Ham Radio HF Vertical Antennas - Adding DX Gain

The quarter-wave vertical is one of the most popular ham radio antennas. But are we using it to its best advantage? Peter Waters G3OJV, describes ways that may add some DX Gain to your existing vertical.
Apologies for the noise on the audio track caused by bad placement of the radio mic.
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[@WiltshireMan]

I have two quarter wave verticals here, one is ground mounted with over 40 radials laying on the ground, the other is a quarter wave vertical for 20 meters with the feedpoint at 4 meters agl and with 3 elevated radials. I was delighted to have a qso with VK3DBD on the ground mounted vertical and got a rst 339 I then switched over to the elevated vertical with 3 quarter wave elevated radials and instantly heard a big improvement and also recieved a new report of 559. It doesn't sound much but it is quite a big gain of around 6db or even more!!! Elevated radials all the way

[@watersstanton]

Interesting stuff. Thanks fo sharing.

[@kengrey7263]

Another excellent video. The one thing we amateurs have left to really experiment with are antennas, their construction, mounting and tuning. It has certainly kept me busy for the 55 years I have had my licence and will continue to do so.

[@g0fvt]

An interesting presentation, as mentioned in the comments of another video I did try a ring of ground stakes around my ground mounted quarterwave, despite the conductive soil here in Norfolk the impedance at resonance was suspiciously high (relative to 35 ohms) suggesting that I had something like a 20ohm "block resistor" effectively in series. Now I have over 30 8m radials on the ground and subjectively performance has improved. I need to recheck the feed impedance. Controversially I think amateurs wanting to use 10m/12m verticals should have a look at what CBers are doing. (Not the amplifiers).

[@mikekoffler7312]

Raised radials worked quite well for me. Using a homebrew 1/4 WL vertical, my antenna was about 3 meters next to side of a building, yet it still worked well.

[@Dan-56]

An excellent video which explains the personal experience I’ve had with a 1/4 wave 20m vertical. I started with it ground mounted with three 1/4 wave radials, then raised it and used the radials sloping at about 30 degrees, finally I mounted it on a pole at the corner of my carport with one radial going to a ground rod and the other two elevated. Each version lead to increased performance. Once again you have explained why this is the case 😃👍. 73 de Dan WD4DB

[@charlieoscar09]

Thankyou for the video Peter....looking forward to your summer experiments

[@watersstanton]

Many thanks.

[@basshorseman998]

Thank you Peter, another one well done

[@morecambeanglersandtrawler1074]

I prepare my half square to quaterwave vertical any day happy new year peter

[@watersstanton]

Happy new year!

[@g5epcamateurradio527]

Very good subject matter and I agree with what you are saying on most matters. You have your finger on the pulse I think, understanding what hams are thinking and you discuss many points. There are some ifs, buts and maybes that could be discussed in greater detail of course. I use 1/4, 1/2 and 5/8 home brew verticals. 5/8 ground mounted with 30 radials works extremely well on 20m/17m in the open. I generally favour 1/2 waves elevated and fed as high as possible. I am very pleased with my DX performance with a vertical. If a path is open I can generally make the contact. Notwithstanding the DX station's noise floor and high ERP beam pile ups. I like your relaxed presentation as well and respect your knowledge. We never always get everything right, it keeps us on our toes if that is the part of the hobby you enjoy. If you want DX gain without resorting to a beam (which is a philosophically different place, radio wise) I have found every small detail counts.

[@watersstanton]

Great to hear from you and your antenna details. Carry on the antenna development anf enjoy the Hobby. 73 Peter

[@wshanney]

I've used elevated radial verticals for many years and they work very well. Two radials minimize the chance of imbalance which can affect the pattern. I also use 2 elevated sloped radials with my BuddiStick vertical for portable operation with good results. Great video Peter. 73, Bill, W6QR.

[@watersstanton]

HHi Bill, yes two radials per band is what we used to use back in the earlier days. Am going to install similar system myself. 73 Peter.

[@richardp5161]

The base of my 20/40 vertical is about 8 feet above the ground, I have 2 radials cut for 40 meters going out about 4 feet above ground. One radial is out over the saltwater in the bay lashed down on my dock. The results have been great, running no more than 20 watts I've logged 50 countries in 6 months without a lot of trouble. Did Japan and Australia, South Africa stations repeatedly. It can only get better from here as the sun spot cycles increase over the next few years. Thanks for the video, it makes me now think I've done the radials to the best advantage.

[@watersstanton]

Hi Richard, that sounds like a great location! Just think what you could do with 100W. 73 Peter.

[@basshorseman998]

Thank you Peter. Once again as you are speaking, the gears start turning and, VIOLA! I have a great idea for a project based on something you've said....

[@watersstanton]

Great! 73 Peter

[@mikemiles3068]

Always Great videos. ❗️👍

[@watersstanton]

Thanks 👍

[@andyM7XTT]

Great video as always Peter but what have you done to your mic? Have you changed it as sounded awful. Look forward to the next one

[@watersstanton]

Many thanks for your support. 73 Peter.

[@brianfields4479]

Very good info. Personal experience over the last 8 years, I regard dx in a qso outside of my part of the world. When I was in the uk, qso outside eu was dx with a mediocre ant, here in zl dx for me is now the other side of the planet, and obviously vk or kh6 is local qso, that's with my much improved vertical ant. I tested my 1/4 wave 40m vertical with 1 1/4 wave radial in the opposite direction I wanted to work, I got dx. 16 radials gave 1 s point, 32 gave me 2 s points . Using a vert near objects here didn't make much difference, I simply put the vert where it was out of the way and mainly hidden mine is in a tree and next to a metal shed it still works eu every day. Putting a simple parasitic reflector in the favored direction gave me 2 s points over the single vert. We must remember every ant will behave differently in someone else's garden, depending on propagation even a poor ant will work dx. I once worked eu on 40m using my 6m dipole hi. Put something up where you have space, give it a go , don't read too many books, just get on the air and have fun. I now have a ant which works better than any other at this location, I do have 350 1/4 wave radials on my 2 ele parasitic vertical for 40m, and it will work on all high bands with a tuner even 80m and top band with a roly coil. Anyone is welcome to email me if there want ant info, and if you think you don't have room for a vertical, let me know, as I can fit a vertical ant into even the smallest space.if folk work dx from a small car roof mount, a tiny garden is easy hi. Hints on noise reduction on a vertical I have also, verts are my passion hi. 73 zl3xdj

[@watersstanton]

Many thanks fpr sharing. 73 Peter

[@Steve-GM0HUU]

Interesting, thanks Peter. Certainly, I have had good results from one of my favourite QRP/P antennas which is a quarter wave vertical with x3 quarter wave elevated sloping radials for 20m band. Always works well and behaves consistently at different locations. A bonus is that the radials also serve as guy lines (with a section of chord at end to keep the end of the radials about 1m off ground). If you want verticals without radials on higher HF bands, j-poles or end fed half waves are other options (though the low angle radiation may not be so good and you may wish to consider wire/co-ax counterpoise for the end fed).

[@watersstanton]

Thankis for sharing.

[@kevballard1967]

Great into as normal. Keep it up.

[@kiweekeith]

Thanks you So Much for such a brilliant and Super Informative vidclip ..... I work Only on 27MHz and sometime a little 26MHz CB Bands from here in Christchurch NZ. Thanks again for All you wonderful information has a lot of Food for Thought ..... AND .... Upcoming 'Trials' ..... Cheers from NZ ..... Keith .... WR2451

[@watersstanton]

Thanks Keith. Nice to hear from NZ. 73 Peter

[@Lazyonics]

Great video Peter, there is nothing better than practical experience especially when it can be affected by how many vertical drops you have going to your light switches ! Are you trying to set a new fashion trend with the single colar ? it's been done, 60's I think....

[@mikes6844]

Very interesting vid, I have a very simple ¼ wave vertical for 20, it’s a piece of wire suspended from a tree branch with just 2 raised radials about 18 inches from the ground (very cheap). It works better than my other experiments with ground based radials. Some suggest that the radiation pattern is improved in the direction of the radial. I’m not so sure but haven’t been able to prove. Thanks for posting.

[@frankwc0o]

I agree. I have something similar, I use four radials, and it out performs most of the commercial antenna for just pennies.

[@watersstanton]

Thanks for sharing. There is soe directivity if only one radial is used which I believe is in the opposite direction to the radial. But have not tested this.

[@idlelogic8757]

Great content , one question is one collar just as effective as two?

[@frankwc0o]

Best example is the BuddiePole. If you use the Buddy Stick pro, it will not work very well if you don't lift the "radial". Well in this case, I think it's a lifted dipole, but people don't call it that, but it is. You don't need to pay $300 for it, just get a banana plug and some used wire, and hang one side vertically and the other wire horizontally, boom - a $2 version of the Buddystick Pro - less expensive and it does the same thing. Although, if you have a true 1/4 wave ground plane antenna with four or three radials, then you can leave them on the ground, but performance is not as great as if they were lift it. It's incredible how much gain you get when the radials are lifted. As you said, you need to experiment. You will find, the more wire on the ground, the better the ground plane, or use a few wires up in the air to get the same ground plane. Then you need to worry about the ground, and how that affects your antenna. That's another story.

[@watersstanton]

Many thanks Frank. 73 Peter.

[@pedroavex]

Hi Sir! If i may leave a suggestion for improving your lovely work with these great videos, i think your mike somehow was not in a very lucky position because we could hear always it scratching some fabric or so, likely from your blouse. Thanks a lot for your video, i work with a vertical and will make this interesting experiment. Theory convinces, but practice leads! Have a great Sunday!

[@watersstanton]

There was an issue with the radio mic.

[@W4BIN]

Raised resonant radials (one or more) make the vertical antenna into a "L" type antenna, one of the few antennas to naturally have a 50. Ohm impedance. Frequently mounted overhead from eight to ten feet up. Ron W4BIN

[@watersstanton]

Many thanks Ronald. 73 Peter

[@wjess3569]

Thanks.. great food for thought. I operate portable stationary from my vehicle using hamsticks on a triple mag mount. I've been thinking of adding about four radials as a trial for, say, 20 meters. I guess I could make up four radials for 40meters and shorten them when operating on 20 meters. My thought was to simply attach clips to the bolts on the mag mount and string the radials out.. BUT, now you bring up 45° angles. How important to you think this is.. or is it even important. IOW, if I had some supports that were at about the top of the truck level.. roughly 6' tall and went straight to the top of those supports.. I'd appreciate your thoughts.

[@watersstanton]

Hi there. The 45 degree is not important, it just gives the best match. Even horizontal radials will make a big i improvement. . As long as they afe above the ground it works. 73 Peter.

[@markmontgomery9722]

very interesting i will be trying this my vertical watch this space 73s

[@watersstanton]

Thanks

[@32_bits]

Experience counts for a lot and good to hear yours for verticals. BTW is your microphone fastened to your clothing as lots of background noise when you are moving, but not too distracting.

[@watersstanton]

Badly positioned and not realised it until too late.

[@DK1PL]

@Peter: quarter wave vertical antenna with eg. four quarter wave radials sloped ca. 45° is well know as GP (ground plane) antenna. This kind of antennas, as you know, are very popular on VHF/UHF bands. The slope of the radials is nothing else as a kind of “impedance matcher” and a GP antenna with horizontal radials is a kind of the general GP concept. For HF is, in contrast to VHF/UHF, the antenna size a limitation factor and sloped radials are “unhandily”. From this point of view the horizontal radials on or under ground are “better”. p.s. GP is a transformation on the Herz Dipole concept where one leg of the dipole was “divided” to many legs to build a more effective “capacitor” - de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Dipolentstehung.gif

[@watersstanton]

The GP term goes back years when I was a lad, but has largely fallen into disuse these days. The radial angle also has a small effect on the angle of radiation. 73 Peter.

[@markdavies7827]

Great video as always I did exactly the same for 40m. Fibreglass pole 10m high 2 raised radials. Went on as just getting light worked Australia, ! Only with 10w as just licenced. Was over the moon Great advice All the best Mark 2w0mtd

[@andrewwhittaker6622]

Hi when you test the noise reduction unit Can you test it against HF inverters. Been a real issue on my off grid setup for many years here. I've managed to get it somewhat useable on 40m and only strong signals on 20m I'll be interested in your test of the unit Cheers

[@watersstanton]

Noise comparisons are peculiar to individual locations.

[@PatAutrey]

What would you do in the event you had a multiband vertical how would you set up the elevated verticals in that situation

[@watersstanton]

I guess you mean radials? You need a pair for each band or just ones for your favourite band.

[@PatAutrey]

@@watersstanton gotcha - thank you!

[@ATOMSHAMRADIO]

I have a butternut antenna it has the coils and the doorknob capacitors i have to rebuild it the doorknob capacitors are old and broke off my ground i use on it was my chain link fence worked great the whole antenna has to be rebuilt and a cleaning and new doorknob capacitors 👍🎙

[@ATOMSHAMRADIO]

What values ofthe doorknob capacitors are on that butternut antenna it all worn away do they make a replacement kit for them antennas. Also this was great information

[@watersstanton]

Possibly replace the door knobs with coax capacitor if value not too high?

[@nr3rful]

Interesting as usual...the Buddipole requires raised radials

[@watersstanton]

Many thanks.

[@charlieoscar09]

But you still have your Vertical connected to a mat of radials and rod, then you've added the two new floating ones ? Confusing 14:02

[@watersstanton]

Try it.

[@CrisisGuildWOW]

ahhh, might want to make sure your lapel mic is on the outside of your shirt. was scratching every time you moved.

[@watersstanton]

The mic is always on the inside, but this time against a button!

[@morecambeanglersandtrawler1074]

Prefer

[@RobPetty622]

A bit of crackle and hiss in the audio of your video. Perhaps the mic was being covered up by your clothing? Just to let you know.

[@ouijim]

Get someone to model analyze your squeaky chair, sound like yer sitting on bubble wrap or maybe just stop wiggle gesturing ; )

[@watersstanton]

It It was actually the radio microphone under my shirt. Should have checked before starting! 73 Peter