A DYI long wire antenna project using a 9:1 un un. Wire chart: www.dxsupply.com/produktfiler/... A link to winding your 9:1 unun • How to make a 9 to 1 a...
Thank you Dennis. This is exactly what I needed to get me going. The addition I would like to see more of, would be the about counterpoise. It's sort of a mystery to us new guys. I did find down in the comments to make it approximately 1/4 wave long of lowest frequency you are working with. Maybe you could add some text to your Recommended wire lengths and installation notes. Otherwise, it was perfect.
Nothing at all to dislike about the video mate ( so no worries there mate ), well produced, and a great demonstration of highly commendable radio etiquette, wish there were a lot more operator's like yourself, excellent job mate, 73's and hope to get you in the log de G5CWP
Thank you more than you know for the random chart showed. Am 68 retired, starting at long Wire, long ago I found rules of thumb for spherical antennae . I only interested to listening to radio.ps your nice open Doreen field is so Calming hope I can see this I don't wee well and sometimes type worse.
Greetings from California. Good day Dennis. That was a spectacular demonstration. Spotless, professional and admirable. I’m new to HAM and presently only a SWL. But as the time goes by... I’d get a handle too. Once again, Sir, It was a pleasure listening to your broadcast. Cheers 73s
Not to be picky as Denis did a nice presentation, but proper protocall when you went to 14.250 would have been to ask "is the frequency in use" (QRL?) before hitting the auto-tune or calling CQ. I realize the band sounded quiet, but on 20 meters, you may only hear one side of the conversation. We've all been stepped on before by people jumping on frequency and calling CQ.
This is exactly the video that I wanted to see. I'm from the states but I go up to Algonquin every summer; usually to Booth lake which is only about 50 miles from where you are. I'm just getting into ham and haven't been able to take my test yet because of the bad thing, but I hope to get in and do it soon. I'm really excited about being able to bring a radio camping. I think maybe a Xiegu x5105. It's good to know that contacts are, in fact, possible from that area.
I must admit, at last I found this vid with just the info that I had entered in my search engine! Thank-you very much and great video. '73 Brian 2E0BWQ (UK).
Hey Dennis, Good video. Encouraging to hear your results with this antenna. I live in an apartment and use this type of antenna also. Do appreciate the wire chart as I have always found myself guessing about the wire length. Usually result to running a length that is physically possible and not too visible being in an apartment. Lucky enough to be able to get the wire outside though and about 20 feet high. 73de WB0RSZ
Great video ! I have made basically the same antenna . Great information in your video . While probably not the best antenna it will get you out , and great for portable and emergency applications ! 73 de KN4ADM .
Nice video. Appreciate you taking the time to make this. Do you have the part numbers for the wire clip for strain relief and the saddle hook. And where did you purchase your 16ga Marine Wire? 73's Jim N2OWM
Mark at LDG sent me the 9:1 unun kit.. just putting it together today.. .. calls for 65 feet of wire with ... kinda windy today.. hoping to get it up here in Montana.. .. Oh don’t forget the ragchew fraternity on 7.230... We are the “Wingnuts”.. come on out and play 24/7 365.... 73s.... de wi7ard...!
What would be really nice is to use an A/B switch and compare this antenna to say a EFHW with a 49:1 transformer or even a ZS6BKW. Nearly any antenna will work but how well it works compared to other antennas tells more of the story.
I like the strain relief hardware; it is what I need on my antenna. I am not happy with just letting the terminal hold the wire, even though it is very thin and light. 73!
Very good video Denis. Great scenery as a background video. You are giving me some additional ideas for /p operation. I'm going the solar + LiFePO4 route for power though with everything in a backpack. The details on how you set up the antenna are informative and now I just have to work out how to get the para-cord up high enough in the trees to pull up the antenna... A lacrosse stick & ball keeps coming to mind :) de VA3NIE Ottawa
A counterpoise is simply a long, insulated wire that attaches to the ground connection on your antenna tuner. The best counterpoise is 1/4-wavelength at the lowest frequency you intend to use. That's a lot of wire at, say, 3.5 MHz, but you can loop the wire around the room and hide it from view.
I have been told you should never position the counterpoise wire directly beneath the antenna wire, in your experience, is this really bad or just a minor detail?
Great presentation technique and content. Couple years back, I have made essentially same antenna for portable using same chart. I guess a longer counterpoise, say 40m would perhaps give better resonance on top band. Cheers Denis de Nick M1DDD
you prolly dont care at all but does anyone know a way to log back into an Instagram account?? I stupidly forgot the account password. I would appreciate any help you can give me.
@Ulises Josiah I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and im in the hacking process now. Takes quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.
You need a counterpoise, ground radials, or some other ground, if the antenna is operating as a Marconi, ie, resonant at an odd multiple of quarter wavelengths. The base Z is about 37 ohms. If the radials slope downward ~45 degrees (a "groundplane"), it's ~50 ohms. If the antenna is a multiple of half-waves, it's Z is high (typically, 2-2.5K), and it can be operated without a ground.
From what I've read, when you make a wide=band common-mode choke, with ferrite beads, you should use two (or more?) kinds of ferrite, since no one type is good for all frequencies.
Nice video. I have the same transceiver and I was wonder what switching power supply you have connected to it. I use mine mainly at home with an Astron VS-35M linear power supply which I like very much but for portable use it is quite heavy. Again thanks for sharing.
The power supply is an Astron SS 30M. It's 25 amp continuous, 30 amp peak. it's about 4 lbs and very quiet. BTW, I also have the VS-35 here in my shack. 73
My comment is "Get that General or Extra!". With this antenna you will be able to have a lot of fun while saving your money for a more efficient or larger antenna.
Hello, thanks for the video! I was wondering, what are the other components on your table other than your 991A? A speaker, and what is the other thing? Thanks, Ben de W1BPM
Would a 9:1 current balun (transmission line dual toroid balun) work instead of the 9:1 un-un and feed-line choke? I ask as I am in possession of a 9:1 current balun and am interested of giving it a go.
the longer the radiating wire the better, yes the SWR is okay at 53 feet but you only have 53 feet of antenna, the 124.5 will pick up weaker station and will transmit you signal better. When it comes to antennas Bigger Is Better. That said we can only go as big as our space will permit. 73 Denis
Really enjoyed your video. esp using the real world contacts ON THE AIR. Very nice work on the audio as well. Now I want to you modify the counter pose .. Add a 66-68 ft section, then your 33 ft section, and I think you will see better results on 75/80M. k6vhp Shally inspired my random wire and I made my for 1k QSO's from my old shack using the big redwood tree! 73 om, hope to work u soon j
Got mine set up as high as 25 ft or more on each side. SWR was very high on 160, 80, and 40 meters. To use those bands, need external tuner. Internal tuner got SWR of 2 on those bands at 5 watts. If higher power is used, then SWR goes over 3. I had ti cut to 121' from 124.5', in order to lower those bands as far as SWR. Using a 30' counterpoise. No ground bar on those. Brand new Samsung stove digital display goes cray and oven light turns on by itself. If anyone has any ideas, appreciated. Would like original 124' 6" back, but 160, 80 and 40 not good unless an external tuner is used. 73.
There are a lot of factors that will affect the SWR, soil composition and proximity to any near by metal objects near by electrical or telephone wires, underground utilities aluminium siding just to name a few. I use this antenna for portable ops and I have had pretty good success on 80 to 6 meters using the internal tuner only once I was able to get 160 under 3 to 1 SWR, most times it hovers around at 4 or 5 to 1 SWR . A few things to look for a single 30 foot or three 10 foot counterpoise is recommend, to me a good ground is a must. Also make sure that you have at least 30 feet of coax that is not under (parallel to) the antenna, next add a RF choke or an ugly balun to the coax at the 30 foot or longer point before you enter the house or shack and make sure that your rig is also grounded to get rid of any rf that may still be in the coax. The newer appliances are really poorly built when it come to RFI so it's best to keep the antenna feed point as far away from appliances as possible. I hope these suggestions help you out. 73 de VE3BF
When you say the radiator length is 124.5 feet, how do you account for the folded back portions of the wire at the strain releases? Thanks for the video, 73 George N2YTA
I’ve experimented with the fold back on a few antennas now and I’ve come to the conclusion that 6 to 8 inches tightly rolled make no difference to the SWR so go with 124.5 from the terminal to the insulator. The biggest SWR variable is antenna height and surroundings, try to get the the antenna to 20 feet high. 73
Yes. The folded back portion of an HF wire antenna has almost no impact. A careful measure with an analyzer will possibly find a tiny bit more capacitance.
73's VE3BF. I don't have my ticket yet but what ticket do I need for 10-160m bands? Thanks for the info Dennis great antenna and I love the radio! I want one!
Hi Dave, If you are in Canada you’ll need a Basic with honours or an advanced to get on the HF bands. Every country has its own regulations. Thanks for watching, 73 VE3BF
A longwire endfed antenne, is actually a dipole with one leg. The other leg is the counterpoise. If one doesn't use a proper counterpoise, the radio waves may look for it in the coax cable running to your 1:9 UnUn. That can create interference or even high voltage in one's schack. Using a choke is then often used. The weird thing, however, is that not every radio amateur has issues with that. Some do not need a choke. 73, the PD0PSX the Netherlands.
Did you experiment with antenna lengths? I guess there must be a “sweet spot” for best minimum swr on most bands. I have been experimenting with EFHW antennas, I get 1.4:1 on 40 and 1.1:1 on 20, but I’m limited on other bands. I will have to try the 9:1 balun. Thanks. 73 VK4QP
I have tried the shorter lengths but the height and surrounding areas are what dictates the SWR as long as you stick to the non resonate lengths listed in the chart. I'm planning a follow up video as soon as the temperature warms up. 73 de VE3BF
Denis, I’m not sure you’re still answering questions on a year and a half old video, but I was just curious about your grounding method on your radio. It looks like you had a short copper braid connecting to a black shielded cable. What are you using for a ground rod? I’m guessing a small diameter 3’-4’ copper rod. Thanks in advance if your reply.
Hi Michael, I have a 4 foot copper ground rod in my go kit but I rarely use it at campground because they have burried wires and pipes all over the place. It is very easy to spot ground points once you know what to look for: metal pipes, electic pole grounds, chain link fence, pole guy/anchor wires, lighning rod grounds (often on old trees) just to name a few. I keep some #6 wire in my kit and I just clamp the ittle pig tail on the back of the rig to that. I don't always have the best ground at portable ops but I'm a believer in something is better then nothing at all. 73 Denis
@@VE3BF Denis, thank you for the reply and what you said makes good sense. I’m new to the hobby and only have the IC-7300 base rig and a Yaesu FT3DR HT, but I am planning on picking up FT-891 for portable use. I found your videos today and I have been watching several of them. Great job. AE0IT. 73
Can anyone tell me. . . if the counterpoise is 30 foot for the 124foot 6 ins antenna, what length would it be to function with a 53 ft antenna? Kind Regards . . Andy gw0jxm
AndyDaviesByTheSea the counter poise is not crucial to the SWR but it does make the antenna radiate more efficiently. If space is a problem you can try 3 ten foot radials or you can simply ground the antenna to an 8 foot grounding rod. You just have to experiment a bit to see what works best for you. 73. VE3BF
@@VE3BF Thanks Denis. I've recently moved to a new location and I'm feeling my feet a bit to see what will work best for me. I've always used beams or inverted 'V's before but I like the idea of keeping it simple here. I've just ordered some cable, the stores only a 10 minute drive away but the guide lines are for folk to stay at home during the lockdown so I guess I'll just have to wait. I'm on the west coast of Wales overlooking Aberystwyth. The house and land is all on solid rock. I'm about 60 metres (~200 ft) above sea level and 120 metres away from the coast looking west into the sunset. I've got higher ground to the east, again all rock. ruclips.net/video/izmH7GK56tw/видео.html This link will give you a good idea of my QTH. It's a video I made a couple of days ago. 73 . . . Andy gw0jxm
Can a wire antenna like this be dropped off a balcony of a condo on the 22nd floor using like a fishing pole or something? Like a vertical configuration? I'll be staying in Manila during the summer and fall. Trying to figure out antenna solutions. I'll be getting a temporary operator permit. Thanks.
I did that years ago but you need to slope it away from the building. I would go out and tie it off to a lamp post in the parking lot at night. Memories :)
I will do my best to do that in future videos. For now here is a link the a conversion site.www.metric-conversions.org/measurement-conversions.htm VE3BF
Q,? Why do you use a choke ?. Keep the back ground noise down for interference?.. would you not want more signal ,, serous I am making my loop antenna I have the loop , I have the receiver Icom PCR -100, COAX is Rg8 , I am not learned on the choke thing , the Balum , I have a few ideas on what I want . Looking into the loop balum 9to1 seems to be the favorite match ',,, and I have the mod on the radiator , make it more oval like a 🥚 I have to brake down and buy a antenna analyzer to check the Swr ...well 73’s . O. Thank you 🙏 trying to do this all with one hand . So time yeah ok .. I got time .. oh by the way this is for my listening 👂 post . I love shortwave and do a lot of Band sweeps 🧹.. woodpeckers ,number 🚉 stations ., over the horizon pecking crap , chips chirps ,bells and whistles,, lol 😂. ..
An RF choke is used to decouple the feedline from the antenna. A good choke keeps RF from flowing back on the feedline , keeps it on the antenna and radiating the way the antenna was designed to radiate. It can also serve to reduce/eliminate RF in the shack.
Good video, but why are you recommending g 30’ of coax? You’re going to lose about half a DB with that length of RG8 going into your antenna. Definitely people will say that you shouldn’t keep your feedline as short as possible to minimize that loss. Overall though, I couldn’t agree more with your random wire video, I have the LDG 9:1, and have used it for a year. My install at home is such that I can hang it high and run it into my radio through a 2nd story window pass-through with only 3 ft of coax; almost no loss.
My experience is that you want to keep your antenna away from the house structure, that’s why I prefer longer coax runs. As I get the antenna closer to the house, the ground-level noise increases significantly. I normally use 50 ft long LMR-400 or RG-213.
@@LuisPerez-xe6nu hmmm. Ok. Even so, with a random wire most of your loss or inefficiency is your signal burning up in the coax when your antenna isn’t resonant. 30’ isn’t super long, but there are online calculators that will open your eyes to efficiency, swr, and coax - even letting you dial your specific coax type. It’s amazing how little you lose even with SWR’s over 5:1 with short coax runs. A remote tuner in your case would be the ideal solution.
@@kd8opi thanks for the input. The short coaxial run could be a great benefit for outdoors operations (POTA, SOTA, etc..) where you have no major sources of noise. But like everything with HAM radio, everything is a compromise. I have been playing with EndFed antennas for a while now, and I have gotten to a point that I have been able to dial in random-wire antennas on SWR by adjusting different factors (mast height, feedpoint height, transformer design, coax length, counterpoise length, choke position, etc…)…with patience you could make any random antenna resonant for your needs). 73s
@@LuisPerez-xe6nu agreed, but then what you’re describing isn’t a non-resonant “random wire” antenna, right? But that’s cool too, I use both, an EFHW cut for 40-20-15-10, flat-top, up 50’, it’s great with a low swr so my 50’ coax run of 213 doesn’t take much away (I lose half a dB ), made up for by its directional gain of 2+ dB. Then my 33’ random wire vertical in a tree through a 9:1 unun into a whopping 3’ of coax. It’s swr is anywhere from 3:1-5:1, but with a tuner matching it I don’t lose much at all in the coax. Not measuring the loss in the tuner or the transformer, I get >90% efficiency on the random wire. The EFHW wins most of the time, but the random wire is good for 17m and “off beam” contacts sometimes. I’m qrp, 5 w max, so every little bit helps. If you’re essentially running an EFHW resonant on your operating frequency, the coax length of 30’ won’t give you much loss at all as you suggest. Happy hunting.
Thanks for posting.You were doing so well until 7.30 but then you lost me with no mentioning of connections to actual rigs and could do with some diagrams of your connections. Also the handheld tech... ?
No diagram need here simply run a 50 ohm coax, minimum 30 feet, from the antenna towards your rig connect the coax to your in line balun the connect the other end of the balun to your rig. That’s it. Not sure what you mean by handheld tech. 73
It's not a "long wire" antenna unless it's at least a wavelength long. Everyone these days erroneously uses "long wire" and "random wire" interchangeably for some reason.
Don't get me wrong, this is a good video...BUT...It irks me no end, when people refer to a "random-wire" antenna as a "longwire." A longwire is an antenna which is at least one wavelength, at the operating frequency. It may, or may not, be resonant. A random-wire is any length, which is not specifically cut to be resonant at a particular frequency. It will, of course, BE resonant at certain frequencies.
Lengths in feet? C 'mon in radio we do things in Metres (like 97% of the developed world). You 'mericans need to get on board ;-) I see comments saying things like 124'5" for 1/4 wave on 160M band - why not just say 40M for 1/4 wave on 160M band - doesn't that sound simpler? Just pulling your leg but you've got to admit that it does make a bit of sense?
Кино
Thank you Dennis. This is exactly what I needed to get me going. The addition I would like to see more of, would be the about counterpoise. It's sort of a mystery to us new guys. I did find down in the comments to make it approximately 1/4 wave long of lowest frequency you are working with. Maybe you could add some text to your Recommended wire lengths and installation notes. Otherwise, it was perfect.
Excellent video, Denis. Great use of the tripod, superb editing, and oh, yeah, the content is timeless.
Nothing at all to dislike about the video mate ( so no worries there mate ), well produced, and a great demonstration of highly commendable radio etiquette, wish there were a lot more operator's like yourself, excellent job mate, 73's and hope to get you in the log de G5CWP
I concur.
Thank you more than you know for the random chart showed. Am 68 retired, starting at long
Wire, long ago I found rules of thumb for spherical antennae . I only interested to listening to radio.ps your nice open Doreen field is so
Calming hope I can see this I don't wee well and sometimes type worse.
Hi Denis. Thanks for the video. Great job, and lots of ideas to try. Enjoy the summer! 73s. AG7NY / Dave in Oregon.
Good job Denis, liked the video and the antenna.
Good Video. Good tip about the the Coax and the Counterpoise at the 5:05 mark. Thank you!
Greetings from California. Good day Dennis. That was a spectacular demonstration. Spotless, professional and admirable. I’m new to HAM and presently only a SWL. But as the time goes by... I’d get a handle too. Once again, Sir, It was a pleasure listening to your broadcast. Cheers 73s
Thanks for the kind words, I can't wait to get back into the park and start on the next video. 73 Denis
Not to be picky as Denis did a nice presentation, but proper protocall when you went to 14.250 would have been to ask "is the frequency in use" (QRL?) before hitting the auto-tune or calling CQ. I realize the band sounded quiet, but on 20 meters, you may only hear one side of the conversation. We've all been stepped on before by people jumping on frequency and calling CQ.
This is exactly the video that I wanted to see. I'm from the states but I go up to Algonquin every summer; usually to Booth lake which is only about 50 miles from where you are. I'm just getting into ham and haven't been able to take my test yet because of the bad thing, but I hope to get in and do it soon. I'm really excited about being able to bring a radio camping. I think maybe a Xiegu x5105. It's good to know that contacts are, in fact, possible from that area.
Is this for fm radio too?
@@Minecraftpe120Bt Ha ! No idea. I'm in the shallow end and already out of my depth.
Great video. I really enjoy antenna building videos
Thank you Bradley
Got my UNUN, planning to mount on a wall outside, about 10 - 12 ft high, then to a tree about 30' then the test to a second tree.
thank Dr OM Den VE3BF for demenstration..good luck AND 73's from morroco land.from CN8FZ..
Very Clear your video Denis! Carlos (LU1DNH, Argentina).
Professional instruction tutorial.... Table with antenna cable length and SWR characteristics.... Thx
I must admit, at last I found this vid with just the info that I had entered in my search engine! Thank-you very much and great video. '73 Brian 2E0BWQ (UK).
Hey Dennis, Good video. Encouraging to hear your results with this antenna. I live in an apartment and use this type of antenna also. Do appreciate the wire chart as I have always found myself guessing about the wire length. Usually result to running a length that is physically possible and not too visible being in an apartment. Lucky enough to be able to get the wire outside though and about 20 feet high. 73de WB0RSZ
Excellent video thank you VK5WRF Just about to build myself a similar antenna.
Hi Denis, So nice to see another video from you. I'm going to make one for my next RV trip. Also love your camping setup. Take care. John N6NRO
Thanks John, I'll testing the shorter lengths of wire for those smaller campsites. I'll be posting my findings. 73
Great video ! I have made basically the same antenna . Great information in your video . While probably not the best antenna it will get you out , and great for portable and emergency applications ! 73 de KN4ADM .
VE3BF thanks for sharing the video... really enjoyed learning from it. South Wales UK
I like that antenna set up looks like one I need to add to my portable station
this is great to watch learning lot from you Rob in Australia ken you make another
Thanks for the kind words, I have a few more videos coming shortly.
Great presentation 😁
Nice video. Appreciate you taking the time to make this.
Do you have the part numbers for the wire clip for strain relief and the saddle hook. And where did you purchase your 16ga Marine Wire?
73's Jim
N2OWM
Mark at LDG sent me the 9:1 unun kit.. just putting it together today.. .. calls for 65 feet of wire with ... kinda windy today.. hoping to get it up here in Montana.. .. Oh don’t forget the ragchew fraternity on 7.230... We are the “Wingnuts”.. come on out and play 24/7 365.... 73s.... de wi7ard...!
Thanks for the video Denis!
What would be really nice is to use an A/B switch and compare this antenna to say a EFHW with a 49:1 transformer or even a ZS6BKW. Nearly any antenna will work but how well it works compared to other antennas tells more of the story.
Yes, I'd like to do that too but I do not have the space at the campground. 73
I like the strain relief hardware; it is what I need on my antenna. I am not happy with just letting the terminal hold the wire, even though it is very thin and light. 73!
....very nice Video - thanks for this demonstration! 73 de Mike
Very good video Denis. Great scenery as a background video. You are giving me some additional ideas for /p operation. I'm going the solar + LiFePO4 route for power though with everything in a backpack. The details on how you set up the antenna are informative and now I just have to work out how to get the para-cord up high enough in the trees to pull up the antenna... A lacrosse stick & ball keeps coming to mind :) de VA3NIE Ottawa
Eganville! I love Renfrew Cty.
A counterpoise is simply a long, insulated wire that attaches to the ground connection on your antenna tuner. The best counterpoise is 1/4-wavelength at the lowest frequency you intend to use. That's a lot of wire at, say, 3.5 MHz, but you can loop the wire around the room and hide it from view.
I have been told you should never position the counterpoise wire directly beneath the antenna wire, in your experience, is this really bad or just a minor detail?
Great vlog den and interesting results with the wire antennas 73
Great video
Great video thank u ZS6RRB from South Africa
Great presentation technique and content. Couple years back, I have made essentially same antenna for portable using same chart. I guess a longer counterpoise, say 40m would perhaps give better resonance on top band. Cheers Denis de Nick M1DDD
you prolly dont care at all but does anyone know a way to log back into an Instagram account??
I stupidly forgot the account password. I would appreciate any help you can give me.
@Korbyn Dean Instablaster ;)
@Ulises Josiah I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and im in the hacking process now.
Takes quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.
@Ulises Josiah it did the trick and I finally got access to my account again. I'm so happy!
Thanks so much you really help me out!
@Korbyn Dean you are welcome =)
You need a counterpoise, ground radials, or some other ground, if the antenna is operating as a Marconi, ie, resonant at an odd multiple of quarter wavelengths. The base Z is about 37 ohms. If the radials slope downward ~45 degrees (a "groundplane"), it's ~50 ohms. If the antenna is a multiple of half-waves, it's Z is high (typically, 2-2.5K), and it can be operated without a ground.
Have you laid the wire across a roof? Tried 1ft risers to lift the wire off the roof? Any helpful suggestions given roof the only available place?
From what I've read, when you make a wide=band common-mode choke, with ferrite beads, you should use two (or more?) kinds of ferrite, since no one type is good for all frequencies.
Nice video. I have the same transceiver and I was wonder what switching power supply you have connected to it. I use mine mainly at home with an Astron VS-35M linear power supply which I like very much but for portable use it is quite heavy. Again thanks for sharing.
The power supply is an Astron SS 30M. It's 25 amp continuous, 30 amp peak. it's about 4 lbs and very quiet. BTW, I also have the VS-35 here in my shack. 73
@@VE3BF Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.
Dennis, How will a Random wire perform wound up vertically on a fiberglass mast?
I'm a tech and this makes me really want to get my general and extra.
My comment is "Get that General or Extra!". With this antenna you will be able to have a lot of fun while saving your money for a more efficient or larger antenna.
Keep in mind that Techs have HF privileges on 80, 40, 15, and 10 meters. If you really want to get on HF, you definitely already can.
Go for it! Start with the practice tests at qrz.com.
Great video! Thanks so much!
Great job done! Vy 73's & stay safe
450:50 Unun? I am planning on using at 124' and 5" to get the 160m band.
Hi Good vid Denis Nice format Nice voice etc too. Keep them comeing VE3SAK
Hello, thanks for the video! I was wondering, what are the other components on your table other than your 991A? A speaker, and what is the other thing? Thanks, Ben de W1BPM
That is my power supply.
Would a 9:1 current balun (transmission line dual toroid balun) work instead of the 9:1 un-un and feed-line choke? I ask as I am in possession of a 9:1 current balun and am interested of giving it a go.
Well yes and no a 9:1 balun will match the impeadence but you will need to balance the antenna with radials. 73 de VE3BF
Excellent! Congratulations! 73
Thanks for the great video. Why did you go for 124.5 length when 53 can provide good SWR??
the longer the radiating wire the better, yes the SWR is okay at 53 feet but you only have 53 feet of antenna, the 124.5 will pick up weaker station and will transmit you signal better. When it comes to antennas Bigger Is Better. That said we can only go as big as our space will permit.
73 Denis
Thanks for the video !
Very good video and thanks for all the details on the unit & wire length.
73
wd4dda
Hi Dennis. Great video. Where do you get the wire for you antenna from? I'd like to build one to take my 891 portable. -73
I got got it from an electrical supply store. It's 16 ga stranded marine grade. 73 Denis
Really enjoyed your video. esp using the real world contacts ON THE AIR. Very nice work on the audio as well. Now I want to you modify the counter pose .. Add a 66-68 ft section, then your 33 ft section, and I think you will see better results on 75/80M. k6vhp Shally inspired my random wire and I made my for 1k QSO's from my old shack using the big redwood tree!
73 om, hope to work u soon
j
I have a lot of learning to do.
Got mine set up as high as 25 ft or more on each side. SWR was very high on 160, 80, and 40 meters. To use those bands, need external tuner. Internal tuner got SWR of 2 on those bands at 5 watts. If higher power is used, then SWR goes over 3.
I had ti cut to 121' from 124.5', in order to lower those bands as far as SWR. Using a 30' counterpoise. No ground bar on those. Brand new Samsung stove digital display goes cray and oven light turns on by itself. If anyone has any ideas, appreciated.
Would like original 124' 6" back, but 160, 80 and 40 not good unless an external tuner is used. 73.
There are a lot of factors that will affect the SWR, soil composition and proximity to any near by metal objects near by electrical or telephone wires, underground utilities aluminium siding just to name a few. I use this antenna for portable ops and I have had pretty good success on 80 to 6 meters using the internal tuner only once I was able to get 160 under 3 to 1 SWR, most times it hovers around at 4 or 5 to 1 SWR . A few things to look for a single 30 foot or three 10 foot counterpoise is recommend, to me a good ground is a must. Also make sure that you have at least 30 feet of coax that is not under (parallel to) the antenna, next add a RF choke or an ugly balun to the coax at the 30 foot or longer point before you enter the house or shack and make sure that your rig is also grounded to get rid of any rf that may still be in the coax. The newer appliances are really poorly built when it come to RFI so it's best to keep the antenna feed point as far away from appliances as possible. I hope these suggestions help you out. 73 de VE3BF
When you say the radiator length is 124.5 feet, how do you account for the folded back portions of the wire at the strain releases? Thanks for the video, 73 George N2YTA
I’ve experimented with the fold back on a few antennas now and I’ve come to the conclusion that 6 to 8 inches tightly rolled make no difference to the SWR so go with 124.5 from the terminal to the insulator. The biggest SWR variable is antenna height and surroundings, try to get the the antenna to 20 feet high. 73
Yes. The folded back portion of an HF wire antenna has almost no impact. A careful measure with an analyzer will possibly find a tiny bit more capacitance.
73's VE3BF. I don't have my ticket yet but what ticket do I need for 10-160m bands? Thanks for the info Dennis great antenna and I love the radio! I want one!
Hi Dave, If you are in Canada you’ll need a Basic with honours or an advanced to get on the HF bands. Every country has its own regulations.
Thanks for watching, 73 VE3BF
what is the choke for? you said it is needed but not why.
A longwire endfed antenne, is actually a dipole with one leg. The other leg is the counterpoise. If one doesn't use a proper counterpoise, the radio waves may look for it in the coax cable running to your 1:9 UnUn. That can create interference or even high voltage in one's schack. Using a choke is then often used.
The weird thing, however, is that not every radio amateur has issues with that. Some do not need a choke.
73, the PD0PSX the Netherlands.
Did you experiment with antenna lengths? I guess there must be a “sweet spot” for best minimum swr on most bands. I have been experimenting with EFHW antennas, I get 1.4:1 on 40 and 1.1:1 on 20, but I’m limited on other bands. I will have to try the 9:1 balun. Thanks. 73 VK4QP
I have tried the shorter lengths but the height and surrounding areas are what dictates the SWR as long as you stick to the non resonate lengths listed in the chart.
I'm planning a follow up video as soon as the temperature warms up. 73 de VE3BF
Awesome, now subscribed 🤘🇦🇺
Thanks
What kind of wire are you using for a antenna
Sorry for this dumb question, but is the length of wire that you measure include the length of the strain relief or is that extra?
Denis, I’m not sure you’re still answering questions on a year and a half old video, but I was just curious about your grounding method on your radio. It looks like you had a short copper braid connecting to a black shielded cable. What are you using for a ground rod? I’m guessing a small diameter 3’-4’ copper rod. Thanks in advance if your reply.
Hi Michael, I have a 4 foot copper ground rod in my go kit but I rarely use it at campground because they have burried wires and pipes all over the place. It is very easy to spot ground points once you know what to look for: metal pipes, electic pole grounds, chain link fence, pole guy/anchor wires, lighning rod grounds (often on old trees) just to name a few. I keep some #6 wire in my kit and I just clamp the ittle pig tail on the back of the rig to that. I don't always have the best ground at portable ops but I'm a believer in something is better then nothing at all.
73 Denis
@@VE3BF Denis, thank you for the reply and what you said makes good sense. I’m new to the hobby and only have the IC-7300 base rig and a Yaesu FT3DR HT, but I am planning on picking up FT-891 for portable use. I found your videos today and I have been watching several of them. Great job. AE0IT. 73
Can anyone tell me. . . if the counterpoise is 30 foot for the 124foot 6 ins antenna, what length would it be to function with a 53 ft antenna? Kind Regards . . Andy gw0jxm
AndyDaviesByTheSea the counter poise is not crucial to the SWR but it does make the antenna radiate more efficiently. If space is a problem you can try 3 ten foot radials or you can simply ground the antenna to an 8 foot grounding rod. You just have to experiment a bit to see what works best for you. 73. VE3BF
@@VE3BF Thanks Denis. I've recently moved to a new location and I'm feeling my feet a bit to see what will work best for me. I've always used beams or inverted 'V's before but I like the idea of keeping it simple here. I've just ordered some cable, the stores only a 10 minute drive away but the guide lines are for folk to stay at home during the lockdown so I guess I'll just have to wait. I'm on the west coast of Wales overlooking Aberystwyth. The house and land is all on solid rock. I'm about 60 metres (~200 ft) above sea level and 120 metres away from the coast looking west into the sunset. I've got higher ground to the east, again all rock.
ruclips.net/video/izmH7GK56tw/видео.html This link will give you a good idea of my QTH.
It's a video I made a couple of days ago.
73 . . . Andy gw0jxm
Can a wire antenna like this be dropped off a balcony of a condo on the 22nd floor using like a fishing pole or something? Like a vertical configuration? I'll be staying in Manila during the summer and fall. Trying to figure out antenna solutions. I'll be getting a temporary operator permit. Thanks.
I did that years ago but you need to slope it away from the building. I would go out and tie it off to a lamp post in the parking lot at night. Memories :)
Thank you for your video, good luck , Thambiah, G7UNF
You say you need a choke and a Balun, Can someone explain why. what is their purpose?
Good stuff sir...73.
Any chance of getting metric values in annotations added to these?
1 ft. = 30.48 cm. go nuts....
I will do my best to do that in future videos. For now here is a link the a conversion site.www.metric-conversions.org/measurement-conversions.htm VE3BF
Thanks buddy.73 , AA6ZE
Twirly coil 😂 lol 😂 😂 😂 😂
Very technical
0:26 Squirrel in the background
very cool
Im just debating if i should put my endfed back up or replace it with doublet ... you’ve muddied the waters Denis 😂😂 nick, G8SYE
Use both!
Michael Thompson I’ve got a Hf vertical as well so this is just for 60/80/160 and broadcast band listening
Хорошо
Nice contacts
Q,? Why do you use a choke ?. Keep the back ground noise down for interference?.. would you not want more signal ,, serous I am making my loop antenna I have the loop , I have the receiver Icom PCR -100, COAX is Rg8 , I am not learned on the choke thing , the Balum , I have a few ideas on what I want . Looking into the loop balum 9to1 seems to be the favorite match ',,, and I have the mod on the radiator , make it more oval like a 🥚
I have to brake down and buy a antenna analyzer to check the Swr ...well 73’s . O. Thank you 🙏 trying to do this all with one hand . So time yeah ok .. I got time .. oh by the way this is for my listening 👂 post . I love shortwave and do a lot of Band sweeps 🧹.. woodpeckers ,number 🚉 stations ., over the horizon pecking crap , chips chirps ,bells and whistles,, lol 😂. ..
An RF choke is used to decouple the feedline from the antenna. A good choke keeps RF from flowing back on the feedline , keeps it on the antenna and radiating the way the antenna was designed to radiate. It can also serve to reduce/eliminate RF in the shack.
Good video, but why are you recommending g 30’ of coax? You’re going to lose about half a DB with that length of RG8 going into your antenna. Definitely people will say that you shouldn’t keep your feedline as short as possible to minimize that loss. Overall though, I couldn’t agree more with your random wire video, I have the LDG 9:1, and have used it for a year. My install at home is such that I can hang it high and run it into my radio through a 2nd story window pass-through with only 3 ft of coax; almost no loss.
My experience is that you want to keep your antenna away from the house structure, that’s why I prefer longer coax runs. As I get the antenna closer to the house, the ground-level noise increases significantly. I normally use 50 ft long LMR-400 or RG-213.
@@LuisPerez-xe6nu hmmm. Ok. Even so, with a random wire most of your loss or inefficiency is your signal burning up in the coax when your antenna isn’t resonant. 30’ isn’t super long, but there are online calculators that will open your eyes to efficiency, swr, and coax - even letting you dial your specific coax type. It’s amazing how little you lose even with SWR’s over 5:1 with short coax runs. A remote tuner in your case would be the ideal solution.
@@kd8opi thanks for the input. The short coaxial run could be a great benefit for outdoors operations (POTA, SOTA, etc..) where you have no major sources of noise. But like everything with HAM radio, everything is a compromise. I have been playing with EndFed antennas for a while now, and I have gotten to a point that I have been able to dial in random-wire antennas on SWR by adjusting different factors (mast height, feedpoint height, transformer design, coax length, counterpoise length, choke position, etc…)…with patience you could make any random antenna resonant for your needs). 73s
@@LuisPerez-xe6nu agreed, but then what you’re describing isn’t a non-resonant “random wire” antenna, right? But that’s cool too, I use both, an EFHW cut for 40-20-15-10, flat-top, up 50’, it’s great with a low swr so my 50’ coax run of 213 doesn’t take much away (I lose half a dB ), made up for by its directional gain of 2+ dB. Then my 33’ random wire vertical in a tree through a 9:1 unun into a whopping 3’ of coax. It’s swr is anywhere from 3:1-5:1, but with a tuner matching it I don’t lose much at all in the coax. Not measuring the loss in the tuner or the transformer, I get >90% efficiency on the random wire. The EFHW wins most of the time, but the random wire is good for 17m and “off beam” contacts sometimes. I’m qrp, 5 w max, so every little bit helps. If you’re essentially running an EFHW resonant on your operating frequency, the coax length of 30’ won’t give you much loss at all as you suggest. Happy hunting.
I enjoy your videos. I noticed your speaker. What are you using? Hopefully we can make a contact someday.
Kevin
KA0KAE
Hi the speaker is an old speaker from a cheap tv surround sound system I got 4 of them for $5 at a thrift store. 73
Here's another bean in the pot for you
OH3BPY reporting good receive
I have the HF bug so bad!
DYI? a Canadian expression?
Thanks for posting.You were doing so well until 7.30 but then you lost me with no mentioning of connections to actual rigs and could do with some diagrams of your connections. Also the handheld tech... ?
No diagram need here simply run a 50 ohm coax, minimum 30 feet, from the antenna towards your rig connect the coax to your in line balun the connect the other end of the balun to your rig. That’s it. Not sure what you mean by handheld tech. 73
only 30.00 USD for the 9:1 UNUN cheaper than doing it myself. No parts list. VA2SOB - 73
Got a link to the UNUN you're talking about?
@@Michael-nd7gh here it is:
www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-016870
good vid Dennis, 73 ve1qet
retired H.M.C.S Regina here FFH 334 73s DE VE3TYA
Go Navy Hi Hi
👍👍👍55! 73!
Squirrel!
A nice video. 73 de 4Z5UY
0:27 OH HELLO
0:26 SQUIRREL!
RUN! RUN! RUN QUITE FAST! QUITE FAST!
Chipmunk?
Looked like a chipmonk
It's not a "long wire" antenna unless it's at least a wavelength long. Everyone these days erroneously uses "long wire" and "random wire" interchangeably for some reason.
Long wire is defined as at least 1.5 wave, but you are absolutely correct.
PL-259? Not. It’s a SO-239.
UHF-Male (or UHF Plug) is THE SAME as PL-259. UHF-Female (or UHF-Jack) is THE SAME as SO-239.
Did I miss something? Shouldn't that be DIY?
DYI = Do Yourself It ??
Dave Moore correct
UNUN enclosure on Thingiverse: www.thingiverse.com/thing:1629412
Don't get me wrong, this is a good video...BUT...It irks me no end, when people refer to a "random-wire" antenna as a "longwire." A longwire is an antenna which is at least one wavelength, at the operating frequency. It may, or may not, be resonant. A random-wire is any length, which is not specifically cut to be resonant at a particular frequency. It will, of course, BE resonant at certain frequencies.
Lengths in feet? C 'mon in radio we do things in Metres (like 97% of the developed world). You 'mericans need to get on board ;-) I see comments saying things like 124'5" for 1/4 wave on 160M band - why not just say 40M for 1/4 wave on 160M band - doesn't that sound simpler? Just pulling your leg but you've got to admit that it does make a bit of sense?
Google and convert it like the four other people who gave a crap.
Do the math to convert it to metric.
Wow