Hello Kevin, I am a Wire Man who loves using EFHW Antennas. My favourite is the 49:1 Fransformer Balun. I run several different Wire Lenghts from 39,2ftShorty up. to 130ft. Long Wire.. I am a simple Guy who wants to keep it simple with best Performance possible. I
I used a Chameleon Lite Tactical Dipole and a MFJ 1982MP EFHW for the QTH. For portable LEFS 40-10m, Tactical Delta Loop and a ECOMM III Portable EFHW. All Chameleon is what I use most of the time. W4ISB Mike in Tennessee
At home QTH I use an all HF band 71' non resonant end-fed sloper, 15' at high end, 6' at low end, 9:1 unun at high end, 50' RG8x, common mode choke 3' from amp, no counterpoise. SWR is 1.2 or less without tuner on 20, 17, 15, 12, 10. Using my amp's tuner on 160, 80, 60, 40, 30, the SWR is 1.5 to 1 or less. From California using 100 watts SSB & QRP on 40, 20, 17 I've worked Europe, Africa, South America, Asia, Australia. I get solid signal reports on daily 80 & 40 SSB nets. I'm very surprised and happy with the performance of this compromise stealth antenna.
Im just excited about your idea to mark my coax... 😂 Thank you for taking the time to share this product and its different configurations... I really enjoy your content. 73
What a great video! I have been enjoying your videos more and more. I think it's the way you present and the calming voice, but I understand and retain more from your videos. Thank you for all you do for our hobby and the community.
There was Russian women who laid the long wire on the ground with great contacts. Yours got better the closer you got to the ground. You should test it on the ground just to see the results you get with this antenna. It was amazing the contacts she made.
Anything Chameleon is great. My 60’ Emcomm II from 5’ on fence to 30’ up in a tree works wonders for me across all bands (6-160m). Simplest and least expensive quality option in my opinion.
This looks pretty good. I've been off the air for over 10 years now, and I think this might just be the solution I need. I live in a neighborhood with CCRs, and I think with something like this I could fly under the radar pretty much, I'd just suspend it from trees in the back yard, I doubt anyone would even notice. Thanks for the review, 73s.
With the previous version, 10/40, from my QTH in Georgia, I've reached Idaho using 20 watts and the antenna at only 20' about the ground. I can't wait to get this version. Thanks for this video
Walter your welcome. Yes this antenna has a really good match at low heights as you have seen. Just makes it so convenient for a portable antenna. Thanks for watching.
Excellent production, kept it moving while being very thorough, made for an enjoyable, worthwhile, and data rich presentation. Learned a lot about that antenna, performance, and deployment. Great job! Also a nice demonstration of that AA-230. Thank You
Your welcome Chris, thanks for complements, that helps me to know when I am in the right track. I am glad that you got some useful information from this video.
Nice work. The FT-857 tends to sound far noisier than band conditions actually are, as you've noticed. It helps to use their DNR or even just a speaker or headset that attenuates high end a bit. The internal speaker just isn't large enough to provide good low end audio. But it works. It just ends up being fatiguing to listen to for many hours. The choke generally works out better at the rig end.
The hard part is trying to record audio for a video from that speaker. You are right it is noisey but serves it purpose when I need it. Thanks for the nice words. 73
Nice demonstration. I recommend this video to my new ham friends and then show them how to make one. Chameleon makes it all if you don’t want to build your own and for some of us that is good. Anything that gets you on the bands is good. The 49:1 transformer is the key and how one makes it is important. Understanding how and why it works is even more important. Thanks for the video. Dave K8WPE since 1960.
Great video! You explain everything with detail but in an easy to understand way. This is the first video I have watched that you have put out and I am looking forward to watching and learning from your other videos.
Your welcome and thank you for watching. with more people like you joining the channel we can grow this. sharing everywhere you can think of can also help us grow. All the best, Kevin
I have a 9 to 1 unun I bought off e-bay, 117 feet of wire, something, and at 19 feet in a sloper, I get less then 2 swr on all bands over 80 meters, I love it cost less then $20 , I also have a chameleon cha mpas 2.0 also run a tuner, I think you have a hell of a reflector with all that wet grass under your wire.
Thanks David, I sometimes wish I had that grass when camping in the mountains . Nice work building your affordable wire antenna. Those are really fun projects. 73
I really appreciate you for taking time to hook up this video about hooking up this type of antenna it was very very useful im Tyrone from Baltimore city, I'm mostly on the cb radio bands but I'm getting ready to get my novice license, hope to q,so with you really soon, until then stay safe you and the family,.Grave Digger, 660 state of Maryland,.10.6#10.7,.so long..........
Since up a 40 meter E F H W at 30 ft I am really impressed and worked japan QRP from Colorado Sppprings using a 817. I have built 4 more and set up for qrp thru full legal limit. 73
Smiling! Looks and sounds good, thanks for the good review. DAt home I use an 80/40 center feed dipole at about 55 feet center and 30 or so at the ends. For the most part 80 meter loop 30 ft feed point and 15 to 20 at the 3 corners, is my go-to. Don't do a lot of portable operation but have been thinking about it. Load up the Jeep Wrangler and go play.
Yes get that Jeep out and operating portable! When I load up my TJ and head out for some operating, It can be one of the most magical things by getting up in altitude and setting up. 73
Thanks for the review! I really like the build quality of Chameleon.....and I have this antenna. I started out using it for field day this summer thinking I would swap it our later.....it worked so good I just used it the whole weekend while camping.
I have seen a demonstration where a longwire laid across the ground can power a sequence of LEDs from RF coming from a local AM broadcast antenna and a gap attached to a metal fence post produced a spark.
I have a 80-6 meter line I want to get up, I live in an apartment complex so my installation is going to be more creative here but these were some good ideas for sure. I liked your antenna analyzer as well just wish they didn't cost so much.
Thank you for this. You really helped me decide to purchase this. I’ve been looking at this trying to make up my mind as to whether or not this was a fit for me. 73, KY4BCD
For the reason I have not in off time a G5RV at 15 ft from ground and 2x20m long with twin lead of around 10m long + air Balun 4/1 ... I'm quite happy with it.. of course all homemade 😊
The ground under the long wire antenna is important too....even if you have no grounding rod. Wet ground if you can. My swamp area under a 400 foot LW helps on all bands- KC1CCG
Quick suggestion for others using this antenna. I have one.....and when I raid it up I have the coax looped through the hanger so the weight of the 25' of coax is not straining on the antenna's feed point.
I use EFHW antennas quite a bit. One suggestion for you. an EFHW uses the coax shield as counterpoise. By placing the choke as close to the unun as you did you eliminate that possibility. I wonder what using something like 25 feet of RG8X then installing the choke then the feedline to your radio would yield.
Loved this style of video. New ham as of January 2020. Good video as always. I enjoyed your solar discussion with Ape and the Coffee and Ham Radio guys from Oct 1. All the best, 73 de KI5HXM
@@hamradiowithkevin I also love making antennas and I picked up an arbor line to throw in a tree based on one of your old videos. I retired as a electrical engineer where I focussed on radio communication from aircraft via line of sight and satcom. I retired due to medical issues and I picked up a ham license. I tested for all 3 in one sitting. I had not studied for extra but they talked me into trying. I missed by 4-5. Some of those questions on RLC circuits I had not covered since in class in college in the 70’s. Haha. So long story to say I love radio and solar. Main thing is I am still learning. Thanks for your videos. One day I would love to buy you a drink and chat in person. Or on the air. All the best, 73 de KI5HXM
Vy good presentation. English is not my native language, but you have a perfect voice and are easy to understand - even for me. The video quality is amazing, too. Keep on the good job. Vy 73, Jürgen Dh0pag
Great video and very thorough. I have the 10-40 version and use it all the time. I am sad to see that Chameleon still hasn't changed the end ring and rounded them off after they've gotten a lot of feedback on them. The squared off edges can tend to kink the loop over time, especially adding that extra length. Anyway, keep up the great vids. 73
I appreciate that, I see what you mean. I might even try to round mine off. I suspect it will be weaker . Perhaps I will find a larger but round one. Thanks for the support . 73
thanks seeing the antenna tests and set up has finally persuaded me to pull the trigger and get it love the vids layout and you explain it very well and so i have ordered mine will look forward to any more videos like this in the future thanks Phil 2E0FJQ in the UK
With my luck the FCC will land a plane in the park, tearing up my antenna and I will be angry because I didnt bring a golf club to drive balls at it like in Goodfellas. Hey good video. You know your stuff.
Anybody try this in a semi-permanent setup in their backyard? Just wondering how durable this would be left up in the air year-round. I guess I could be they guy to try it and report back! Very informative video, BTW.
I am glad you finally used higher power. It makes a big difference. QRP levels are fun but having 50 or more watts really makes a difference unless you are using FT8. With the bigger lighter batteries 50 watts is easy now. K8WPE
FYI, Batteries drain out on the ground! A board or piece of plywood is what my dad always used to keep them isolated. And thank you for your excellent video content.
11:02 curious where is "this location", Utah? Any nearby lakes/water? If so, you don't necessarily need to "run to the hills" for better signal. Water makes a GREAT reflector for signal bounce and also means the soil is likely more damp for better ground effect too. If only the SW had more of this "water" stuff?! 🤔 Something kinda interesting about EFHW's and dipoles is they can be somewhat directional for TX RX, having a hair more sensitivity and TX power lobes out at 90° to either side of the wire element. Another config that effects your signal take off angle is using a sloped ^ inverted V shape. Tie your suspension throw line about 15-'20' in from the end of your 40m (66') element wire and hoist from there, so that 15'-20' hangs straight down. Then with the radio out on the "free end" it lets you pivot around that vertical hanging end at least a good 90°-180° to "aim" your signal. Helps to have a small backpack ETC to hold the battery and free your hands up to operate the radio too. Looking at an azimuth map also helps get your bearings where to aim. To hit Europe from say CA, UT area you'd set up pointed 90° perpendicular towards say NY or the middle of Canada, as the crow flies not directly East.
Good video, well done. Just a thought though...the CMC choke needs to be at the radio end of the coax and not at the feed point. EFHW antennas use the COAX shield as part of the antenna. Having the choke at the feed point doesn't do anything...and CMC currents can get down into the radio.
Hey Kevin, terrific video! I have two end fed antennas, one 80-6 meters which didn't state it was a no tuner needed, but at home it had good SWR readings on all bands. I also have another 80-6 meters which states no tuner needed, which is still in the package for camping, I think is longer than the other one. I'll see how it performs once I get to go camping again. I currently have two QRP transceivers and am looking either for an amplifier or a higher output radio. Thanks for the videos de N7MRF.
Vaun, thank you. I can say that QRP is fun to me, however I really to enjoy running 50 to 100 watts from the camper to get some important activations completed. Your going to really enjoy those antennas. 73 Kevin
Kevin! You always do an excellent presentation, and your videos are well done. Chameleon needs to give you a discount code to offer to your subscribers ( ;-) lol ). Look forward to seein' you out there. 73 de Bill
Well, I would call that a comprehensive antenna review. You put a lot of work into that review, didn't you? I like that you don't do a lot of random gabbing, just the facts, and there were a lot of facts. Well done, sir. 73. Steve N7SR
Very good video! I noticed your rig was back lit. I am starting to go blind and have to use a flashlight with my FT 710. I think your radio would benefit me and my sight. Thanks WB9VVH
Nice review, very comprehensive. I have the Chameleon LEFS 40-10 model and it is one of my go-to antennas. I've been using it for over a year and it holds up well to the abuse out in the field.
I have this antenna and with the feed point at about 25’ I found on 75/80 it was resonant way down in the CW portion of the band 3.5 and over 3:1 near 4.0 MHz. The 4010 from them works great and is my go to antenna. As far as the choke, I found it works better at the radio end for keeping RFI out of my Hiel headset, especially on 20m.
@@hamradiowithkevin you’re quite welcome. There’s probably a lot of things that factor into how this antenna will tune. The coax acts as the counterpoise so I would imagine the the type, length, & connectors used would also factor in. I’m using 75’ of Mesi & Peloni ultraflex 7 with a 90 degree compression coax connector on the end that goes to the antenna wire winder so connecting the choke to the radio was a lot easier in the grand scheme of things. So it was happenstance that I figured out that it removed the RFI getting into my headset better at the radio side of the coax.
Great video, Very well done and very informative.. I'm looking to put up a good multiband antenna so this maybe something I'm interested in. Thanks for sharing.. Have subscribed as the way you do your videos is great. 73 ZL1MY
I have a BIRD Termiline I don't need a antenna tuner for either... We need to have some real life shootouts! Thank you very much for the video and the time that you put into it!
I got the 40-10m version. Tried it out on my IC-7300 at 100w with the tuner turned off, no tuner needed for 40, 20, 15 and 10m. 17 and 12m needs to be tuned. Chameleon makes great antennas. They are a bit pricey, but the work great for portable operations and at the home QTH. If you see them on sale at their website, that would be a great time to buy one. On a side note, I do not use the inline RF Choke made by Chameleon. I've heard of some people having an impedance mismatch with them. On my portable operations coax (RG58), I use a mix 43 torid about four to five feet from the feed point. I haven't noticed any RFI using the mix 43 torid or SWR issues. 73, W4ISB Mike in Tennessee.
Great video and good work Kevin, just bought this antenna few weeks ago and starting to enjoy their benefits! You inspired me to try different feed point altitude and see swr results, thanks!! Just dont understand how many guys worries about Chamaleon prices! we are in a free world and it seems to be many good alternatives al lower prices so why bother??
Hi. Not sure why you're trying for Europe when you say you're using a NVIS setup; that'd be for close-in 0-400 miles coverage typically; it's a radio hose squirting straight up and back down.Great for HF inside the skip zone. 40 60 75 mostly. 73
Ken, your right. If I was able to reach a UK station, that would indicate that the manual was not correct about this antenna being in its NVIS configuration. I will say that it certainly captured some good signals far off in the distance. When setting this antenna up as I did later in the video it confirmed that as a sloper the antenna works DX well. 73
That's exactly what I'm aiming for: Reaching Oceania from the Great Basin. There is room in the yard for a 130' long antenna. But the tallest tree is only 40' high. Stable branches are barely 30' high. Wish there were a way to get a horizontal antenna higher. Perhaps the antenna line needs to be lighter - light enough to float on top of the canopy. Is this a thing?
The fact that you have trees is a very good thing, 30 feet is fantastic, 40 is even better. Put the feed line (where the coax meets the antenna) in the most stable place since it will be the heaviest. the other end will go up like a piece of cake.
@@hamradiowithkevin This is very encouraging! Does this antenna come with an official counterpoise? Do you put a common-mode choke somewhere on the feedline?
Great interesting review, I’m EFHW fan and they are amazingly cheap to make and easy to deploy. I like many have experimented with optimum height off the ground for the matching unit. You are very thorough in your assessment and show them how most would deploy them in the real world. Band conditions currently are so bad it takes a lot of patience. Thanks for your effort and the time these things take to produce 👍🏻😃 73 Mike
Thank you Mike, I appreciate the support. I think that now, more than ever is the best time to try more antennas and different ways to setup portable. When conditions get better we will then have our own "go to" methods dialed in for getting that wire up in the air. 73 Kevin
Absolutely agree - whatever the setup the hobby for me is making the best I can with what I have. QRP presents unique opportunities and makes me think and that's where people like yourself come in. Keep it up, keep on challenging and keep on doing what you do. All the best from the UK 73 Mike
What you're calling an NVIS config, where both ends are at 25' isn't really NVIS, it's a dipole! When you started out, at 25' (and especially at 10') and then other end on the ground, that your kept calling a sloper, now that was NVIS config. I used to use an Army NVIS antenna, I forget the designation, but it had 2'5' segments that you put together to get the feed line up to about 10', and 2 wires as an X that all went to the ground. I replaced the wires to get them on 40 & 80 Meyer bands. I used them w/o a tuner also. I was using this in the Charleston SC area (all over SC really) and it worked fairly well, for what it was. It was definitely a to cloud warmer, we used it for EmCom during storm prep and after the storm passed. I like your KX2, and your antenna though, I haven't been hamming lately, makes me want to. (I pretty much always build them) 👍
That is nice. I like building transistor radios and crystal sets and I believe this would work great. At the moment I'm using an telephone line and I get a lot of echo.
When the electric fence charger was off-line on our farm I would connect my crystal receiver to the electric fence wire and local stations were so loud that I almost blew my ears out, LOL. There was an estimated mile of wire on that fence, LOL. 73, Dave, KU9L
if the people around you do not understand what your doing , taking the low road, other hams will reap the benefits, take that t shirt cannon out and TELL the folks what is happening, change their programing
![Build Your Own End-Fed Half-Wave Antenna [A Complete Guide to EFHW]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/SBrc1DpMk_w/mqdefault.jpg)
What multi band HF antenna do you use ?
Hello Kevin, I am a Wire Man who loves using EFHW Antennas. My favourite is the 49:1 Fransformer Balun. I run several different Wire Lenghts from 39,2ftShorty up. to 130ft. Long Wire.. I am a simple Guy who wants to keep it simple with best Performance possible. I
I use 49:1 unun , 135ft wire inverted L, up 30ft, works 80, 40, 30M no tuner, I use my beams for high bands...
@@Ei2iP 💯👍🙋♂
I used a Chameleon Lite Tactical Dipole and a MFJ 1982MP EFHW for the QTH. For portable LEFS 40-10m, Tactical Delta Loop and a ECOMM III Portable EFHW. All Chameleon is what I use most of the time.
W4ISB
Mike in Tennessee
At home QTH I use an all HF band 71' non resonant end-fed sloper, 15' at high end, 6' at low end, 9:1 unun at high end, 50' RG8x, common mode choke 3' from amp, no counterpoise. SWR is 1.2 or less without tuner on 20, 17, 15, 12, 10. Using my amp's tuner on 160, 80, 60, 40, 30, the SWR is 1.5 to 1 or less. From California using 100 watts SSB & QRP on 40, 20, 17 I've worked Europe, Africa, South America, Asia, Australia. I get solid signal reports on daily 80 & 40 SSB nets. I'm very surprised and happy with the performance of this compromise stealth antenna.
I subscribed for 1 reason your voice and presentation is so much easier to listen to than most hams on RUclips.. pleasant voice and good teacher ..
Many thanks !
Im just excited about your idea to mark my coax... 😂
Thank you for taking the time to share this product and its different configurations...
I really enjoy your content.
73
You are so welcome!
What a great video! I have been enjoying your videos more and more. I think it's the way you present and the calming voice, but I understand and retain more from your videos. Thank you for all you do for our hobby and the community.
Thank you so much!
There was Russian women who laid the long wire on the ground with great contacts. Yours got better the closer you got to the ground. You should test it on the ground just to see the results you get with this antenna. It was amazing the contacts she made.
That would be a fun test.
Oh yes!!! I’d love to see the results for that too!! ❤
Best for Rx in the city. Tx is better up high!
Raisa. Her call is R1BIG.
Anything Chameleon is great. My 60’ Emcomm II from 5’ on fence to 30’ up in a tree works wonders for me across all bands (6-160m). Simplest and least expensive quality option in my opinion.
This looks pretty good. I've been off the air for over 10 years now, and I think this might just be the solution I need. I live in a neighborhood with CCRs, and I think with something like this I could fly under the radar pretty much, I'd just suspend it from trees in the back yard, I doubt anyone would even notice. Thanks for the review, 73s.
With the previous version, 10/40, from my QTH in Georgia, I've reached Idaho using 20 watts and the antenna at only 20' about the ground. I can't wait to get this version. Thanks for this video
Walter your welcome. Yes this antenna has a really good match at low heights as you have seen. Just makes it so convenient for a portable antenna. Thanks for watching.
Excellent production, kept it moving while being very thorough, made for an enjoyable, worthwhile, and data rich presentation. Learned a lot about that antenna, performance, and deployment. Great job! Also a nice demonstration of that AA-230. Thank You
Your welcome Chris, thanks for complements, that helps me to know when I am in the right track. I am glad that you got some useful information from this video.
Kevin, fantastic video. Thanks for all the work you put in to review this antenna. It won’t be long and you’ll have 100K subs!
Thanks Bob, I appreciate that support and thanks for being there for us ! 73 Kevin
You have a very good "radio voice." Perfect for this.
Thank you
Nice work. The FT-857 tends to sound far noisier than band conditions actually are, as you've noticed. It helps to use their DNR or even just a speaker or headset that attenuates high end a bit. The internal speaker just isn't large enough to provide good low end audio. But it works. It just ends up being fatiguing to listen to for many hours. The choke generally works out better at the rig end.
The hard part is trying to record audio for a video from that speaker.
You are right it is noisey but serves it purpose when I need it. Thanks for the nice words. 73
I'm glad you caught the choke location, I was going to mention it!
Nice demonstration. I recommend this video to my new ham friends and then show them how to make one. Chameleon makes it all if you don’t want to build your own and for some of us that is good. Anything that gets you on the bands is good. The 49:1 transformer is the key and how one makes it is important. Understanding how and why it works is even more important. Thanks for the video. Dave K8WPE since 1960.
Thanks for being a mentor. 73
Nice demonstration it would be nice to try and make your own in the process you will benefit,
Great video! You explain everything with detail but in an easy to understand way. This is the first video I have watched that you have put out and I am looking forward to watching and learning from your other videos.
Thanks for the support John. More fun in the way.
When I was living up in Silver City, I used a Wrist Rocket launching a lead sinker attached to a 6 lb line to get my long wire up.
That works 👍
Excellent Video! Very well done. I can't believe you only have 2K subs. Thanks for sharing.
Your welcome and thank you for watching. with more people like you joining the channel we can grow this. sharing everywhere you can think of can also help us grow. All the best, Kevin
I have a 9 to 1 unun I bought off e-bay, 117 feet of wire, something, and at 19 feet in a sloper, I get less then 2 swr on all bands over 80 meters, I love it cost less then $20 , I also have a chameleon cha mpas 2.0 also run a tuner, I think you have a hell of a reflector with all that wet grass under your wire.
Thanks David, I sometimes wish I had that grass when camping in the mountains . Nice work building your affordable wire antenna. Those are really fun projects. 73
I really appreciate you for taking time to hook up this video about hooking up this type of antenna it was very very useful im Tyrone from Baltimore city, I'm mostly on the cb radio bands but I'm getting ready to get my novice license, hope to q,so with you really soon, until then stay safe you and the family,.Grave Digger, 660 state of Maryland,.10.6#10.7,.so long..........
Love hearing the OMISS nets.
Absolutely !
I just got a K9SAB end fed random wire. Working very well.
Since up a 40 meter E F H W at 30 ft I am really impressed and worked japan QRP from Colorado Sppprings using a 817. I have built 4 more and set up for qrp thru full legal limit. 73
Thanks for sharing James
Smiling!
Looks and sounds good, thanks for the good review.
DAt home I use an 80/40 center feed dipole at about 55 feet center and 30 or so at the ends. For the most part 80 meter loop 30 ft feed point and 15 to 20 at the 3 corners, is my go-to. Don't do a lot of portable operation but have been thinking about it. Load up the Jeep Wrangler and go play.
Yes get that Jeep out and operating portable! When I load up my TJ and head out for some operating, It can be one of the most magical things by getting up in altitude and setting up. 73
Thanks for the review! I really like the build quality of Chameleon.....and I have this antenna. I started out using it for field day this summer thinking I would swap it our later.....it worked so good I just used it the whole weekend while camping.
For weekend camping this thing is so easy to deploy. It is hard not to use it. Thanks for sharing and for watching👍
Thank you for the detailed assessment of this antenna .. well done.
Glad it was helpful!
I love these antenna videos, I may have to get a real rig to supplement my 40M Tinned Tuna transmitter, LOL. 73, Dave, KU9L
I have seen a demonstration where a longwire laid across the ground can power a sequence of LEDs from RF coming from a local AM broadcast antenna and a gap attached to a metal fence post produced a spark.
Great review, thanks for the practical application, 73
I have a 80-6 meter line I want to get up, I live in an apartment complex so my installation is going to be more creative here but these were some good ideas for sure. I liked your antenna analyzer as well just wish they didn't cost so much.
I use the Chameleon Hybrid mini with 73' or 130' wire. works great, doesn't need a tuner either!
Thanks for the video. Your efforts are appreciated! Liked and subscribed
Much appreciated!
Thank you for this. You really helped me decide to purchase this. I’ve been looking at this trying to make up my mind as to whether or not this was a fit for me.
73, KY4BCD
Excellent video. Appreciate the details especially for someone like me learning about different antenna configurations. Many thanks.
Glad it was helpful! Learning about antennas really will help bring more fun to your ham radio experience.
For the reason I have not in off time a G5RV at 15 ft from ground and 2x20m long with twin lead of around 10m long + air Balun 4/1 ... I'm quite happy with it.. of course all homemade 😊
I love this video! :)
Thanks most awesome Mr Kevin!
The ground under the long wire antenna is important too....even if you have no grounding rod. Wet ground if you can. My swamp area under a 400 foot LW helps on all bands- KC1CCG
Swamp area sounds interesting, yes so many things effect performance.
Thanks Glen. 73 Kevin
Quick suggestion for others using this antenna. I have one.....and when I raid it up I have the coax looped through the hanger so the weight of the 25' of coax is not straining on the antenna's feed point.
Best DX at beach with doublet held up with palms. Aloha.
Like your videos,… watching from Kentucky “ The Bluegrass State “ … 73’s
Thanks Kelly, 73 from Utah 👍
I use EFHW antennas quite a bit. One suggestion for you. an EFHW uses the coax shield as counterpoise. By placing the choke as close to the unun as you did you eliminate that possibility. I wonder what using something like 25 feet of RG8X then installing the choke then the feedline to your radio would yield.
Loved this style of video. New ham as of January 2020. Good video as always. I enjoyed your solar discussion with Ape and the Coffee and Ham Radio guys from Oct 1. All the best, 73 de KI5HXM
Thank you Brent, welcome to the hobby, yes Ape is a really fun guy. I am glad you enjoyed that conversation on solar.. 73
@@hamradiowithkevin I also love making antennas and I picked up an arbor line to throw in a tree based on one of your old videos. I retired as a electrical engineer where I focussed on radio communication from aircraft via line of sight and satcom. I retired due to medical issues and I picked up a ham license. I tested for all 3 in one sitting. I had not studied for extra but they talked me into trying. I missed by 4-5. Some of those questions on RLC circuits I had not covered since in class in college in the 70’s. Haha. So long story to say I love radio and solar. Main thing is I am still learning. Thanks for your videos. One day I would love to buy you a drink and chat in person. Or on the air. All the best, 73 de KI5HXM
Vy good presentation. English is not my native language, but you have a perfect voice and are easy to understand - even for me. The video quality is amazing, too. Keep on the good job. Vy 73, Jürgen Dh0pag
Thank you very much!
Great video and very thorough. I have the 10-40 version and use it all the time. I am sad to see that Chameleon still hasn't changed the end ring and rounded them off after they've gotten a lot of feedback on them. The squared off edges can tend to kink the loop over time, especially adding that extra length. Anyway, keep up the great vids. 73
I appreciate that, I see what you mean. I might even try to round mine off. I suspect it will be weaker . Perhaps I will find a larger but round one. Thanks for the support . 73
Thanks for getting on the job rather than having a life history you hear so much!
You bet!
Using a 33 ft coax at the feedpoint, then the choke (and additional, needed coax) might improve the setup.
Agreed, and that is the fun of this hobby, never a shortage of experiments and tests we can do.
Thanks Kevin I enjoy your videos, nice job.
Wow, what an excellent video. Very helpful. Thank you for all the hard work.
You are most welcome, thank you for the support.
That's a brilliant review. A fantastic Antenna. What was bugging me was who you sound like? Clint Eastwood. 😎👍
😁
The KX2has a great sounding RX Audio. And in Combination with this Antenna I would say it's performing excellent.
Thanks UG, Yeah that KX2 has many things going for it. Now if i could only get more power 😉. 73 Kevin
@@hamradiowithkevin 20W wouldn't be bad to have them
thanks seeing the antenna tests and set up has finally persuaded me to pull the trigger and get it love the vids layout and you explain it very well and so i have ordered mine will look forward to any more videos like this in the future
thanks Phil 2E0FJQ in the UK
Your Welcome Phil, happy to help. Yes More fun to come ! 73 Kevin
New Zealand viewer here. very cool
Thank you, welcome
With my luck the FCC will land a plane in the park, tearing up my antenna and I will be angry because I didnt bring a golf club to drive balls at it like in Goodfellas.
Hey good video. You know your stuff.
real world testing is far more valuable than calculated data - nice video
Thanks Matt, I appreciate that. 73
Pretty impressive. With the 80 meter wire added, you should have checked 17 and 30 meters.
Nice setup. Barry, KU3X
Thanks Barry
Nice video. One test is worth a thousand expert opinions. I appreciate you sharing what you learned from this experiment. N4DPH
Your welcome, and thanks for your feedback. 73
Thanks for the review, very informative. Shared with two others.
Thank you Randy, I appreciate that.
Anybody try this in a semi-permanent setup in their backyard? Just wondering how durable this would be left up in the air year-round. I guess I could be they guy to try it and report back! Very informative video, BTW.
Very nice review. Thank you. Good work as always.
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching. 73
New to ham and so much to learn
Thanks!
Welcome to Ham radio . 73
The other benefit of having a slightly low wire antenna is that it becomes more omni-directional .... especially if you do an inverted vee.
Inverted V is a very common setup for me, it only takes 1 mast. And that is often a good thing for my adventures
Use the 23m antenna wit a 9:1 UNUN by VK6YSF from Australia. Low swr over the entire 3 to 30 MHz segment!!!!!!!
I am glad you finally used higher power. It makes a big difference. QRP levels are fun but having 50 or more watts really makes a difference unless you are using FT8. With the bigger lighter batteries 50 watts is easy now. K8WPE
It really is good to have so many options that keeps the hobby fun. Thanks David 73
FYI, Batteries drain out on the ground!
A board or piece of plywood is what my dad always used to keep them isolated.
And thank you for your excellent video content.
Thanks Gary
Is this actually down to something studied and measurable or is it urban myth stuff?
11:02 curious where is "this location", Utah? Any nearby lakes/water? If so, you don't necessarily need to "run to the hills" for better signal. Water makes a GREAT reflector for signal bounce and also means the soil is likely more damp for better ground effect too. If only the SW had more of this "water" stuff?! 🤔
Something kinda interesting about EFHW's and dipoles is they can be somewhat directional for TX RX, having a hair more sensitivity and TX power lobes out at 90° to either side of the wire element. Another config that effects your signal take off angle is using a sloped ^ inverted V shape. Tie your suspension throw line about 15-'20' in from the end of your 40m (66') element wire and hoist from there, so that 15'-20' hangs straight down. Then with the radio out on the "free end" it lets you pivot around that vertical hanging end at least a good 90°-180° to "aim" your signal.
Helps to have a small backpack ETC to hold the battery and free your hands up to operate the radio too. Looking at an azimuth map also helps get your bearings where to aim. To hit Europe from say CA, UT area you'd set up pointed 90° perpendicular towards say NY or the middle of Canada, as the crow flies not directly East.
It would have been interesting to see some WSPR stats for that setup.
Agreed, maybe on some future activations 👍
This is very informative and well done. RUclips could take some notes from how you present.
Carey, I thank you for that. 🙏
Agreed !
Good video, well done. Just a thought though...the CMC choke needs to be at the radio end of the coax and not at the feed point. EFHW antennas use the COAX shield as part of the antenna. Having the choke at the feed point doesn't do anything...and CMC currents can get down into the radio.
Thanks Chip. Excellent point.
Thank you sir. This is great information.
Your welcome, thanks for watching
Hey Kevin, terrific video! I have two end fed antennas, one 80-6 meters which didn't state it was a no tuner needed, but at home it had good SWR readings on all bands. I also have another 80-6 meters which states no tuner needed, which is still in the package for camping, I think is longer than the other one. I'll see how it performs once I get to go camping again. I currently have two QRP transceivers and am looking either for an amplifier or a higher output radio. Thanks for the videos de N7MRF.
Vaun, thank you. I can say that QRP is fun to me, however I really to enjoy running 50 to 100 watts from the camper to get some important activations completed. Your going to really enjoy those antennas. 73 Kevin
Fantastic. Thanks for the review!
Kevin! You always do an excellent presentation, and your videos are well done. Chameleon needs to give you a discount code to offer to your subscribers ( ;-) lol ). Look forward to seein' you out there. 73 de Bill
Thanks man 73
Well, I would call that a comprehensive antenna review. You put a lot of work into that review, didn't you? I like that you don't do a lot of random gabbing, just the facts, and there were a lot of facts.
Well done, sir. 73. Steve N7SR
Very good video! I noticed your rig was back lit. I am starting to go blind and have to use a flashlight with my FT 710. I think your radio would benefit me and my sight. Thanks WB9VVH
Absolutely
What kind is it?
Nice review, very comprehensive. I have the Chameleon LEFS 40-10 model and it is one of my go-to antennas. I've been using it for over a year and it holds up well to the abuse out in the field.
Thank You Michael 👍 I got to work you on this antenna recently during a POTA/Camping Trip and that was fun.
@@hamradiowithkevin I remember that QSO. You sounded great, so the antenna was doing its thing.
I have ZERO TREES. I do verticals.
Wish I had supports.
Cool Antenna.
Plant a Cedar... They grow quite fast!
A bowline would be a better knot to make the loop in the tethering rope. Easier to untie after being under strain fr a long time.
Great video and information too !
Great video and review. Thanks. Subscribed. WG7D
thanks very much for a really good post.
I have this antenna and with the feed point at about 25’ I found on 75/80 it was resonant way down in the CW portion of the band 3.5 and over 3:1 near 4.0 MHz. The 4010 from them works great and is my go to antenna.
As far as the choke, I found it works better at the radio end for keeping RFI out of my Hiel headset, especially on 20m.
Thanks for sharing Mark, I will have to try the choke at the Radio.
@@hamradiowithkevin you’re quite welcome. There’s probably a lot of things that factor into how this antenna will tune. The coax acts as the counterpoise so I would imagine the the type, length, & connectors used would also factor in. I’m using 75’ of Mesi & Peloni ultraflex 7 with a 90 degree compression coax connector on the end that goes to the antenna wire winder so connecting the choke to the radio was a lot easier in the grand scheme of things. So it was happenstance that I figured out that it removed the RFI getting into my headset better at the radio side of the coax.
Subbed.
Your voice is awesome, Morgan Freeman: watch out!
Hey thanks James !
Great video, Very well done and very informative.. I'm looking to put up a good multiband antenna so this maybe something I'm interested in. Thanks for sharing.. Have subscribed as the way you do your videos is great. 73 ZL1MY
I have a BIRD Termiline I don't need a antenna tuner for either... We need to have some real life shootouts!
Thank you very much for the video and the time that you put into it!
Your welcome, it might be tough with the current band conditions being all over the place. It is always fun to try 😊
Thanks for the video.
Your welcome.
I got the 40-10m version. Tried it out on my IC-7300 at 100w with the tuner turned off, no tuner needed for 40, 20, 15 and 10m. 17 and 12m needs to be tuned.
Chameleon makes great antennas. They are a bit pricey, but the work great for portable operations and at the home QTH. If you see them on sale at their website, that would be a great time to buy one.
On a side note, I do not use the inline RF Choke made by Chameleon. I've heard of some people having an impedance mismatch with them. On my portable operations coax (RG58), I use a mix 43 torid about four to five feet from the feed point. I haven't noticed any RFI using the mix 43 torid or SWR issues.
73, W4ISB
Mike in Tennessee.
All valid points and well put, thank you Mike. 73 Kevin
Great video and good work Kevin, just bought this antenna few weeks ago and starting to enjoy their benefits! You inspired me to try different feed point altitude and see swr results, thanks!!
Just dont understand how many guys worries about Chamaleon prices! we are in a free world and it seems to be many good alternatives al lower prices so why bother??
Your welcome, I am glad I have helped you go experiment some more. 73
Very helpful
I am glad it was helpful.
Hi. Not sure why you're trying for Europe when you say you're using a NVIS setup; that'd be for close-in 0-400 miles coverage typically; it's a radio hose squirting straight up and back down.Great for HF inside the skip zone. 40 60 75 mostly. 73
Ken, your right. If I was able to reach a UK station, that would indicate that the manual was not correct about this antenna being in its NVIS configuration. I will say that it certainly captured some good signals far off in the distance. When setting this antenna up as I did later in the video it confirmed that as a sloper the antenna works DX well. 73
I have no clue, but it was fun to watch you be passionate 🍸
How COOL it is to see you here ! Yeah this is nerdy stuff for sure, and i can be nerdy. Thanks for the complement. 🤩
That's exactly what I'm aiming for: Reaching Oceania from the Great Basin. There is room in the yard for a 130' long antenna. But the tallest tree is only 40' high. Stable branches are barely 30' high. Wish there were a way to get a horizontal antenna higher. Perhaps the antenna line needs to be lighter - light enough to float on top of the canopy. Is this a thing?
The fact that you have trees is a very good thing, 30 feet is fantastic, 40 is even better.
Put the feed line (where the coax meets the antenna) in the most stable place since it will be the heaviest. the other end will go up like a piece of cake.
@@hamradiowithkevin This is very encouraging! Does this antenna come with an official counterpoise? Do you put a common-mode choke somewhere on the feedline?
@@d.jensen5153 ,not counterpoise needed. I have been using this antenna with 50 feet of coax. I use the RF Choke at the feedpoint of the antenna.
Great interesting review, I’m EFHW fan and they are amazingly cheap to make and easy to deploy. I like many have experimented with optimum height off the ground for the matching unit. You are very thorough in your assessment and show them how most would deploy them in the real world. Band conditions currently are so bad it takes a lot of patience. Thanks for your effort and the time these things take to produce 👍🏻😃 73 Mike
Thank you Mike, I appreciate the support. I think that now, more than ever is the best time to try more antennas and different ways to setup portable. When conditions get better we will then have our own "go to" methods dialed in for getting that wire up in the air. 73 Kevin
Absolutely agree - whatever the setup the hobby for me is making the best I can with what I have. QRP presents unique opportunities and makes me think and that's where people like yourself come in. Keep it up, keep on challenging and keep on doing what you do. All the best from the UK 73 Mike
It would be very interesting to know what is in the feeder point board. I suspect there may be a resistor across the feeder to flatten the swr?
Resistor? Lol
What you're calling an NVIS config, where both ends are at 25' isn't really NVIS, it's a dipole! When you started out, at 25' (and especially at 10') and then other end on the ground, that your kept calling a sloper, now that was NVIS config.
I used to use an Army NVIS antenna, I forget the designation, but it had 2'5' segments that you put together to get the feed line up to about 10', and 2 wires as an X that all went to the ground. I replaced the wires to get them on 40 & 80 Meyer bands. I used them w/o a tuner also. I was using this in the Charleston SC area (all over SC really) and it worked fairly well, for what it was. It was definitely a to cloud warmer, we used it for EmCom during storm prep and after the storm passed.
I like your KX2, and your antenna though, I haven't been hamming lately, makes me want to. (I pretty much always build them) 👍
Jeff, your right. Building antennas is a great way to go, and setting up in different conditions helps me be better prepared. 73
That is nice. I like building transistor radios and crystal sets and I believe this would work great. At the moment I'm using an telephone line and I get a lot of echo.
When the electric fence charger was off-line on our farm I would connect my crystal receiver to the electric fence wire and local stations were so loud that I almost blew my ears out, LOL. There was an estimated mile of wire on that fence, LOL. 73, Dave, KU9L
What do you have at the top of the mast on the travel trailer…. I need this!
At the top of the mast i use a pulley from ACE hardware to make it easy for me to get the antenna up and down. Is that what you are asking about ?
if the people around you do not understand what your doing , taking the low road, other hams will reap the benefits, take that t shirt cannon out and TELL the folks what is happening, change their programing
Thanks Craig
Loved the video and was just what I was looking for to use to activate a POTA site. Curious, what feed line did you use for the LEFS 8010?
I used RG8x 50 feet. Have fun out there !
Price of this antenna is crazy. Build one yourself. Not difficult to do , with a little bit of time and a lot less money . 73
Huh...i always thougt the feedpoint is the low end of the slope and the terminator end was up in the tree...
Chameleon recommends the fedpoint be up at the high end
I'd like to know why it's important for the feed point to be up in the tree as opposed to being on the ground
It is only this antenna, check the manual on the Chameleon website as they exponentially it pretty good.
Great question
great video. Subscribed.
Awesome, thank you!