The Coat Hanger 10 meter Vertical Antenna

[@KF0NNQ]

KB5MIQ, Dave recommended your channel. That's enough for me. Grinding coat hanger to fit a PL239 😢is a plus! Thanks and 73, Bill.

[@SuburbanDXing]

@@KF0NNQ Hello Bill...it was cold when I did the grinding...the smoke you see is from the coat hanger, and my breath...I don't smoke but it looked like I was 🚬...73! de WX0V

[@thuff3207]

Thank you for the fun of seeing a coat hanger antenna. Wow that was interesting to see if it was possible.

[@SuburbanDXing]

Thank you! I really didn't think it would even match; let alone make a Q...but it worked...glad to be back on my beam, though! 😀73! de WX0V

[@BrokenCircuitRanch]

Came here from KB5MIQ's mention. Great video! This gives me some ideas. :)

[@SuburbanDXing]

@@BrokenCircuitRanch Big fan of KB5MIQ and what he does to promote our hobby...to be sure ...73! de WX0V

[@ZedBeeE]

The coat hanger antenna you made reminded me of something from a Dr. Seuss book for some reason. Cool to see it in action. HNY es 73!

[@SuburbanDXing]

@@ZedBeeE The "I'm a poet but didn't know it" sounded kind of Suessian, to be sure. 😎 73! de WX0V

[@kb5miqbigboy]

Outstanding video scott!!! Thats ham radio experimetting at its best! Also the disclaimer at the end was spot on! Tuners dont make bad antennas better, they just lie to the radio. Gonna try n remember to link this one in my next video. HAPPY NEW YEAR BUDDY!!73!!

[@SuburbanDXing]

@@kb5miqbigboy Absolutely! I cannot recall a better way to describe an antenna matching device with a bad antenna. I'm going to use that line (crediting you, of course)...outstanding! This antenna was done as a lark just to see if it would work so that's why I had the end disclaimer...hope most viewers stick around for that but the 17 minute run time might cut into that hope. Thank you as always and Happy New Year! 73! de WX0V

[@HamRadioKS-k7j]

Now you can hang up your antenna when you are done with it. Thanks for the video! 73

[@SuburbanDXing]

@@HamRadioKS-k7j Good point! 😀 73! de WX0V

[@philryder966]

Wow!!! Good job! Used to use coat hangars and metal window screens for dx when I was a kid!!! 😂

[@SuburbanDXing]

@@philryder966 Glad to rekindle some fun memories from your past...73! de WX0V

[@franciscolopez3229]

Congratulations sir with your contacts with that coat hanger. What can I say, this is what ham hobby makes it very interesting, EXPERIMENTATION. Happy New Year and 73, DW1QEW.

[@SuburbanDXing]

Thank you...it was more of a "smart-ass experiment" than anything else, but it was fun, to be sure...73! de WX0V

[@dj4mx988]

Amazing experiment and video 😂 Similar to what my dad always tells me, "if 10m is open, you can even work DX on a Wrench 19mm - 21mm". 73 and HNY, Sven DJ4MX

[@SuburbanDXing]

A wrench...hmmm... 🤔 😀 I look forward to your next operation (and your outstanding CW skills) on V7...hope the path is open to my QTH on 160m...but that's a tough one at this time of the solar cycle...we'll see. Thanks for your comment, Sven, and 73! de WX0V

[@dj4mx988]

@@SuburbanDXing Thanks for the kind words Scott. Yes, cant wait for the DXPedition to start, will be something different than Guyana 😄 160m will be challenging for sure, but our QTH is right at the saltwater with clear shot to EU, NA and JA, so I hope for the best. 73, Sven

[@JeffLevine-ob3no]

Awesome using a coat hanger. I once used an aluminum lawn chair hung by a monofilament fishing line for my gutters. I love experimenting with rf. Signed kg4 tez. Jeff

[@SuburbanDXing]

Now that's a video I would have enjoyed seeing...73! de WX0V

[@nul153]

I use kinda vertical in my terrace. The thing is the terrace is inside the patio of a 5 story building, that is I am surrounded by 4 high walls since I live on the Ground floor... Your video has given me more inspiration 😅 de EA4CWW

[@SuburbanDXing]

@@nul153 At the end of the day, it's about anything one can do to get on the air. As noted in the video, a coat hanger isn't a good option, but compromised antennas *can* and *do* work. Thanks for your comment and 73! de WX0V

[@DellFargus]

You may be able to re-purpose that MacGuyver antenna for the 2 meter band.

[@SuburbanDXing]

@@DellFargus Absolutely! If you saw what I use on 2m, a Coat Hanger might be a step-up...73! de WX0V

[@dx7388]

I worked many DX stations with just my ATAS-120 and FT-891 20W output. YB, VU2, HZ, PY, CX, CE, XE, VE, USA. CW, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10m. Also I heard many beacons on 10m CW, the most distant ones from W6. 73 de Irek SO3X

[@SuburbanDXing]

@@dx7388 Excellent. Maybe take out the ATAS-120 and replace it with a coat hanger like this and see how it does. 73! de WX0V

[@dx7388]

I also heard KH6 and KL7 stations on 15/10m/CW, but both were in a contest. My last activity was as DX8C in CQWW CW, barefoot FT-891, Hexbeam, Inv Vee, 1153 QSO :) 73 de SO3X

[@JayN4GO]

Wet noodle next

[@SuburbanDXing]

Could be...however, I'd probably need a loading coil for that...😆...73! de WX0V

[@624radicalham]

Awesome! And for some people like me this is a reality of life. Why wouldn't you use amplification on that? Let's look at this situation seriously and in detail. I'm running 500 watts to a thin piece of magnet wire out the back of a tuner and into the trees. The tuner is rated for "3KW". On the ground lug of the tuner I run counterpoise wires and again, I'm running 500 watts and have been for a decade. Nothing has caught fire. Why couldn't I do that here using a tuner?

[@SuburbanDXing]

I have an Elecraft KPA1500, and solid state amps do not like mis-matched antennas. Yeah, I could fool it using my matching device, but there would be tremendous strain on my system and would be begging for a failure. Besides, in my case, instead of raising power, using a better antenna is a superior solution. In your case, the mis-match is likely no where near as bad as the Coat Hanger, so yes, your gear will handle it just fine. However, if someone wants to run 1500 watts to a coat hanger, that is their choice. You can still rock in America, right? 😀73! de WX0V

[@624radicalham]

@@SuburbanDXing haha yes indeed. I appreciate your comment very much because the thing is, 90% of the comments here and on QRZ are taking this as a cute "joke" and in their reality it's something they will never use. Jokes about "wet noodles" truly bother me. I'm going to build this, and I'm going to use it ground mounted as it is, that's why the questions I'm asking are legitimate and important. There is no other way in my case except a wire in a tree and this, and I'm going to do this. Thus my concern about what can burn up or not. I'm running tube amps and with my good tuner I do believe that power will be radiated to that antenna, say keeping it around 3-400 watts. What could burn? I don't see anything that could. RF exposure negligible since it will be placed far away from people. But yes, this is a legitimate antenna some will build for 10 meters.

[@SuburbanDXing]

@@624radicalham Well, in all honesty, I did build this as a *joke* (I call it a "smart ass experiment" in the video) and do not suggest it as a real antenna. However, as I hinted at before, people can do whatever they want to. It's all good...I would add a loading coil to it, however. As far as what can "burn" (and I have some experience in this arena), it is unlikely any of the actual antenna would melt, unless you ran full legal (US) 1.5KW into it and the driven element made contact with a tree branch or the like. The real danger is damaging your gear inside the shack; especially with heavy usage and full-duty cycles. That said, and as I said before, You Can Still Rock in America!--or many other places... 73! de WX0V

[@624radicalham]

@@SuburbanDXing Excellent advice all around, thank you. Final question, isn't the tuner itself the loading coil? Pardon if I got that wrong. I've never used a loading coil with magnet wire for example. You've done more than make comedy here. You've provided a way out for those of us that want to make contacts and live in a restricted HOA. Funny how that works huh? Keep the video up as a valid experiment. And for historical purposes 5-800 watts on a magnet wire never caused a fire on any of the trees I've ever used. On SSB that is.

[@SuburbanDXing]

@@624radicalham Yes, the tuner basically is the loading coil, but it is better to have it at the feed-point of the antenna...73! de WX0V

[@russellroberts2228]

A wonderfully fantastic antenna idea. I'll check my closet for my next antenna project. Great video. Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).

[@SuburbanDXing]

Thank you for your comment and 73! de WX0V

[@donaldhiles_k9sgz428]

I built a coat hanger ground plane for 2 meters took 2 hangers . 😊

[@SuburbanDXing]

@@donaldhiles_k9sgz428 Excellent...much cheaper than a commercially-made vertical and likely just as effective...73! de WX0V

[@gcurry57]

I use a 41in antenna all the time on 15-40 cw with my elecraft KH1 1000Q's so far in 2024 including DX

[@SuburbanDXing]

Impressive...73! de WX0V

[@PRAR1966]

🙂

[@SuburbanDXing]

73! de WX0V

[@Capecodham]

A "Q?" You have no life.

[@SuburbanDXing]

That could be, but *you* watched my video and commented on it...so it looks like there's two of us with no life...welcome to the club! 😀 73 de WX0V

[@Capecodham]

@@SuburbanDXing point taken.

[@SuburbanDXing]

@@Capecodham Before you run off, how is that Elecraft K4D working out for you to date? Are you happy with it?

[@Capecodham]

@@SuburbanDXing Not a D. For $4500 the K4 is not a great bang for the buck and reliability is a problem. They milk you on service costs. They are overpriced but hams with extra money pay for it. They have many functions not implemented.

[@SuburbanDXing]

@Capecodham Ok on no "D" (that's on me)...interesting feedback. I noticed on one of your videos you were having at least one issue with it; that sucks for a spendy rig, to be sure. Others have told me they love theirs but I knew you wouldn't sugarcoat/spin it if I asked. Thanks for the reply and 73! de WX0V