TALKING TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD ON A SIMPLE ANTENNA!!!

[@dieselbushcraft1299]

Excellent Andy, I’d lost my radio mojo but I have to say my interest is being sparked again. 73’s

[@polar1s20]

I’ve got no idea what’s going on in these CB videos, I just enjoy your enthusiasm for it all. Keep up the good work.

[@CAZruns]

Same I’m new to the hobby andy and Lewis got me into it just ordered a foundation license book to study for my license 73 lol

[@Bones469]

This video is actually 'Ham Radio'. The 15 meter band is down around 21MHz while CB is 27MHz. It typically takes more solar activity like sun spots to get those kind of "DX" conditions up on CB but since Andy has his ham license, he can still play on the lower bands even when there are not extremely great conditions up higher on the shorter wavelengths like CB 11-Meters or even a bit higher yet on the 10 meter ham band. The trained ear can easily tell the difference between CB and the Ham bands by the nearly ubiquitous worldwide license or callsign characteristics, while on CB they are typically using endearing "handles" or self chosen callsigns usually made up of mostly numbers based on whatever they like, usually important dates or even telephone area codes. Both hobbies are a blast and despite some stick-in-the-mud, chip-on-shoulder type operators from both services, they do tend to overlap a bit because at the end of the day, radio is radio. Nearly all my favorite ham radio operators came from CB and we still try to use it from time to time as a place where we can let our haurc down and relax without having to ID every 10 minutes. I think Andy does a good job at finding that common ground between both hobbies, of course there are bed-wetters that get angry about that too... So what do you do....? LoL 😂

[@marklowe7431]

I can totally understand this video. I did the same when I was a kid. 2 ele spider quad made of aluminum bracket, fiberglass rods and auto wire. I managed to work Canada and the USA constantly with SSB CB and 12w. It was the start of my DX journey. 40 years later nothings changed. Wire antennas & baluns everywhere. Build them, you learn far more.

[@hamradiowithkevin]

I look forward to one day where I can work you QRP from our UTAH mountains here. Great Video Andy as always !( As hams WE love this stuff). That radio looks SO fun.

[@adi-hg2zt]

I used 2 mobile whips on 20 meters and they worked well.thanks for the video have a great day and all the best to you and your family Andy.

[@altypeRR]

I love a home made aerial Andy. In fact it’s what I love most about the hobby. I think my 2m and my HF multi band antennas have cost me the grand total of around £30 and are all home made. 2m is a slim Jim made from ladder line and the HF is an end fed half wave with a scratch built 49:1 unun and speaker wire as the actual antenna.

[@toucan221]

I'm amazed at that contact, you make that look so easy!! thanks for your channel sharing 👍👍🌞🌞 made my day

[@ceebarr40]

Doing very well with that 10watts, the dipole is clearly doing a good job! Keep up the experimenting and great videos. 73’s M7XDH

[@tonyv8925]

When I had my farm I put up a 500 foot horizontal dipole antenna at about 30 feet up. Hooked it up to my HF rig and listened to maritime HF and other low band communications (100kc to 200kc). Really fascinating. Thanks for the video and 73 OM...grid EN72jj

[@ianharling9569]

Nice one Andy. I worked Canada on Monday with 5 watts ssb with my FT-817 into a Ampro whip on 15 mtrs on the roof of my car.The HF bands are alive mate. 73 Ian. G7HFS/PA3IKH

[@andykirby]

Awesome! Now that is impressive, nice one! Love the 817🙂

[@ianharling9569]

@@andykirby I was just around at the right time I guess. I love your KZbin channel ❤

[@stewpot3971]

When you get your intermediate ticket you can crank that puppy up Andy! Agreed that 15m is in and out at the minute but at least there is activity on this band! Nice antenna!

[@KX4UL]

Looks like a success Andy! It's fun to experiment with easy antennas. I have done the same thing with the MFJ-347 mini-dipole mount and MFJ Hamsticks. That Yaesu FTDX10 is a sweet radio. I sure do love mine. 73 OM!

[@LITTLEEXPERIMENTCHANNEL1]

A channel gaining massive traction in CB radio global. Nostalgic for me this.

[@ae1tpa92gwtom2]

Nice video Andy, n yr so full of energy, I only work portable, great to make such contacts and new friends!! cheers n 73 from Bahrain

[@mousecat9398]

I can see such a set up coming in very handy in the very near future….especially when things go proper sideways

[@bx16v]

Excellent, I worked him as well the other evening and had a great QSO, was running a little more power through a dx commander with half the radials missing (my son mowed them with the lawn mower!) . Good job on your setup! MI0MCZ

[@raymondmartin6737]

I have the same MFJ center device with 2, 6 Meter whips from MFJ, which do perform as a 6 Meter dipole. I have used it vertically for 6 M repeaters, and on the horizontal for 6 M SSB, at the lower end of the band. Actually, one can use the MFJ center devise with any 2 matched threaded whips to make dipoles for different bands. I also just received the 17 foot telescopic whip antenna 📡 from Moonraker and the adapter you recently showed on your car. I look forward to using it. 73 de W2CH, Ray, New Hampshire.

[@huwkelvinmorgan3575]

As a radio ham my self i was always designing and trying out designs every day for years and the easiest design for 21mhz was a mini v beam antenna it makes signals much better to listen to and gives your signal a big boost try it Andy and see what you think

[@robertmeyer4744]

very good. he remembered the E bike ! the outher trick with the 1:1 is just wrap coax threw a T 240-43 ferrite core . use like RG 8X or RG 58. M & P does make some great low loss smaller coax. when you get SWR down under 2:1like 1:1.6 or so just use the tuner . with my end fed half wave any thing under 2.5 I just hit the tune on my IC 7300. I do not waist time fine tunning when I go portable. the match will change each time I set up a bit. you can even turn that dipole 90 deg make it vert . will work 6 meters as well. use a 49:1 UNUN and whip antenna to 1/2 wave and you have some antenna gain. lots of great fun. winding a 64:1 as I watch your video. doing end fed on 160 meters . 80 meters of wire. I have to go to a park to try it. 73's

[@M7BCN]

Excellent Andy, nothing quite like QRP stateside. Planning on something similar using fibreglass poles.

[@andykirby]

Yeah fibreglass poles + wire works great!

[@Keith_WB2VUO]

Hi Andy, Keith, WB2VUO here near Buffalo, NY. You might want to sweep the SWR with the whips. Due to the fast taper from th threaded end tomthe tips, the whips will need to be extended some to reach a flat non-reactive load. Also, many factors involved between height and separations from the surroundings, house, tree, etc... A simple rule is to measure the length, sweep for minimum SWR and work the math in reverse. So, if your whips were set for, say, 1.5 meter each side, 3.0 meters overall and the SWR dipped at 50.3 MHz, you would use 50.3 x 3, or 150.9/F(MHz) to recalculate the whip length. Using 6 meters as that's where I play with the whips or small tubing here, hi! With this example, for 10 meters, I would do 150.9/28.3 for a whip setting of 5.33 meters total, 2.66 meters each side. It will get you close enough to either use the ATU to match, or just tweak the tip lengths a few cm... Keep up the experimentation, and CU on the ait! 73, Keith, WB2VUO here near Buffalo, NY

[@vkradio1656]

Love your work Gov, great video, are your sure your in England, looks like a sunny day?

[@johnnorth9355]

Only fellow QRP'ers will appreciate the excitement of getting a qso with 10 watts . 73 M7BLC

[@digitalmediafan]

Hmm great idea that MFJ 2299 seems it will handle 200w PEP according to some spec pages ?

[@adyg6ad73]

Great job Andy. I was on 15m at the same time and the QSB was pretty bad today.

[@andykirby]

Yeah it was wasn't it. It swung from one extreme to another.

[@davidchaplin7023]

Enjoying your videos Andy 👍

[@SavinoLeo]

Interesting Andy , well done 73's

[@TheBrynu]

ideal for portable but for home base you could use 2 silver rods maybe it would workout cheaper.

[@fernandoscrenci3895]

Andy Kirby, Has Done it Again!! You are Making QRP come Alive Again!! 👉👍

[@guruoo]

Cool that your contacts can evaluate their end performance on your YT channel.

[@alvarogaitan2529]

another fantastic video Andy 73 from kb2uew

[@gearlab734]

That's all interesting thanks Andy. I'm keen to find out more about the lower the frequency, the longer range and clearer signal you can get on HF, e.g 7mhz is alot easier to do long range than CB 27mhz. I'm M7*** !

[@andykirby]

The HF HAM bands are so much cleaner than CB, so much less noise. It's possible to talk around the country on a bit of wire strung around the garden on 3mhz or 7mhz in the evenings.

[@gearlab734]

@@andykirby Thanks for the advice Andy :)

[@gregdelgado812]

You got to get that DSP working on that radio I heard it’s awesome

[@nimrodquimbus912]

I wonder if you could use a drone to hoist up a wire

[@stevemumbling7720]

Another good one Andy. I didn't know Maplin's had folded up. What do the electronics hobbyists do for components? We have Jaycar here in Oz, they seem to be going from strength to strength with shops all over the place.

[@digitalmediafan]

Yes Maplin closed all it's remaining stores in 2018 and now exists online only. I guess Dick Smith electronics is still going down under ?

[@MirlitronOne]

Yeah, now all we have are Rapid, CPC Farnell, and any number of other retailers twice as reliable and half the price of Maplin.

[@stevemumbling7720]

@@digitalmediafan No Dick Smith packed it in years ago. Jaycar for over the counter and RS & Farnell on line.

[@stevemumbling7720]

@@MirlitronOne Are any of those over the counter shops or are they all on line?

[@kevinshieldsw1kps785]

Hey Andy, great video! Is the fiberglass pole telescopic? Really cool setup! I’m impressed with the distance you get!

[@T.M.G2014]

How high could you put it off the ground to still get good contacts

[@morethan4mph]

The base of those telescopic sections looks to be much better than the older MFJ ones where the bases were simply crimped in and quickly worked loose.

[@tonyridlen]

Andy this is a great video! Merry Christmas 73 KC9QVE Marion,Indiana

[@andykirby]

Merry Christmas!

[@tonyridlen]

@@andykirby you too Andy I really enjoy your videos!

[@J3sus1sL0rd1]

Considering Canada station has putting out 50 times more power than your QRP Station just 10 watts. Also Canada Has around added to 7 times of the antenna Gain than your unity-Gain is around di-pole antenna. Another one: As Canada probably using RG-213 -VS- your RG-58 as more lossy coaxial than his RG-213. The overall E.R.P. Power from Canada probably up to 400 times greater than your E'R.P. as Canada station were fairly weak, as big surprises!! Canada station still able to hear you as so much weaker station almost as well as you hear him, "NOT BAD AT ALL!" on your side. In CB lingle of Q.R.P is called; peanut whistle station HA-HA. And by the way, my cousin live in Hexton, U.K. is north of you.

[@ahaveland]

Add a few more elements and turn it into a Yagi! Add some servos to extend and retract the elements and you could tune the size of the antenna in real time! Mac should be easily able to find you here from your call sign.... Would be good if he posted a comment!

[@subramanianr7206]

I hope you are talking about step ir antenna system; a telescopic whip can be retracted but to extend it is not all that easy. Homebrewimg a similar contraption is a dream for many including you I believe. Anyway, all the best 👍 De VU2RZA

[@basshorseman998]

Andy, hows the telescoping antenna(s) holding up after a year? (reminds me of something off a giant boombox)

[@TobyStatusOnline]

Is your antenna bolted into the ground Andy, or just placed on the floor?

[@warrenphillips69]

Busy assembling my 1st rig. Got and old by hardly used Icom IC-M710. Just picked up an AT-130 ATU today.

[@andykirby]

That's a very nice ATU!

[@eliotmansfield]

Jesus andy my ft991a a sitting in the bottom of the drawer unused for a year - do i need grow a beard or am i allowed on the air clean shaved?

[@dash8brj]

Hah! My IC7300 has been sitting in a drawer for about 2 years! I need to make some decent antenna's and get back on the air too :)

[@francismcclaughry3794]

it look interesting. I have up a g 5 rv. I alum an laying around I have a twenty meter beam laying in the the garage I have a bft taped laying in the front all I get a gap that I have up and I never got that thing to work

[@davidsradioroom9678]

Dipoles are fun to work with.

[@brian.7966]

what's all this gubbins, I like it well done Andy,

[@yeovil07]

Could I use a telescopic antenna on Muppets and ssb? How much are they and where did you get them from, I have a problem being able to put up an antenna so something like the telescopic would be ideal.

[@JReed305]

Where did you get the whips?

[@DavidSmith-qd7fd]

Great stuff Andy loving it

[@nigelhilton4230]

Liking the videos please could you do a numptys guide to a yaesu ft5de as I have bought one and it’s not exactly easy, prob why I like cb,s turn it and it just works

[@plast3r]

hey andy you ever thought about trying out the remote features on the icom i dont see many videos about it and u having limited space at the studio it could maybe work for you

[@ss--wrme4083]

Andy Kirby I'm from America does your country have GMRS license (462 and 467mhz frequencies)

[@joeblow8593]

Nice going to Belize and Atlantic Canada.

[@Blaculo]

Stay golden, Ponyboy.

[@richegg22]

Your making me want to get into this!

[@neilgunnell1114]

Andy, do you buy all this gear or get sent it to review? Can you send me the wonderful DX10 and I’ll review it 🤣

[@andykirby]

Haha, some is bought some is sent in. The FTDX10 is mine... ALL MINE😁😁😅

[@neilgunnell1114]

It’s on my shopping list.

[@LevyCarneiro]

What happens if you use it in vertical position (assuming there's a way to hold it in place), would it have a better reception in the same scenario? (UK => US)

[@andykirby]

Yeah it doesn't really matter, sometimes verticals pick up more man made noise and with a horizontal antenna there's more of the antenna system up in the air, DX signals are all polarised differently as they are bent and refracted by the ionosphere and can change throughout a QSO. You can also "beam" a horizontal dipile or yagi in the direction you want to hear/transmit.

[@LevyCarneiro]

@@andykirby thanks mate, some interesting things I’m learning on your channel. All the best!

[@nigelbrooks6756]

@@andykirby you’re doing a great job Andy I use a lot of ampro whips as phased dipoles one horizontal and one as a vertical V by using the V it does change the radiation pattern vertical is sometimes better for Dx ,cheers

[@charlesparks7267]

It starts in January

[@anthonyfmoss]

Ringpolice Manchester here - I’d like to pay you a visit to check the wattage you’re transmitting with. I’ll be there in next 30 mins

[@warrenphillips69]

Ring-piece man-spreader

[@PedroskiClimb]

I've worked Australia and NZ from the beach down here near Brighton with less than 2.5W (two point five watts) from Yaesu FT817 into whip antenna. Both SSB and CW. Amazing what can be achieved with greyline.propagation early in the morning.

[@Hamdalorian]

I’ll bet if you swapped that out for a 9:1 you would have a nice multiband dipole

[@christophersmith1155]

DO I NEED A ONE TO ONE BALUN IF I BUILD THIS MONO BAND FOR 27MHZ ?

[@andykirby]

you don't "have to" on any band but it does help to prevent the coax becoming part of the antenna and the problems that presents.

[@Tom_2E1FUE]

Nice one Andy I'm trying a DX Commander 3D Printed mate had a DX Commander so I got the sizes and in the middle of sorting it but to much Snow and studying for my Full Licence that is hard mate De 2E1FUE. You on DMR Andy love to have a chat one day.

[@LoftechUK]

That’s awesome

[@simonjz05]

Screwfix!!!!!! Never EVER Halfrauds....

[@andykirby]

This is true

[@Hungry_Hunter]

Blimey its a monster!!!!!

[@adk5746]

👍👍👍

[@NivagSwerdna]

Very fun

[@Ei2iP]

A cheap tv rotator and you're in business.. Great job on 15M..

[@LoftechUK]

Andy I’ve had to subscribe again to your channel so very confused

[@andykirby]

That's weird, I hate it when youtube does that. Sorry about that nothing to do with me. Glad you subbed again.

[@toucan221]

now 700 likes ✔✔👍👍

[@Dreamlgider]

QRP ≤ 5W

[@andykirby]

Hmm meh, that's open to discussion!

[@Locksnut]

QRP here in the states is 10w SSB, 5w CW

[@charlesparks7267]

Just to let you know Harlow radio club is running a course for new people who want to get l here license

[@andykirby]

That's cool! If you are involved that's awesome.

[@MirlitronOne]

Sorry, since when was a £130 MFJ antenna kit "home made"? Come to think of it, when was East Coast USA the other side of the world? Nice video but the title is (deliberately) misleading.

[@Andy2e0ree]

YOU DO NOT NEED TO SAY QRP YOUR CALL SIGN TELL THEM YOU ARE ONLY 10 WATTS

[@mu0chn]

Why are you shouting. Another UK station may know he is only using 10 Watts but he was talking to other countries.

[@Andy2e0ree]

All m3 and m6 m7 us ten watts if they are any sort of a ham they will know that

[@Andy2e0ree]

Good job Andy keep it up

[@andykirby]

Sometimes I run 5W 😉 as others said, operators in other countries don't always know the license conditions.

[@mu0chn]

@@Andy2e0ree As I said uk ham's will but ham's in other countries, well not all uk ham's I know I have been able to use 400w since I was first licenced.

[@losradiofanatik]

hahahah CB radio...chicken band

[@michaelsMW2movies]

What is the point of this hobby? To communicate with others around the world? No disrespect btw, I've just never come across anything like this and I have no idea what's going on.