuner, so that is the difference. I would try adding a couple or feet of cable to your setup, in case the electric length fell in a very high impedance spot.

[@lewerim]

rcobo101 You are correct. It does have a 9:1 unun. I guess the thing that surprised me is that it "tuned up" fine the other day with the internal atu in my KX2. I'm sure the spacing of the turns on the rod effect the behavior, I'm just not sure how. I guess I need to research coiled radiators. When you say add some cable, do you mean coax or wire to the length of the radiator? I ask because the atu has no issues when the radiator was run straight. Thanks for the feedback. This setup is pretty convenient.

[@benjaminrubenserroshernand1675]

Gracias por la idea 73,s. XE1YCH

[@guillermosempron5776]

Where is the ground connection?

[@rangerbud]

Is he running it without a ground plane radials....

[@opencct]

Does not the pole and tripod get blown over? I see no guying arrangement.

[@patrickwall8517]

That's a nice set up. De KB0CCN

[@MrMesospheric]

Well I don't advise the tripod and mast for anything other than nil wind conditions.

[@chalemi]

Intriguing, but alot of information missing.

[@JohnHill-qo3hb]

Good exercise for the grey matter would be to figure it out for one's self.

[@larspregge6420]

Nice setup and Key. 1 Part is missing, the selfbuilded trx ^^

[@joewoodchuck3824]

Nice, but I didn't see anything about a counterpoise.

[@outlaw6595]

So this is really nothing but an endfed, wrapped around a fiberglass pole? How clever. K4MHC

[@livelongandprosper70]

IKR .I think he is looking for some sort of award ..

[@usernamemykel]

DUH!

[@livelongandprosper70]

so you got a "perfect match" on 40m WITH a TUNER big whoops..

[@leslieaustin151]

rob b You’ve missed the point, I think. Les