I've modified mine a bit. I've swapped out the standard whip with a foldable whip, I got off Amazon, that's a bit longer and doesn't run the risk of jamming or breaking. I've also marked off my radials off for the various bands. I have additional, marked radials if needed. It does work really well
I've used the Chameleon mil-whip and mil-extension with the WRC. When you combine both the mil-whip and extension, the collar is almost to the top of the coil for the 40m. Makes for a powerhouse antenna on that band.
I own 2 Silver Bullet 1000 and two TIA's. I find the antenna absolutely impressive and pretty weather proof - even here in Alaska where I've left it outside all winter. I spent about a full month experimenting with the number of radials required for each band and Yes... you are correct. 3 radials works good on all the bands. 4 radials is better but not by that much and 5 radials etc... I've made almost 3,000 contacts using the Wolf River systm. Nice to see they manufactured a Hi-powered Platinum version. I would love to have a 160m version. They had suggested but..... AND, thanks for the tip on the Chameleon antenna. i'll definitely order one shortly. GREAT video Michael /Dan KL1JP (Alaska).
I've left my WRC set up all winter in the back yard, it has good weather resistance as long as you use some antioxidant on the screw connections. I did talk to the WRC guys during a hamfest meetup about a 160m version. They feel it would be very compromised and the bandwidth would be paper thin. But I have heard of people experimenting with it on that band, so if you are up to the challenge . . .
Very informative! I like the looks of the Wolf River Coil operation. My wife and I purchased a teardrop camper this late summer and I am looking into what I may need to operate from a campsite.
Any number of my POTA ham radio camping videos should give you a good idea of how we travel with our teardrop trailer and put the parks on the air. Here's one recent video where I use the Wolf River coil at the campsite: ruclips.net/video/5FVEGMGLVuk/видео.html
Usually ground mounted radials don’t need to be tuned by band. Raised radials do. The quantity can affect it but usually not length. I always use 3 at 33’ for all bands and get an acceptable match.
I know that's a popular thought and the way it should be, but I've also run into a 'brick wall' while adjusting for a good tune on the higher bands and often shortening the radials drops the SWR right down. There are a lot of variables at play and I wonder if ground conductivity plays a role in radial performance.
@@KB9VBRAntennas It seems like the coil and whip determine the resonant frequency and then the radials and RF ground establish the input impedence. Over poor ground, the radial (length) almost acts like an off center fed dipole for impedence matching. 🤔
I think thats a pretty fair assessment and good explanation of what's happening. Next time I go out, I'll have to take some snapshots as I tune the antenna to see how the Z and X change with radial adjustment.
Another great video, I just purchase a Wolf River Coil ( same model as you ) and the best I could get was 1.8 . After watching your video I was able to get it below 1.5 across the band ! Thank you Michael you saved the day LOL .
Excellent video once again you have a knack for explaining things in a simplistic way that makes it enjoyable. I have a friend who just purchased a coil and we plan to do our first POTA soon. Great video thank you!
Hi Michael, Very informative video on the WRC, especially how you roll up the radials for the different bands. Hi to Christine and you both stay safe. 73 WJ3U
Greetings, honestly bought a WRC antenna because of you and activated my first POTA with it! POTA HI-0038. Anywho, i know its not necessary but makes life easier is using a NanoVNA for tuning before going on the air, got mine 1.5:1 on 20M and 1.3 on 40M, and contacts as far as Estonia on 50W! I'm hyped and hope to catch you on the waves someday. 73's de HI8MSB
I just received the WRC sb 1000 platinum w mega tripod and 102”whip. I tried it on 20m today and couldn’t get swr below 4.9. I had the radials it came with all the way extended. And whip fully extended
Not to detract at all from Michael's great video, but I found this one almost foolproof for setting up my WRC... ruclips.net/video/g1jg6zecJ48/видео.htmlsi=IHaxCRfXNaVBP7Z9
Thanks for the video. Got one of these to eventually test as a QRP portable set-up I plan on doing in the future, and it looks like it was a decent choice.
I have wondered how well the wolf river coils work and what the effort is to be operational. Great video Michael. I keep eyeing that thumb switch. I have been debating if I need to modify or at least take my Heil foot switch out for an activation. We shall see. 73.
Love your videos. I’m a new ham ..passed tech/general in April. Just about have hf gear but have not been on air on my own kit as yet. Hoa space constraints but just wanting to get portable kit operational for summer camping season. Having a heck of a time just formulating equipment list for mobile/camp vertical. The list you posted with this video is close (ch antenna, silver bullet etc). It’s the little details that are holding me up … what connectors do I need, what to use for counterpoise, tripod, etc, etc. I m in Alaska so equipment takes time to order and ship. My 7300 and power supply arrived while tuner and analyzer are on order. Thanks for your quality videos. KL5SO
Another great video Mike. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Recently purchased parts/pieces to assemble my rig. Hoping to be on the air soon as V7/WV7MS.
Hey Michael. I have the same whip and coil. The whip is resonant across the 20m band without the coil when fully extended (and with plenty of radials). Maybe a quicker tune on 20m would be to just remove the coil. Thanks for all of your great videos.
Previously I would usually start at 40 meters and work my way upwards. But with the progressively better upper band propagation, i'm beginning to work from the top down, so I'll try things out with the whip only.
Hi Michael.. I just finished a trip to CA/OR/WA. I activated about 60 or so, new to me , parks. One must be similar to your Ice Age Trail.. The one here in MT, ID and OR probably happened at the same time.. The one out here is called the Ice Age Flood NGT. This flood had huge boulders encapsulated in ice and dropped them on top of some pretty high hills. They are called Erratic Rocks and can be found all over the area where the flood happened. WA7WS
The Ice Age Flood trail is similar to the Ice Age trail in that these events happened in the same era. The Ice trail marks the extent of glaciation in Wisconsin while the Flood trail is the remnants of the catastrophic flood that happened with the glacial meltoff. The Ice Age trail is littered with erratics and its one way to mark its location, in addition to moraines and glacial till.
I just use the MFJ 1979 (same as the Chameleon SS-17) and the WRC tripod (with no WRC coil) for 20m - 6m. I almost never do 40m or 80m so it works well. Radials 3x 33 ft and 9x 8ft total and VSWR less than 1:1.30
Previously when I did an activation, I would start at 40m and work my way up, so I'd leave the coil in place. Now with propagation getting better for the upper bands, I'm considering working from the top down and only using the coil for the 40 meter band. You may see more videos like that in the future.
Great video I just ordered the original SB 1000 I also have one of those chameleon whips and will be mounting with my tripod from my super antenna with radials always fun to experiment thanks for sharing KC3SCV
Michael another great & informative video. I'm assembling a POTA station and wondering what the "H" shaped device is that you wrap the radials around for storage. Thanks, Richard N9XI
I found out a couple of helpful tips. Some were from owners and some were my doing. Lose the 33 foot radials. I use 6 each of 24 feet and it tunes waaay easier. Also, if you have rocky soil or there are boulders around raise it 3 to 5 feet off the ground. Don’t use short coax. Use at least 50 or 75 feet.
Thanks for the video! I have the same antenna and for some reason on 10m I can't get it tuned in at all.. pertty frustating. Not sure if it's my coil or something else going on there. I tried adjusting the radials with no luck.
It can be, but there are also things you can do to make retunes easier; like marking spots on the whip and coil so you can return to those points quickly. I've found that whenever I set up in a new place there is always a bit of tinkering involved due to what's interacting with it in the environment.
Based on your video, I just tried a feather flag cross base for my WRC antenna. Holy cow - that is a game changer. Super fast setup and very stable. You should do a video on your various antenna mounts and ground radials. I know you have done this before, but a refresh would be really nice.
I use the Heil BM-17 dual headset. It has connectors for the FT-891. I did a video on it recently: ruclips.net/video/qB1z2g8m090/видео.html. The PTT is a home built hand switch that was also highlighted in a video last year.
My method is a little over the top because I need clean audio for the video, but briefly, I am using the Rode Wireless Go 2 lavalier set. This allows me to record two channels of audio. One unit is plugged into the audio out jack in the back of transceiver and the other unit is clipped to me for my voice. The receiver on the camera puts the two channels into right and left stereo for the video. When I edit, I mix the two channels together and adjust the levels for good sound. I'll do a video on the process for those more interested in it.
@@KB9VBRAntennas This works out great! The audio of your QSOs is really good. I was wondering because I am moving into satellite communications, and I hoped to pick up some tips from you. Not sure I will go to the lengths you go to for excellent recordings, though. Thanks!
As always, I enjoy the videos you produce particularly on the Wolf Rive Coil which I have recently purchased. The question I have, is in regards to what you transport your TIA Mini/SB1000 in?
I have a 5 gallon Husky tote that I carry my antenna gear in and also use a longer photographic tripod bag for the items that won't fit in the tote. Here's my full antenna kit: ruclips.net/video/TvT03Ty86a0/видео.html
Hey Michael- thanks for all the informative videos- I am trying to decide between the WRC and the Gabil - I need information on 80 meter performance in addition to what you have provided for 40 and up for a comparison between the two products. Any chance you have tried either or both on 80? thanks- Fred K4AFV.
I don't have any personal experience with the Gabil antenna, I may have to pick one up and test it out. But I can comment from my experience running 80 meters on a vertical like the Wolf River Coil. The two biggest issues when it comes to 80 meters with a vertical antenna is bandwidth and efficiency. With the WRC, your bandwidth is pretty tight, usually around 50-60 KHz. The determining factor on that is the diameter of the coil, narrower coils will have a higher Q and less bandwidth. To get the most bandwidth out of an 80 meter vertical, look for one that has the widest diameter coil. The 2nd issue is efficiency. The more coil you use, the less efficient the antenna will be. More power will be spent warming the coil section than radiating from the whip. In order to combat this, you will want the longest whip possible so you can use the least amount of coil. I've used my Silver Bullet 1000 on 80 meters with both an 102 inch rigid whip and the 213 inch collapsible whip. The performance is much better with the longer whip. 80 meter portable operating can be a challenge. Unless you are in the winter months, the bands can be quite noisy and the antennas are quite long. I usually only run the data modes on 80m in the summer months, but by late October the band settles down enough to enjoy 80 meter phone at night. I hope this gives you some help in making a decision.
Another great video sir - thank you for all the work you do on these VERY helpful videos! One question - what Rig Expert antenna analyzer do you use? Thought I heard 630 but doesn't appear to be such a creature ... old ears aren't always reliable these days :) Again appreciate the effort you put into your tutorials. I've learned a lot.
Thank you. I've had a few Rigexpert analyzers. For portable operations I use the Stick 230 that I purchased. I also had an AA-600 that I purchased a few years ago. When Rigexpert sent me their AA-2000 to review, I gifted the AA-600 to Joe.
I don't believe so. I use 14ga stranded THHN wire because it's readily available and relatively inexpensive. At least it used to be. I bought 500 feet a couple years for antenna prototyping, so I have plenty of it to experiment with. But I think a lighter gauge wire will work just fine.
That's a good question. From a setup standpoint, ground radials are faster and work quite well. I believe the advantage of an elevated radials is it's independence from ground conductivity effects. If you have poor ground, the elevated radial may be worth the effort. Maybe when it gets warmer, I can test that hypothesis.
Great video. I was recently gifted a Super Antenna which works similarly to the Wolf River. I made a set of radials for it today and hope to test it out tomorrow then get it out to a park soon. Thank you for putting our QSO on this video I'll have to send you a QSL card. 73 Wes AE0OC
The super antenna operates in a similar manner, it should work well for you. Thanks for the contact, I do return QSL so I'll be looking forward to your card.
Good video. I have the same setup and was thinking about mimicking the radials like on the DX Commander, instead of three 33’ radials that you have to mess with, what are your thoughts on maybe more but much shorter radials? I’m interested to hear your opinion on that.
I've read in the WRC groups about people using bundles and more, shorter radials. It seems to work well for them. I've stayed with the simplicity of three but will have to try out that method.
@@KB9VBRAntennas I have a 1000’ foot roll of 18ga wire someone gave me, I think I’m going to try and make three bundles of 10 at about 10 feet long with clips like you have on my next time out. My hope is they deploy easily and aren’t all knotted up! We’ll see. I’ll report back on here after I try it. Might be a week or two before I can get out again.
Do you ever add an in-line choke to your setup. If so, where do you place it. At the antenna or at the rig. Going back and forth as to if it is really needed
My long coax has an integrated choke, but I don't think it's necessary for the Wolf River Coil as that type of antenna typically doesn't pass common mode currents down the feed line. Any choke would be placed near the feed point of the antenna for maximum effect.
The Wolf River TIA's assemblies have a better price point than the Big Kansas Coil set up. Is it worth the extra $$$ for the BKC or is the performance a toss up and you buy what you can afford to cry once over?
I think on a pure value standpoint, the Wolf River is going to win. The end result in using these coils is going to be quite similar. I think the Big Kansas Coil elevates the fit and finish and the legs are a little bit more thought out than the WRC package. Because the BKC is a little wider in diameter, you get slightly more bandwidth on 40 and 80 meters. Otherwise the decision on which would be a personal choice.
Correct. The nice thing about the ground screen is that you don't have to fiddle around with radial lengths to get a good match. Just adjust the whip length and/or the amount of coil used.
Thank you for the informative video. I really like this antenna. My first portable antenna was a homemade speaker wire dipole for 20m. The wolf river was my upgrade and it has done its job well. The only change I have made is on the radials. I will need to look at that longer whip maybe that will be my next upgrade! 73 KN4QHQ.
It does, and ground conductivity is one of the variables in getting a good match. I often will stretch the radials out to what I think is a good distance, adjust the whip and collar to the lowest SWR that I can (which in some instances may only be 2:1), and then adjust the radials to get that final good match.
It's a good option to have in your bag, but for 14 MHz and higher I'm not a fan of that "fiddly" tapped coil and variable telescopic whip lengths, etc... I think single band Shark sticks are faster to setup and teardown, simpler to change bands, and will get comparable results. Just my opinion. 🙂
Just a friendly FYI, the Wolf River coil doesn't use any traps or capacitor matching. Just think of it as the variable inductor inside a manual antenna tuner, except in this case it's not being combined with a capacitor to match the impedance to your radio. When you have under a 1.5:1 SWR on a WRC, your antenna is more or less perfectly tuned for the frequency you're using, no impedance matching or anything. In other words all of the power you are putting out of your radio, minus the coax losses will be making it to the antenna. I love my Silver bullet 1000, and have not yet experienced any melting or deforming due to high power. I typically run 40 watts of digital / 100w SSB, and could get away with much more on 20 meters and above because I have center loaded my coil and I'm barely using any of it for the higher bands. However above 40 meters be mindful of your coil temperature, my coil nearly reached melting temperature when I was running a hundred watts of WinLink on 80 meters.
One advantage of the WRC is that it gives you a higher Q or quality factor compared to the sticks. I will totally agree on the faster setup and teardown of the shark sticks. I'll have to do an A/B comparison of the two antennas.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Yes, a performance comparison between those 2 would be revealing. From 14 MHz and up, those vertical Shark sticks are amazingly effective. Plenty of bandwidth too. When an Italian station responds to your SSB "CQ" you know it must be working. 🤣
If you are hearing a buzzsaw noise, that may be manmade or electrical interference. But noise on 40 meters has been slowly increasing. Part of that is the seasonal atmospheric change, but the increasing solar activity also plays a big a part.
I've worked Western Europe: Great Britain, Spain, and Belgium, to name a few, with this antenna. All 50 watts SSB. I'm sure with proper timing and band choice you could work the world with the WRC.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Thanx for the detailed reply, that's really impressive with this setup with only 3 Radials and 50w SSB......i have a superantenna with 10ft buddistick, I haven't used it yet properly but after watching your video definitely going to give it a try and most probably I ll be using CW.....anyways keep the videos coming and once again TNX for the early reply 👍 73s
I'm slowly rebranding my how to videos (Ham Radio Q&A) and my outdoor ones (Ham Radio Outdoors), they will be on the same channel, but with different logos. I just don't have all the assets and graphics done yet.
Do the radials need to be tuned? I was under the assumption that if they were at least 1/4 they would be ok. But longer would be better? Second, should the coil be as close to ground as possible for takeoff angle. Or would raising the coil/antenna be better? I tried both and saw no difference in my testing.
Radials laying on the ground don't need to be tune, but I've found that length still does have an effect- especially if you are using a small number of radials. If the radials are elevated, they do need to be tuned to the frequency to be effective. I believe keeping the coil as low to the ground as possible is supposed to give you the best, or lowest, take off angle.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Fantastic! Thanks for the quick reply and all your informative videos. You,Josh and the Dec 10m contest are the reasons I upgraded to General last month! Getting my POTA setup ready to test-run during Winter Field Day. 73s!
When I first got my WRC, I felt the same way too. I was often frustrated in changing bands and not getting a good match. The more I used it and understood its characteristics, the easier it has become to use.
I've modified mine a bit. I've swapped out the standard whip with a foldable whip, I got off Amazon, that's a bit longer and doesn't run the risk of jamming or breaking. I've also marked off my radials off for the various bands. I have additional, marked radials if needed. It does work really well
Good tip re the radials. 👍
I've used the Chameleon mil-whip and mil-extension with the WRC. When you combine both the mil-whip and extension, the collar is almost to the top of the coil for the 40m. Makes for a powerhouse antenna on that band.
I'm thinking of using Slinkies and tent pegs for ground radials. Simply because they will always pack themselves back up in neat coils!
Tape Measures work well.
@@PropterH0C Good tip. 👍
I might have to try the slinkies. That may make a fun video.
I own 2 Silver Bullet 1000 and two TIA's. I find the antenna absolutely impressive and pretty weather proof - even here in Alaska where I've left it outside all winter. I spent about a full month experimenting with the number of radials required for each band and Yes... you are correct. 3 radials works good on all the bands. 4 radials is better but not by that much and 5 radials etc... I've made almost 3,000 contacts using the Wolf River systm. Nice to see they manufactured a Hi-powered Platinum version. I would love to have a 160m version. They had suggested but..... AND, thanks for the tip on the Chameleon antenna. i'll definitely order one shortly. GREAT video Michael /Dan KL1JP (Alaska).
I've left my WRC set up all winter in the back yard, it has good weather resistance as long as you use some antioxidant on the screw connections. I did talk to the WRC guys during a hamfest meetup about a 160m version. They feel it would be very compromised and the bandwidth would be paper thin. But I have heard of people experimenting with it on that band, so if you are up to the challenge . . .
Very informative! I like the looks of the Wolf River Coil operation. My wife and I purchased a teardrop camper this late summer and I am looking into what I may need to operate from a campsite.
Any number of my POTA ham radio camping videos should give you a good idea of how we travel with our teardrop trailer and put the parks on the air. Here's one recent video where I use the Wolf River coil at the campsite: ruclips.net/video/5FVEGMGLVuk/видео.html
Usually ground mounted radials don’t need to be tuned by band. Raised radials do. The quantity can affect it but usually not length. I always use 3 at 33’ for all bands and get an acceptable match.
I know that's a popular thought and the way it should be, but I've also run into a 'brick wall' while adjusting for a good tune on the higher bands and often shortening the radials drops the SWR right down. There are a lot of variables at play and I wonder if ground conductivity plays a role in radial performance.
@@KB9VBRAntennas It seems like the coil and whip determine the resonant frequency and then the radials and RF ground establish the input impedence. Over poor ground, the radial (length) almost acts like an off center fed dipole for impedence matching. 🤔
I think thats a pretty fair assessment and good explanation of what's happening. Next time I go out, I'll have to take some snapshots as I tune the antenna to see how the Z and X change with radial adjustment.
Another great video, I just purchase a Wolf River Coil ( same model as you ) and the best I could get was 1.8 . After watching your video I was able to get it below 1.5 across the band ! Thank you Michael you saved the day LOL .
Michael thanks for the amazing j-pole antenna really well made
Excellent video once again you have a knack for explaining things in a simplistic way that makes it enjoyable. I have a friend who just purchased a coil and we plan to do our first POTA soon. Great video thank you!
Great! I hope to hear you on the air.
@@KB9VBRAntennas yes that would be great to have a qso with you, KI5DAY
Love my WRC! Works really well. Worth the money IMHO. I enjoy your videos.
I use one of those "jaws clamps" also with my mfj 1979 and it allows me to mount the antenna almost anywhere. I also have the smaller WR coil.
If you're operating between 6 and 20 meters i strongly recommend taking off the coil to prevent loss. The more parts the more loss.
Hey, I made one of your videos. It’s nice hear what I sound like. Thanks for the videos, you helped motivate me to get on the air.
I'm glad that we made the contact.
Hi Michael,
Very informative video on the WRC, especially how you roll up the radials for the different bands. Hi to Christine and you both stay safe. 73 WJ3U
Greetings, honestly bought a WRC antenna because of you and activated my first POTA with it! POTA HI-0038. Anywho, i know its not necessary but makes life easier is using a NanoVNA for tuning before going on the air, got mine 1.5:1 on 20M and 1.3 on 40M, and contacts as far as Estonia on 50W! I'm hyped and hope to catch you on the waves someday. 73's de HI8MSB
I just received the WRC sb 1000 platinum w mega tripod and 102”whip. I tried it on 20m today and couldn’t get swr below 4.9. I had the radials it came with all the way extended. And whip fully extended
Not to detract at all from Michael's great video, but I found this one almost foolproof for setting up my WRC...
ruclips.net/video/g1jg6zecJ48/видео.htmlsi=IHaxCRfXNaVBP7Z9
Thanks for the video. Got one of these to eventually test as a QRP portable set-up I plan on doing in the future, and it looks like it was a decent choice.
I have wondered how well the wolf river coils work and what the effort is to be operational. Great video Michael. I keep eyeing that thumb switch. I have been debating if I need to modify or at least take my Heil foot switch out for an activation. We shall see. 73.
Love your videos. I’m a new ham ..passed tech/general in April. Just about have hf gear but have not been on air on my own kit as yet. Hoa space constraints but just wanting to get portable kit operational for summer camping season. Having a heck of a time just formulating equipment list for mobile/camp vertical. The list you posted with this video is close (ch antenna, silver bullet etc). It’s the little details that are holding me up … what connectors do I need, what to use for counterpoise, tripod, etc, etc. I m in Alaska so equipment takes time to order and ship. My 7300 and power supply arrived while tuner and analyzer are on order. Thanks for your quality videos. KL5SO
Great video Michael. Thanks! 👍
This video was awesome. I am now looking into getting the Wolf River Coil antenna. But I am curious as the make and model of your headset. Thanks
Great presentation thank you/
Another great video Mike. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Recently purchased parts/pieces to assemble my rig. Hoping to be on the air soon as V7/WV7MS.
Hey Michael. I have the same whip and coil. The whip is resonant across the 20m band without the coil when fully extended (and with plenty of radials). Maybe a quicker tune on 20m would be to just remove the coil. Thanks for all of your great videos.
Previously I would usually start at 40 meters and work my way upwards. But with the progressively better upper band propagation, i'm beginning to work from the top down, so I'll try things out with the whip only.
Hi Michael.. I just finished a trip to CA/OR/WA. I activated about 60 or so, new to me , parks. One must be similar to your Ice Age Trail.. The one here in MT, ID and OR probably happened at the same time.. The one out here is called the Ice Age Flood NGT. This flood had huge boulders encapsulated in ice and dropped them on top of some pretty high hills. They are called Erratic Rocks and can be found all over the area where the flood happened.
WA7WS
The Ice Age Flood trail is similar to the Ice Age trail in that these events happened in the same era. The Ice trail marks the extent of glaciation in Wisconsin while the Flood trail is the remnants of the catastrophic flood that happened with the glacial meltoff. The Ice Age trail is littered with erratics and its one way to mark its location, in addition to moraines and glacial till.
I just use the MFJ 1979 (same as the Chameleon SS-17) and the WRC tripod (with no WRC coil) for 20m - 6m. I almost never do 40m or 80m so it works well. Radials 3x 33 ft and 9x 8ft total and VSWR less than 1:1.30
Previously when I did an activation, I would start at 40m and work my way up, so I'd leave the coil in place. Now with propagation getting better for the upper bands, I'm considering working from the top down and only using the coil for the 40 meter band. You may see more videos like that in the future.
Great video I just ordered the original SB 1000 I also have one of those chameleon whips and will be mounting with my tripod from my super antenna with radials always fun to experiment thanks for sharing
KC3SCV
These vertical antenna systems make it easy to mix and match parts to create the best hybrid that meets your needs.
Michael another great & informative video. I'm assembling a POTA station and wondering what the "H" shaped device is that you wrap the radials around for storage. Thanks, Richard N9XI
Those are kite line winders.
Thank you, Michael@@KB9VBRAntennas
I found out a couple of helpful tips. Some were from owners and some were my doing.
Lose the 33 foot radials. I use 6 each of 24 feet and it tunes waaay easier.
Also, if you have rocky soil or there are boulders around raise it 3 to 5 feet off the ground.
Don’t use short coax. Use at least 50 or 75 feet.
Hi Doug. I also have a WRC too. What can be done if I can get low SWR of 1.3 but only in a narrow range of a band (40m)?
Thanks for the video! I have the same antenna and for some reason on 10m I can't get it tuned in at all.. pertty frustating. Not sure if it's my coil or something else going on there. I tried adjusting the radials with no luck.
Thanks for the video. Tuning the antenna for different bands seems like it can be a bit finicky.
It can be, but there are also things you can do to make retunes easier; like marking spots on the whip and coil so you can return to those points quickly. I've found that whenever I set up in a new place there is always a bit of tinkering involved due to what's interacting with it in the environment.
Mike, love your video’s! Was wondering what model is your Heil headset?
Ice Age Activation, how cool is that? Me likey!
Great video, sorry if I missed it, how long are your radials?
Based on your video, I just tried a feather flag cross base for my WRC antenna. Holy cow - that is a game changer. Super fast setup and very stable. You should do a video on your various antenna mounts and ground radials. I know you have done this before, but a refresh would be really nice.
What is a feather flag cross base?
They are heavy metal bases that are used for advertising flags seen in front of businesses. This is the base I'm using in the video: amzn.to/3vN23w8
@@KB9VBRAntennas thanks Michael.
Well done! Thank you for the history and tutorial. Cheers* K4PMO
Thanks for another great video!
What are you using to connect the headset and PTT to the 891?
I use the Heil BM-17 dual headset. It has connectors for the FT-891. I did a video on it recently: ruclips.net/video/qB1z2g8m090/видео.html. The PTT is a home built hand switch that was also highlighted in a video last year.
I am a great fan of your RUclips channel.
How are you recording your QSOs?
My method is a little over the top because I need clean audio for the video, but briefly, I am using the Rode Wireless Go 2 lavalier set. This allows me to record two channels of audio. One unit is plugged into the audio out jack in the back of transceiver and the other unit is clipped to me for my voice. The receiver on the camera puts the two channels into right and left stereo for the video. When I edit, I mix the two channels together and adjust the levels for good sound. I'll do a video on the process for those more interested in it.
@@KB9VBRAntennas This works out great! The audio of your QSOs is really good. I was wondering because I am moving into satellite communications, and I hoped to pick up some tips from you. Not sure I will go to the lengths you go to for excellent recordings, though. Thanks!
As always, I enjoy the videos you produce particularly on the Wolf Rive Coil which I have recently purchased. The question I have, is in regards to what you transport your TIA Mini/SB1000 in?
I have a 5 gallon Husky tote that I carry my antenna gear in and also use a longer photographic tripod bag for the items that won't fit in the tote. Here's my full antenna kit: ruclips.net/video/TvT03Ty86a0/видео.html
Love your content! Hope to work you on the air someday! - 73, Chris de AC3Q
Hey Michael- thanks for all the informative videos- I am trying to decide between the WRC and the Gabil - I need information on 80 meter performance in addition to what you have provided for 40 and up for a comparison between the two products. Any chance you have tried either or both on 80? thanks- Fred K4AFV.
I don't have any personal experience with the Gabil antenna, I may have to pick one up and test it out. But I can comment from my experience running 80 meters on a vertical like the Wolf River Coil. The two biggest issues when it comes to 80 meters with a vertical antenna is bandwidth and efficiency. With the WRC, your bandwidth is pretty tight, usually around 50-60 KHz. The determining factor on that is the diameter of the coil, narrower coils will have a higher Q and less bandwidth. To get the most bandwidth out of an 80 meter vertical, look for one that has the widest diameter coil.
The 2nd issue is efficiency. The more coil you use, the less efficient the antenna will be. More power will be spent warming the coil section than radiating from the whip. In order to combat this, you will want the longest whip possible so you can use the least amount of coil. I've used my Silver Bullet 1000 on 80 meters with both an 102 inch rigid whip and the 213 inch collapsible whip. The performance is much better with the longer whip.
80 meter portable operating can be a challenge. Unless you are in the winter months, the bands can be quite noisy and the antennas are quite long. I usually only run the data modes on 80m in the summer months, but by late October the band settles down enough to enjoy 80 meter phone at night. I hope this gives you some help in making a decision.
Michael, do you use any ferrite beads on your antenna feed cable? If yes, do you use them on the antenna end or the radio end, and why?
Thank you sir 🥰 👍
Another great video sir - thank you for all the work you do on these VERY helpful videos! One question - what Rig Expert antenna analyzer do you use? Thought I heard 630 but doesn't appear to be such a creature ... old ears aren't always reliable these days :) Again appreciate the effort you put into your tutorials. I've learned a lot.
Thank you. I've had a few Rigexpert analyzers. For portable operations I use the Stick 230 that I purchased. I also had an AA-600 that I purchased a few years ago. When Rigexpert sent me their AA-2000 to review, I gifted the AA-600 to Joe.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Thank you sir 🙃
I have the exact same setup, can’t seem to get the SWR below 3.
Thanks for the great video. Do you think the gauge of wire for the radials makes any difference?
I don't believe so. I use 14ga stranded THHN wire because it's readily available and relatively inexpensive. At least it used to be. I bought 500 feet a couple years for antenna prototyping, so I have plenty of it to experiment with. But I think a lighter gauge wire will work just fine.
Thanks for all your work
What hand switch are you using?
It's a home brew switch I put together out of junk box parts. I have a video here: ruclips.net/video/b5Wu8BlrSF0/видео.html
@@KB9VBRAntennas thanks
Michael, what are the parts you are using to attach the antenna to the clamp -- any particular SO-239 configuration or 3/8 x 24 adapter? Thanks. K3SLH
4 to 6 15ft counterpoise works well for me
I have the Take It Along version of the Wolf River Coil antenna and love it. Thanks for the video.
de W5KAL
is 2m good were u are its good in Australia hope i catch u 1 day onair
I know elevating the coil a bit is supposed to help, but is it worth the effort?
That's a good question. From a setup standpoint, ground radials are faster and work quite well. I believe the advantage of an elevated radials is it's independence from ground conductivity effects. If you have poor ground, the elevated radial may be worth the effort. Maybe when it gets warmer, I can test that hypothesis.
Great video. I was recently gifted a Super Antenna which works similarly to the Wolf River. I made a set of radials for it today and hope to test it out tomorrow then get it out to a park soon. Thank you for putting our QSO on this video I'll have to send you a QSL card.
73 Wes AE0OC
The super antenna operates in a similar manner, it should work well for you. Thanks for the contact, I do return QSL so I'll be looking forward to your card.
Good video. I have the same setup and was thinking about mimicking the radials like on the DX Commander, instead of three 33’ radials that you have to mess with, what are your thoughts on maybe more but much shorter radials? I’m interested to hear your opinion on that.
I've read in the WRC groups about people using bundles and more, shorter radials. It seems to work well for them. I've stayed with the simplicity of three but will have to try out that method.
@@KB9VBRAntennas I have a 1000’ foot roll of 18ga wire someone gave me, I think I’m going to try and make three bundles of 10 at about 10 feet long with clips like you have on my next time out. My hope is they deploy easily and aren’t all knotted up! We’ll see. I’ll report back on here after I try it. Might be a week or two before I can get out again.
Do you have a video that shows how you record your QSOs. Is the audio from the go pro or are you pumping that audio to the computer or headset? thx
I've got a video that explains how I'm recording the audio while using the headset: ruclips.net/video/tOqzZPphE7k/видео.html
Do you ever add an in-line choke to your setup. If so, where do you place it. At the antenna or at the rig. Going back and forth as to if it is really needed
My long coax has an integrated choke, but I don't think it's necessary for the Wolf River Coil as that type of antenna typically doesn't pass common mode currents down the feed line. Any choke would be placed near the feed point of the antenna for maximum effect.
The Wolf River TIA's assemblies have a better price point than the Big Kansas Coil set up. Is it worth the extra $$$ for the BKC or is the performance a toss up and you buy what you can afford to cry once over?
I think on a pure value standpoint, the Wolf River is going to win. The end result in using these coils is going to be quite similar. I think the Big Kansas Coil elevates the fit and finish and the legs are a little bit more thought out than the WRC package. Because the BKC is a little wider in diameter, you get slightly more bandwidth on 40 and 80 meters. Otherwise the decision on which would be a personal choice.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Thanks for that thoughtful reply. How about using the "magic carpet" with these coils? Better, okay, not so hot??
I didn't make the cut for the video but I had the pleasure of being one of your 20m contacts. 🙂 U-rah-rah
I'm glad you finally made the cut. Thanks again for the contact.
KK7SWB- Hi Michael- i have a Sota Special and have been trying to figure out how far down i need to move the collar for 40m- any thoughts? TY
When using the magic carpet (Faraday cloth), I shouldn't have to do any adjusting other than band change, right?
Correct. The nice thing about the ground screen is that you don't have to fiddle around with radial lengths to get a good match. Just adjust the whip length and/or the amount of coil used.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Good deal. Thanks Michael!
Thank you for the informative video. I really like this antenna. My first portable antenna was a homemade speaker wire dipole for 20m. The wolf river was my upgrade and it has done its job well. The only change I have made is on the radials. I will need to look at that longer whip maybe that will be my next upgrade! 73 KN4QHQ.
Do you have a link for the flag pole base you use?
It's a weighted base for a tear drop or feather flag, commonly seen outside of businesses. amzn.to/3qn8cNj
Would having the radials running over concrete vs soil/grass affect the SWR?
It does, and ground conductivity is one of the variables in getting a good match. I often will stretch the radials out to what I think is a good distance, adjust the whip and collar to the lowest SWR that I can (which in some instances may only be 2:1), and then adjust the radials to get that final good match.
It's a good option to have in your bag, but for 14 MHz and higher I'm not a fan of that "fiddly" tapped coil and variable telescopic whip lengths, etc... I think single band Shark sticks are faster to setup and teardown, simpler to change bands, and will get comparable results. Just my opinion. 🙂
Just a friendly FYI, the Wolf River coil doesn't use any traps or capacitor matching. Just think of it as the variable inductor inside a manual antenna tuner, except in this case it's not being combined with a capacitor to match the impedance to your radio. When you have under a 1.5:1 SWR on a WRC, your antenna is more or less perfectly tuned for the frequency you're using, no impedance matching or anything. In other words all of the power you are putting out of your radio, minus the coax losses will be making it to the antenna.
I love my Silver bullet 1000, and have not yet experienced any melting or deforming due to high power. I typically run 40 watts of digital / 100w SSB, and could get away with much more on 20 meters and above because I have center loaded my coil and I'm barely using any of it for the higher bands. However above 40 meters be mindful of your coil temperature, my coil nearly reached melting temperature when I was running a hundred watts of WinLink on 80 meters.
One advantage of the WRC is that it gives you a higher Q or quality factor compared to the sticks. I will totally agree on the faster setup and teardown of the shark sticks. I'll have to do an A/B comparison of the two antennas.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Yes, a performance comparison between those 2 would be revealing. From 14 MHz and up, those vertical Shark sticks are amazingly effective. Plenty of bandwidth too. When an Italian station responds to your SSB "CQ" you know it must be working. 🤣
How do I get notified when you or someone else is doing a pota activity ?
There's a popular app called Hamalert that's supposed to send you a message when a certain callsign shows up on the spotter networks.
Can you tell me about the headphone/mic setup you use?
It's the Heil BM-17 dual headset. I enjoy using it and did a review on my setup last year: ruclips.net/video/qB1z2g8m090/видео.html
@@KB9VBRAntennas THANKS so much! 73
So I take it 40 meters has been loud for everyone, not just me? Finally tuned my base antenna better for it, and it is just a nonstop "buzzsaw".
If you are hearing a buzzsaw noise, that may be manmade or electrical interference. But noise on 40 meters has been slowly increasing. Part of that is the seasonal atmospheric change, but the increasing solar activity also plays a big a part.
Great activation along the Ice Age Trail, Michael! 73 de Jeff K3JRZ
Thanks. I even had a couple of dogs to upstage me.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Saw that in the intro!
What's the max DX you have achieved with this configuration? TNX 73s
I've worked Western Europe: Great Britain, Spain, and Belgium, to name a few, with this antenna. All 50 watts SSB. I'm sure with proper timing and band choice you could work the world with the WRC.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Thanx for the detailed reply, that's really impressive with this setup with only 3 Radials and 50w SSB......i have a superantenna with 10ft buddistick, I haven't used it yet properly but after watching your video definitely going to give it a try and most probably I ll be using CW.....anyways keep the videos coming and once again TNX for the early reply 👍 73s
I have 50 of M&P POTA Flex 7 with reel on order. I think M&P has to come back from vacation or something.
Nice.......................
Michael you said Ham Radio outdoors but you havent changed your name?
I'm slowly rebranding my how to videos (Ham Radio Q&A) and my outdoor ones (Ham Radio Outdoors), they will be on the same channel, but with different logos. I just don't have all the assets and graphics done yet.
Do the radials need to be tuned? I was under the assumption that if they were at least 1/4 they would be ok. But longer would be better?
Second, should the coil be as close to ground as possible for takeoff angle. Or would raising the coil/antenna be better? I tried both and saw no difference in my testing.
Radials laying on the ground don't need to be tune, but I've found that length still does have an effect- especially if you are using a small number of radials. If the radials are elevated, they do need to be tuned to the frequency to be effective.
I believe keeping the coil as low to the ground as possible is supposed to give you the best, or lowest, take off angle.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Fantastic! Thanks for the quick reply and all your informative videos. You,Josh and the Dec 10m contest are the reasons I upgraded to General last month! Getting my POTA setup ready to test-run during Winter Field Day. 73s!
I really wanted to like this antenna. It's just too much work and too inconsistent.
When I first got my WRC, I felt the same way too. I was often frustrated in changing bands and not getting a good match. The more I used it and understood its characteristics, the easier it has become to use.
@@KB9VBRAntennas meh. Too much work to blast myself with 100w of RF. My fillings can't take it, LOL.
Great video! Thanks for sharing your knowledge! KE8QPI
Kc9WVL THANKS!