Ham radio - a new antenna system for portable and mobile .. The Mad Dog Coil

[@cthoadmin7458]

You can actually make them yourself, Marty has (or had) videos where he walks through how to construct the mad dog using materials readily available in Bunnings (Aussie hardware store like Home Base), and no complicated machining necessary . I feel I should buy them though as he's put so much work into this and other products...

[@timg5tm941]

Agree they are very well made

[@barrywendon5168]

Thanks Tim for the information on the mad dog coil food for thought 73 de G6JMX

[@timg5tm941]

Thank you Barry 73

[@Kinetic79]

Apparently it really is nicely built - and that was a great idea to make it connectable with the BNC or fed instead with the 3/8” at the base. On having multiple collars for quick&easy band changes, I’m thinking, most likely, you’d try to tune for the higher bands first, and then work your way downward. B/c I think each inactive collar (located higher on the coil, above your band of operation) will short out something like 3-6 windings each… so you’d probably lose a little inductance… but it looks like there’s plenty available there on that 80m version!

[@timg5tm941]

Good points here .. I look forward to trying the multi collar arrangement. Thanks for stopping by!

[@gtretroworld]

Looks a quality item Tim, especially the Multitude of connectivity. Thanks for sharing.

[@timg5tm941]

Its a great build 73

[@timdbl7804]

Great! Thanks for this Tim; it looks just the job for my quick-deploy activities in the car. I guess one could also use a second collar to provide a tapping-point to adjust for best 50 Ohm match, if necessary :-)

[@timg5tm941]

Yes!

[@FIL357]

Hi Tim, best regards for the year. Very interesting video. I have the Slidewinder but the Mad Dog coil looks worth a careful look ! Phil - Suffolk

[@timg5tm941]

Cheers Phil, happy new year!

[@willian.direction6740]

Long haul from VK4 to VK5 and I often work Marty on VKFF/POTA when he gets out in a park. Always has a good signal for portable. Regards vk5cz ..

[@timg5tm941]

Great to hear!

[@acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE]

It' looks a well-made product and certainly worth you giving it a proper review. HNY to you and yours Tim!

[@timg5tm941]

Thank you and to you and yours! 73

[@MikeN2MAK]

Looks great! I have the dual collar on my Wolf River Coils and it has worked nicely.

[@timg5tm941]

Nice one Mike!

[@jamescstanley5018]

Neat bit of kit, seems a good price, and a Ham product developed by a Ham! Always a good sign. 73 Jim M7BXT

[@timg5tm941]

I agree Jim. First time I’ve taken a product to try and it looks a good build.

[@101blog]

Looks like a well built and thought out coil Tim!

[@timg5tm941]

It does 👍

[@donalfinn4205]

Happy New Year. Nice to see you up and running in 24.

[@timg5tm941]

Thank you sir! 73

[@johnnorth9355]

Come the Zombie apocalypse it looks well enough built for hand to hand combat as well 🙂. Good to see you looking bright and chipper Tim and I look forward to the follow ups . 73 M7BLC.

[@timg5tm941]

Thanks John! 73

[@thehamjazz]

G'day Tim, great video mate. Marty is the best, and his products look amazing! I'm buying one when I get to Australia in March, and can't wait to use this on the Tape Measure antenna, to get 40 and possibly even 80 meters. Thanks for posting this great video Tim, and can't wait to see the follow up videos on it's performance. Cheers mate!

[@timg5tm941]

Nice one Simon and I am looking forward to using it. 73

[@alandavis5255]

Very interesting piece of kit Keep up the good work..

[@timg5tm941]

Thank you Alan 73

[@M7BCN]

Impressive. Looking forward to seeing it in use.

[@timg5tm941]

Thanks Brian 👍

[@Marcel-PG0M]

Looking forward for the next video's Tim ! 73, Marcel (old callsign PA2MKV)

[@timg5tm941]

Thank you Marcel 73!

[@HamRadioDX]

Great review Tim! The Mad Dog Coils I have are beaut!

[@timg5tm941]

They sure are Hayden! 73

[@brianfields4479]

definitely a quality looking item which will be an advantage to many folk. personally all loaded ants ive used in the past, never matched the results i got from resonant ants. But look forward to see how you get on Tim.

[@timg5tm941]

Thanks mate

[@NickelodeonTuber]

Looks like a nice product, Tim. I look forward to your review video. Happy New Year! Cheers

[@timg5tm941]

Thanks!!

[@MM0OPXFieldRadio]

Looks the biz mate. Looked it up and its very reasonably priced. For 80m the morning greyline will be great shortly it not now. I used to listen to an 80m DX net driving to work using an ampro and I used to hear most of the DX which was NA, Caribbean and VK. One evening I had the 40m ampro on driving home and was listening to a VK on calling CQ on 80 with no one going back to him. I was kicking myself I didn't have the 80m ampro in the car.

[@timg5tm941]

Absolutely Colin - fingers crossed for some action on 80 early one morning! 73

[@JxH]

Years ago, it was common knowledge that "Shorted Turns Are Bad", as they cause circulating currents that convert some of the power into IR loss = heat. Nowadays, most antenna loading coil designs include shorted turns as part of the design, in this case where the oversized "Collar !" makes contact with multiple turns (shorted turns). I must have missed the memo where this old tidbit of common knowledge was withdrawn, somehow now being 'incorrect'. A good test is to feed the coil with a kilowatt for perhaps 5 or 10 minutes to identify any areas of IR loss. They'll be glowing or perhaps on fire. I don't mind being corrected if I'm wrong. Cheers.

[@ssubaihi]

Thank U Sir.Tim for such an episode .. Hopefully you produce an episode about the Mysterious AstroPlane Antenna , the Antenna claimed to have a 2 dBd gain yet it’s a Top hated , Further more it’s claimed it’s radiating from to Cold side .. It struggled to understand How it’s function ,,, An So far I can imagine it’s Half Folded Dipole just like what’s we normally see in Repeaters Antennas array used to be in towers .. In my opinion You the only person who capable of dismantling the functioning secret of such Pro Antenna

[@G5MCL]

Good to see you again Tim. 73s G5MCL

[@timg5tm941]

Thanks!!

[@COASTALWAVESWIRES]

Great video Tim, so good to see you. I'm definitely going to purchase one and get out on the beach with it. 73 my friend!!!

[@timg5tm941]

You know it makes sense Walt! Cheers buddy

[@martinsalt1839]

Interesting video TIm, thanks for sharing. I've got a few other coils (WRC and Slidewinder) so don't really need another one. BTW, you can purchase a dual-collar for the WRC as well so not really a USP for the "Mad Dog" 73 M0UMS

[@timg5tm941]

Thanks Martin. Yes I take your point but it’s a USP to my situation. 73

[@adyg6ad73]

Looks like the "Mad Dogs" danglers mate. I can't wait to see how it performers, especially on the lower bands.

[@timg5tm941]

Hi mate yes 40 and 80 loaded verticals sound tempting. I’ve never worked DX on 80 SSB so I’m dying to try it late one night.

[@paulsengupta971]

@@timg5tm941From my bottom of the valley QTH in Wales, I can often get into the USA around 2am-3am on 80m, but usually with the other station's antenna doing the heavy lifting!

[@ItsRael108]

Me too, looks good build quality, I used a screwdriver back in the day mainly on 40

[@truckinguy92]

A friend of mine got one and he loves it. Nice video Tim!

[@timg5tm941]

Good stuff! 73

[@justmejonboy]

Interesting video Tim, I presume any coil of this type will come with huge losses ? I wish I knew how to model them to see.John

[@timg5tm941]

There will be some loss, but the longer the vertical length the more efficient the antenna on the band used 73

[@hamradiomobile]

great vid Tim, I for one will be trying this one. I like the fact you could have it set for three bands. I would be interested to see if it performs better than my mid loaded mono whips. Did you have to pay any duty on the arrival Tim?

[@timg5tm941]

Hi Duncan yes that would be a useful test. No I did not but as I mentioned, Marty was happy to send this to me to try. I’m unaware if he picked up the duty. 73

[@redeyegooner]

Dont tease us 😅 get it on the air!!😅😂

[@timg5tm941]

Video out tomorrow!

[@redeyegooner]

@@timg5tm941 Ham tease 😏

[@M0JSX]

Nice one Tim, it’s a manual ATAS-120A! 😜

[@timg5tm941]

Indeed it is!

[@izzetmuroz]

Hi Tim nice to see you again has been long time....

[@timg5tm941]

Thank you! 73

[@robertbosley4814]

Interesting... Good to see you back Tim 👍 73 M0KOK

[@timg5tm941]

Thanks !!

[@imeoutis4910]

How much was the customs duty and shipping cost to the UK for this?

[@timg5tm941]

Zero to me and I believe anything under £100 is LIKELY to have the same outcome.

[@thomashardy9994]

I have one. Very easy to get on 40 and 80 meters.

[@timg5tm941]

Great!

[@corsavic1]

Hi Tim happy newyear another great vid

[@timg5tm941]

Thank you too! Happy new year.

[@jackjones-er1ts]

could you use a 9ft tank whip with that Tim?

[@timg5tm941]

Absolutely and I have done. Video out very soon!

[@cthoadmin7458]

Marty uses military surplus whip antennas with his.

[@russellsurrey2465]

If it rained and the coil got wet what would be the effect?

[@timg5tm941]

Minimal so far

[@milohoffman274]

What kind of mount does it have at the bottom? Is it also 3/8? Using a coil in the middle of an antenna with some part of the antenna below it, is much more efficient than the coil just at the bottom.

[@timg5tm941]

Much more? Studies by L.Cebik (renowned antenna expert, now sadly a SK) tested out 1/2 sized ground mounted verticals for 80m .. compared with a full sized quarter wave the centre loaded was 1.5dB down on the full size and the base loaded was 3dB down. 1.5dB is a difference. But is it a lot? That’s the subjective bit maybe. 73

[@timg5tm941]

Yes it’s 3/8

[@CriticalThinker-42]

@@timg5tm941 3db down is 1/2 S-Unit and 1.5 db down 1/4 S-Unit. In normal use you'd most likely not notice, but for weak signal use it could make the difference. L B Cebik (RIP) is The Man for antenna testing. Sorry Tim, that sticks you in the # 2 spot. 73 mike

[@timg5tm941]

Agree with you Mike. Marginal copies and weak signal can rely on those thin margins. As for Cebik, yes he’s the granddaddy of antenna analysis. I’m so grateful his stuff has been saved for others to read. 73.

[@Andy2e0ree]

Make 2 of us my on its way

[@SergiuCosminViorel]

Why the dog so mad? And what that coil has to do with the canine? It looks more like Star Wars. Jedi Coil

[@timg5tm941]

Extra 3dB 😉

[@SergiuCosminViorel]

@@timg5tm941 yeah, but that already means fat

[@CriticalThinker-42]

Thanks for the video Tim! Please test this Mad Dog coil base vs. mid loading and report your results. 73 mike

[@timg5tm941]

Will do Mike 73!