Thanks Bob, Nothing worse than wasting time when you just need to see what gets done. I did the build and then did the FF and voiceover afterwards. You will see the same thing in my upcoming QDX build. I am hoping it will keep folks interest. Final Cut makes doing fast/slow motion really easy so I figured I would take advantage of it.
Thanks for your video. I built this kit just a couple of weekends ago. I have had a hard time getting a usable SWR without a tuner on 20 meters and on 17 meters. The antenna itself seems very finicky - if my coax touches the ground I have a > 3 SWR and if off the ground I can get SWR to less than 2. This is my first antenna build and I am new to trimming antennas, new to QRP. I'm planning on taking it on a SOTA this weekend and am hoping I can get good performance with a tuner.
I know from experience that the 49/1 works better! I built one using the 49/1 configuration and 66 ft of wire and it ended up with 40,20,15,and10 meters. I did the same with a 20 meter version and 33ft of wire works great on 20 and 10. So don't be afraid to experement and have fun. I really love the EFHW antennas and I have built some QRO versions with good success. 73 from ki0ad/Jim
@@ferrnyyyy just add more wire so you have 66ft and go from there, you might have 20 meter version and can wind a coil to add 40 meters. on the end of my 40 meter I added 6ft of wire and a 110 mh coil so in 72 ft I have 10-80.
Just a note to say that 1.5:1 for the band is perfectly acceptable. You could've folded the original length of wire back and "walked" the VSWR measurements into the 20m band. (Fold, measure, fold, measure, etc.) When you found a 1.0:1 point, cut the wire and solder. Be interested to see what the impedance would have been then.
Thank You for the information. I am looking for a portable 100 watt EFHW antenna. I just need the winder part. I have 6, 240-43 and some 4, 3-KV caps, and some 14 gage wire. I can make some transformers but I need something to put them on and to wind up the wire.
Hi Don, I know a lot of folks use kite string winders like this one from Amazon amzn.to/3Rmr8ry If you have access to a 3D printer you can print one of the many options on Thingiverse. I hope that helps. Bob WV7W
Great qrp antenna! With this antenna, 5 watts and cw I've got qsos with 68 different countries! I don't understand why people buy 400 dolars antenna when this cheap kit is available =)
Thanks for that Ben, you caught me, I didn't. the single leads go in the small holes Near the very center hole and the lead twisted together go in the top left hole if you look at 7:38 on the video. I shold have slowed down and shown that better.
@@houseofhamradio I managed to figure it out. If you wound the toroid like how the instructions prescribe, they all do fall in line correctly when you insert the primary into the bigger hole, which is clear.
Really like how you did this in fast motion with a voiceover...very nice!
Thanks Bob, Nothing worse than wasting time when you just need to see what gets done. I did the build and then did the FF and voiceover afterwards. You will see the same thing in my upcoming QDX build. I am hoping it will keep folks interest. Final Cut makes doing fast/slow motion really easy so I figured I would take advantage of it.
Thanks for your video. I built this kit just a couple of weekends ago. I have had a hard time getting a usable SWR without a tuner on 20 meters and on 17 meters. The antenna itself seems very finicky - if my coax touches the ground I have a > 3 SWR and if off the ground I can get SWR to less than 2. This is my first antenna build and I am new to trimming antennas, new to QRP. I'm planning on taking it on a SOTA this weekend and am hoping I can get good performance with a tuner.
So it isn't just me then. Thanks for the additional data point.
For this antenna the coax acts as a counterpoise, End Fed with 49:1 baluns run this way. So can see the coax drifting around affecting SWR.
I know from experience that the 49/1 works better! I built one using the 49/1 configuration and 66 ft of wire and it ended up with 40,20,15,and10 meters. I did the same with a 20 meter version and 33ft of wire works great on 20 and 10. So don't be afraid to experement and have fun. I really love the EFHW antennas and I have built some QRO versions with good success. 73 from ki0ad/Jim
Thanks James, You have imspired me to convert mine to 49:1. I agree 49:1 works better than the 64:1 that is used on this antenna.
Hello! I wonder, how do you change to 49/1 to have 40 to 10 meters despite the wire length? thanks!!!
@@ferrnyyyy just add more wire so you have 66ft and go from there, you might have 20 meter version and can wind a coil to add 40 meters. on the end of my 40 meter I added 6ft of wire and a 110 mh coil so in 72 ft I have 10-80.
@@jamesgeorge1709 great! Only with wire lengths, you didn’t modified the torpid, didn’t you?
Nice video again friend! Always a piece of information in each video that *someone* can glean a nugget of knowledge from. Keep 'em coming.
Thanks Stephen 73s
Just a note to say that 1.5:1 for the band is perfectly acceptable. You could've folded the original length of wire back and "walked" the VSWR measurements into the 20m band. (Fold, measure, fold, measure, etc.) When you found a 1.0:1 point, cut the wire and solder.
Be interested to see what the impedance would have been then.
1.5:1 is certainly acceptable but my 49:1 unun's give me a better SWR.
Where did you get that nice work tray from ?
Thx N1PRH
I got it from Amazon. if you do a search for "solder mat" you will see lots of options. They are fairly cheap too.
Bob
Thank You for the information. I am looking for a portable 100 watt EFHW antenna. I just need the winder part. I have 6, 240-43 and some 4, 3-KV caps, and some 14 gage wire. I can make some transformers but I need something to put them on and to wind up the wire.
Hi Don, I know a lot of folks use kite string winders like this one from Amazon amzn.to/3Rmr8ry
If you have access to a 3D printer you can print one of the many options on Thingiverse.
I hope that helps.
Bob
WV7W
Hello friend, I'm wondering which toroid is that? FT82-53 ?
according to instructions it is an 82-43
Great qrp antenna! With this antenna, 5 watts and cw I've got qsos with 68 different countries! I don't understand why people buy 400 dolars antenna when this cheap kit is available =)
Thanks Luiz
Why are the pictures and descriptions different in number of windings😡
not sure. I went with what was in the description not the pics
@@houseofhamradio I noticed that also. I adjusted my windings to match the picture.10 windings on the left instead of 9.
"it's important to have the toroid leads go into the right spots." Proceeds to not explain what the right spots are...
Thanks..
Thanks for that Ben, you caught me, I didn't. the single leads go in the small holes Near the very center hole and the lead twisted together go in the top left hole if you look at 7:38 on the video. I shold have slowed down and shown that better.
@@houseofhamradio I managed to figure it out. If you wound the toroid like how the instructions prescribe, they all do fall in line correctly when you insert the primary into the bigger hole, which is clear.
I managed to wind the coil as a mirror image of what was intended; I just soldered it on the other side of the board; NP...