Top Prepper HF Ham Radio Antenna

[@thequarantinecatholic]

When you were talking about shopping around asking for suggestions, I am loving the customer service and crafstmanship from N9SAB and plan on purchasing more of his antennas. This is hands down the best presentation on End Fed Half Wave Antennas. You are a wonderful teacher. Wow what an Elmer!! The visual aids and break downs are incredibly "resonate" with those of us who usually use dipoles or vertical HF antennas. Your video will help me with my antenna building adventures and purchase decisions. I have now watched the presentation twice and plan to take notes the third time. Wow what a video!!!! Have a Blessed Day!!!!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks for your kind words and suggesting N9SAB. Could you post his website for others to find?? You made my day 😊

[@thequarantinecatholic]

@@hamradiomadesimple I have tried 3 times to post the info for you and YT keeps flagging it. Do a key word search for "N9SAB HF Ham Radio Antenna" or "HamRadioAntennas" they are available at both of the stores that begin with an E and end with a Y - where people sell their own stuff. Let's see if this 3rd time YT does not flag my response.

[@thequarantinecatholic6806]

@@hamradiomadesimple YT keeps flagging my response. It must think I am spamming. I am trying a 4th time under a different YT account to see if it gets flagged. Do a key word search for his call sign under those two stores where people can sell their own stuff - they begin with an E and end with a Y. Again, your video is awesome and I am planning where to deploy my antennas now that I learned about the NVIS. 3rd pass now taking notes making drawings! You rock!!!!I tried to provide links and even the store name and YT keeps deleting my reply to you - UG!!

[@regularguy519]

Hands down. N9SAB has the best antennas & support (you won't need support - they are that good. I own 4 different antennas from him).

[@regularguy519]

​@@hamradiomadesimpleYT won't let me post a link. Google: N9SAB eBay. Takes you right to his store.

[@oxynimrod]

"...so you can use 40 and 80m to reach within 300 miles of your location" I subbed b/c of this and your great content.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Yep, nice to reach more local and regional friends now.

[@zigzagfly1635]

As a newly licensed HAM, I find this channel’s explanations extremely easy to understand and comprehend. Thank you.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Great to hear that you are finding the content useful. Thank you!

[@5BASSIP]

I have been licensed for 31 years and this is the best and most comprehensive explanation on EFHW antennas that I have seen. Well done.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Wow, I really take that as a GREAT compliment. Thanks for taking the time to post this!

[@thequarantinecatholic]

@@hamradiomadesimple Hands down best explanation, I have watched so many videos to help me construct one and understand the theory and practice of these sorts of antennas. And, been researching to help me decide which version to purchase. You are a great Elmer!!!!!!! Thank you, you quelled my frustration.

[@ironton655]

But the antenna in the video is not an EFHW, it is and EFRW (End Fed Random Wire) fed with a very lossy 5:1 transformer! An EFHW is just that - a wire that is a "half wave" on it's fundamental band. Not some random length like the 71' wire this thing uses. 71' is a half wave at 6.6 mhz which isn't even in a ham band!

[@kennethschlegel870]

Im in North Carolina as well, thank you for the info on NVIS setup, I'm interested in that for emergency comms within the region since I'm in Currituck county and we tend to get a bunch of hurricanes.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Oh, yeah. Also make sure to watch my Solar Video since you need power to be self sustaining with power.

[@ColoGrayWolf]

Great video lesson. Fact-packed and certainly NOT boring! Had to rewind a couple of times to catch certain concepts, and I'm fairly experienced HAM and Prepper. Please keep up the good work and thank for your clear explaination and good drawings.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks for taking the time to comment a word of encouragement.

[@Redbaron3314733]

Great learning here and more than that, it promotes and furthers the hobby. The ARRL handbook couldn't have given a better lesson. Nicely done!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

WOW, what a great compliment Bill. Thanks for posting this!!

[@victormorales3144]

WOW! Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience. Crystal clear. I'm re starting after 20 years HAM inactive. Prayers to the Almighty for your surgeries. We need more human touch/quality persons like you. 73

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Glad it was helpful and welcome back! I am at rest and trust the Lord's plan in my life. I've learned to take one day at a time and be grateful for can do. His grace is enough.

[@chrisd8715]

Great info, explained and broken down perfectly for preppers new to HF radio... Keep it up!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks, trying my best and I want others to be up to speed ASAP. Time is short as you well know.

[@dirigoelectric]

I just got my technician, KC1VRV, and my biggest reason is I want the ability to listen or talk if needed, to know what’s headed our way. Recently, after seeing friends in NC and TN, I’m really wanting a semi portable setup that I can reach out to be prepared.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Mobile is critical in these days. I can operate in both a home base and a mobile setup. Congrats on getting into Ham Radio. Keep learning and PRACTICING!

[@Radio48388]

Very useful, better explained than weeks of studying I did on my own.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Great to hear! That has been my goal from day one. Shorten your learning curve as much as possible.

[@SirJohnRobert]

I very much appreciate your presentation style. Thank you for the videos.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

So nice of you to take the time and let me know. I have handouts on the Digital HF Apps, if you need them. Let me know how I can help.

[@johndickinson8848]

Timely information, thorough and understandable. Looking forward to your videos on digital and solar and good luck with your surgery !

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks for your taking the time to comment and encourage me. Also, I will be having back surgery in early November, will be out for a while but hopefully back up soon! Perhaps I can get a jump on it before I go under.

[@tlnelson7598]

I have had an Emcomm II for several years and it works great. That is till the day it fell 25 feet smashing the toroids, operator error is all say on that point. Chameleon sold me the needed repair parts and I repaired the antenna. It's now back up and working great. Chameleon tech support was awesome and the speaks volumes for me.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks for sharing. They make a great product!!

[@vironpayne3405]

Technically the non-resonant antennas are not EFHW - Endfed Halfwave, but random wire. EFHW will have 49:1-64:1 unun. Random wire will have 9:1 unun. The 4:1 and 5:1 unun are for OFCD. The 4:1 unun is for traditional feedpoint 1/3rd from one end, such as "coax fed Windom" / OCFD. The 5:1 like Chameleon is fed closer to 25% from one end.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Your correct but most people still refer to them as such. Most hams do as well as some of the manufactures.

[@75ohmHAM]

They are ALL off center fed dipoles, there is no such thing as a random wire. Still no clue why people get sold these antennas that require a tuner/wide tuner, it's absolutely amazing.

[@nateitkin8279]

One of the best EFHW presentations I've ever seen. Many thanks. At 23:32, you have 500W SSB for the CHA EMCOMM II. I don't know if that was a typo or if it was true a couple years ago, but unfortunately the CHA EMCOMM II is now rated for 200W SSB according to the Chameleon web site. That's ok for the field, but it's a serious bummer for a base station. Maybe people were burning them up with a high duty cycle so rather than improve the toroidal transformer, they just cut the rating from 500W to 200W. 73.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks for posting. They had a new version come out that when from a metal cylinder to a plastic box. I have the older version so it I guess it has changed its performance too.

[@jpbcos]

Outstanding! Newbie here, this helped me a lot

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Glad it helped! It took me a while to unsort this info. Happy to share what I learn as I proceed on my journey.

[@Jagrrr]

2nd time I've watched this and I have learned as much, if not more this time, than the previous viewing. Thanks. I'm going through your entire catalog for the past several months, in between my own surgeries. Cheers!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

I pray your surgeries goes well and you recover quickly. Thanks for the feedback. It is nice to know they are helping!!

[@boblowell4809]

pretty good presentation, but you forgot to mention the active broadband remote tuners like the Yaesu FC-40 or the mAT-40 (Yaesu, Kenwood and Icom). They''re al little pricey, but they work so well. In Air Force TacComm (1980) we used the AN/URC110 with a remote tuner and could cover all the frequencies dictated by USAFE. There is no set wire length required so there is no trimming to adjust into or out of resonant domains; just throw the wire over tree and radiate. Perfect for prepping.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Outstanding comment Bob!! I hope others read your post. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

[@marksmadhousemetaphysicalm2938]

Not a prepper but still useful information for an old HAM to review…I use a portable rig and go out when I can…but as a medical professional I just don’t have the time I want to play with my rig as I’d like…

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks for serving in the medical community. I really appreciate all you do in helping others become well again!!

[@anibalbuch]

Clearly explained and well thought-out sir. I bought the CHAMELEON EMCOMM II QRP Limited Edition works great for my needs.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks for taking the time to let me know!

[@davidnelson6889]

Great video. I have the Chameleon Ecomm II and it works great. I loved your explanation for how to adjust the setup to take advantage of more ground-wave or longer distances. 73 W1UTE

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Awesome, thank you for letting me know. I love this antenna since it can be used for different distances. Have fun with the NVIS. Use WSPR and see what you get before and after your changes. Really fun and important to know!

[@prephampaul]

I have my Chameleon Hybrid mini with 73' wire, I use in inverted V and 2:1 or better on all bands 6-80, w/Cha feedline choke. I haven't tried 160m. It's an amazing antenna sloper, inverted V, flat top, NVIS, etc. EFHW are the bees knees! Great breakdown video!!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks for sharing. EFHW antennas are GREAT. Most versatile and affordable antenna on the market. Glad you are having great success!!!!

[@patrickpetersen8663]

Great video and extremely helpful. Thank you for posting and giving back to the ham community. -W5PSP

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks for posting your encouraging words Patrick!!

[@rwellitgoes7789]

Best explanation I’ve seen. Thank you!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thank you for taking the time to let me know. I hope you are headed in the right direction now!!

[@rfengineer3]

Thank you so much for this video. You spoke to many of the questions I had. I have subscribed to your channel!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Awesome! Thank you! I will be out with back surgery in early November but will try to work on HF Data Modes before I go under the knife. A lot of research and thought goes into each video. I have to keep breaking it down to make it come across as understandable without leaving "information gaps". Thanks again!

[@ironton655]

If you are an "rfengineer" you should have noticed the mistakes stated in this video! Big mistakes! That "non resonant" antenna you are speaking of is "NOT" an EFHW! It is an end fed random wire - there is a big difference! An end fed half wave is just that - a wire that is a half wavelength long on the lowest band, not a "shorter wire" as you mentioned! The EFRW has a lot of loss and requires a tuner to get that good match, if the EFHW is tuned right by adjusting the length of the wire to fine tune it, it doesn't need a tuner. SO, just because it is fed from the end doesn't make it an EFHW. Lets get the facts straight so as not to confuse folks! The end fed half wave is fed with a 49:1 transformer because the impedance of an EFHW is around 2450 ohms and the 49:1 converts that down to 50 ohms - 2450/49 = 50 ohms. And the 5:1 unun transformer that CHA sells with their "shorter wire" is very very lossy to give you a low swr similar to how a dummy load works. On some bands, it has as much as 6db to 9db loss, so it basically turns a 100 watt signal into a QRP signal. Yes, you will make contacts with it, but hey, I've made contacts with my dummy load!

[@rfengineer3]

@@ironton655 well... nanny nanny boo boo to you too!!! lol

[@DK5ONV]

Wohoooo...this is the Channel where Endfed Enthusiasts meet up! 💯👍🙏🍀🙋‍♂

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Hopefully so. Please share your insights and tips!!

[@DK5ONV]

@@hamradiomadesimple Ummm well, first of all I am full time portable Station. Which is not meaning to be a homeless Guy. HI 😂😂😂 Just riding around with my Mountaibike hauling my Radio Trailer around 20 Miles Circle of my QTH and finding me Places to crash and installt my portable Radio Station. I fell for these great working Endfed Antennas for excatly the Reasons you named them in your Video. #1: Compact Antenna not asking for much space in your Backpack, Rucksack etc. #2: it's a Lightweight Antenna so it won't cause any Sweat or Pain in the Back to carry it. #3: works fine even if installed low from the Ground like at lowest Point around 15-18ft. high up. #4: No Counterpoise or Grounding Cable needed. I suggest to RF Grounding if Output PWR exceeds more than 100W. TRX Output. Meaning if you run a HF Amplifier 400W + + + RF grounding is here strongly recommended. #5: if using a 49:1 Transformer Balun you should be able to work the Classic HF Bands without an Antenna Tuner. My 49:1 EFHW with a 39,2ft. Wire and a 34µH Extension Coil for 40m Band is absolutly resonant on 40m. SWR on 20m is nearly flat across the entire Band at 1.3 at the highest Point. SWR on 15m at 1.64 is a little high in my Opinion but still workable without Antenna Tuner. On 10m No Anetnna Tuner needed from 28.300 - 29.155Mhz. SWR on 17 and 12m are close to2.0 and a little bit above. Needs a AT-Tuner. Just speaking from my homebrew EFHW49:1. Another great Point about these EFHW Antennas is, they are not hard to built them at home. PLUS the Parts you need them to get this Project going are not expensive and you can purchase them at any local Hardware Store for less. My "Shorty" EFHW 39,2ft. has an enormous low Ground Noise Level. I hear other HAM's saying they don't like the EFHW just because of the higher Noise Level. In my Case I cannot agree with their Point of View / Experiences they made. I am sorry. I love to work toghest Dx Contacts with weak incoming Signal. I had tons of 30, 40 and 50 RST Contacts. Most of them Contacts happened with my Antenna vertical polarized. If you look back at my History of the past almosst 3 Years I am operating from the Fields now, my EFHW-Antennas did a great job in all kinds of WX in Combination with Spiderbeam 12m HD Telescopic Fiberglas Mast. And iCOM "for the Love of HAM Radio". I became a Wireman for a good Reason. Check out my YT Channel how I work from remote. 73 & happy weekend de Your Friend Guenter, DK5ONV 💯🙋‍♂

[@hamradiomadesimple]

@@DK5ONV OUTSTANDING INSIGHTS! Love what you have done and you are a true champion with your wire. Thanks so much for sharing and I hope others read this. I will definitely check your channel and subscribe too. Way to go and keep up your adventurist spirit. Best comment I've ever had. 😎😎🚲🚲

[@Swede_4_DragonBeliever]

Greetings from Sweden! You, Sir, just got yourself a new subscriber and a thumps up🎉

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Awesome, thank you and so grateful for your support!

[@sofjanmustopoh7232]

Thank you for the presentation. It help a lot

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Glad to hear that!

[@gungho6798]

Awesome info. Thank you , Mark , Barbados.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks Mark for letting me know. Have fun and hope to connect one day.

[@roberth2045]

Love the videos!! I'm just getting into amateur radio and it's a big help.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks, working on my newest one for Digital - Winlink Express. Email for Ham Radio....Let me know if you have any questions! Email me at [e-mail]

[@btaylor1948]

Thanks for the detailed video. I have been using the MyAntenna EFHW80-10 for a few years now. Outstanding antenna! The transformer is about 8ft up and runs 133 ft across the property West to East to about 25ft. I have used FT8 @ 80 watts to contact east Africa and numerous EU stations. I rarely run more than 25 watts on digital tho. Also used JS8Call to contact a buddy in Sacramento CA @ 5 watts. I'm in Eastern ID. Tnx agn. WB6TIS

[@hamradiomadesimple]

GREAT results Bob! You can see the results with an EFHW antenna. For the price, stealth capabilities, ease to setup, multiband and good SWR, its the best value for the dollar!

[@davehahn8767]

Great video! Learned a lot. Thanks!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JustinML1977]

thanks for this video, really helped me understand things a bit better

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Glad to hear it!

[@QSasquatch]

My Feedpoint is top of chainlink fence (50' under the sloper & across the back yard 75'), Antenna continues up as sloper nearly 30', then left to teminate on paracord 20' height

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Great setup. I bet you are really getting some great contacts off it.

[@ku4uv]

I built an EFHW antenna from the ARRL kit last December, just haven't gotten around to testing it yet. I hope to try it out on Field Day. This video helps. Thanks!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Have fun and let me know how it works!!

[@MrStanwyck]

This was a great video. Thank you for sharing this with us. I want to do QRP SOTA and I’ve been looking at using the end-fed half wave resonant antenna to cover 40-10 meters.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

GREAT and have fun. Don't forget to try a counterpoise wire to lower the SWR. A wire that is between 25' to 50'. Let me know if you have any questions.

[@michaelgreis4037]

Excellent presentation.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to respond!! I hope it helps you better understand how antennas are different, how they work and which ones are worth considering.

[@sgthoskins]

Awesome video, thank you for putting it together.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Glad you enjoyed it! I have one coming out tonight followed by 3 more over the next 10 days. Let me know if you have questions.

[@donaldsmith3048]

I have a MFJ -949E manual tuner. It has the normal manual tuner, power and SWR meter, 2 outputs for 2 antennas, and it has a low power dummy load, plus it has a I think it is a 9:1 with balanced output. It also had bypass the tuner, to use my tuner in my IC7300 with 2 antennas. Meter does peek or Average, 30w and 300w range on the meter. That gives me almost anything I will need. Cost much less that getting all that in one at a time. Just something to look at. This should do almost everything in one box! It sets on top of my IC7300, to the back not to cover the speaker. 73 W4DES

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Donald, thanks for sharing this about your equipment. With so many choices out there is nice to get a "end users" insights on all this. Perfect and THANKS!!

[@tonyheaton4941]

Awesome video. Very good content and well presented.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Much appreciated! Thanks for letting me know Tony and I hope it is helping.

[@dongifford5913]

Awesome video, well done!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks Don for letting me know. Appreciate the time you took to post this!!

[@johnrieger2461]

👍 Excellent, informative and refreshing…👍 thank you..

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for letting me know!!

[@donaldsmith3048]

You talked about the EFHW antenna cost! ARRL has kits for around $50.If they are like me they will screw up winding the transformer and need to order new wire. I must add this point. I got 3 different kits. I think they all use the same size wire for making the transformer. I think it is CLASSIFIED INFORMATION that size of wire! None of the paperwork that comes with the kits tells what size that wire is. Some don't tell how to wind the transformer, just send some wire and some kind of Toroid core, some tell what it is some don't. But get a kit! Screw it up once or twice. Order what you think the ware is online, then order the next size, because ordered the wrong on the first time. It will cost less that many of the ones that you get all made up. But YOU LEARNED something. My next one is going to be one I make myself. Box from local, Home Depot has a lot of differant sizes and shapes. 2 - FT240-43, and some 18 or 14 gauge wire. We learn best from our mistakes! I have made a lot of them so I must be SMART! But mostly just a SMART A! But the kits cost less, and we learn from doing! Pay less and learn!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Great post Donald. There is no one way to approach this. Many I know who are more technical in nature make their own. Others less technical in nature buy. In the end, it is up to each one to choose how they want to approach this. Finally, the ultimate goal is to get more people into Ham Radio and shorten their learning curve so they have fun. I find too many who run out of the gate fast at first but get discouraged and drop it all together. Learning and practicing our skills keeps us interested. Thanks again and I know many who watch this channel are making their own.

[@donaldsmith3048]

@@hamradiomadesimple Well my first radio was a DMR HT. I got the normal repeaters in and working. But could not get the DMR working, or no one came back to me so I thought it wasn't working. I stopped working on the DMR part for months and just worked on the other things. Went back to working on the DMR part from time to time. I did get it to work. Got a DMR AT578UV. Now I am working on getting my IC7300 working. It works I just have not gotten my antenna up yet. I have some medical troubles and just not gotten it up yet. I will get it up! Just don't know when.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Good for you Donald! I too have an IC-7300 and AT-578 & AT-878 along with the FT-891 for mobile. I like your choices of radios LOL..... A little at a time and some success along the way will get you to your goal.

[@donaldsmith3048]

@@hamradiomadesimple I have been screwed. If you see my X-Rays you can see the big screws in my back. I have a 60 ft tower. I don't have a problem with claiming it but have had kidney stones, and low blood pressure. Don't think I need to be up it now. I will get up there and get the antenna work done. Just need to get my health back up first.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Still climbing a tower? WOW, my wife would kill me if I tried that!! Get better my friend and keep sharing!

[@RadioExpeditionProject]

Excellent video. Thank you!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thank you for taking the time to let me know. I hope you are headed in the right direction now!!

[@KrypticPatriot]

Thank you for a great video!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

I have a full library of videos that you might enjoy so look at my channel. Coming out next is "How to use sound card settings for best outcomes" followed by VHF 2M JS8Call & Fldigi / FSQ Setup Instructions.

[@rowdyron4111]

How would you rate the EFHW compared against a magnetic loop? Great presentation.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

They have different radiation patterns and a price difference between the two (EFHW is less expensive). Magnetic loop's comes in handy if you live in a condo / apartment with a balcony. It does not require wires to be strung outside. Some magnetic loop antennas requires tuning for the bands and have the tuner mounted on the loop. So the real question is, "what are you wanting out of your antenna and what space do you have to work with"?

[@josephshipley1166]

Thank you for you helpful information

[@hamradiomadesimple]

So nice of you to take the time and post this. Thank you!!

[@johngriffith4867]

Never used a sloper before. With the Chameleon II, is it correct that I can place the transformer say 30 feet up on my house and run the wire to a point on a wooden fence 3 foot of the ground? I mean to ask I guess, it doesnt matter which end of the slope the transformer is on??? I will run a 30-40 foot counterpoise as well. Thanks.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Yes, but they recommend the other way. Some EFHW manufactures recommend your proposed setup. I am not sure PRACTICALLY how much it really matters. Height and angle matter more than what end. Please get back to me and let me know how it is working and IF you notice it is more directional in nature.

[@dalehilltopfarm]

Excellent!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Many thanks!

[@karlmadsen3179]

Darned excellent video. Well done. Got to get some wire going here.......

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Have fun and let me know how it works out for you Karl!

[@markjohnston6306]

Excellent

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thank you so much 😀

[@godfreydebouillon8807]

Awesome info. Thanks

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Glad it was helpful!

[@godfreydebouillon8807]

@@hamradiomadesimple Yeah, you bet it was. Believe it or not, your project interest is the EXACT same as mine. I've got wife and kids in an adjacent county, my parents and inlaws live about 150 miles away, and I'm setting up a suitable emergency communications plan. You already did all the work for me, I feel like I owe you dinner or something lol. I'll enjoy going through the videos. Thanks

[@vironpayne3405]

Folding your counterpoise wire at lower HF is shortening your counterpoise wire. You can verify by placing a winder on the free end and winding up the free end to approximately match the length. At 80m the antenna wire will couple with parallel wire elements space 18" apart and electrically appear as on large conductor. Larger conductors broaden the Q of the antenna. There are homebrew recipies for 75m/80m antennas with spreaders between parallel conductors to broaden bandwidth.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Great comment and I hope others can find what you nicely stated....

[@ernestoluzan]

@hamradiomadesimple Question. With these types of end fed wire antenna, will I get good signal if i hang the wire on the eave of my roof line? My plan was to secure it to eyelets, then run a coax cable at the balun down to the wall level where i will enter the house.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Average results, not ideal but will work. I have a friend who has done this exact same method and able to make a lot of contacts. It will tend to be more directional this way. If I had to do it, I would paint the wire white, place on the OUTSIDE section and use electric fence wire insulators (paint them white also to match the color of the trim). You should get more out of this setup and will not be noticed since they will blend in to the siding. Here is the Amazon link to what I am talking about. You can pick what you want to use: www.amazon.com/Zareba-IWNY-Z-Slant-Insulator-Yellow/dp/B005MNJSGM/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=electric%2Bfence%2Bwire%2Binsulators&sr=8-7&th=1

[@ernestoluzan]

@@hamradiomadesimple I like this idea also. You’re saying instead of hiding under the eave, hang the painted chameleon wire white to match the roof trim, as well the insulators. I have a 30 foot kit, would you recommend I return it for the 60 foot kit? Also does it matter if hang the balun high or can I run the antenna wire down the wall and secure the balun near the ground level in a waterproof box?

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Instead of hanging it UNDER, try attaching it to the outside section. You can take the wire and wrap around the corner to another side of the house. It does not need to be straight so keep the longer wire.

[@billloveless6869]

Good info. Cleared up some items and more questions on others. Time to hit the 📚. I do have one question for now. If the station I want to talk to is SW of me, should my antenna be parallel to that station or perpendicular to ideal? Thanks.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Not quite sure what you are asking. Could you restate the question if I my answer does not match up? NVIS setup is for short distance which means BOTH low to the ground (9-12') and parallel on 40M & 80M ONLY. If you want to connect, ping my email: [e-mail].

[@anthonybrayall8552]

Very educational...thanks.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks Anthony for letting me know it helped you. I appreciate it when others like you post an encouraging comment.

[@oldgravely]

Question how does the slope of the yard affect the takeoff angle in NVIS, with a constant elevation above the slope, say sloping from north to south? and radiation pattern

[@hamradiomadesimple]

To be honest, I am not quite sure. In my case, I kept the distance of the wire to the ground constant on the slope. I am pretty sure the launch angle is different with a slope but my results are very good. If you can go N to S, that is ideal. In my case, due to lot size and configuration, I started N to S but had to make a 90 degree turn West and then again 90 degree turn S to N. I am getting the results I pretty much expected. I tried running it straight but not N to S. No difference when I compared my WSPR mapping results. Let me know what you end up doing with your setup. Pretty versatile since we are all not gifted with the perfect lot to use.

[@wesley20991]

Awesome video, I’m wondering if you can help me out after watching your video I purchased a CHA EMCOMM II QRP antenna I do not have a hf radio yet only have my tech license so far but I will be trying to use it to listen on shortwave radio and ham bands do I need a counterpoise and grounding for only receiving.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Not necessarily. Biggest issue for receiving may be noise and not SWR (which impacts power more with regards to transmitting). See if your setup works first then you may have to suppress the noise level if needed. Use simple ferret beads around the coax cable (close to your radio). This will help eliminate common mode noise. Next, try reposition the antenna toward the stations you are trying to pick up. EFHW antennas work best for signals that are perpendicular to the direction of the wire. If the wire goes North & South, you should pick up the stations East & West more the N & S (not that you won't get N & S, but not as many or not as far). Nothing is black and white with antennas. Location has a major impact on what you can receive. In a valley, low height of antenna, near by electrical interference, all impact your ability to receive. Make sure you get your antenna high up as possible. If there are storms in your area, disconnect the coax from your radio in order to protect it. Better yet, use a lightning arrester (around $45 - $80 each). Let me know how this works. If you want to talk more about this reach me at [e-mail]

[@D.H.CE_FL]

What are your thoughts on a reverse sloping wire? Would it change anything? What I had in mind was setting up under the shade of a tree with the box and coax pulled up the tree and the wire sloping down and out from the tree and staked with the end lower.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

It will work but how that looks you won't know until you try. I've repositioned mine several time until I got the results I wanted. Use WSPR and or PSK Reporter to see the radiation pattern and distance you are getting. Everyone's terrain, location, soil type is different. Let me know what you end up with.

[@alvarogaitan2529]

Wow terrific job thanks 73

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Many thanks! I hope it helps make sense when it comes to antennas especially NVIS...

[@markgutierrez2024]

Wow lots to unpack there for a new Prepper. Thanks. What do you think about the JPC-12? I was recommended this antenna as a good starter. It ranges from 40-6m, as a Prepper is it recommended to get an antenna that covers 80 and 160m?

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Before you buy an antenna, answer the following questions: Not in any order 1. What is my budget? 2. What is my primary goal? - HF Regional, HF Long Distance, Voice or Digital 3. What space do I have to work with for setup? Do you have a HOA that restricts the placement of antennas?? 4. Base station or mobile? 5. What is my power now and what do you expect down the road? 100W more or less? 6. What is the radiation pattern of the antenna and does it match the direction you want to reach? 7. What is the gain? This is something I wish I knew more about when first buying antennas!! 8. Do you want Vertical or Horizontal (wire antenna) type of antenna? Most wire antennas tend to be better suited for HF Digital. 9. What is my expected SWR? 10. Single band or multiband? When it comes to antennas, you need to figure out what you need and match it to the right one. A lot of variables for sure!!

[@joseneves2822]

I'm a new ham so i have a lot to learn Many many thanks for sharing CR7BDO / 73

[@hamradiomadesimple]

I agree, there is so much to learn. Not just your equipment but all the nuisances that come with each facet of Ham Radio. I will always be learning too!!

[@joeblow8593]

Very good

[@hamradiomadesimple]

I appreciate you taking the time to post a positive comment. I pray this stuff is helping others shorten the learning curve and get up and running in half the time it took me!!

[@erichess1946]

Lookin for a backpack antenna form my HYS 25Watt Super Long Range Handheld 16Channel 400-480Mhz UHF. Will be used on channel 13 at a freq of 421.995. What would you recommend. Looking for range in east Texas.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

IF you your looking for a simple direct connect antenna to your HT, the Signal Stuff Antenna is the best I have come across. I have two of them and I also built my own counterpoise to add to it. Here is the link. Read carefully which one you want since I don't know if you are doing duel band or just the 440 mono band. They offer both. signalstuff.com/products/

[@zebclark9288]

If you can divide two numbers & cut a wire you can make these antennas easily.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Absolutely but you also must have a SWR meter and know whether to add or shorten the wire. IF you use bare copper wire, you can't wrap the wire back to shorten. Coated wire you can.

[@donaldsmith3048]

I want to see how you use a EFHW antanna moble!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Good question. Since I use this for a NVIS setup, I only need 8' - 10' above the ground and it doesn't have to be straight. I can loop over low hanging branches and zig zag as I go. If there is a straight run, than I only need two points to hang the wire. This wire is 63' in length.

[@donaldsmith3048]

@@hamradiomadesimple The start of the video you said you use it Mobile! I just can't see a way you can drive down the road with 63 feet of wire out! I have had some people say that a B52 does that. I can't say they do or don't do this. But driving down the road with 63 feet of wire could be a problem. I am putting on in at my house, about 30 on one end and about 15 at the other. But it is Not Mobile! Sorry I am A Smart A!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Donald, the definition of mobile from Webster's is " capable of moving or being moved : MOVABLE".. You missed the second part of the definition. Many hams have to take their gear and MOVE IT to another location and want to do this easily. NO wire antenna is ever considered to be used in a moving auto!! This small and light weight antenna is MOVABLE and able to set up in another location. Whether it is for POTA, SOTA, going to a park or in a SHTF event. Also, this antenna is great from EMCOMM with the NVIS setup. I am really confused on your thought process here.

[@USAF-SF]

Very good detail and a ton of info, great video, and I want to help you a bit by giving you the correct pronunciation of the word counterpoise... Think of "poise" sounding like "noise"... Eazy peazy...

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks for the tip!! I'm not the best when it comes to pronouncing certain words. I will definitely work on it .... Easy peasy! Also, thanks for your kind words of encouragement.

[@NickWindham]

Thx

[@hamradiomadesimple]

I hope it helps you with your antenna setup.

[@dancosminmarza2974]

Good vide lots of nolegy 4 new and old hams

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks Dan, hope this is making sense to you. I still am learning beyond the basics with all these Digital Apps. Hope you have others to practice with.

[@dancosminmarza2974]

@@hamradiomadesimple have a tube set from yaesu. With a r140 tube amplifier 4 all around an ther is no nucler murscrum in the sky the others tat i have

[@jvanb231]

One antenna? A vertical with a coil and tape measure radials.. Something like wolf river. Packs up real small if you have to go too.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

There is no perfect antenna as we all know. You choose the one that works best for your goals, equipment and outcomes. Wolf River is a very nice antenna and has been in use for sometime now. Good choice!! Thanks for posting and I am glad you have figured out which one you will go with. Most have not, unfortunately...

[@jvanb231]

@@hamradiomadesimple Lots of trial and error with apartment and park operations. I've spent time with loops, 49:1's, 9:1's, dipoles, ham sticks, etc. For me the wolf river setup wins for bandwidth, matching, and ease of setup. I know you'll land on something that works well for you.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Perfect. I am so glad you figured out what works best for you!!!! Have fun and keep practicing to get the most out of it!! Pass on your knowledge to those behind you :-)

[@biringen]

make a choke 6turns on a 31, 12 on a 43 +17 on a 43, 17 on 52 and 9 on 2stacked 61 type cores that you put on the coax before shack to prevent RFI…

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Great post and thanks for sharing!!

[@Chameleon_Antenna]

We a CHA RFI choke which can be put on any piece of coax! You also have different length of different types of coax where the RFI choke has been integrated directly in it!

[@chrischeetham1652]

I wasn't sure what to get, but I finally decided on the Chameleon Emcomm II because it seemed to be very versatile, looked to be made with quality materials, and had great reviews online. I haven't been able to try it out yet, but from what I've seen in this video and others it seems I made a good choice and I think it will be an all around good antenna for just about any type of operating on any band, and will be great for a portable set up. I also have some braided copper deep sea fishing line that will be awesome for ground radials to use as a counterpoise. I see a lot of people talking about end fed half waves lately, and seems people either love them or hate them. If it works half as good as I believe it will based on my research, I'll be pretty happy. Especially if I can do most of the HF bands with my internal tuner, but I really won't mind it I need an external tuner as well since a good manual tuner is good to have it something happens to your regular antenna you normally use, with a good manual tuner you can tune just about anything for use on most bands. Anyways, the video was very informative and helped confirm a few things I was unsure of. I feel like I made a good choice with the Emcomm II. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

The Emcomm 2 is a great antenna. Key is to get the sloper wire up high as possible and depending on where you live, North to South or South to North. This way you get East to West on some of the bands. Some are omni-directional while others tend to "lean to" one direction or another. Have fun!

[@chrischeetham1652]

@@hamradiomadesimple If you have a second, just have a quick question that maybe you've experienced enough to have an answer for... Do you have any thoughts on a good manual tuner to use with the Emcomm II and other basic wire construction antennas I might experiment with eventually? I'm only running 100 watts max as that's all the Yaesu FT710 can do, and don't plan on any amplifiers or anything for at least a year or so while living where I am at this time. I was looking at the MFJ-941E manual HF antenna tuner and it seems to be exactly what I need and then some. I found a decent deal on the kit to put it together myself and may go that route too just so I know all the joints are solid and how it all comes together inside there. I definitely don't want an automatic one, besides that I definitely want manual, and I'm leaning towards having an antenna switch as well because it could be handy down the road having that capability. I was just wondering if you use one at all, and what type, and if you know anything about the MFJ manual tuners (I hate calling it that, matcher I feel is more accurate) and the MFJ-941E in particular? I recently unexpectedly came into a good chunk of cash which is why I bought a nice shiney new rig o could never afford to own otherwise, made sure I got everything to go with it I'd need for setting up in my shack, even new ground bus and such, but the besides the transformer at the feed point, common mode choke on the coax feed, I hadn't considered a proper matching system at all, and I'm not entirely sure the built in one of the ft710 can match up the antenna system as much as I will need going forward with different antenna ideas I would like to try out. Anyways, sorry for the long winded reply to your reply, any information you might be able to share would be greatly appreciated, or anyone else who happens to see this for that matter. Thank you.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

One question you need to ask is "will I being doing digital?". What I found out the hard way is that some of the tuners out there post 125W but that is for voice. When you dig deep into the spec's you may find the tuner can only do handle 30W on digital. Not enough on some of the digital modes when doing directed calls. A lot to unpack on that question. MFJ has a good market share. Just know the difference between doing a manual tune, semi-auto tune and fully automatic tune. Could do a video just on this. I can't say one tuner is better than the other since I have only tried one (like I mentioned above) and still evaluating it. Again, dig deep into the manual and watch videos on how to use the tuner. If they don't have any videos, I would stay away from that tuner.

[@williamwiese9963]

This would work on an HR?

[@hamradiomadesimple]

HR? Do you mean HT (hand held radio or in ham speak "handy talkie")

[@Marty48034]

Cha Emcomm II v2 as of 30June2023 at DX is $160

[@hamradiomadesimple]

At today's inflation rate, still a good price. I expect that to only go HIGHER! I've been buying stuff now, knowing I will only have to pay more down the road. Thanks for posting Marty!!

[@photographer-gf]

A friendly note, only three countires in the world are using the Imperial System. So if you think that your video maybe could intererest Hams not living in Myanmar, Liberia or the US it would be kind of you to also include Metric measurements.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

I never thought my videos would be that popular that they would be viewed in other countries. Going forward, I will use both standards. Thanks for letting me know.

[@ironton655]

That "non resonant" antenna you are speaking of is "NOT" an EFHW! It is an end fed random wire - there is a big difference! An end fed half wave is just that - a wire that is a half wavelength long on the lowest band, not a "shorter wire" as you mentioned! The EFRW has a lot of loss and requires a tuner to get that good match, if the EFHW is tuned right by adjusting the length of the wire to fine tune it, it doesn't need a tuner. SO, just because it is fed from the end doesn't make it an EFHW. Lets get the facts straight so as not to confuse folks! The end fed half wave is fed with a 49:1 transformer because the impedance of an EFHW is around 2450 ohms and the 49:1 converts that down to 50 ohms - 2450/49 = 50 ohms. And the 5:1 unun transformer that CHA sells with their "shorter wire" is very very lossy to give you a low swr similar to how a dummy load works. On some bands, it has as much as 6db to 9db loss, so it basically turns a 100 watt signal into a QRP signal. Yes, you will make contacts with it, but hey, I've made contacts with my dummy load!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Technically you are correct but it is marketed as an EFHW which can be confusing to others.

[@ironton655]

@@hamradiomadesimple Then it is up to folks like you to educate the people properly, not aimlessly push a product that is not what it is advertised to be! There is too much false information out there not to!

[@nigelgunn_W8IFF]

Someone else with a lack of understanding. If it's non resonant then it is NOT an end fed HALF WAVE antenna, it's just a random length of wire.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Technically your right. However, go to GigaParts, HRO etc and look at how the manufactures label their antennas that End Fed Half Wave (non resonant). They don't call them "random wire antennas". It gets confusing since most manufactures don't call it like you mentioned. Nice call and thanks for posting.

[@QSasquatch]

I love my inverted "L"

[@hamradiomadesimple]

There are so many ways to set up this antenna. If you have space and time, try something different and see what you get. I do this every so often to see what different results I get. Its a fun part of Ham Radio. Thanks for posting and I love the inverted L setup too!!

[@QSasquatch]

@@hamradiomadesimple I Ihave a very limited small city lot size and was darn lucky to get the inverted L to fit it all in my property. At one time I had a 80m full wave loop and it really crowded things plus I got a lot of noise off the power lines on two sides of my house. With the inverted L it's on the two sides of my house that do not have power lines or DSL cables so it actually works really really good for me in this place & configuration

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thank God for your side yard and your ability to figure this out!! Sorry to hear about the noise from the power lines. I pray it works to your expectations!!

[@QSasquatch]

@@hamradiomadesimple Thanks Much

[@daveblodgett7315]

If you are going to use a 40 meter antenna to try to match 160 meters to it you're going to have to have a substantial antenna tuner!!

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Absolutely. That is why I like a multiband antenna. With the ECOMMII, I have made digital contacts on the 160M with my IC-7300 internal tuner. Thanks for pointing this out!

[@JOHNSMITH-ug2mt]

GMRS?

[@hamradiomadesimple]

GMRS operates on the frequency band near 462 and 467 MHz. This is an HF antenna and operates between 1.8 - 54 MHz. Bottom line, no....

[@HorizonsleatherBlogspot2012]

I mean...in the modern age where identity theft is really becoming a scourge and every aspect of our lives is being monitored, one might think it is wise to not share a call sign that can be publicly snatched and then compare that with what is also available on KZbin and Facebook and every other social media. I'm saying this is no longer the same country you grew up in. But I suppose HAM's will HAM. Good luck, thanks for the information, for what it's worth.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

You bring up an excellent point!!!!! I was just talking with someone about this. I will be switching to a PO Box shortly. Thanks for pointing this out and hope others read your post.

[@NonyaDamnbusiness]

NVIS for 40m & 80. Hmmm...you do know 20m exists, right?

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Yep, did you know that NVIS is ONLY for 40M & 80M? That was that the point of the video I was trying to get across. How to use a EFHW Antenna for NVIS....

[@plasmaman9592]

I would like to offer one piece of constructive criticiso them and that is the noises from your swallowing and other unintended noises and distracting and gross to ppl sensitive to that kind of thing. Maybe if you put the microphone a few inches farther away it would help. For me its probably worse because i have ADD and miss what you say right after and then have to rewind and then i have to hear it again. I did like the video other than that. I really hope this does not offend you because that is not my intention. The last time i told someone they flipped out a little and said they don't care if ppl have a problem with his videos. I was kinda surprised because i would think if you spend the time to record and edit a video you would want to put out the best you can especially if the solution is easy and free

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Interesting comment. I never noticed this or have anyone say something along these lines. I will try and see what I can do going forward. Understand, this is NOT my vocation and I do this to simply help others. I am not trying to build a following, a name for myself or make a business out of this. I don't have money to invest into this channel so what little gear I own is it. I spend a lot of time doing these so if the quality is lacking (I know it is) there is not much I can do considering the cost to upgrade. I also have many health issues I don't talk about on the channel so I am somewhat handicapped. I thank you for taking the time to point this out but I hope you understand what I am dealing with on my end. I am not offended and appreciate saying something. At this point I will only be doing a few more videos and calling it quits. Never intended this to be a long term project.

[@vironpayne3405]

Great choice! I landed on the EFHW 4-5 years ago as my "goto" antenna, and NVIS as my primary ECOM mode. I suggest Steve Ellington's video for optimizing your EFHW. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6vJgqyYjrKfi8U

[@hamradiomadesimple]

I will look into this and thanks for passing this on!

[@vironpayne3405]

How did your surgery come out? kzbin.info/www/bejne/pITLdYyij6x-osU kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYC1dHSfiLeipq8

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Thanks for asking. Fine but I had another (different one) shortly after. Seems like I can't stay out of the OR lately.

[@jeubanks3771]

I was enjoying the content of your video but way too many ads. IDK who is responsible for that but I am out.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Sorry, I have little control over that. I checked the least amount they can do. I don't own KZbin so they are going to do what they want. I do have a choice of not producing content. HMMM....

[@Chameleon_Antenna]

If you use Brave browser - they eliminate ALL ADS.

[@matt9c1]

"Prepper" Ugh. Blocking this channel from showing up from now on.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Oh well, go ahead and wish you the best in your life despite your anger toward me. May you find joy and peace down the road.

[@matt9c1]

@@hamradiomadesimple Thanks for your concern !

[@williamelewis464]

The fact you are looking for off the shelf as a “prepper” shows you don’t want to make what you need, the answer is a roll of wire, is the only thing you need the math you should already understand.

[@hamradiomadesimple]

I am surprised you made this statement since you know nothing about me. I have flipped over 10 houses and did the majority of the work myself including installing all new plumbing, electrical, framing, drywall etc. I build my own furniture and work with my hands all the time. Think twice before making a blanket statement like this. I can make one easily but chose to buy this since MOST people who are new to ham radio can't, at least not yet. I am teaching others to get up and running quickly while they still can. BTW, what is the gain on your roll wire antenna? Let me see if you can do the math.

[@stevek4438]

@@hamradiomadesimple Thanks for explaining that so well I was confused with how deep the antenna side is its starting to make a lot more sense after watching this so thankyou for that I have one of those small xiegu x6100s I am trying to figure out I live in the country in the UK next to a river in a valley so its not easy to get a signal for anything including phones here I dont have the space for a huge antenna so trying to use a small efhw but made a ass of it so I think you have pointed out the many things I have done wrong :) As for the antenna buy new make your own I dont have the time to mess around like that maybe in the future will give it a go when I know the basics I like the way you dont rise to these people I wish I had your patience with them,Good luck to you and your subs I think we are all in for a rough ride but maybe the world needs this to happen hey

[@soulstudioshamradio]

Very educational thank you

[@hamradiomadesimple]

Glad it was helpful!