You just inspired me to stop procrastinating and order the CHA spike, which I ordered along with the Isolator to build this antenna. I already have the SS-25, so I'm good to go. Thanks again, Michael, for another fantastic antenna project ! de W3WJ.
Hey Michael, another great antenna video! I love that little LDG 4:1 unun, too. In fact, I just designed a new antenna around it - it's a resonant halfwave for 20M-6M (one band at a time) using just the Chameleon 25' whip on a tripod and a very short linked counterpoise (no radials). I already took it out on a couple POTA activations during the last week and got booming signal reports! I think I'll call it The Challenger. Of course, you'll be one of the first I'll send the design to 😀73 KJ6ER
I’ve watched man hams wrap there counterpoise wire on cardboard or a piece of plastic just roll it up in a small circle. The same for their long wire transport. I went to eBay and found several very cheap fly rod reels. I put my wire on them. For me it makes for a neat way to transport long pieces of wire you will use. The end I deploy is attached to the antenna. The reel end is the distant end. Works for me. May not for yo7.
I made a 26’ typical Rybakov with 4 ~17’ radials and added a removable linked additional 26’. It’s amazing and easily tunable down to 160m and up but still reducible length for 80m and up. It is absolutely the best wire antenna for up to 100w that I have and so simple. (First time using it, I got a D-expedition on Easter Island on 20m and 40m with the KX2 CW from SoCal) Now, I’ll have to try the SS25 and some 26awg extension off the end to using the 5:1 hybrid mini to compare. Thanks for the inspiration. Hey, winter is antenna season, right !!!
Love watching this full deployment. (But for the price of the Chameleon spike and insulator, I can buy an entire Wolf River Coils antenna, tripod, and radials package. Their stuff is for hams with big budgets.) Happy holidays and POTA on!
Normally I don't use the spike, but I was demoing the insulator. That's why they appeared in the video. I typically use my heavy flag base and mirror antenna mount. You can see that combination in this video where I first demonstrated the antenna: ruclips.net/video/i1RDLy7a0ZA/видео.html
Thanks Michael for this test. Yes, you conviced me too with the SS25 Chameleon whip and their isolator, then now I could understand it’s utility. 73 from … Belgium - Ben ON5BGO
Nice setup! I made a linked Rybakov that just added another 25' element (so 50' total) to the 4:1 unun. Like you, I used it in an L configuration for a few POTA activations and it did really well, especially on 40m, 60m and 80m.
Yes, that is a very good length. I always sketch the current profile on antennas. In this case you have almost a half wave of wire horizontal on 20 meters so it essentially works as a half wave dipole. Current peaks on the horizontal section. Current is low on the vertical section. For 40 you have almost a halfwave total length. The horizontal section is almost a quarter wave long. The current peak is near the top of the vertical wire so it should perform comparable to a 1/4 wave vertical on 40. Probably better as the current peak is high on the vertical or away from the ground. I do a lot of inverted L antennas to get the high current up on the wire. The location of the current peaks on an antenna tells a lot about its characteristics.
Nice setup and activation. I have to try the inverted L configuration. I really enjoy my SS25 so this will be something new. I might have made the log on this activation. I was looking for the Skywarn special event stations and ran across your activation. 73
The SS25 is strong, I've had it out in winds gusting up to 20mph with no issue (use a sturdy base otherwise the wind load will topple it). The whip does have a lot of flex though, as demonstrated in this video: ruclips.net/video/fELj9HLHRJs/видео.html (fast forward to about 5:45).
That 20 meter pile up was intense. I did spend about a half hour on 15 meters and that was a lot calmer. But I don't know if you are in my 15m skip zone or not.
That's a good question. I have pulled in a fair amount of DX on 15 meters with this antenna. But admittedly, I am not an expert with ezNEC, so I haven't done any modeling to see what the radiation pattern looks like. I just know it works.
Nice to see how ya did this. Working on something just like this for a roof rack mounted whip plus wire . Still thinking how ima get the unun portion done possibly a switchable 4:19:1. Will have to wait tell next year when I’ve got free time for radio.
Yes, that's my understanding too. I'm not totally versed on the intricacies of transformers, but I believe current baluns work best for transforming between parallel line and coax, and voltage ununs are better suited for transforming at the feed point.
On a windier day, do you think you'd have actually secured the mast to the tree or used the beach-umbrella-auger? Or does leaning it against a tree usually suffice even in wind?
Winds up to 20mph don't seem to pose a problem. When it gets gustier than that, the whip does bend and I've had either it or the mast fall over due to the sway.
Another great video. I don’t know if you like people to suggest topics or not but if you do one topic that’s not talked about very much is capacity hats.
Excellent setup - thanks. Any chance you can clarify the benefit of the isolator? We routinely connect the whip directly to the CHA Hybrids, and the Hybrids directly to the ground spike, with great effect. What is the benefit in isolating the spike?
The advantage of isolating the active radiating part of the antenna from the support is that the support element can introduce strange or unwanted activity to the antenna's operation. Common examples would be common mode interference, unusual radiation patterns, elevated SWR. To your point about the CHA hybrid modules, they mount directly to the spike because the mounting side of the hybrid is the ground side of the antenna, not the radiating side. We can then attach the ground network directly to the spike. In my example, I don't want the spike to be a part of the antenna, but to have the RF energy and return ground pass through the externally connected 4:1 transformer, hence the insulator is necessary. Another example: say we want to elevate our MPAS vertical and mount the CHA hybrid on a tripod. I want to use a tuned elevated counterpoise to enhance it's performance. Adding the insulator between the tripod and the module will assure me that the tripod is not part of the antenna's ground system.
That may have to wait til spring when it is warmer out. I don't have the physical space at home to put up a loop antenna, but I know of some other locations where I could make that happen.
I'm afraid to 'pound' in the mount for my MC-750. Instead, I always bring my cordless drill and a 12" auger drill bit. Here in NV, the ground is almost always like concrete! I envy you Midwest guys! I'm also envious of all your trees - ha. I like that you did this in real time so I can see how much time it really takes. Are you using VOX to operate your headset/mic? I don't see you using any buttons.
I'm using a trigger switch with my headset. It's in my lap, partially obscured by the computer. Here's the plans on how to build one: ruclips.net/video/b5Wu8BlrSF0/видео.html
Thank you for this video. Can I use the wolf river tripod stand to mount my 25' antenna with the having the unun connector on the 8x24 male bolt which screws into the wolf river tripod and have the ground on the unun connect to one of the legs and use the coax connector on the unun not the one on the wolf river tripod? It appears that the WR tripod has an isolation washer in place. 73, KG5FI
Nice deployment KB9VBR. Chameleon sure makes some quality produces. For their new insulator product sure would have been nice if they added a half dozen 2mm holes for radial banana plugs. First thing I looked for. KD9MSP NorthWoods Guy Dan
Did you use your rig expert to attempt to tune the antenna before connecting the antenna to your tuner. If so did you have to adjust the antenna or radials at all?
This is a non resonant antenna, so you will need to use a tuner to get a good final match. I will usually sweep the bands with my Rigexpert, though. Without the tuner I should be getting an SWR of 2:1 - 3:1. This tells me that everything is hooked up properly before I begin.
That's a good question and something that may need to be answered with some antenna modeling. I would suppose that if we increased the length of the horizontal element, it would function more like an end fed random wire antenna, maybe requiring a 9:1 transformer to get the impedance down to a reasonable level.
That's a great question. My thought is that you can extend out the wire to just about any length as long as the total is a non resonant radiator. This may take a bit of experimentation, but since the 17 foot whip is stiffer than the 25 foot one it would support longer wire lengths. I bet the if you used 54 feet of horizontal wire and a 9:1 transformer, you'd have an excellent end fed random wire antenna for 10-80m
@@KB9VBRAntennas. I was curious why you wouldn’t use a 9:1 unun on your antenna, Michael, instead of the 4:1. Isn’t it also pretty much a non-resonant, “random” wire?
I routinely sweep my antennas before I put them on the air. Typically I am experiencing an SWR under 2:1 for 10, 12, and 15 meters. Between 2:1 - 2.5:1 for 20 meters, 3:1 for 40 meters, and about 5:1 for 80 meters.
Hi Michael - I have a question about the radials. I live in an area where there is a lot of snow. Will the radials work on snow, or do I have to clear the snow to have the radials touch the frozen ground? Great video. Thank you.
Snow doesn't seem to have much affect on the radials, I've laid them on the ground and had them buried by snow, and I've laid them on top of the snow with similar results. For portable deployment, I'd just lay the radials on top of the snow.
Not a Pendleton jacket, unfortunately, I do have a couple of their wool shirts which are excellent. I found it last September when we were at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool festival: woollydrygoods.com/products/mens-moleskin-lined-jacket
@ I remember that video. That is why I said “coiling wire “. Are those devices plastic, wooden or what? Are you doing a figure of eight or round and round? Do you start the radials at the crimped end or the four loose ends? All those details you hardly notice anymore.
Now I know what you mean. I used a piece of card board for one of the winders, and the other was made of thin veneer plywood. I recently picked up a jigsaw and am practicing making winders with it. I always do a figure -eight coil onto the winders starting from the crimped end. That's the equivalent of the over-under method.
I received my ss25, cha insulator and cha 21" spike the other day. Made radials of different lengths based on chameleons chart for the 17' whip band chart. Tuned in each band from 10-30 and documented with just the 25' whip and no coil for future reference. Easy to get 1:1.07 on each of those but 10m. 10m was still a nice 1:1.5 but just couldn't squeeze out 1:1.0x. Does 10m need to be elevated up off ground vs others to do this or should I just tune the radials used for 10m to get it? Going to do tests with 40m cha coil when time for a shorter 30m whip and up to 60/75 if possible
I've had similar issues with the 10 meter band. I'd be at a location and every band tunes up and 10 meters just wants to hang at 1.5:1. Try folding back the radials to see if that makes a difference. Elevating will certainly help as then you will use a tuned counterpoise to get a better match. Otherwise I'd just run with it, 1.5:1 isn't the worst, and I wouldn't be surprised if part of the issue is that you are approaching resonance, X=0, so the impedance is dropping, which increases SWR.
I plan to be on the air this Friday (Dec 13) starting around 1900Z. I don't know if I will be in a park this weekend, the ARRL 10 meter contest is on and I may participate in that between cleaning and decorating the house for the holidays. A lot of people use the HamAlert app to get notified when I am on the air: hamalert.org/about
I currently use the Chameleon MPAS 17 foot vertical, the CHA Mini, and 4 radials. Can I replicate inverted L with what I have and if so, how much horizontal wire should I use?
17 foot bundles are fine. Radials are pretty much detuned when they are laying on the ground anyways, so I don't think a minor variance in the length will make a difference.
A balun is used for a balanced antenna input such as a dipole. It matches the BAlanced (wire) input for the UNbalanced coax. An unun is used for an UNbalanced antenna input such as an end fed antenna matching the UNbalanced coax.
I'm in Idaho and have noticed as well. The east coast stations have really been struggling to make it out here on 20. But ten meters has been productive.
20 meters has really shortened up the last couple months. To consistently hit the west coast on that band I've had to use a DX focused antenna like the POTA PERformer. But 15 and 10 meters are red hot right now and I have no problem hitting the coast on those bands.
Re: cardboard winder, you might consider using corrugated plastic from common yard signs. A bit more durable, and plenty of signs available post-elections 🙂
I haven't put it on the air with the 5:1, but I did do some SWR measurements with just the 25 foot vertical using a 4:1 vs the 5:1 transformer. The SWR is lower and flatter across the spectrum using the 5:1, which is an advantage. But the 4:1 should be a bit more efficient.
Why not just use the Cha-Mini or Micro? Those are 5:1 and you are using a 4:1. Would there be much difference? Then you could just put the radials on the spike like the original configuration.
You can do this with the 5:1 MPAS transformer. It will deliver a flat SWR curve across the spectrum of frequencies. But your results will be different as the 4:1 Ruthtoff transformer will be more efficient than a 5:1 Guanella style transformer.
@@KB9VBRAntennasthis was my question also. I’d love to see if these two configurations demonstrate real world differences in contacts. Should run an hour each to see if there’s a notable difference.
20:20 The kid calling as W3OIE
This is not the first time I've heard using kids on the air to break a pileup.
You just inspired me to stop procrastinating and order the CHA spike, which I ordered along with the Isolator to build this antenna. I already have the SS-25, so I'm good to go. Thanks again, Michael, for another fantastic antenna project ! de W3WJ.
Hey Michael, another great antenna video! I love that little LDG 4:1 unun, too. In fact, I just designed a new antenna around it - it's a resonant halfwave for 20M-6M (one band at a time) using just the Chameleon 25' whip on a tripod and a very short linked counterpoise (no radials). I already took it out on a couple POTA activations during the last week and got booming signal reports! I think I'll call it The Challenger. Of course, you'll be one of the first I'll send the design to 😀73 KJ6ER
ive got a 4:1, still need to try it out. KM4AT 73
That sounds like a neat antenna, I can't wait to see the plans.
First I want to say that's for all you do... another outstanding video
I’ve watched man hams wrap there counterpoise wire on cardboard or a piece of plastic just roll it up in a small circle. The same for their long wire transport. I went to eBay and found several very cheap fly rod reels. I put my wire on them. For me it makes for a neat way to transport long pieces of wire you will use. The end I deploy is attached to the antenna. The reel end is the distant end. Works for me. May not for yo7.
I made a 26’ typical Rybakov with 4 ~17’ radials and added a removable linked additional 26’. It’s amazing and easily tunable down to 160m and up but still reducible length for 80m and up. It is absolutely the best wire antenna for up to 100w that I have and so simple. (First time using it, I got a D-expedition on Easter Island on 20m and 40m with the KX2 CW from SoCal)
Now, I’ll have to try the SS25 and some 26awg extension off the end to using the 5:1 hybrid mini to compare. Thanks for the inspiration. Hey, winter is antenna season, right !!!
Love watching this full deployment. (But for the price of the Chameleon spike and insulator, I can buy an entire Wolf River Coils antenna, tripod, and radials package. Their stuff is for hams with big budgets.) Happy holidays and POTA on!
Normally I don't use the spike, but I was demoing the insulator. That's why they appeared in the video. I typically use my heavy flag base and mirror antenna mount. You can see that combination in this video where I first demonstrated the antenna: ruclips.net/video/i1RDLy7a0ZA/видео.html
@@KB9VBRAntennas This is great. Thank you!
I use it as a permanent antenna
Thanks Michael for this test. Yes, you conviced me too with the SS25 Chameleon whip and their isolator, then now I could understand it’s utility.
73 from … Belgium - Ben ON5BGO
Nice setup! I made a linked Rybakov that just added another 25' element (so 50' total) to the 4:1 unun. Like you, I used it in an L configuration for a few POTA activations and it did really well, especially on 40m, 60m and 80m.
Nice video presentation and explanation. I will have to look into a similar set-up. 73 😉👍
Yes, that is a very good length. I always sketch the current profile on antennas. In this case you have almost a half wave of wire horizontal on 20 meters so it essentially works as a half wave dipole. Current peaks on the horizontal section. Current is low on the vertical section. For 40 you have almost a halfwave total length. The horizontal section is almost a quarter wave long. The current peak is near the top of the vertical wire so it should perform comparable to a 1/4 wave vertical on 40. Probably better as the current peak is high on the vertical or away from the ground. I do a lot of inverted L antennas to get the high current up on the wire. The location of the current peaks on an antenna tells a lot about its characteristics.
Nice setup and activation. I have to try the inverted L configuration. I really enjoy my SS25 so this will be something new.
I might have made the log on this activation. I was looking for the Skywarn special event stations and ran across your activation. 73
Merry xmas to u and ur family
That whip appears to be a sturdy, thick walled, quality tube. Should last a long time even in less than optimal conditions.
The SS25 is strong, I've had it out in winds gusting up to 20mph with no issue (use a sturdy base otherwise the wind load will topple it). The whip does have a lot of flex though, as demonstrated in this video: ruclips.net/video/fELj9HLHRJs/видео.html (fast forward to about 5:45).
Thanks for another great video. I could actually hear you Friday, but no way to break thru the pile up with my 100 watts. Maybe next time!!!!
That 20 meter pile up was intense. I did spend about a half hour on 15 meters and that was a lot calmer. But I don't know if you are in my 15m skip zone or not.
Thanks for the video Michael. I wonder if the vertical part effects the attributes of the Rybakov antenna?
That's a good question. I have pulled in a fair amount of DX on 15 meters with this antenna. But admittedly, I am not an expert with ezNEC, so I haven't done any modeling to see what the radiation pattern looks like. I just know it works.
Nice to see how ya did this.
Working on something just like this for a roof rack mounted whip plus wire .
Still thinking how ima get the unun portion done possibly a switchable 4:1 9:1.
Will have to wait tell next year when I’ve got free time for radio.
Great job michael
Mike: was glad to see you deploying a 4:1 VOLTAGE UnUn... I do recall that the inverted "L" is partial to the Voltage UnUn vs. a current UnUn.
Yes, that's my understanding too. I'm not totally versed on the intricacies of transformers, but I believe current baluns work best for transforming between parallel line and coax, and voltage ununs are better suited for transforming at the feed point.
Nice splatter of contacts! I always like when is see that.....
On a windier day, do you think you'd have actually secured the mast to the tree or used the beach-umbrella-auger? Or does leaning it against a tree usually suffice even in wind?
Winds up to 20mph don't seem to pose a problem. When it gets gustier than that, the whip does bend and I've had either it or the mast fall over due to the sway.
Thank You for sharing. Hope to meet you at Hamvention 🤙🏻
I should be there. I've already made the camping reservations.
Another great video. I don’t know if you like people to suggest topics or not but if you do one topic that’s not talked about very much is capacity hats.
I do love topic suggestions. Capacitive hats are something I really haven't dug into, so I'll do some research on that.
Excellent setup - thanks. Any chance you can clarify the benefit of the isolator? We routinely connect the whip directly to the CHA Hybrids, and the Hybrids directly to the ground spike, with great effect. What is the benefit in isolating the spike?
The advantage of isolating the active radiating part of the antenna from the support is that the support element can introduce strange or unwanted activity to the antenna's operation. Common examples would be common mode interference, unusual radiation patterns, elevated SWR. To your point about the CHA hybrid modules, they mount directly to the spike because the mounting side of the hybrid is the ground side of the antenna, not the radiating side. We can then attach the ground network directly to the spike. In my example, I don't want the spike to be a part of the antenna, but to have the RF energy and return ground pass through the externally connected 4:1 transformer, hence the insulator is necessary.
Another example: say we want to elevate our MPAS vertical and mount the CHA hybrid on a tripod. I want to use a tuned elevated counterpoise to enhance it's performance. Adding the insulator between the tripod and the module will assure me that the tripod is not part of the antenna's ground system.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Thank you for the thoughtful response - very helpful! I will be trying the tripod approach you mention above at a park today.
Great job Joshua congratulations 73 from kb2uew
Would love to see you put up and test a 80m loop, or at least a 20m loop. Another fine video.
That may have to wait til spring when it is warmer out. I don't have the physical space at home to put up a loop antenna, but I know of some other locations where I could make that happen.
I'm afraid to 'pound' in the mount for my MC-750. Instead, I always bring my cordless drill and a 12" auger drill bit. Here in NV, the ground is almost always like concrete! I envy you Midwest guys! I'm also envious of all your trees - ha. I like that you did this in real time so I can see how much time it really takes. Are you using VOX to operate your headset/mic? I don't see you using any buttons.
I'm using a trigger switch with my headset. It's in my lap, partially obscured by the computer. Here's the plans on how to build one: ruclips.net/video/b5Wu8BlrSF0/видео.html
Thank you for this video. Can I use the wolf river tripod stand to mount my 25' antenna with the having the unun connector on the 8x24 male bolt which screws into the wolf river tripod and have the ground on the unun connect to one of the legs and use the coax connector on the unun not the one on the wolf river tripod? It appears that the WR tripod has an isolation washer in place. 73, KG5FI
A fascinating antenna project--also great for your home station. Aloha de Russ (KH6JRM).
Nice deployment KB9VBR. Chameleon sure makes some quality produces. For their new insulator product sure would have been nice if they added a half dozen 2mm holes for radial banana plugs. First thing I looked for. KD9MSP NorthWoods Guy Dan
I suppose you could add a Puck Hub if you wanted to add some radials to it.
Did you use your rig expert to attempt to tune the antenna before connecting the antenna to your tuner. If so did you have to adjust the antenna or radials at all?
This is a non resonant antenna, so you will need to use a tuner to get a good final match. I will usually sweep the bands with my Rigexpert, though. Without the tuner I should be getting an SWR of 2:1 - 3:1. This tells me that everything is hooked up properly before I begin.
Nice video Michael. One question, how dependent is the ratio of vertical vs horizontal of the radiator (25ft vs 28ft) ?
That's a good question and something that may need to be answered with some antenna modeling. I would suppose that if we increased the length of the horizontal element, it would function more like an end fed random wire antenna, maybe requiring a 9:1 transformer to get the impedance down to a reasonable level.
Noticed the car seemed to be in ACC mode and the FT400 was showing APRS. Beaconing your POTA?
I'm beaconing my location. If I am on the air, a quick search for KB9VBR-9 will tell you where I am sitting.
Awesome idea - would this work with the 17.5 feet chameleon and a longer wire, do you think?
That's a great question. My thought is that you can extend out the wire to just about any length as long as the total is a non resonant radiator. This may take a bit of experimentation, but since the 17 foot whip is stiffer than the 25 foot one it would support longer wire lengths. I bet the if you used 54 feet of horizontal wire and a 9:1 transformer, you'd have an excellent end fed random wire antenna for 10-80m
@@KB9VBRAntennas. I was curious why you wouldn’t use a 9:1 unun on your antenna, Michael, instead of the 4:1. Isn’t it also pretty much a non-resonant, “random” wire?
What SWR were you seeing before using tuner? 3.0 and under?
Good question. Exactly what I wanted to know.
I routinely sweep my antennas before I put them on the air. Typically I am experiencing an SWR under 2:1 for 10, 12, and 15 meters. Between 2:1 - 2.5:1 for 20 meters, 3:1 for 40 meters, and about 5:1 for 80 meters.
Hi Michael - I have a question about the radials. I live in an area where there is a lot of snow. Will the radials work on snow, or do I have to clear the snow to have the radials touch the frozen ground? Great video. Thank you.
Snow doesn't seem to have much affect on the radials, I've laid them on the ground and had them buried by snow, and I've laid them on top of the snow with similar results. For portable deployment, I'd just lay the radials on top of the snow.
@KB9VBRAntennas - Michael - thank you for the information! Great to hear.
Beautiful video and stylishly dressed too.... Who can fault the classic Black & Red Wool Wisconsin Jacket. Pendlelton no doubt??
Not a Pendleton jacket, unfortunately, I do have a couple of their wool shirts which are excellent. I found it last September when we were at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool festival: woollydrygoods.com/products/mens-moleskin-lined-jacket
i enjoyed watching you enjoy yourself...... i need to get out for some pota this winter in florida....makes for a nice outing... peace. K4NAL
You should do a “coiling wire” video. I know you are an expert on that.
Great video and activation.
Thanks and God bless.
I did a video on how to coil coax about a year ago. Here you go: ruclips.net/video/JfGJ-pj-dYs/видео.html
@ I remember that video. That is why I said “coiling wire “. Are those devices plastic, wooden or what? Are you doing a figure of eight or round and round? Do you start the radials at the crimped end or the four loose ends? All those details you hardly notice anymore.
Now I know what you mean. I used a piece of card board for one of the winders, and the other was made of thin veneer plywood. I recently picked up a jigsaw and am practicing making winders with it. I always do a figure -eight coil onto the winders starting from the crimped end. That's the equivalent of the over-under method.
Does the ground spike being connected to the radials or the magic carpet make any difference?
Since I used the isolator block between the ground spike and the whip, connecting radials to the spike would do nothing.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Thank you!
I received my ss25, cha insulator and cha 21" spike the other day. Made radials of different lengths based on chameleons chart for the 17' whip band chart.
Tuned in each band from 10-30 and documented with just the 25' whip and no coil for future reference. Easy to get 1:1.07 on each of those but 10m.
10m was still a nice 1:1.5 but just couldn't squeeze out 1:1.0x.
Does 10m need to be elevated up off ground vs others to do this or should I just tune the radials used for 10m to get it?
Going to do tests with 40m cha coil when time for a shorter 30m whip and up to 60/75 if possible
I've had similar issues with the 10 meter band. I'd be at a location and every band tunes up and 10 meters just wants to hang at 1.5:1. Try folding back the radials to see if that makes a difference. Elevating will certainly help as then you will use a tuned counterpoise to get a better match. Otherwise I'd just run with it, 1.5:1 isn't the worst, and I wouldn't be surprised if part of the issue is that you are approaching resonance, X=0, so the impedance is dropping, which increases SWR.
Can you please let me know when you’re going to activate again?
I plan to be on the air this Friday (Dec 13) starting around 1900Z. I don't know if I will be in a park this weekend, the ARRL 10 meter contest is on and I may participate in that between cleaning and decorating the house for the holidays. A lot of people use the HamAlert app to get notified when I am on the air: hamalert.org/about
I currently use the Chameleon MPAS 17 foot vertical, the CHA Mini, and 4 radials. Can I replicate inverted L with what I have and if so, how much horizontal wire should I use?
Can I use the bundles of 17 foot radials I have for my resonant verticals or should I cut them to 16?
17 foot bundles are fine. Radials are pretty much detuned when they are laying on the ground anyways, so I don't think a minor variance in the length will make a difference.
@ thank you very much!
what is the guidance for using an Un-Un vs a Balun?
A balun is used for a balanced antenna input such as a dipole. It matches the BAlanced (wire) input for the UNbalanced coax. An unun is used for an UNbalanced antenna input such as an end fed antenna matching the UNbalanced coax.
Here in the west coast I feel 20 is not going far as well. Wonder why.
I'm in Idaho and have noticed as well. The east coast stations have really been struggling to make it out here on 20. But ten meters has been productive.
Yep, cycle 25 has been pretty poor. Just a few weeks of stellar propagation but then months of qsb weak signals.
20 meters has really shortened up the last couple months. To consistently hit the west coast on that band I've had to use a DX focused antenna like the POTA PERformer. But 15 and 10 meters are red hot right now and I have no problem hitting the coast on those bands.
Re: cardboard winder, you might consider using corrugated plastic from common yard signs. A bit more durable, and plenty of signs available post-elections 🙂
That's a great tip. I've got some signs leftover from helping a person run for school board. I'll make new winders out of them.
Ever tried the L with the 5:1 Hybrid transformer?
I haven't put it on the air with the 5:1, but I did do some SWR measurements with just the 25 foot vertical using a 4:1 vs the 5:1 transformer. The SWR is lower and flatter across the spectrum using the 5:1, which is an advantage. But the 4:1 should be a bit more efficient.
Why not just use the Cha-Mini or Micro? Those are 5:1 and you are using a 4:1. Would there be much difference? Then you could just put the radials on the spike like the original configuration.
You can do this with the 5:1 MPAS transformer. It will deliver a flat SWR curve across the spectrum of frequencies. But your results will be different as the 4:1 Ruthtoff transformer will be more efficient than a 5:1 Guanella style transformer.
@@KB9VBRAntennasthis was my question also. I’d love to see if these two configurations demonstrate real world differences in contacts. Should run an hour each to see if there’s a notable difference.
Like this video but for my hit and run activation I still use my magic carpet and wrc. You ruined me for other antennas for life. Thanks
I still use the magic carpet, especially when I need a fast setup and teardown. But I like options, too.
I'd scrap all the chameleon stuff, and with all the trees you have get a wire vertical. 53ft on 40M is complete compromise..
I'm sure christine would agree with me u got too many antennas 😂😂😂
Well done Michael, thanks! de K4DSX