Build The Best CB Antenna EVER! IMHO.
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- Опубликовано: 2 июл 2024
- The Half-Wave End-fed is an excellent antenna for CB, best used vertically. The 49:1 transformer is easy to make and affordable. This is a full size antenna with a low take-off angle great for skip and local communications. Wire length usually falls between 4.5 and 4.8m. Starting wire length in feet is 468 divided by the frequency in MHz. Check SWR and cut a little bit at a time. Do not use a metal box or expoxy. Hot glue is ok. Do not use another material than 43. The FT-140-43 can probably take up to 100W SSB, 70W AM/FM. For more power you would need an FT-240-43 or FT-240-52, even three FT-240-52 stacked together, but honestly it's not needed and illegal on CB! Do not use a CB amplifier as those are splatter boxes, and again, not needed. Military manpacks output 25-30W for a good reason, it's enough! 12W SSB legal power is plenty with this antenna. Get a 6m cheap telescopic fishing pole and you're in business!
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thanks Gil I wrote down the number of turns in my radio note book this time will make one up myself. Glad to see you back on YT.
Thanks for hints, tips, insight, and lesson.
Please keep recording your adventures.
Good straightforward build Gil and a bit of a French lesson thrown in 😃 👍🏻
Thank you Gil. So good to see you again. 73 de KG7LOI.
Great to hear from you, happy new year.. J
I find that fine grit sandpaper or an emory board removes the insulating varnish from wire quite nicely without risk of damaging or breaking the wire. I have also heard that you can heat the portion you want removed with a lighter for a minute or 2 helps soften the varnish and makes it easier for the sandpaper to abrade the varnish off And you can always check your work with an ohm meter..
I watch your a older video about HF antenna 49:1 couple months ago I end up making one with 134 wire it works very well the SWR was excellent and last week I end up making one for CB just to see what it like and using 4.5 wire on 12 watts ssb on 27.405 works extremely well thanks for showing Great video.
Gil, thank you for this video! You made it easy!
Thanks to your videos EFHW is my favorite antenna and my first homebuild project, tested last summer on CB 11m, with it I did my first DXs with 5w only 😀. Now I upgraded it for ham bands!
What is still not clear to me is if some improvements are expected with a counterpoise wire, I use it without “grounding” and I have no issues and no RF backflow...
How did you upgrade it for HAM?
2:42 I use a butane lighter or soldering-gun to remove insulation; it eliminates nicking the wire.
Another great video, Gil. Built my 49:1 AT to your design 2 years ago, and it's fabulous with my pruned wires. (To date I've been switching between my 20 and 40 metre radiators. Will soon add a 30.) Everybody should have one of these things. They weigh nothing, take up no space, and get you on the air fast.
Not my design but thank you! They are great indeed!
@@RadioPrepper I meant that I followed your tutorial here on RUclips! Thanks again!
Thanks for this video. It is exactly what I was looking for. By the way a 1mm wire is an=bout 18 gauge. Merci!
I use a smaller FT114-43 core in my 11m band EFHW antenna. This is compact and works fine for 10W SSB/AM/FM
Fantastic Work there!! Love seeing these projects come off the Ground!!👍
Great video - thank you from upstate NY.
That contact was really impressive Gil and Merci pour le video, very instructive....
Merci Gil pour cette video tres instructive. Il faut preferer surdimentionner les transfos pour eviter tout signe d'echauffement : echauffement = perte d'energie, tout ca c'est du rayonnement qui n'est pas fait. Donc ne pas lesiner sur le nombre de ferrites. 2 grandes pour 500W, 2 moyennes (1 pouce de diametre) mininum pour 100W parlant de SSB. Et bravo pour le QSO avec le Maine !
Just bought one of these from par end fedz. Looking forward to it getting here so I can try it.
I just subbed and i love ur content
Nice work. We still have 27mhz CB in Australia, (US 40ch 5w AM 12w SSB) but we also have a UHF CB band, either 40ch FM @5w or 80ch Narrowband FM @5w (the extra 40ch go in the gap between the wideband channels when you reduce to 2.5khz bandwidth). We are also allowed to use repeaters, which must be public access and have backup power (most are solar with battery backup or mains with solar/battery backup) for emergency 'power out' operation. It's a class license which means as long as you use type approved equipment you don't need an individual license. Repeaters do require an individual license as they are perused for coverage/interference issues with other repeaters etc. We've got all three, some really old 27mhz stuff (from the 70s) and some modern UHF stuff, mix of 40ch and 80ch. You can work between the 40ch and 80ch radios, but the NB radios sound a bit quiet (effectively underdeviating) on a 40ch receiver and the 40ch rigs sound like they are overdeviating on a NB radio of course. There was a plan to ban the 40ch radios after a few years but it was quietly dropped when people objected. So it will probably be a while before all the old 40ch radios (you can't buy new ones anymore) all die, as there are some of the very first UHF CBs, the Phillips FM320 from 1977 still working, particularly on farms and in trucks here and there. You can use high gain antennas such as beams etc of course. My favourite 'improvised and simple' antenna for 27mhz is the inverted V which you just need a length of 50 ohm coax to make. Strip the insulation from a 1/4 wavelength, separate the inner and the outer into two separate strands. Suspend at the point where you separated them and taper the ends down at a 45 degree angle. Run the remaining coax to the rig and fit the appropriate connect (PL259 usually) and adjust for best SWR by trimming the ends of the inner and shield. Directional, at right angles to the wire. A length of fishing line tossed over a high branch works well for a suspension point in the field. Works best about a half wavelength off the ground but still works pretty well only a few feet above it.
Yes, I watch 4wd AU channels sometimes and they all have them!
You can always import a 27 meg from the USA Stryker 955 is a grand one
Excellent video, Gil! Interesting that the PRC-320 can pick up CB. I'll have to try that sometime. 73!
I like that radio! 😁
oooo thanks I really needed this.
Great video, thank you!
I've made a few of these transformers recently with great success. My go-to antenna design now, You can't beat a bit of wire in the air!!!
Nice radio you have there.
Thanks again Gil, your the man.
I know right ;-) LOL.
I am very impressed with the amount of information in this video. I am saving it and watching it many times to pick up all the subtleties. Whenever I make a halfwave antenna, I always made a center fed, vertical dipole or center fed horizontal dipole. I am too dumb to have made a transformer to end feed it. I am studying this until I have the theory down perfectly. I do not just want to just build blindly. I want to know the theory and the function. Your simple video is extremely intuitive and easy to follow. It is basically just like a regular AC Transformer. Thank you very much from North America.
Thanks, see: ruclips.net/video/0zF7bDoqkG4/видео.html
You can get a small / high gain / high bandwidth antenna, but you have to choose 2 out of 3. My choice is 1. 2. So a small magloop antenna for CB is the best option for me.
wow! Nice! I did not think you could talk over the Atlantic with CB! 73! DE1CTL
That was not a CB and not on a CB frequency, but you can with a CB when the propagation is there.
This fried the final in my radio! Not to say your transformer in itself did it directly. But my cspacitor came loose and broke connection, therefore the ground and center became a direct short! So, people, make sure you soldier the cap well, or have some kind of SWR meter slways on with this trick.
Ouch, yes, definitely check the SWR first. You can't check that there is no short because the primary winding is a DC short.
You are a very good teacher Gil, as a new ham and former military, I follow your videos' closely, thanks again, 🎙73's kd9oam.
Thank you. I enjoy teaching.
There used to be a great electronics store....located south of the North train station in Paris. I loved that place. When stationed in Frankfurt, i went to Conrad’s quite often. They had most anything I would ever need. I really miss the years I lived both in France and Germany! Yes, I still have a large roll of “1mm copper wire! 😉
You remember its name?
@@RadioPrepper unfortunately I do not remember the name. I am thinking by now it probably does not exist. So many stores like that have closed in recent years! The last time I was there was in 1995.
You inspired me once again kg6mn
Thanks buddy!
1mm = 19g Good to see you again. 73 NE5U
Hi Gil,
I have 2 PRC 320's, one a Yugoslavian LSB model. I will give this a try as 10m and 11m have had some good openings lately with 10m contacts on 5w across Europe. As an Idea a guide to what the band selector actually tunes to might be a good idea as I have had to learn using a frequency counter and a dummy load. I have found very little tuition on You Tube.
Thanks for posting as I have no idea how to make a video!
73's
M0KIA
Thanks, I have two as well, USB models. You are a lucky man!
For field soldering, I use Dremel's butane powered VersaTip iron.
electricty from the sun so as long aa you can make the electrons flow you are good to go
Nice video Gil, Thank you! that's probably 14 AWG wire.
You seem like a cool friend
Your videos might be long, but don't worry you explain everything so well, me with limited knowledge of this subject, is learning so much from you. Thanks.
What wire is best for the antenna, or can I use any wire.
I like copper-clad steel, but you can use anything you want..
Excellent,,,,new sub
I have the french built crt ss9900 very good rig 80 watts out the bàck end on side band
Amazing
Nice radio. The vswr should be 1.2:1 OR LOWER at the chosen frequency. I have made several and I use the FT240-43 x 2 stacked as I use 400 watts as an amateur. I also use a single FT240-43 as a coaxial current choke betwen the coax from the radio and the bnc connection you use. This improves the antenna system by giving the efhw something to drive against in the absence of a ground and gives a more accurate vswr scan as any standing waves on the feed line have been significantly reduced. Cheers VK5LB.
With 400W you will certainly get some common mode currents on the coax shield. With 5W, practically none.
It was long time, indeed!
I will stick with my home built 11 meter vertical yagi beam , fantastic for DX and local within 150 miles , thanks for the upload
Hello. Can you easily take it with you for portable ops?
HAHAHA MAINE307 ! LOVE IT ! THANK YOU wonderful video cest bonne
73, excellent mon ami, je vais la fabriquer...enespérant un qso avec vous!
Love your video, exactly what I was looking for, I will get the materials and build one. What's your or anyone's opinion as to have this antenna as a permanent base antenna?
Sure, I would epoxy a fishing rod in the extended position and attach my wire to it.
Where did you get that PRC 320?, thats a very cool rig!!!
A few years ago..
I like your radio, too. This Manpack PRC-320, how many bands does it cover? And what kind of protections does it have as far as being able to withstand a broad-spectrum, electromagnetic "event" so to speak? Also, what modulation types does it support? Thanks. I look forward to getting more into antenna design as soon as possible, and that HWEF looks like a fun place to start.
Zach, N2JZS
Everything between 2 and 30MHz. I don't know about protections...
@@RadioPrepper
Thank you, sir. 73
Interesting project. However, I wish I could see pictures and diagrams of the entire antenna.
Check out the half-wave end-fed group on Facebook...
Bravo.
Did your friend wind the cable through the ferrite core in the same direction or 5he opposite direction as your construction?
Does the direction of winding make a difference?
Hi, no difference. I don't remember what he did, it was a while ago..
Very nice project. 7351. During 2 years I've made some experiences with old toroid of an old Tv, so the measures are 4,40 meters of wire to an HMA End Feed JS20 Portable/Fixed with very good results. The antenna work's very well from 20 meters to 10 meters, and also in 11 meters. The SWR is 1,4 in 20 meters and the others 1:0. Compared to other antennas is less noisy, and the RX signals up in 2 ou 3, and the TX signals up in 2 or 3 also. Now in my QTH, I'm using these new antenna with very good results, compared to an A99. Tks fer sharing and good projects. If you want any other information about these new antenna leave a reply. 7351.
Lucky the toroid material worked :-)
@@RadioPrepper Yes, now I made four antennas. I guess I have conditions to make once a week, during a year. I´m study to make another for 2 meters and 70 cms.
I doubt it will work above 50MHz, not with a toroid...
@@RadioPrepper tks I will try and send the results.
Thanks for video Gil. What do you think about T2LT antenna for CB witch a choke made from a few turns of coax. Its easier to make and doesn't require toroid. Has the one you have shown mucg better performance?
Probably just as good. Not as small..
Easiest way to strip the insulation is with a lighter flame
Where did you find this PRC-320? Looks like it's in excellent condition! 73
From a private seller. Otherwise: clansman-radio.co.uk
What about building a Tree-Tuner designed by W5JGV that can match any tall tree to a CB Transceiver.
I'll look into it, thanks.
Hello from Mexico, I am pretty interested on building this antenna for an old Cobra 148 GTL, this antenna seems to work for 10 and 11 meter according to your antenna analyzer which is awesome, I would like to know what type of cable you can use for the antenna. Also at the end of the video you mentioned that you need to trim the antenna (wire) to a certain meters (using a calculator the wire the recommendation is 5.22 m for 27 MHz) at the end which was your measure and also at the end of the tip how do you end? do you use a cover, I saw the other video were you made this same one but the SWR was above 2.0 an this one is between 1.5 and 2 which to me looks great. I am pretty new with no experience at all, so any help is very welcome! Will be nice to know more about HOA antennas because I see they work well for all bands, but is you know a way to build one specific for 11 meters will be nice to know. THANKS!!
11m, I think I ended up around 4.8m... Coax, I like LMR240-UF.
Glad to see you back! To me, 4,5 meter sounds pretty short for a half wave. Why is it so? I was expecting something like 300 / 27 * 0,95 / 2 = 5,28 meter (insulated wire)
I thought the same.
Yes weird... Velocity factor? A bit much.
@@RadioPrepper if it works that's all that really matters :) I already thought using my 49:1 transformers for CB. Just change the wire, hang it and tune as required? That's convenient indeed.
I also did experiment with 49:1 transformer on 27.2 MHz. Best SWR was with alluminium pipe 4.7m long. Strange thing is that it is so much shorter.
@@VladSolovey using tube must have resulted in an even wider band then. :)
Is the bandwidth enough to do double duty on 11 and 10 meters? Couldn't quite tell from the display. Looked like if your shortened it a bit more...
I have not tested that, will do if I remember ;-)
Excuse my lack of knowledge, but after you built the 49:1 transformer and found that around a 4.5m of wire was good did you need to use an ATU?
Hello, no ATU needed.
Hi I'm new to cb and working on a budget do i have to make two torroids as i see your friend is also making another thank you 73s from 416 Trinidad.
Depends on power... Up to 50W AM/FM or 75W SSB, one FT-140-43 is enough.
Gil, I like that analyzer. What is it and where did you get it?
elekitsorparts.com/product/faa-450-antenna-analyzer-eu1ky
@@RadioPrepper Merci, Gils!
What wire did you shorten. The one that screwed into the antenna base I'm assuming
Yes.
Lubec is not far from me. I am down the coast a bit from there. Were you ssb on CB frequency when you made that contact? I have never heard a meaningful contact on CB, usually only 10k watt stations skipping in with rubbish.
USB and AM. Yes, few people around but it happens...
Hi - I think Gil was on 20m at that point.
Yes 20m.
@@RadioPrepper Ok, thanks. I thought it sounded to civilized for 11 meters. Thank you for the continued videos of making baluns. I will some day get the nerve to try one.
No need for nerves. It's very easy :-)
How does this compare to a half wave over a quarter wave Jpole? Aside from the Jpole being longer?? This is my current setup wire base antenna and it does great. Just wondering how much better this would be...
A J-Pole is a half-wave, so similar..
Forgot to mention that the antenna would be set up on a chimney and don't know how to keep the hanging wire from moving when windy, any ideas??
Maybe attaching a bungee cord at the bottom to keep tension on it...
A center fed dipole would be even better.
In some cases, not always.
Can it be made with regular strand plastic coated wire or do you have to use that solid enamal coated wire to make the coil?
It should work.
How critical is turns spacing for the transformer, Sir?
Not very, just spead them out...
Merci
I have never seen a radio like that one in the video. Is it a ham radio?
Military PRC-320.
Hi gil watching your vid from reunion island French territory in the Indian Ocean I just purchased a president Lincoln II+ and no antenna yet I would like to make one like this antenna for all the band and mode on this radio and ssb also can you help please
The video explains it well but feel free to ask questions here..
Hello, thanks for the video. I still have a question. How do we tune this antenna without any antenna analyzer ? How do I know if I have to lengthen or shorten the radiator ? Thanks !
Yes, you cut it a tad longer and cut a couple inches at a time..
@@RadioPrepper then, for a 27 MHz I will cut it at 5 meters then trim it down until I get the lowest swr.
Exactly :-) less than 2:1 is good, usually ends up around 1.3:1.
Hi I live in Australia and the ferrite ft140-43 on Ebay are like $50 delivered , There is a local electronics store that sells Ferrites & pre wound chokes , what size Uh am I looking for in a ferrite , thanks Larry
140 is the size, or 1.4inch. You can use 82 or 240 size. Just make sure the material is type 43..
Can this be used for an dipole antenna for the 11 meter band.?
Not exactly a dipole, though it uses a half-wave wire, fed at the end instead of the middle. If horizontal, better use a dipole. If vertical, use the EFHW. See my other videos on the antenna..
I’m a beginner at radio , I have a Galaxy 959 ssb radio , could I make this type of antenna for emergency use
Absolutely, check my other videos about end-fed half-wave antennas, 49:1 transformers.
Bonjour, j'aimerais savoir pourquoi le condensateur dois avoir un si haut voltage 3kV le signal n'est-il pas faible ?
Oui mais la distribution du courant avec son maximum au milieu du fil et minimum aux bouts fait qu'il y a un maximum de voltage aux bouts.
WOW
What's your power source have to be to get that kind of range?
Power has little to do with it. A good antenna and propagation are everything.
Merci beaucoup Gil. après tout comment quelle est la longueur du fil d'antenne si cela ne vous dérange pas de nous le faire savoir?
143/f en MegaHertz. Donc pour la CB par exemple, 143/27.2= 5.25m On mesure le ROS et on ajuste la longueur. Souvent il faut en couper un peu. Généralement on arrive à 4.75m environ. Pour la bande des 80 par exemple, 3.6MHz, 143/3.6= 39.7m. Avec le transfo on peut alimenter le fil au bout. Sans on l'alimente au milieu, en dipole.
@@RadioPrepper Merci Gil pour votre énorme aide. J'ai une question; à quelle distance du sol doit-on déployer le fond de la boîte d'alimentation.
Ça marche avec la boite au sol mais mieux à 2-3m...
So where is the antenna?
Build a 11 meter j pole out of aluminum tubing I made one out of copper pipe I pipe a 102 cb car will antenna on the top of j pole it was 27 long short side 9 foot long
I use a T2LT antenna for CB. Cheaper and even faster and easier to build with an air wound RF-Choke 5 turns with 11cm diameter.
Is this EFHW better than a T2LT for any reason?
Yes. The T2LT uses resistors for impedance matching, multi-band use, that means more losses. The EFHW is more efficient and simpler.
Will this antenna outperform a 5/8 wave commercial antenna, like a Sirio Gain master ?
I do not know...
5/8 should be higher gain (for reception and receiving). But mobile antennes of sirio are not the real 5/8 or the real 1/2 because of the coils who make the antenne smaller. So best results you will have with a real 5/8 antenna vertical like these: consumer.gtv.be/sirio-827-5-8-basis-station-antenne. If you have the place, use this kind of antenna. On mobiles also how longer how better!
Hello !! Greetings from Andorra.
I'm trying to put an antenna CB with a magnetic base on a small stand of my roof next to my window, but .. there's no way to get ground plane .... inside the house a short distance from the window I have radiators and everything Type of things where the magnetic base is hooked and I'm sure I would have a good Ground Plane .. So my idea is ... Two magnetic bases could be connected? One on the roof near the window with the antenna, the cable of that base would be the entrance to the other base .. The one that would be put at some good place .. and of the latter to the radio station .. I could work?
I doubt it. Try connecting a few radial wires to the coax shield at the base if possible..
@@RadioPrepper Thanks !!
Nice antenna project!
However a gainmaster, especially a homemade gainmaster with just wire can bee really portable too.
It will give more gain too.
// 21CT027, SM68481,
Because it is a 5/8 yes, but you can make a transformer for a 5/8 wire too..
@@RadioPrepper Ah, QSL.
Why I commented about the gainmaster was because you said that it was the best CB antenna,
That was why I mentioned the gainmaster.
73 de 21CT027,SM68481
Best is not always about performance alone. :-)
@@RadioPrepper Alright now I understand what you mean, when you include the length of the wire! Well in that case yes! That might be the best then
@@RadioPrepper
I would like to make a transformer 11m 5/8 wave antenna. Can you make a video on how to do it.
Solar Cycle 25 is on the up swing and having a 11m 5/8 wave wire antenna would definitely get my signal out of the valley I live in surrounded by mountains.
LOL @ the topic, all antennas are a compromise, there is no perfect.
You can get a small / high gain / high bandwidth antenna, but you have to choose 2 out of 3. My choice is 1. 2. So a small magloop antenna for CB is the best option for me.
Good explanation
and get yourself a Gas Soldering Iron :)
73 de DO1OH
I can solar charge a battery... Where do I find gas in shtf?
@@RadioPrepper
You're absolutely right, I didn't think about that. But in the meantime, treat yourself to a gas soldering iron. :)
The refill bottles last forever and there are no batteries on top of the antenna tower.
10 euros are no big deal.
Gil,
Can a 11m 5/8 wave wire antenna be made with a torrid?
Yes, but you need to find out the impedance of an end-fed 5/8 wire.
@@RadioPrepper
Do you have a email account.
gil@radiopreppers.com
Did you have to do anything to calibrate your analyzer?
Honestly I can't remember!
No feed line choke (to isolate coax feed line from antenna)? Is there a good reason?
It's a half-wave, not a random wire, very little common mode currents on the shield.
Radio Prepper
but the shield works as counterpoise and its length and position affects the final impedance and resonant frequency of the antenna. With line choke at fixed position on the coax we could get more predictable results.
A little, but not a lot with a half-wave, which is a full size antenna just like a dipole. It is just fed at the end. What you describe is for a random wire with a 9:1 UNUN, not a half-wave wire with a 49:1 or 64:1. I've had a lot of common mode current troubles with random wires, very few with half-waves.
@@RadioPrepper how about T2LT antenna in this regard by your opinion? It is also 1/2wave (dipole) but definitely required a choke at the end of feed line...
Yes but the coax shield is pretty different than the center conductor, even if they are both quarter waves. The current is not as well distributed as a single consistent conductor. I have been using these HWEF antennas for years without a choke. They don't need one at low to medium power. Random wires do.
Hi. Can I use uninsulated copper wire?
Hi, yes.
Why did you not use lighter to burn off cover on wire
I find it a little messy..
can you tell please . which pins are being used to charge battery that u use at radio
It's written on the battery... Not sure I understand your question.
@@RadioPrepper left side of the battery there is 4 pin dc input ,covered with long black plastic cap
I'll check...
I use the top contacts...
👍👏👏
what kind of radio is that? I would like to get one.
PRC-320.
clansman-radio.co.uk
try fine sandpaper