Comments on: What’s Your Favorite HF Portable Antenna?

By: kmack

kmack — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:09:30 +0000

Bob,
Sounds like a unique idea and a real time saver to put that switch on the Miracle Whip. Interesting thought…

Be curious to know how it works out for you. I agree, that so far, the EFHW is the berries… just need a bit more directivity for my peanut whistle signal if I can find it. HA!! It is just fun to try things, eh?

72,
Kelly K4UPG PB #173

By: BOB

BOB — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:20:47 +0000

Hi Kelly,
Nice to see you still have this up and running
Well I now am playing with a Miracle whip but modified with two 12 pole rotary switches to tune it.
The tuner goes right to the back of the FT 817.
I’m using a 5 foot telescope whip and I also located a 3 foot long threaded SS 1/4″ rod.
It’s not the PAC 12 but close to it.
Bill is also designing one that has a tuning cap.
But outdoors,
I just feel the end fed wire almost vertical really kicks butt against all the others.
Keep up the great work here.
73
BOB
AF2Q

By: kmack

kmack — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:25:49 +0000

Frank,
First time I have heard of this one. Sounds interesting so I am going to put it on my list to try! Thanks for posting your comment! Hope to catch you on the air soon!
73,
Kelly K4UPG

By: Frank VE7DSN

Frank VE7DSN — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:22:16 +0000

My favourite, though maybe not that efficient, is a homebrew 20m ‘M’ dipole.

It is supported off a 20′ telescopic mast stabilized to a bicycle ‘tripod’. The ‘M’ shape comes from two 8′ ‘arms’ that cause the ‘arms’ and mast to form a large ‘Y’ shape. The 17′
dipole elements are loosely wrapped around the arms and the excess 9′ ends just hang down from the arm ends. This antenna is fed with 20′ balanced feedline to a Z match tuner. It tunes most HF bands and works quite well with a QRPKits PFR3 tranceiver.

I often operate along public beach promenades, park benches etc. I like the fact that nothing but the bike itself impedes the public.

72 de Frank VE7DSN

By: Alex, K5UNY

Alex, K5UNY — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:40:06 +0000

OK to continue this antenna stuff which by the way I really love to read everyone’s conmments, here is another.
I like my jumper dipole as No tuner is needed for 40-30-20. BUT I uncovered and New to me was the G7FEK antenna for limited space. I have put one up in my backyard as I had just enough space , 50feet, between two trees
and the antenna performs like gangbusters on80 and 40 meters and is no slouch on other bands. It has become my everyday antenna here at the home QTH.
Now is it good for portable operation, my answer would be Yes, if you had 2 supports for the wire. According to the website I retrieved it from the wires should not have much downward slope. Apparently its not intended for an Inverted V configuration.
I love tinkering with wire antennas and if any or all of you guys are of the same mindset I would suggest you give thhis one a try.Google up G7FEK Antenna for Limited Space.
73 and Good Luck

Alex K5UNY

By: kmack

kmack — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 14:48:44 +0000

John,
Great comment! You covered all the bases and as a frequent traveler we share some common thoughts and experiences. Hope to meet you on the air soon! Appreciate your taking time to post this as many will benefit! Happy New Year!
72 es 73,
Kelly K4UPG

By: John - WA8HSB

John - WA8HSB — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 06:50:20 +0000

Kelly–
I travel a lot on business and, as others have noted, usually carry several antennas with my KX-1 [or ATS-3/T1 ATU combo or K1] to maximize the antenna options depending upon what is available. I always have a 28′ wire with counterpoise with me and it works OK [and fits unobtrusively in my carry-on bag]. A partially filled bottle of water with dental floss tied under the bottle cap gets the antenna up in a tree fairly nicely. This wire has worked in a many hotel parking lots, city parks, as well as from hotel rooms to nearby trees. Sometimes I will carry a collapsible fishing pole to use to extend the antenna away from the hotel building.

For ease of setup and not worrying about trees and such, the Buddistick is my favorite. With the clamp mounting bracket, I roll the back window down a couple of inches on the rental car and fasten the clamp to the window. This setup nicely supports the Buddistick with the counterpoise off to the side as an elevated one. I’ve put some tape on the counterpoise wire to mark the approximate lengths for the different bands. This speeds setup quite a bit as I only have to make minor adjustments to get the SWR to an acceptable level. I’ve been able to work a good bit of DX with this setup but I only take it when I check a bag. The Buddistick gives me quick access to my 3 favorite bands; 40, 30, and 20.

When possible to put up, I’ve found a W3EDP wire is the overall best performer. I’ve had good luck with it strung over 2 or 3 trees (~20-30′ tall) in a inverted L configuration [the water bottle and dental floss combo works great for tossing over trees]. I usually have the 85′ roll of wire with a banana plug on one end stuffed in my checked bag so it’s available if the opportunity to set it up presents itself.

The Norcal Doublet is in my carry-on pouch along with the 28′ wire but I’ve rarely used it. I’ve found it more useful around home when I can carry my 20′ Crappie Pole [a little difficult to carry on routine business air travel]. I also have a St. Louis Vertical, a homebrew PAC-12, and a homebrew Buddipole that I’ve used many times when close to home.

I have a 20M dipole that I used several years ago when I started carrying a radio with me on my travels. I used it with the MFJ Cub and PSK-20. I haven’t carried it for several years. I need to try the Iditarod Dipole though. I like the idea of the antenna being tuned already.

Thanks for running this poll. I’ve picked up a couple of ideas from the other comments for me to tinker with.

73/762, John
WA8HSB

By: N4NSS - Kyle

N4NSS - Kyle — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:10:53 +0000

A friend and I have been going out portable at the park and he uses a Buddy Stick vertical. I find that the tuning is critical and the adjustment of the radial(s) is part of the problem.
I came up with an idea of using what has been in my antenna junk box for sometime now, an old Mosley mobile antenna with coils for each band. It is something like the Hustler mobile antenna and in fact I use one lower section used by Hygain for added height. First I use a camera tripod. I connected one of those mirror mounts and attached it to the tripod. I then use a tilt-over extension section supplied with the set. I put the other extension section on top of the first one. The band coil goes next and then the whip. I attach a set of three radials cut for 40 meters to the tripod. Tune up is with the Z-11 or whatever I have and off I go making contacts. The last contact I made was on 20 Meters with 5 watts to France RST 339 or so.
I find that it is easy to setup or change bands, works fine and not too bothersome to carry.

By: kmack

kmack — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:00:47 +0000

Dom,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving this fantastic comment! Hope to work you on the air /P to /P one of these days!

Your blog is a great source of ideas for homebrewers too!

Blessings and 72,
Kelly K4UPG

By: Dominic

Dominic — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:44:26 +0000

Almost everything about /P antenna depends on local conditions and what you have available to for an antenna support. 90% of my operating is /P so I vary antenna to suit. I don’t care what anyone says but one size definitely does not fit all but a dipole comes close. A lot depends on who/where you want to try and work, a horizontal/NVIS antenna might be fine for 80m but I think I’d want something with a lower take off angle for 20m.

Hike into the hills where there are no trees and anything either like a buddipole (got one, made 2), PAC-12 (made several) or fishing pole supported dipole/longwire/W3EDP etc are likely candidates. If you are by the beach then a couple 8m fishing poles and a vertical moxon for 20m/15m will bring in the dx better than most antennas I have used.

I prefer resonant antennas than using a tuner but often carry a BLT or simple altoid tin L match (a Z11 auto tuner has seen a lot of /P activity).

Apart from bands etc the choice depends on how heavy you want your kit/pack and that extra XYL factor… there is no way on a trip you can take anything that takes ages to setup and tune or need lots of extra hands, any attempt to use such an antenna will ruin a trip fast. The most fun ever had /P was probably using a base loaded 8ft whip off a bicycle across HB9/HB0 and DL and an FT817 rig was run using a recharging SLA (6 hours cycling meant 2hour operating in evenings)…qrv 80m through 20m and hopeless for efficiency. The cheekiest /P antenna was stopping and knocking on a door and using someone elses 20m 4 el yagi (F/M1KTA/P). On a beach /P nothing so far beats a 20m vertical moxon for RX and TX signal reports.

Dom
M1KTA