JPC-12 Portable HF Antenna - Hidden Secrets

[@TennesseeNaturalist]

Two things that GREATLY improved this antenna. First, I replaced the counterpoise wires with Comet CGW-560 HF Portable Ground Radial Kits CGW-560. Much, much sturdier and works VERY well with antenna. Second, I use the Chelegance CH0030002 - Chelegance Lightweight Tripod with this antenna. I don't have to deal with pushing a spike in to the ground at all and the tripod has two sizes on adapter that you can use. I've done over 50 POTAs with these additions to the JPC-12 with great results.

[@conorturton]

Thank you for this video Peter. I've had mine for a year and never even thought about trying the coil at the bottom.

[@tulenik71]

At the moment, worked 72 DXCC (175 slots) with it. Including Australia, Indonesia and Brazil from Slovakia. My favourite antenna for portable operations.

[@NamasenITN]

Ft8, balcony mount?

[@tulenik71]

@@NamasenITN only a bit under 5 m is a bit too tall for balcony ;) (almost) all my operations are portable

[@edtruthseeker3337]

Mr. Waters, this is an excellent video as always. I am by no means a young man anymore, but I am still a young Amateur Radio Operator. I have learned so much from you in the last 2 years. Thank you for presenting these videos. I will buy this antenna and give it a go for portable operations. This hobby is so fun for experimenting. Thank you sir. Ed Cheek, KM4MMD

[@watersstanton]

Wow, thanks Ed. 73 Peter.

[@glenhoff1443]

Great that you are still in the game!!

[@TrystansWorkbench]

You're the Percy Thrower of Amateur Radio - just another type of propagation. Love the raised beds, and the raised aerial too. Great video - thank you!

[@pyreneesfarm7818]

An event is fortunate if you gather the lesson from it. Even better, you were able to express it to the audience in a reasonable and intelligent manner. Thank you for not blaming the equipment, when it may have been a random situation that can be used to further the knowledge of the ham community

[@bunston1000]

I have one of these antennas JPC 12, and also have the JPC 7. The JPC 12 vertical version, does indeed work very well, and it is a truly portable antenna. I also discarded the ribbon feeder, and replaced it with more substantial wire, but cut them to the same length as the original wire (ribbon feeder). At the outer ends of the radials, I crimped some `O’ lugs, this then enables you to peg your radials out under very minute tension. The pegs I used were the cheap and cheerful 3 inch wire pegs which can be bought cheaply online.

[@watersstanton]

Thanks for the info. 73 Peter

[@MrToymod]

Good to see you and n the garden , finally!.

[@jerryKB2GCG]

It does do 6M nicely, made my first POTA 6M contact a few weeks ago

[@jerryKB2GCG]

I also plan to try a 17 foot telescoping whip with coil at the base to see if I can get resonance on 80M

[@izzetmuroz]

​@@jerryKB2GCG Please let us know what you find with a 17 feet whip. I was thinking 25 whip for 80m band should be more appropriate.

[@Dan-56]

Great review Peter 👍! The one I have is marked PAC-12, but it’s the same antenna 😉. Looking forward to seeing how you adapt it to a 3/8” mag mount ! 73 de Dan WD4DB

[@pinkunwizard]

Purchased one of these in 2022 but it has sat in a draw in the shack since then, it maybe time to get it out now you've reminded me I've got it.

[@madcarew5168]

Exactly same!!!

[@redman840]

Place a decent amount of radials beneath it,and it will work quite well.I use 16 33 foot radials,and I’m more than pleased with the results,both domestic and for DX.

[@ilantsameret3927]

I am using the JPC-12 on my car for 2 years now on static operation, working grate. 4X5HF

[@watersstanton]

Great to hear.

[@JG-DivMan]

I really appreciate your videos -- very informative and interesting! Thank you for making them.

[@johnallen6440]

You can put the 4 threaded pole sections UNDER the cable connector unit to raise the antenna off the ground with elevated radials on bands from 10m up!

[@mariemccann5895]

Awesome, I will be ordering one, thanks for posting.

[@watersstanton]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@regularguy519]

Waiting for the next video with its modified 3/8 threads.. when will it be released?

[@amariner5]

My question: Is that a Palm Sunday palm, from last year or older? I have similar. Get a fresh one Sunday, I'll do the same. Thanks for the video on a neat antenna. Good to meet you.

[@ivandubinsky1857]

I have one of these and it does work well. It does utilize metric threads which means I can't mix and match with some of my other portable antennas. That aside, I do recommend it as a nice portable antenna solution.

[@davidwalle5025]

Great review. Like the trails of all the possibilities of this antenna.

[@obrienaj]

Have you tried it as an above ground vertical, without the coil ? I was about to try it the other day but too much snow. When snow melts, I am going to try it as a 10M raised ground plane, with 4 radials .

[@bssv01]

I use this antenna with a 3/8 to M10 adapter, to use it with a magmount on my car. works great.

[@bssv01]

@ThePrivateMan3301 Yes it wasn‘t easy in germany, too. At least i payed 7 Euro at eBay germany inclusive Transport.

[@UABFWSS]

Have had a couple. Didn’t give the first one a fair shake. It had what seemed like a defective so-239, as none of my many coax/pl-259’s would not seat fully on, so returned. Decided to try another, same issue with so-239, replaced that and all was well. Thrilled with the antenna now. Tested it many times, use it often qrp in the field. Swr is very reactive to the radial numbers/lengths and its easy to have too much radial effect. 10m is always seems happiest with all the radials just bunched up near the base. Usually all bands are 1.1:-1.4:1 . Good to see others finding positive results also. Occasionally, i use a thread adapter to place on the mobile mount on the jeep. (10mm x 1.5 is the metric pitch on these)

[@HarrySti]

Hello and thanks for this great video. I do operate the JPC-12 for SOTA. However my SWR is changing so much - sometimes perfect, sometimes out of range. Now you said to measure SWR it is a MUST to use a choke. I have never used before. Do you mean you use the choke during operation and if so, do you connect it nearby the transceiver or nearby the antenna koax socket? I was thinking I dont need a choke because of the separated radials. So I expect best is to use a choke directly at the antenna. Am I right Sir? congratulations to your videos they are so interesting made, I did learn a lot tks and 73, Harry, OE9SHV

[@IrishHamRadio]

I am curious about this as well…. Not sure why a choke is a must? I would say the antenna and cable should be the exact same for measurement as for operating… Just put the analyser where the radio will go I would have thought…. And for SOTA I know I don’t want to be carrying anything I don’t have to! I have used my analyser on this antenna without a choke to find the setups for different bands. I’d say a limitation of the analyser maybe.

[@timdbl7804]

Hi Peter, thanks for another interesting video. Taking the SWR result on 14 MHz: I think the radiation resistance, of a quarter-wave over a perfect ground, is about 32 Ohm. With 1:1 SWR, the input impedance (probably predominantly non-reactive) is 50 Ohm. Thus, I guess that the efficiency is ~32/50 = 64% Not bad for 3-off 3m radials! 🙂

[@cpt.moroni3092]

Peter can I use the coil by itself with a whip antenna? Maybe I would need a tuner to clean it up? I have a titanium, super whip and a military man pack break apart antenna available to me

[@junquecollector]

A 3/8 - 24 to 10 MM adapter is easily made with a 3/8 bolt and a 10 MM nut. I welded the nut on top of the bolt head and othre than rustng, it works fine. I also found a machined aluminum adapter on Temu that does the same thing for only a few dollars.

[@marcmeyer7377]

I got my JPC-12 from Aliexpress. Also found an aluminium microphone stand adapter there. An adapter that is taking the M10 of the antenna snd concerts it to a 3/8. BUT I keep on losing that bloody adapter so I have 10 now 😂

[@samgrieg]

Can you post a link to that adapter

[@randymonch9112]

Thanks for the tip on the toroid for the coax.

[@watersstanton]

you are most welcome

[@TelLieVision4sheeple]

With all antennas that use this or a similar coil, it is VERY important, especially at low powers, not to make contact between the threads. When contact is made between the threads, the power is lost (since the energy goes into heating the short-circuited wrap), so the newer models of this antenna are made with an updated movable plate so that it is easier to set only on one tip of the wire and no longer falls into the hole between two wires and with this makes a short circuit for one wrap. Try it.

[@gerbenposthumus8878]

When you are talking,and moving your hands it looks like you are the brother of David Attenborough and I meant that positieve. PS I which you a happy new year.

[@muskrat1949]

Can you get the same results with using only 2 of the black tubes?

[@m5afxr25]

I don't have this antenna but it does look interesting, I do however use the Watson Ranger 9 band ( for the last 10 years or so) great mobile antenna.

[@basshorseman998]

Thanks Peter, great as usual

[@watersstanton]

Thanks again!

[@AndrewR2130]

Have the exact antenna love it have used it a few times worked Italy on, it i made my own radials have 4m ones that i run as an x patten using the radial plate you can get for thease also have two bundles of 4x 3m radials to add to it works great, 40-10 with ease also have a 5m whip for it and did have an extra coil for it and managed to get it just shy of 80m, currently trying to find m10 to 3/8-24 so i can add outher coils i have to see if i can get a setup that will do all the way to 160m just for fun.

[@IndependentNewsMedia]

Nice overview video, God bless.

[@watersstanton]

Much appreciated.

[@sandyjohnston9457]

Hi from NZ. Would it work with 2 x inductance coils set on top of each other with whip, giving 180 meters? 73s ZL3AXL

[@macster11]

Great video you are a natural in front of the camera! Have you worked professionally in front of the camera? I'd pay a kings ransom to see you look directly into the camera and say "Mr. Humpfries are you free" (hi hi)

[@edwincasco7377]

Could this antenna be used to DX the popular shortwave bands? I live on the top floor of an apartment building and looking for a way to erect an antenna so I can tune the shortwave bands. Thank you very much.

[@nul153]

Bands 40 - 10 meters

[@raulgongora5288]

Twaskyou sr for all information Blessings

[@CoolDukeYT]

very interessting... thanks for the video. 73

[@watersstanton]

Thanks for watching!

[@daveh7720]

Regarding the tap on the coil and the "shorted" turns, I'm curious how it would work if the only connections to the coil were one end and the sliding tap. It looks like both ends of the coil are connected to something. Does that mean the shorted part of the coil is actually in parallel with the slider? I have one of these antennas on order and will give it a closer look when it arrives. Thank you for the excellent review! This video is the reason I ordered the JPC-12.

[@watersstanton]

Only one end is connected to the coil, the other end is anchored but not connected.

[@daveh7720]

@@watersstanton Thank you for filling in the details.

[@2EOGIY]

I've added an Mfj 17ft whip to lower the frequency. Also, moving the coil lower, i.e., making a bottom-loaded radiator, decreases the need for inductance; therefore, you can get even lower with frequency. Those coils and extension elements are also available separately; thus, an extra coil and about 2 spare elements can tune this antenna anywhere in ham bands. There is a downside to it. Such a tall antenna might require an extra guying system. There is one more thing. If someone has a super antenna tripod, then you can stand this antenna anywhere on the concrete. I suggest turning a 2m (in extend) tall aluminium camera tripod for this purpose. I is possible connect the guying paracord to the end of the feet.

[@watersstanton]

Yes I demonstrated in the video the benefit of moving the coil to the base. Longer whip would certainly need some form of guying as the telescopic section would not survive the impact of a colapse.

[@2EOGIY]

@ThePrivateMan3301 those whips are 10mm but JPC-12 is 3/8-24 threaded.

[@M6EastCoastGirl]

Excellent! Thanks! 💐

[@revbikerbigd8664]

What about 2 of those coils stacked ????

[@watersstanton]

Double the inductance will extend LF. Not sure about me mechanical stability and could be self resonance problems.

[@timdbl7804]

P.S. It would be interesting to use one of their 17 feet whips on the top, and try it as a 5/8-wave vertical on 28 MHz (and higher bands), with the coil at the bottom adjusted to give 3/4-wave resonance. (Might have to use radials of 3/4-wavelength, or they will be out of phase with the main current, in the vertical, which might mess-up the vertical radiation-pattern). (Theoretical gain, of a 5/8-wave, is about 2 dB compared with a quarter-wave?) This would raise the current-maximum point, in the vertical, to about 12 feet above ground, which might reap even more advantage, especially in an urban environment....

[@ChaplainDaveSparks]

As for shorting the coil, I know that *SOME* say that electricity takes _”the path of least resistance”,_ but … it’s more accurate to say that electricity wants to return to its source via *ALL* paths. The _”shorted”_ part of your coil is actually in *PARALLEL* to the shorting lead. With DC, it’s effectively _”shorted”,_ but at RF, both the coil and the shorting lead each pose a _complex_ impedance, and you’d have to take that into account and feed both into the _current divider_ equation. It’s the same as trying to achieve a *(so called)* _”RF ground”_ in your shack. Even a heavy gauge wire going to a common grounding point poses a *NON-ZERO* impedance between your shack grounding point and actual earth. *73 de AF6AS*

[@ronmikkenie73]

On music stage equipment there are microphone/speaker standards using M10 extension rods. It could be possible to use those to extend the antenna. JPC also has the 5.20M M10 telescopic whip. It can offer a lot of flexibility! Getting an M10 to 3/8 adaptor opens the road to using Chameleon extension tubes...

[@watersstanton]

I checked a couple of UK music sites but did not find any M10 adaptors.

[@davidportch8837]

thanks Peter... another enjoyable video... cheers

[@watersstanton]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@muskrat1949]

can this antenna be left out in the rain?

[@watersstanton]

Yes but not on a permanent basis..

[@muskrat1949]

@@watersstanton thanks for your quick reply. VA2KDJ

[@brianhendrix]

I'm finding it almost impossible to tune it for 10 meters. I've followed the instructions completely.

[@ralph9987]

I added a 5.2m whip and have so many more options

[@cpt.moroni3092]

Did you add the whip to the main coil? And run that standalone?

[@AndrewR2130]

​@@cpt.moroni3092 you can useit in place of the stock 2.5m whip works great

[@ralph9987]

@@cpt.moroni3092 ran it on 20m without coil and screwed it into the coax connect above the 4 elements. Whatever you need for the freq. You are operating on.

[@RobinM0JQQ]

AliExpress to the rescue. Got a pair of theses to adapt my magmount to a Chinese 5.6m telescopic whip. Ideal !

[@ulfertbloess4870]

Hi Peter, tnx for all the nice and informative video-clips. I also use the JPC-12-Antenna BUT never used a line isolator when measuring the SWR, but I can imagine that you are right! Can you add some details about the toroid, which values are suitable or which type designations? 73 de John, DJ3XM

[@WilliamLee-eh6hy]

So why did they use 3/8 x 20 threads instead of the fairly standard 3/8 x 24 threads on all their stuff. Now it is incompatible with all my other coils and whips. Very stupid ... cant even use it on my mag mounts ... sending it back for refund as all my mounts are 3/8 x 24 thread.

[@ChaplainDaveSparks]

I wonder … if you put *TWO COILS* on there, if you could work 80 meters? *73 de AF6AS*

[@hallen4094]

Better value than a slywinder

[@pixeluser175]

0:10 Shortcut to the music.

[@g4okt]

Ha, M10, I have the same issue!!!🤣

[@pixeluser175]

Are that a cross and a bible (on the left)?

[@watersstanton]

Yes my wife is Church band keyboard player.

[@pixeluser175]

@@watersstanton Ahaa... That explains the origin of some intro music, possibly. Greetings from The Netherlands

[@Outdoormorefamily]

This was my first portable vertical. First thing get rid of the ribbon cable it’s useless !! I made 6 radials from 18ga thnn wire. 3 are 33 ft. 3 are 16.5 ft alternatively each section. Got a bigger washer from Home Depot that allowed me to connect the radials via alligator clips. The coil is resonant (tested) all The way to the top for 40 20 and 17. 2 clicks down gives you 15 and 12. However. All the way down gives you 10. I never really changed the telescopic portion. SWR stayed usable under 1.4. Do Not pull on the top section of the 239 section. It is soldered with very cheap small blot of solder. It will come apart. Easy fix should you have issues. Will not work on anything less than 10. You can hear a small amount but TX is impossible

[@psnpacific]

Looks a lot like a buddistick with a sliding shorting bar... 🤔

[@watersstanton]

But check the price.

[@samgrieg]

same design for half price, and well made

[@DiggerD-w6r]

Just looked up the price. Video over for me. DIY or die 😁

[@Aimsport-video]

5.6m whips are cheap and plentiful. Just sayin’ 😂

[@brianfields4479]

What a very interesting video, pushing the limits is great to see, and of course verticals are amazing dx ants, never really sure what dx really is these days, as recently a g stn told me he worked Sweden and it was great dx ! Maybe a video for you to make, what is classed as dx these days hi. 73 zl3xdj.

[@watersstanton]

Hi Brian. Interesting question! 73 Peter

[@DennisDeAngelis]

I have a question , could it be tuned to11 m? Just curious 🔥🔥🔥🔥👍👍👍👍