Zero Five 43' Multiband foldover HF Antenna Unboxing and Installation | Zero Five 27' HOA HF Antenna

[@ChrisMillerOPMG]

Awesome! I have the ZeroFive 27' HOA, and Tom was very helpful to me as well.

[@AcydDrop]

Congratulations on your new antenna, loved your video :)

[@DarrenN4VFR]

Thank you! How's ireland weather?

[@dougtaylor7724]

Zerofive builds an antenna like a battle tank. The only bad thing about one is the unpacking. They get excited with the tape. I bought a 80-10 ground plane. It’s noisier than a dipole but it is a monster on SSB and FT8. I looked inside the unun, it is also overbuilt. I would say 1500 watts is conservative.

[@jasonritchey8610]

Congratulations on your new antenna Capt. Darren!

[@DarrenN4VFR]

Thank you Jason!

[@adriank1apd195]

Good save. Long antennas near power lines not a good combo. Love your videos keep them coming.

[@DK5ONV]

Great job done Capt. Darren, now it's time to make our 1st contact on the Air. Happy weekend & 73 de Your Friend Uncle Guenter 🙋‍♂️

[@DarrenN4VFR]

Yeah, been busy with family Hardly on the air.

[@davidshermanlittle919]

Excellent Capt. I’ll be putting mine next week.

[@DarrenN4VFR]

@David Sherman Little Awesome! It was fun putting it together. Ground radials is a must. I've put up a whole bunch throughout the year. But I put the extra effort to bury them. 73's de Capt Darren N4VFR

[@AD4C]

This time you did it right using the lug connectors on the cables making good contact.

[@DK5ONV]

This Antenna is really massive material. Made to last for 200 years. Except of that Balun Box. But ZERO FIVE rocks 💯🎸👍

[@DarrenN4VFR]

Uncle Guenter, you've got that right!

[@jochenkrebs9685]

OM Günther, ich würde mal den nächsten Sturm abwarten ob der Spargel ohne Abspannungen immer noch so gerade steht. ich vermute mal eher nicht 🙂 Der Teufel scheint aber im Detail zu liegen wenn man sich die abvibrierte Box anschaut. Wenn ich die Wahl hätte zwischen diesem Spargel und das was der DX-Commander baut würde ich die von Callum bevorzugen. Erstens jedes Band ist sauber abgestimmt, zweitens das Gewicht, und drittens kein Unun den es bei hohen Leistungen verbrät. Und bei Callums Variante in der Regel kein Tuner erforderlich ! Also von demher mal die Kirche im Dorf lassen. Anstatt dieses Monsters hätte es vermutlich auch ein stinknormaler Endfeed Draht getan, zumindest hat der Kapitän ja genügend Platz. VG Jochen DH1KJ

[@DarrenN4VFR]

@@jochenkrebs9685 I will move my DX Commander to this QTH. It's easy to assemble and disassemble and your right that I have more room for the antenna.

[@DK5ONV]

@@jochenkrebs9685 Hello Joe, ich denke mal das sich Capt. Darren vorab ausreichend Gedanken gemacht hat was die Stürme betrifft. Falls nicht wird er reichlich viel Freude am Antennenteile aufsammeln und dem Wiederaufbau haben. Ich sage Dir aber gleich dazu, ich hab selber einige Jahre in USA und Canada gelebt. und wenn es dort stürmt, so richtig stürmt kannst Du Lord Callums Antenne irggendwo in den Sümpfen von Missouri suchen gehen. Alles andere sind keine Stürme sondern etwas heftigere Blähungen die aus dem Bauch von Mutter Natur entfleuchen. Wie Du schon richtig erwähnt hast stimmt das SWR bei Dx Commander in 990 von 1000 Fällen und ein ATU ist dann nicht erforderlich. Ich habe gelernt das man am glücklichsten mit home brew Antennen wird. Tut sicherlich mehr weh wenn sie vom Sturm zerstört werden aber es erspart einem die Politik mit dem Manufacturer und der Versicherungsgesellschaft bezüglich Schadenersatz. Also ich kann sagen das die Colossal 10K die stabilsten Aluminium Rohre hat wie keine andere Antenne. Diese Atenne hat bei mir stramme 12 Jahre in extremsten Wetterbedingungen stand gehalten. Alle Vorgänger Antennen schafften es keine 4 Jahre. Ich persönlich würde die Zero Five auf 3/4 Höhe mit 3 oder 4 durchsichtigen Anglerschnüren abspnannen. Ein bischen Risiko trägt ein jeder bei allem was man im Leben tut, das macht den Nervenkitzel aus sonst wäre das Leben langweilig. Schönen Sonntag nach BaWü & 73 de Onkel Günter ohne H

[@jochenkrebs9685]

@@DK5ONV OK Günter ohne H, alles roger deshalb baue ich meine Antennen meist selbst. 73´s gd DX

[@k2icc]

I taught you had the 27, but now understand you have the 43. Will check how it goes. I need one. Thanks.

[@DarrenN4VFR]

I bought the 43' for Florida and the 27' I relocated to my other QTH. The 43' was on sale when I bought it. I can leave off 5 section of the mast and call it a 27' HF vertical. I will test it in the future.

[@robertport3620]

Just got mine. 43 ft antenna. This is going to replace my 270 feet OCF until I can get it repaired and back up. Between both antennas I will make lots of contacts.

[@boojum402]

I have the same antenna. I love it. Fivezero is awesome! and Tom is the shit!

[@wjess3569]

Can't imagine that antenna going un-guyed through the winds you get in FL.. especially during the hurricanes

[@k2icc]

To me, the PVC box, when tight to metal, as it is hot or cold, it can contract or expand, causing the cracks. Maybe some washers like rubber bushings may allow the box to be tight enough to be mounted, but not so tight. The ground wire will always connect from inside the box to the metal with no problems.

[@douglaswilliams6834]

I have the 27' version of this Zero Five antenna. These things are built like tanks. Very high quality. 73 de WB4DW

[@DarrenN4VFR]

I Concur.

[@johnmarron1944]

Great vid ,I don't if anyone else has commented on it but 3 or 4 guy ropes is a must.73

[@DarrenN4VFR]

So far it's been holding up without guy ropes. It also has survived Hurricane Ian in Florida.

[@rayhill1855]

Question Is the anti seize dielectric like the grease? If it isn't it would isolate the two contacts points on the pole. It would also make a bad connection on the positive and ground wires. It worked so I'm taking it is. Love your videos. WOW what a monster.

[@DarrenN4VFR]

It's suppose to be dielectric grease. I still use it to prevent corrosion. So far it's working well for me.

[@geekverve]

Jet Lube is great, but man, that stuff gets on EVERYTHING. :P

[@steventhomas7622]

Hi Captain Darren, I really enjoy your videos! How do you feel these Zero Five antennas compare with the DX Commander. This would be interesting as the Zero Five antennas are not resonant and require a tuner vs. the DX Commander is resonant.

[@DarrenN4VFR]

To be honest, My primary HF antenna is the DX Commander Classic with the Inverted L for 80 meters. Either way, I still use a tuner for the DXC. 73's de N4VFR

[@BoboAthanassion]

Great video! I'm thinking of getting the same antenna accept the 160m version. A few questions for you if you don't mind. 1) How many ground radials are you using as well as how long are they? And are they the same length or of various lengths. Zero 5 told me that 16 radials was all that was needed for my soil conditions in PA. 2) How many ground rods are you using and how deep are they as well as the length of the rods? I couldn't see how the ground plate or antenna was grounded. I assume you removed the coax connector that was on the DX Engineering Ground Plate and attached the antennas ground wire to the plate? 3) How deep of the hole did you dig for the concrete and what is the length of the pipe in the concrete? 4) That anti-seize stuff you were using on the bolts. I noticed you used that other vasoline stuff on the coax connector. Why can't you just use that instead of the anti-seize stuff. Won't it work the same? 5) I saw that you painted the other antenna. I assume you will be painting this new antenna as well. What type of paint are you using? I saw some green and black on the other antenna. It looked good! My antenna setup will probably be using an Remote Tuner at the base of the antenna since I will be having a 300 ft. run of coax. Possibly LMR-600 or 900. Or skip the remote tuner and purchase the MFJ-2910 80m-160m coil to aid in tuning the 160m band. I need to give Zero 5 another call and pick their brains again. Anyway, thanks for the video! I'll use it as a referrence when I build my system as well as alternating the installation of the pipe sections. I wish you safe flight travels and 73's from N3NQP!

[@DarrenN4VFR]

Hello John! Here are my answers to your questions: 1) How many ground radials are you using as well as how long are they? I plan to lay down Fifteen 43’ ground radials. They take time digging trenches so I only played down 6 with 9 more to lay. You can make them at various length. Quantity is the key! This antenna base was previously where I had my Zero Five 27’ HOA antenna. So there are Forty 27’ ground radials already underground. SWR’s are 1:1 on all bands with the exception of 80m and 160m. I need to use my Palstar AT2K manual antenna tuner. While I use remote HF with my IC7610, I have my LDG AT100 connected to the radio. 2) How many ground rods are you using and how deep are they as well as the length of the rods? At the antenna base, I have Four 8 feet grounding rods. Three are connected to the DX Engineering Radial plate and one is connected to the bolt that holds up the Unun transformer. If you look at photos of the Unun transformer, there is a short wire (negative) that is connected to the bottom of the antenna base. It just below the black insulation that separates the antenna radiating element from the base of the antenna. 3) How deep of the hole did you dig for the concrete and what is the length of the pipe in the concrete? The pipe I bought is a 1 1/2” galvanized steel pipe. They come in a 10’ section and I hacksaw’d it in half. With the 5’ section, I have 1 1/2’ above the ground and the rest of the pipe in the earth. I think I used 2 bags of quick crete cement. 4) That anti-seize stuff you were using on the bolts. I noticed you used that other vasoline stuff on the coax connector. Why can't you just use that instead of the anti-seize stuff. Won't it work the same? I used the JetLube SS-30 anti-seize on the bolts and where I jointed the antenna elements together. Also used them on the acorn of my grounding rods. With regards to the dielectric grease that I used on the pl259 connectors, he said that it was not conductive. I did some google research and he was right! Therefore I removed the dielectric grease and just left it bare metal to metal on the connectors. You want to have a good contact on the connector shielding to ground. 5) I saw that you painted the other antenna. I assume you will be painting this new antenna as well. What type of paint are you using? I used rust-oleum painter touch 2x ultra cover spray paint from home depot. I think I used primer gray which is flat paint, flat black, and some sort of flat forrest green. Do not paint the antenna insulator. If you do, you just grounded your antenna because the radiating element will have continuity to the ground which is below the antenna insulator. I would stop just above the antenna drain hole. A few viewer’s told me that this antenna is good with a Remote Tuner. They are expensive and I’ve already have that Palstar AT2K manual tuner. It works for me! I think LMR600 is overkill. Talk to Tom at Zero Five, he’ll probably recommend RG213. That’s what I run and I have 150’ of it. Thanks for the mail! I like to help out fellow hams. 73’s de Capt Darren N4VFR

[@ErnestGWilsonII]

Thank you very much for publishing this video Captain Darren! I can hardly wait to see how this thing performs! I'm thinking of getting the same exact antenna. Can you please put this on an antenna analyzer and look at how it performs on each band without a tuner by looking at the analyzer? Really hoping that you make a video showing exactly how it performs on each band looking at the antenna analyzer specifically . Do you have a VNA or other such meter that you can put on and test and share that video please? And then of course we'll want to know which bands can be tuned up using only the internal antenna tuner versus an external antenna tuner. I am of course subscribed with notifications turned on and thumbs up! 73 W3GUY

[@DarrenN4VFR]

We'll do!

[@ErnestGWilsonII]

@@DarrenN4VFR thank you very much! I'm really looking forward to knowing how this antenna performs on each of the different bands as far as SWR and impedance matching. 73 W3GUY

[@straightpride451]

JB weld would work wonderfully for those cracks.

[@dariochoa]

Thanks Captain. Great video. I own a 27ft HOA zero five vertical myself and the results have been amazing. I even took it to St Barths (FJ) and had over 1,000 contacts in a few days, with 100 watts. Question: how would you compare the performance between the 27footer and the 43 footer? Is it worth the upgrade? Keep up the great videos!! Dario kp4do

[@DarrenN4VFR]

With the 43' you can remove 5 section from the top to have the same performance as.the 27' version. You will still need an external tuner. I'll put this in one of the video I will make.

[@andyM7XTT]

Great video cappy 👍👍the pipe the antennas attached to is that a steel pipe and how far is it conreted into the ground? Looks a blooming monster but very solid :) are you not going to guy it? What's it work like compared to the 27ft version?? Great job now time to relax :) 73

[@DarrenN4VFR]

The Galvanized steel pipe is about just over 3 feet in the ground. Guy wire's not needed. My built in tuner tunes flat from 40-6 meters. I can't get 80 meters to tune without using my external antenna tuner.

[@johnforte3466]

No guy rope needed. Famous last words.

[@Ei2iP]

Ideally a tuner should be mounted at the base of antenna, I have the MFJ 1.5KW smart tuner at the base of mine. Using a tuner in the shack is not the correct way to use this type of antenna setup.

[@DarrenN4VFR]

I agree with you there.

[@BoboAthanassion]

Many have told me the same thing Robbie! Especially if I'm going to be running around 300 ft. of coax to my shack. But I have a friend in Texas that has the same version of antenna from Zero 5 but with the 160m version. He's not using the UNUN but has a MFJ-2910 connected to the antenna and an manual external tuner in the shack. He's been a ham for a little over a year now and has made over 31,000+ contacts on his vertical on FT8 and Phone. Amazing! Great antenna that really works! 73's! Oh; by the way Robbie, how do you like your MFJ Remote Tuner? I'm thinking of getting the 1500 watt version. Are you able to tune from 10m to 80m real good? What are your results?

[@douglaswilliams6834]

@Robbie Ei2iP Technically, you are correct, in practice, it depends. I have the 27' version of this Zero Five antenna and it works great for me with the tuner in the shack. I have a ~50 foot run of LMR-240 from the tuner in the shack out to the Zero Five. If you use good quality coax, and your run isn't too long, you can get away with not having a tuner at the antenna base, at HF. 73 de WB4DW

[@BretChilcott]

Captain great video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Question- do you find that the vertical antennas receive more noise than other type of antennas? If so, have you considered using a separate receiving loop for receiving only, and the vertical for transmitting only? I will soon be installing a Zero-Five flagpole antenna and a remote tuner similarly like what you have installed in your other videos. Keep up your work on inspirational videos. 73 BretC/AC0AE

[@DarrenN4VFR]

Yes, it does pick up more man-made noise, especially Power lin Interference. I have loops but have taken them down cause I need a rotator to null out the noise.

[@BretChilcott]

@@DarrenN4VFR TNX for the quick response. If you add a receiving loop, it would make for a good video topic. If you do, I encourage you to consider using one of the receiving loops that are used on some of the DXpeditions. It appears that some of these groups have already researched the options. 73. BretC/AC0AE

[@douglaswilliams6834]

Capt Darren, wanted you to know that I just ordered the 43' ZeroFive vertical. I already have the 27' ZeroFive, and am hoping to get the 43' version to tune on 80 and 160 meters. The 43' version will be replacing my Hustler 5BTV, which was recently damaged by mowers hitting one of my guy ropes. I like the fact that even the 43' ZeroFive doesn't need guy ropes. This should just be a drop in replacement for my 5BTV, as the radial plate and 30 radials are already in place. I realize I may need some top loading to get it tuned on the 160 meter band. Currently considering how I might accomplish that. 73 de WB4DW

[@DarrenN4VFR]

Congratulations! The mowers guys also picked up my guy wires and knocked down my Comet CHA250B antenna a few years ago.

[@douglaswilliams6834]

@@DarrenN4VFR It happens. I didn't blame them. They are just workers doing a job. I'll take it as an excuse to improve my antenna system. de WB4DW

[@davidshermanlittle919]

The Zero five antenna is not 43 feet - it is 40 foot as measured from to bottom of the base.

[@kevinokeefe7796]

How much better is it then the 27 that’s the one I have now but thinking of this one

[@DarrenN4VFR]

Both are great antennas. I prefer the 27' version. My Palstar AT2K can tune it down to 80m with the 27' version. If you have the Zero Five 43', I bet you can install the last 3 sections and it will operate as a 27' (close to a 27') Zero Five HOA Antenna.

[@jochenkrebs9685]

What kind of Unun is it. To open the Box and look inside would be the most interesting part ! Maybe next time Capt. . 73´s DH1KJ

[@DarrenN4VFR]

Ok, I'll have to open it up for you. Keep an eye out for it in the next weeks.

[@Frankh77]

Did you notice lower takeoff angles on the 27ft with higher bands like 10m? Is the 43ft better for generic overall coverage?

[@DarrenN4VFR]

My 27' version was able to work DX station easier than the Zero Five 43' version. I'd say you'll be ok with the 27' version.

[@Frankh77]

@@DarrenN4VFR Thank you, sir. I have an 18' repurposed CB Antenna and it works great for 10-17 meters. Was considering getting a zero five, but wasn't sure if it's worth sacrificing the DX bands.

[@douglaswilliams6834]

How has the 43' version of this antenna held up to the high winds I know you sometimes get in Florida?

[@DarrenN4VFR]

It's holding up good. It will sway in the wind. If a hurricane will be approaching, I would have it lowered. That's one nice thing about it, just loosen 2 bolts and remove the tope bolt and it will lower easily.

[@RobertMacCready]

So, is the 43' much better than the 27'? How would you compare the 2 antennas? I live in an HOA so I might be able to use the 27' but I'm pretty sure the 43' would be a no-go.

[@DarrenN4VFR]

I recommend the HOA 27' HF Antenna. Make sure you have room to tilt the HF antenna. If you have questions, give Tom a call at Zero Five Antennas. He can answer questions about your set up and can recommend either. 73's

[@RobertMacCready]

@@DarrenN4VFR Thanks Capt. Darren de KQ1K

[@cowboy6591]

Define temporary? I'll pass on this one. However as a permanent install the antenna would be sweet. Bigger is better when it comes to reception.

[@bladeflapUH60]

I'd use epoxy for the cracks on the transformer.

[@ralph9987]

Radio test???

[@thomashenderson603]

I think you could of upgraded the 27 to 43.

[@douglaswilliams6834]

@Thomas Henderson Yes, but that probably would not have been an "upgrade" for the higher frequencies (say 14+ MHz). The shorter vertical is probably a better DX performer at the higher frequencies. 73 de WB4DW

[@douglaswilliams6834]

I'm curious how this antenna performs on 80 and 160 meters. I'm considering replacing my Hustler 5BTV. The Hustler has a very narrow bandwidth on 80 and doesn't tune on 160 at all. This antenna would be a drop in replacement, as my ground radials are already in place. 73 de WB4DW

[@DarrenN4VFR]

I took some videos to tune 80 and 160 meters. Poor results with the LDG AT1000ProII.

[@douglaswilliams6834]

@@DarrenN4VFR Ok, thank you Captain. I think I'll stick with my 5BTV as it has been a good performer. I'll need to look into a dedicated 160 meter antenna in the future. 73 de WB4DW

[@DarrenN4VFR]

@@douglaswilliams6834 I'll put up a video that I took with testing the Zero Five 27' using the LDG AT1000ProII tuner. Look for the video next week.

[@douglaswilliams6834]

@@DarrenN4VFR Yea, I have the 27' ZeroFive. I use it on the WARC bands with good results. I use my Hustler 5BTV on 80 (very narrow bandwidth), 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters. It has been an excellent performer so far.

[@danv8078]

are you going to paint the new ant?

[@DarrenN4VFR]

Yes I will.

[@donalfinn4205]

But first, let’s drink some coffee 🤔

[@donalfinn4205]

I thought you had lost the antenna when the bolt came out!🙈. Glad it worked out. I have something similar.

[@donaldsmith3048]

I put Teflon lube on my connections.

[@debbiemartin8523]

Debs husband asks does this antenna require radials?

[@DarrenN4VFR]

I would use radials and it makes the antenna more efficient.

[@dennisonwells4287]

Dennis in Kingman Arizona in the middle of 42 acres 25 miles from the city of Kingman Just wondering how it's working out for you a month later call sign KI7CSN

[@k8byp]

Absolute BS Ununs and baluns ARE NOT FOR ANTENNAS. They are for coupling transmission lines together. Zero radio or antenna knowlege here.