Doublet vs Dipole vs End Fed Antennas - Which is Best for You?
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- Опубликовано: 20 сен 2024
- It's a question newcomers to Ham Radio often ask. Here we try to help with the choice.
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My favorite is, by far, the doublet (AKA, "double Zepp") in a inverted 'V' configuration, fed with twinlead and a manual antenna tuner. As you say, it is very "agile" antenna system and was very simple to erect. For low power work (
Thanks for the info of your system. Sounds good.
Well, I cannot explain the science behind this experiment but have to give you my best regards for trying it. You are a scientist for sure, you are not afraid of trying different things even if the books tell you the opposite.
Well done once again for making another contribution to the Amateur Radio community.
(great spot you have there by the way).
You sold me on two things here; The doublet and ladder-line. Great video. Subscribed.
Thanks for the sub!
Great and informative video. In all my years of HAM I have owned two antennas that I consider the absolute best for being "flexible" and forgiving while also easy to make and providing great results. Those are the 134' OCF dipole that works all bands 80 - 6m with a simple tuner and a fan dipole for 40 - 10m. I never had much luck with anything else as far as multi-band. I did try a simple end fed and it worked but the RX was very noisy. One great option if your radio will work split on dual antennas is to have a simple 40/15m dipole and a good end fed dipole. TX everything on the end fed but RX everything on the dipole because it is quiet. Of course, you can also TX on the 40/15m dipole when applicable if you get better RST reports with it.
Thanks for sharing that. 73 Peter
Another enjoyable video. Built a doublet this week while on holiday in our caravan. Used it with my IC-705 and MFJ 941E tuner. Worked very well and indeed when I turned the 705's power down to null (it emits approx. 130 mW at that setting), I still made some CW contacts! That's extreme QRP. Your previous video on using the Reverse Beacon Network was most enlightening for me. The RBN provides a "reality check" on how well one's antenna system is working at all levels of power. Cheers.
Thanks for watching. 73 Peter
Love the prints on the wall behind you!!!
I'm a committed fan of the EFHW because of its simplicity and flexable configurations, plus it simply works without any Fiddling.
Mr Waters presented it quite well in it's fundemental/simplest form while there are modifications/enhancements that increase its usability. A Cap here, a Coil there and a bit of added wire adjusts Resonances, increase Bandwidths, reduce Wire Lengths and/or add WARC Bands. Too much to go into here. Refer to Steve Ellington N4LQ on YT.
I use it as a 40M Band, Iverted Vee wire on a 12M SpiderBeem mast using a multi tapped transformer (32/49/64:1). Regardless of which tap, my 590SG autotuner provides near 1:1 SWR, when needed.
BTW: The transformer is easy to wind on any FT xxx-43 toroid. Not at all critical.
As usual, a great vid from a great HAM......
Cheers All/73 . .
Many thanks. 73 Peter
Hello from Texas and fellow 590SG owner.
I have tried different wire antennas,. I have found that the endfed 40 meter half wave works far better for me in the small plot I have, and yes I have had to bend it a little and I am getting good results. I also fitted a coil for 80 meters to the wire, the SWR was high on the SSB voice so I had to bend back about 12 inches, brought the SWR to 1 to 1, I have no problem with SWR on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10. I did run the coax (213) down the garden where I fitted the 49 to 1 transformer. I did at first have it fixed to the House but all I got was a lot of noise and a very high SWR. Thank you Peter for the information it was a great help.
Brian great to hear your results. Thanks for watching. 73 Peter.
It's important to also hear what didn't work. Just to confirm. You first had the 49:1 installed at your house and a long length of coax running to your antenna. THAT gave you high noise and SWR. When you moved the unun to the base of the antenna instead you solved that problem. Correct ? Dont you then also need multiple coils in the coax or a 1:1 unun in the coax (before the 49:1) to stop RF coming back into the shack ? Thanks.
Feed a doublet with open wire and its king! I run the Palstar BT1500A on 160m.
Thanks for sharing
I came by your video's quite by accident and oh my, I am enjoying them immensely. Thank you for doing them, and please keep them coming. From a new loyal fan.
Thank you, for your excellent presentation! I just have a few observations to make:
1 - A big part of the enjoyment of amateur radio - for me - is learning about all sorts of antennas and constructing them myself. And, because of that, the only HF antennas I have ever purchased are my Steppir BigIR vertical with the 80m loading coil, and my screwdriver HF antenna for mobile use. Every other HF antenna I have has been constructed with my own two hands at a small fraction of the cost of purchasing something premade.
2 - Perhaps, the most important consideration in choosing between the antennas you discussed is the logistics involved in implementing them. If you have two sturdy, tall trees appropriately spaced, hanging a dipole between them may be the best choice. If you have zero natural supports and must depend on a manmade mast/tower/building for support, an inverted V may be the best choice. Likewise, if you have a nice tall tree at a distance from your home and no other supports available, an end fed half-wave antenna may be the best choice. The takeaway, here, is the circumstances of the individual amateur should be the primary guide in making the determination of the best antenna in any situation.
3 - A manual antenna tuner should be a part of every amateur radio operator's equipment. The versatility that they offer in regard to experimenting with various types of antennas cannot be overestimated.
4 - In my humble opinion, every amateur radio operator should be well versed in the various types of easily implemented antennas. This knowledge is, perhaps, the most valuable in terms of addressing the practical need for having amateur radio operators in the first place - to be able to communicate with the outside world in times of crisis or disaster.
5 - Finally, I think every amateur radio operator should have - or, have access to - the ARRL Handbook. It is, perhaps, the single best resource available for virtually every aspect of amateur radio.
Thanks, again, for your relaxing and accurate presentation of these popular types of antennas!
73's
AI4IJ
Richard, great to hear from you and thanks for sharing. 73 Peter
That was a good overview and clearly explained. Most useful to all.
Glad it was helpful!
All of them. Build each one yourself. Experiment and learn. Build your own baluns too. Really appreciate the more experienced sharing their knowledge. Cheers.
Greetings from 3B8. Always enjoy your videos practical information, well balanced with theory. The series on antennas are especially interesting for us who have limited space areas.
Glad you like them!
I have had all of those and also a double bazooka. Of all the antennas I have, the 80 meter full wave loop is by far the best antenna....so much so that I even took down all my other antennas. It tunes up on all but 160...I have an inverted L for that.
I even took down the hex beam. Got tired of aiming it. The full wave loop works great on all the bands.
Nice video, I have tried all of these and can say that the Doublet is by far the best (for me at least) I bought a manual roller-inductor ATU based on reliability and adjustability, feed my 40m wire with 300 ohm ladder and the signal coverage is the best i have seen so far. Only have a small yard so the ends droop down by about 1m but its happy with that. Near zero loss is a big gain when power is limited ;)
Thanks for sharing!
This is the very best description I’ve heard. Thanks so much.
Great side-by-side rundown. Many thanks from a relatively new ham in the U.S. 73
Thank-you for this helpful video; just the right combination of basic theory and practical considerations, discussed in a relaxed, conversational manner.
You're very welcome!73 Peter
Thanks for an Informative and thought provoking video. I'm a G3 just coming back into the hobby after a break of a few decades. Now with a smaller garden I'm at a point of looking at wire antennas and poles. The end fed looks the most interesting and suits my shack at the bottom of the garden and earthing via radial wires would be easier. However, when operating from the house its central to the antenna run and so the doublet would be more appropriate. Decisions....
Welcome back. 73 Peter
A much needed introduction for the recently licensed. When buying your first transceiver, "do you want an antenna with that". Your coax comments reminded me that I have a big project next year to replace all mine (some getting on a bit) with RG213 throughout. Rebuilding the antenna "farm" after a long break off air is no easy task. I have two G5RV, a full size full length of the property front to back and another half size across the property with 80m loading coils, plus a 80m half wave end fed that looks like a letter J from above. All have their strengths.
73, Stay Safe, Ken G3WNR
Many thanks Ken. Hope the antenna work goes well. 73 Peter
As always very interesting Peter iam sure many out there appreciate your experience and comments. Good presentation and good audio quality from your home recording setup.
I like you are into music, play and sing, lockdown means only radio at present so on ham bands bit more at monent.
Kind regards
73
Derick G1AEG
Many thanks 73Peter
Excellent presentation!
After many years of experimenting with various antennas. I prefer the multiband, low loss, inexpensive, ladderline fed doublet with a common mode choke on the coax. Good wide range auto tuner makes it super easy to efficiently tune the bands. The best thing is it can be a bit shorter than half wave and tune well. 73, K7VIK
Yes it is simple and effective. 73 Peter
The elephant in the room is that feedlines often end up being accidental counterpoises, bringing RF energy back into the shack and raising hob with electronics. I presume a common-mode choke is needed with all these antennas.
Really good overview of these types of antennas 👌👏👏
Thanks! 👍
Another great video. You have helped me make my mind up on the EFHW
Many thanks for sharing. Glad to hear it!
Another great Video Peter...
Thank you for the Information...
73.
Many thanks!
Another interesting video Peter, just wanted to thank you for that presentation a few weeks ago, dealing with the 80m loading coil for a 40-10m EFHW..... after watching I decided to knock one up using materials at hand, incorrect wire, wrong size of former and really not enough inductance, according to some info found on the 'net. Amazingly, it works, I now have 80-10m from a 22m long antenna, and would never have tried it until I heard you say the coil was not that critical, so thanks! M0KED.
Great news Andy. Another convert! 73 Peter
Isn’t it great to see and use so many variants, students always ask me which is best and I used to say an antenna that works well in one garden doesn’t necessarily mean it will work as well in another. I would recommended different setups but stayed short of a definitive answer because it’s about experimentation and see what’s best for their location and pleasing the station master and neighbours. Thanks for the vid Peter.
Many thanks Mike.
Very new to HAM. Got my Tech in June 2020, General in July, and Extra in August. Got my first HF rig about a month ago. Using an Emcomm III endfed antenna. There are many that despise these endfeds. I find that a bit interesting since my personal experience has been very good. I give partial credit to the location and configuration. We are on the edge of town (not much around us), feed with LMR-400 ultra flex (only about 12’), and in an inverted L configuration. The endfed goes up a 24’ mast (with offsets to keep antenna approx 12” away from mast), then goes horizontal in a kind of lazy L. The antenna is only the portable version (65’ in total). In final, have then setup a really good ground setup, as well as 4 counterpoise for 40 meters. Running this antenna through an ft-991 (no external tuner or amplifier). I get a lot of compliments on hf nets about my TX and how clean it is. Of course the endfed does have a fair amount of hash noise, but I have elimination much of that by running my audio through a Heil Parametric EQ and then into a JBL 2P powered speaker. That allows me to use the filters in the radio to cut the noise way back, but then use the EQ to pull the voice transmission back out so that I can actually hear it.
Clean clean setup. Simple, and has been effective for me. My setup does not allow for any DX-ing really, but that wasnt an issue for what I wanted to do. With this setup I can cover west coast from California to east coast New York, as well as into parts of Canada. I do live in Oklahoma, which also helps since Im in the center of the US.
73....K5JRX
Jay, great to hear from you and the speedy gott up to Extra class. 73 Peter
Good information as usual... accurate and to the point..
Much appreciated Martin 73 Peter
That covers antennas ,the heart of ham radio. The route of hearing will 73
Many thanks. 73 Peter
Always like to catch up with your videos Peter. You touched on cable and this is one area I am deciding what cable I need, the length will be up to 25m, currently have some RG58U but would like to keep the flexibility and replace with a lower loss HF cable type but keep below 10mm diameter. So a video on cable types and also ease of fitting connectors and tips for max bend radius etc would be very welcome. Also a video on ununs and balums video would be welcome.
Will see what I can do. I personally like N connectors. Much better than PL-259 and easy to fit. Shame most HF rigs have SO-239! 73 Peter.
Thank you peter, really interesting. Just for info for anyone- I have NO space outside as only a back stone flagged area extending to about 4 mtrs from the house. I thought my radio days were finished on HF when I moved into this valley up in the hills in the rainy Pennines, untill I discovered the Unun end fed 20m long antenna which I run the end to a tree working with an auto atu. The ground has a lot of stone so the signal on 40m is reflected upwards at a high angle thus inter UK signals are fantastic, 20m as a full wave is directional a little , but it tunes up from 160m (just) through to 10mtrs, worked around the world about 5yrs ago on 20m 100 watts, a little different now with the solar cycle. A great antenna for very limited space if you have somewhere to attatch the end, its been up for 10yrs, the Unun is at the window frame INSIDE the house. One thing to mention is the stealth of the antenna, it looks the same as a telephone wire, and the acid test my wife never noticed it!
Many thanks for sharing that. 73 Peter
Thus was a great video. I really did learn quite a bit. Thank you from NYC. WA2EGA, Alan
It's pleasure to listen you!
Peter, I've had great success with the end-fed random length at 53 feet from, 40-6 including the warc bands. It's NOT an EFHW but very similar.
I just stumbled across your videos. What a great resource! Thank you for making them; they are both entertaining and quite educational. I've picked up quite a lot of tips. I wish I had known you were based in Portsmouth! My wife and I visited two summers ago. My best to you and yours - take care and stay safe!
OK Gary. Many thanks for your comments. Hapoy Christmas. Peter
Thank you very much for comparing these different antennas. It was very informative and useful. Great Job!
Glad it was helpful!
thank you Mr Stanton, de YD3ATC 73
Thanks for the video. I am new to the hobby (licensed Technician & General in January). Just purchased a HF radio (590SG) and next to put up antennas. I plan to start with inverted V and a vertical. My shack or radio room is slow to get in shape as we negotiate the interesting lock downs to stay healthy. If I knew this was going to be this kind of year I would have got my shack up and running much sooner. Always easier to look back and say what you should have done. Haha. Cheers! 73 de KI5HXM
Many thanks Brent. 73 Peter
Excellent presentation 73 from Holland
Many thanks!
always enjoy your video's Peter, I learn something new every time...many thanks...
Glad to hear it
I'd like a better antenna, but to get on the air quickly, and inexpensively, I have been often amazed at the performance of my end-fed antenna (10,15,20,40m). I recently got Hawaii from Ottawa, Canada, and have worked southern Brazil, Crimea, Greece, and points in between, on 100W SSB. It's not very controllable, but it's nearly invisible in the yard.
The EFHW is a great antenna and your are getting good results. Maybe work you one day. 73 Peter
@@watersstanton that would be great. Oddly, I don't hear a lot of UK stations which I find surprising. Lots from Italy, Spain, Slovenia, France, etc.
PEter, thank you, very dense but interesting video 73’s from F6FAS
Many thanks!
I think right now I like the EFHW because I can use it in different configurations including NVIS, Vertical, Sloper, and Horizontal. Will one antenna work for everything? Probably not.
Always educational and entertaining Peter. Thank you.
Thanks 73 Peter
Hello from across the puddle. Been a subscriber for about a year, maybe more. I enjoy your homespun presentations and your abilities in the music field. Thanks for the info on the doublet. Wires up in a tree. That`s my speed! I do operate on 12, 15, 17 Meters using an A-99 though. Any knowledge on these antennas. Been thinking about getting the big brother, the IMAX 2000. Been a Ham since about 2014. Looking forward to building an EFHW this winter. KC3BXZ Joe 73
Great to hear from you and you antenna. Hope the EFHW works out. 73 Peter.
92 foot doublet with 77 feet of ladder line up at over 50 feet will be a smashing antenna on 20 and 40 meters. Swr is less than 2:1 on 20 and 3:8 on 40. Easily tuned and very low take off. I have mine up at 90 feet. With 1kw I compete with beams
Yes a nice and effective setup
In fact I did have some coffee ☕ while watching this video, very informative 👍
Many thanks. 73 Peter
Very good. Many thanks Peter. Stay safe. Paul. 2E0KOA.
Thanks Paul
I missed the shoot out portion of the video
Always Interesting to watch your video 👍☺️ thanks very much. DJONC
So nice of you
Very nice review of three resonant antennas. I would have liked to see the basic antenna discussion also cover non-resonant end-fed antennas. I have one 71 feet long fed with 50 feet of coax, that uses a 9:1 unun, external antenna tuner, and a common mode choke at the transceiver. I'm able to get a 1:1 SWR on all bands, 80 - 10. Using low power, 1 to 20 watts maximum SSB from California, I've been able to work stations across the USA and Canada.
OK Jon, thanks for the info. Will keep your comments ts in mind. 73 Peter
I agree with Jon. I have a similar combination and have tried it on the most popular bands, 40 and 20, with all the various recommended non-resonant lengths up to 71 feet. With all of them I have had no problem getting a low and fairly broad SWR with an EMTech ZM-2 and an 9:1 balun. The advantage of non-resonant is that it avoids the touchiness a resonant, end-fed half-wave antenna may display when you move off resonance.
We here in the US are coming to our time to PROVE UP! Wish us well.
Thanks for watching 73 Peter
Hello Peter... for years I've used an OCF Windom on my small suburban 60' X 100' lot. It had to be bent a few ways, and the element ends were quite low. About the same time you came out with this video, I was also encouraged by another ham to build a doublet. I built mine to "fit" my lot. The center is up 32', and each leg is 60'. Feed from the dipole center to the balun is 450 ohm ladder line. At the bottom of my 32' telescoping fiberglass pole, I installed a Palomar Engineers 9:1 balun. I ran RG8 from there into the shack. (I didn't understand why you used a 4:1 balun, so if you could please explain that to me?) The antenna not only fits my lot, it hears and seems to be heard better than the OCF Windom it replaced! It also tunes up on 80-10 quite well. So thank you for your video and the encouragement you provided me to do this. 73//KK0DJ
Thank you for the video. Very informative.
Great video again, Peter! I still enjoy the aircraft photos! Have you tried Fred Western's (M0BZI) Western HF10 antenna? I'll be erecting one this week to see how it performs. It seems to be a combination of the Doublet and Dipole.
Hi Jack, it looks like a half size G5RV with loading coils. The position of the coils will be critical because they will certainly become chokes on most bands. I would have been inclined to take ladder line all the way back. But try it an see. 73 Peter.
Very helpful video. Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful! 73 Peter
Great vid but I wanted to see them actually used and see how one performed better or worse
An actual shoot out
Seconded from across the pond!! N2GX
I understand someone wanting to see a comparison. And the following is not meant to be critical of your question in any way. Because the question does merit asking, but it should be answered at each individual’s QTH. A comparison between any of these antennas would not be of that much use from the reviewer’s QTH. All three of these antennas are essentially zero Db gain wire antennas. It’s not like comparing a beam or a vertical to a wire. These are all great wire antennas for those on a budget, have limited space, with an eye towards how many bands one might expect to be able to work compared to each other. All three are good performers when constructed correctly then installed properly and probably will have the exact same amount of Db gain between them. An install at one location will have vastly different results at another location even if put up exactly the same way due to QRM, QRN, station grounding, soil conditions etc. Your mileage may vary (in fact it will). I think the point of this well done video is “consider your options, build skill level and give one or more of these a try”. The only useful comparison would be to find out which one works best at your location (not his). Him comparing these antennas at his location, coming up with which one works better for him, then you building it for your QTH and expecting the same result when there is at least a 50/50 chance or more of coming up with something disappointing or maybe even something very exciting. Experiment with the builds and enjoy the journey is always the underlying theme I have noticed about Peter’s videos. Sorry for the long winded post... lol
@@mmcnew1 that may be the best reply ever on RUclips - Chapeau!
Good Info Peter, Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
@@watersstanton Just one thing regarding the Ladder Line on the doublet. I'm going to struggle to get it hanging straight down, would that be a Problem? Thank you.
Thanks for your videos from Russia! 73! R2SCM.
You are welcome!
You are a great person. You believe in what you are doing! I wish you very good health and long life! I recently got a callsign, but I wanted it for 30 years))) 73 from Russia!
Sorry for my English) Gennady R2SCM.
Love this PROUD BRIT! Supermarine Spitfire and a prop on the wall, is that bomber a Lancaster (I bet it is!). Bully sir!
Many thanks for your comments. 73 Peter
terrific videp Sr thanks very much 73 from kb2uew
Most welcome!
The tuner extender really is a good option, I have used one for many years and it means no other tuner should be needed. The early LDG autotuners would tune most anything everywhere using this extender. So should the internal tuners. If anyone has used the extender with an IC7300 please share your experience?
I have the myantennas.com EFHW 8010 and I love it, I've it mounted in a kind of Inverted L, the UNUN is mounted around 3 feet above ground where I have it well grounded and this makes a big difference, this is said to work better with UNUN near ground level connected to a good earth and I tested it and it makes a big difference to SWR on 80m. I don't ground the coax because the antenna is Grounded at the UNUN in fact I've no station ground at all being up in the Attic the Earth would be too long causing more problems than it would solve, with a Doublet or Dipole you're probably going to need a good ground with the EFHW 8010 not so because it's efficient with low SWR right at the Antenna itself so I have no RF issues in the shack even with the Acom 1000. I do of course have electrical ground.
SWR is around 1.7:1 or less on all bands except 80M where above 3750 Khz it's around 2.1:1 in this config.
UNUN starts around 3 feet off the ground at the base of a tree, wire goes up around 20 feet then swings North to another tree around 50 feet high then East to a height of around 60 feet. It certainly gets out well, I get great DX on it, due to the layout of my garden and trees never being where you want them this is the best config I could manage, I'm on 1 acre so space isn't an issue but tree location is and a 10 Kva powerline at the bottom quarter of my garden.
This is a pretty efficient antenna because it's resonant on multiple bands, SWR is low enough on all bands which makes losses over coax very low compared to a dipole fed with coax because a Dipole fed with Coax is not resonant so losses are huge fed with coax, a doublet would be better with ladder line but the beauty about the EFHW 49:1 UNUN ( when designed properly ) is that it needs no tuner on the resonant bands except maybe to flatten it out entirely at the radio end but I don't use it and even better again, I have the Acom 1000 and It really makes using the Acom super easy and fast because 1, I need no tuner ( saving a lot of money due to cost for high power tuner ) due to the resonant EFHW and 2 the Acom can output full power at up to 3:1 SWR so tuning isn't necessary.
SWR doesn't tell the whole story, a lot of People won't use an antenna if SWR is above 1.5:1, these are usually Hams using single band dipoles cut to resonance but there are plenty of People working with antennas with SWR over 10:1 + and the doublet is a good example of that but the big difference is that if feeding the Doublet with Coax the losses are absolutely insane, feed it with ladder line and it's an efficient antenna that works well, the EFHW with 49:1 UNUN is resonant and SWR is low at the antenna so losses when fed with Coax are minimal.
I recommend the myantennas.com EFHW 8010 because I own it and know it works well, the real key to the success or failure of this antenna is it's 49:1 UNUN design and core materials this can make it or break it which is why I recommend using the myantennas.com one, there's a company in the Netherlands making them too and you can specify where you want 80m to have the lowest SWR in the CW or phone portion of the band which is pretty neat.
The only downside of the EFHW 49:1 is that on non resonant bands it becomes inefficient because 1, it's non resonant say on 160m this causes SWR for me to jump to 10:1 making losses fed with coax big but using a tuner it actually gets me out well into the U.K from Ireland on 160m but I have to use external tuner and can't use the Acom 1000 because I don't have a tuner that can handle that power and it would certainly cause me a lot of RF issues I don't want so at lower power maybe certainly up to 100 Watts it's an ok antenna on 160 and 60m but best get the 160m version which I intend to.
You can make the EFHW 49:1 Antenna yourself but remember core materials are ultra important which can make the antenna a great performer or a bad performer.
This PDF from Steve, K1RF is well worth a read if you want to make one yourself gnarc.org/wp-content/uploads/The-End-Fed-Half-Wave-Antenna.pdf
It's not going to be as good as a Beam up 60 feet but for a wire it's pretty good.
`many thanks for sharing your findings. Much appreciated. 73 Peter
Another interesting video with a lot of useful information. Paves the way for a video on fan dipoles maybe?
Possibly! Will keep it in mind. 73 Peter
Nice one Peter. no chance of any wire antennas here unless i go portable but i am able to use basic verticle hamstick on 40m with a counterpoise strung up round my room with swr of no higher than 1.5 and working FT4 and FT8 for now on 10w. Hoping to go do some CW when i decide what key to get. 73's
Hi Steve. it’s amazing what you can work if you put the effort in. Today I workeg Finland on CW using 2.5 watts to a 1.5m long vertical indoors on 14MHz. . 73 Peter
Great review Peter thanks again for your time 👍
Thanks 👍
Fantastic video to watch!! 👦👍
Many thanks!
Thank you for all the great information. How about an off center fed antenna fed as a doublet?
Hi there. A doublet always works best when centre fed as it keeps everything in balance. 73 Peter
I'm curious what your take is on the broadside doublet, 1.25 wavelength at highest frequency vs 1/2 wavelength at lowest frequency? I made a 160m doublet and loved it on every band except 20m. It seemed deaf broadside but radiated out very well. Looking back at Cebik's notes on doublets, I believe this is where the 4 lobe pattern came into effect. Also what about using a 1:1 balun on a doublet vs 4:1? Seems not all bands have complex impedances and it would be better to use a 1:1 and the the tuner do what tuners do.
The radiation pattern of a doublet can easily be modelled and this shows the lobes and their direction. As regards a balun, 1:1 seems to be the one generally favoured. BUT I have ysed 4:1 for tears!
This is not a shoot out, it's a comparison of convenience and hardware. Who cares, which is the best performance antenna?
Thank you so much!!!
73s de VU2EHC
Thank TOY. 73 Peter
Nice...............
Thanks
Great discussion that I thought would be boring..but it wasn't! I've tried all these but due to certain restrictions the end fed is what I've ended up with. BUT..never been clear as to gauge of wire. Let's say I have an end fed for 40 meters. Disregarding strength, how does the gauge of wire affect swr and signal radiation?
Vic Mizek, W1WCR (now silent key) who wrote the book on beverage antennas told me that the heavier gage wire has two main advantages....first it allows for a more broad banded antenna and second, it survives better in icy or windy conditions. Vic ran an end fed antenna that was of 8 gage wire and had one of the biggest signals I've ever heard. He told me that 10 gage wire is probably the best for most unless you can get 8 gage like he did for free.
Great information...K9FS here.
Glad it was helpful!
Great presentation Peter. Where you perhaps in the airforce?
Many thanks. I will relate the air raft interest in a video sometime. 73 Peter
9:13 I think you accidently misspoke, on 20 meter band, a 1/2 wavelength wire would be 10 meters. As a General Class, I know what you meant to say, but beginners wouldn't.
Hi Justin. I will check.
@@watersstanton yep
Another interesting video Peter, it ought to give new amateurs food for thought and encourage them to build these simple wire antennas, plenty of variations too. Coil shortened EFHW for 80m or even 40 if your space is really tight, a linear loaded doublet using 450ohm ladder line for the elements and feeder also works great. cheers 2E0UEB
Many thanks Dave. 73 Peter
Is that an Avro Lancaster in the picture in the wall? 73s from EA3HTH
Good question asked and answered Peter, do you have a connection with the RAF? De M0KTY
No connection with RAF but will tell the story in one of the videos. 73 Peter.
So how long does the balanced feeder line have to be to the 40 meter doublet? But the impedance match or bump in the balanced to an unbalanced line can be taken out by a capacitor can't it? Talking and actual practice of making what you said or talked about is two different things entirely.
Balanced line can be any length. It acts as a feeder, not a tuner or matcher. 73 Peter.
Another great educational video... Thank you. In this video you presented a chart that gave Band MHz and the corresponding length by metres/feet. Height off the ground has a major effect on antenna performance. Where could I get this information to round out your chart?
Michael VA6XMB
Hi there. Height affects angle of radiation and there are quite a few charts on the Webb. 73 Peter.
Hi Peter can you do a review of some smaller beams for 40-10m please when you get a chance and how they compare to an efhw
I am afraid I don't have the space to erect them. Sorry. Peter
I would never use RG58. RG8X Is not much thicker with lower SWR
Many thanks. However. VSWR is not a function of the cable, but the antenna. In fact the higher the cable loss, the better the VSWR indication! 73 Peter
Please could you add in description link to video "Balanced line through the brick wall" ?
Google found it first
It would be interesting to see the expected bandwidths for each of the three configurations described here.
For example, compare the b/w of a 40m dipole with the b/w of the '40m segment' of the EFHW.
73 de VK2ZRO
Both antennas would easily cover 40m at below 2:1. Peter
@6:52 we like feet! although I must admit, it easier to measure in meters
Yes agree. 73 Peter
Did you consider adding the OCF dipole?
I wanted to demonstrate the fundamental differences of two simple centre fed antennas. Maybe I will revisit it. 73 Peter.
Whats the difference between running ladder line and 2 equal lengths of wire?
How does a cable have 450 ohm resistance? Its a copper line? Or is there resistors in the ladder rungs?
RG58 I've seen lately is junk!! I use RG8x now which so far seems a lot better in overall quality. /k6sdw
Ours is top quality. Maybe change your supplier. 73 Peter
LMR-400
@@watersstanton With the advent of RG8x, why bother with RG58.....I've been a ham since 1965 and I've used more than my share of RG58...but no more. 73 /k6sdw
@@eddy2561 for NMO installation.
Can I run an efhw antenna with ladder line
Yes but you need to feed with ATU with balanced capability.
is this bad advice for a newbie?
9
Neither! I use a antenna not "abtebbas"! ;-)
What?
@@watersstanton While typing the title your finger hit the ‘b’ right next to the ‘n’. I also wondered at first what is this strange new antenna type I’ve never heard of 🙂 AE0TE
@@watersstanton "Doublet vs Dipole vs End Fed Abtebbas - Which is Best for You?"
both doublet and end fed should be cut as to NOT resonate to any frequency. This way you keep a much lower Z on other bands and you can tune it easily with any internal or external tuner.
If you cut them to resonate on one band most probably the internal tuner won't be able to match the very high Z on other bands.
They were widely used prior to the end of IIWW and the advent of coax.
I think you are getting confused. The EFHW will only work if it is resonant. The length of the doublet can be any length but a half wave is a useful comparison. The critical factor for a doublet is the total length of antenna and feeder - NOT the radiating section. 73 Peter.
Another good basic video talking about easy erection antennas ... a rather seductive topic, OM. :-) TT
Doublets is nothing but a multie band dipole
Peter, you talk in Yards, feet and inches, none of this funny stuff, I have to convert Meters before it makes any sense to me. It was all change when I went through school, but I stuck to ft & in Lbs and ounces. Yeah, money was harder to count, but when you measured something it could go down to 1 32nd and that was small enough for anyone. Millimetres? Is that an insect with hundreds of legs? lol Of course it ain't, but it might as well be!
Imperial rules the world. Metric sucks 😂