NVIS Antenna setup | K7SW Ham Radio

Collaborating with Eric (KI7WJP) conducting an NVIS antenna test.
We are using low power and NVIS antennas at sunset for a chance to see how good or bad we can communicate using 80 and 40 meters locally.
We are demonstrating a setup for a close range when ground-wave is not possible for us.
Being 25 miles apart for this test and using battery power will test our ability. See how you can setup in a short period of time to make an emergency contact in case you need to
receive or send information using HF Radio.
Check out Eric's KZbin Channel:
backcountry amateur radio (Eric's channel) / backcountryamateurradio
My antenna used in this video.
DXEngineering Antenna Design geni.us/tizIK2
Another AS2259 antenna design geni.us/S28Z
Center-T for antenna builds geni.us/2uTMTIu
Using these affiliate links to purchase items in the video, costs you nothing more and helps us to earn a small commission for the channel and supports making more Videos like this.
Thank you for watching 👍

[@hamradiowithkevin]

How did your last NVIS contact go?

[@johnarcher9480]

Surprised to see you doing this test at night. NVIS typically work better during the day. There may be more noise, but the SNR is still better. Very interesting. 73

[@backcountryamateurradio]

Excellent video, Kevin! Thoroughly enjoyed your collaboration and always appreciate how well your videos are made. What a ton of fun. It's great to have this captured in time and be able to reference it whenever we need it. I hope others are enjoying it just as much! 73, Eric

[@hamradiowithkevin]

It was really fun working on this project with you. A real practical example of how communications can be if we need to make it work. Thanks for the suggestion to make this video that can help others looking to do the same thing. 73 Kevin

[@johnwest7993]

In the past I've communicated in groundwave 150 miles every day for a year and a half using 3 to 7 mW of radiated power, and sporadically covering out to 500 miles and beyond most days, yet I still find myself watching videos like this. It's in the blood.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

John, that is a really good extended test, and using the same gear would give you a considerable track of what works for and against NVIS success. Fun with radio certainly gets in your blood. 73 Kevin

[@johnwest7993]

@@hamradiowithkevin, I have no idea how to use my homebrew 1750 meter gear to work NVIS. As I said, my experiments have been low frequency. Ground-wave works so far out on that wavelength that NVIS loses meaning, and longwave only works well with verticals. I copied my 5 mW LowFer beacon at my place outside of Longmont, CO every inch out to the Mississippi river along I-80 on a road-trip. Pure ground-wave - over 700 miles. The challenge on that band is transmitting antennas and noise. Different frequency ranges just do different things in our atmosphere and have different antenna and receiver requirements. That's one of the things that makes experimentation so much fun, and why I'm looking at NVIS, something I've never experimented with before. It sounds like fun to come up with an HF antenna that shoots nearly everything straight up, and see which bands it works best on and when.

[@youtubeaccount7544]

@@johnwest7993 1750 meters and 700 miles ground wave WOW THAT IS VERY FUN AND FACINATING.

[@TheSmokinApe]

That looks to be a handy antenna set up, thanks for the video.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thanks for checking out the Channel Ape 👍

[@DK5ONV]

Respect on that 80m Experiment with Eric. Gawd what a beautiful great working Antenna Setup...Ranks and Honros to you and Eric, Kevin. 73 de YFUG 💯👍👍👍🙋‍♂

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thank UG, Eric is a Great guy . 73

[@kn6eze]

My brothers! Awesome video. As much of my radio efforts are emcomm-oriented, I do a lot of experimentation using NVIS. As a general approach, I start with 40m in the early evening and then move to 80m in the late evening (after about 9 or 10pm PT). I usually start with SSB and then degrade to CW or digital depending on operator capabilities, CW offering the more minimalist and light-weight setup. Line of site comms are useful but in a true SHTF scenario you need to be able to communicate outside the affected area but at relatively close range (0 to a few hundred miles) which NVIS is perfect for. DX would have limited utility in a real disaster. Great work! 👍🏻

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thanks Mike, I like your approach to the concept of being prepared and thinking about more than one alternative. Practice makes us better. I sense you are in it to win it. 73 Kevin

[@KM4ACK]

Great video guys!

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thanks, this was allot of fun to work with Eric.

[@tmccarthy]

Great results Kevin. NVIS is very easy to set up in the field and as you are seeing in your experiments it doesn't really need to be that high off the ground. Our field setup is a homebrew 80m speaker wire dipole with the center approx 9 feet off the ground and the ends about 4-6 feet off the ground. We routinely get similar results with NVIS on 80m at low power,5W, Reports are typically 56 and 57. One test we carried out had 4 stations. Distances from station1 were Statio 2 at 20miles, Station 3 at 45 Miles, and Station 4 at 120 miles. All stations reported a solid 56 / 57 to all other stations. Wishing you well with future experiments. 73 Tom EI5IEB

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Tom, thanks for sharing your setup, those are great results you had and a perfect example of what I should test in another video. I appreciate the support 73 Kevin

[@WilliamParmley]

That was great, thanks!

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thanks William

[@markjob3965]

Awesome Kevin, I was just thinking yesterday about building this antenna, now it's a definite. Thanks for your great content. Mark, KE0IBA.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Yes, you should absolutely make it and get on the air soon, thank you Mark

[@kf5hcr176]

Very useful test, well done. Thank you both for sharing. HF mobile must fall into the NVIS category. I use HF Signals uBitx, about 8 watts into ameritron screwdriver antenna. During midday I can usually check into the 7290 traffic net, and communicate with a station near Longview or San Antonio and I'm 50 miles south of Houston in Brazoria. I'm just now trying out a new uSDX, China clone, works well, but I wish I'd boughten the real deal, true uSDX with the good support. Take care 73

[@CaptainJack63]

Interesting test. Last time I was on 80 meter band was then the smallest rig was about the size of a carry on bag. It's crazy to think all that can fit in the palm of you hand. p.s. You're videos are very well made. I notice that I was very drawn into it. I think someone who has no knowledge of amateur radio would find this video interesting.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Captain Jack, I appreciate that 🙏, it means allot coming from you sir.

[@ronm6359]

Excellent video. I am planning to do an NVIS antenna so I have EmComm capability for local BLOS. Thanks for the video, 73s de Ron N0SL

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thanks Ron your welcome, yes having more antennas is a good thing in my book. 73 Kevin

[@ATOMSHAMRADIO]

Very cool video love it👍💯⚛

[@hamradiowithkevin]

We thank you for that. 73 Kevin

[@davidnelson6889]

Thanks for your video and for the collaboration with Eric. I love seeing the demonstration with two different types of NVIS antenna. A good NVIS antenna should be in every hams tool bag. Did you add any coil for your 80 meter legs?

[@hamradiowithkevin]

David, we did not use a coil, however that would have shortened the antenna greatly. Eric is a really fun guy to work with. I agree, an NVIS antenna can be more useful than people think. Thanks for the feedback. 73 Kevin

[@Locksnut]

Excellent video, Kevin! Your audio and video work is top notch. I’ve meant to make an NVIS and have everything needed. Would you recommend a 1/1 choke at the antenna if running higher power than QRP? Very 73, de N4WLC, Bill

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thank you Bill for the feedback. Yes I would use a choke in this type of setup qrp or qro. I have needed it. And should have indicated this in the video. 73 Kevin

[@1crazynordlander]

There are local noon and late afternoon nets on 80 meters in our tri-state area MN, SD and ND. I can contact and hear operators 15 to twenty miles away. Obviously most are running 100 to 1000 watts. I have an EFHW 8010 that is ten feet at the feed point and 35 feet at the end.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

That is a really good antenna, I also really like using that 8010. I can see why you use it. 80 meter nets are fun learn about stuff in the area and to meet new operators

[@Mark300win]

Now imagine what you could do with this on js8call or CW!

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Yes TTP is convincing me to do that next. 👍

[@prepperdan]

The tech prepper did a 1800 mile NVIS using a compass bearing and chameleon antenna. Its on youtube

[@johnarcher9480]

Thats really more Skywave than NVIS, but its all semantics

[@AE5X]

Interesting test - I've tried it on 40m before with good results. With you and Eric being only 25 mi apart, why was he in daylight and you in dark?

[@hamradiowithkevin]

The two cameras made the conditions look different, however it was twilight at the time of our test and light conditions were the same for each of us.

[@douggalt]

Thanks for the video. I tried unsuccessfully to use NVIS but it seems that it works best on lower power 20 watts or less. I'll have to try it again using reduced power.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Well, more power is a good thing, low power, if that is all you have. Keep in mind that the other people you are trying to contact will need to have an antenna that works as NVIS like yours, otherwise it might seem like your antenna is not working . I hope that helps. Kevin

[@youtubeaccount7544]

Very high noise floor yet still can communicate to stay alive in emergencies.

[@edahan]

the "level 3" on the FT817ND is actually pushing 2.5W, not 4W.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Thanks Erick, I will let him know.

[@bhamptonkc7]

red hat guy maybe a better ground system may help with the noise.

[@BobBob-il2ku]

Trying to reach known contacts 5-25 miles away simplex(no repeaters) i don’t have LOS with any of them rolling hills in the northeast my thoughts are to try 2m SSB with 4 Element yagi’s & if that doesn’t work use NVIS/ground wave we all have FT-857D thoughts? I’m new just passed my tech & general.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Welcome to ham radio, 5 to 25 miles on FM for VHF should be good. HF NVIS may work at 25 miles but likely will need farther away. HF ground wave that close might be a good solution for you as well.

[@BobBob-il2ku]

If I use a 40 & 80 meter diopole deployed in a NVIS configuration would ground wave still work or do I need to deploy it in a different configuration/ different antenna?

[@phillipannmaxson262]

Curious how two station 25 mi!es apart can have one in daylight and one in the dark?

[@hamradiowithkevin]

The lights I used for filming have the camera looking much darker than at the other station. It was at dusk when this was made. 73

[@temporarilyoffline]

You would be really surprised how far your contacts go on NVIS

[@hamradiowithkevin]

Yeah that's right Steve, and it seems to be the trick to control the distance so that NVIS close range becomes more useful for when we need it. Thanks for noting this Kevin

[@ep1929]

From central UK (Northern England) the whole of the UK & Ireland can be contacted with ease using NVIS on 40 & 80 meter bands. Once the darkness sets in I have had contacts across the pond to USA / Canada / Carrabean westwards - Asiatic Russia / Kazakhstan eastwards. The 40 & 80 meter bands are my favourites.