Hi
I have KX2 and I am using HyEnd Company Endfed 40/20/15/10 antenna most of the time
73 Thomas F4HPX
Hi Scott, I built it using plans from N4LQ, Steve Ellington. He has a Facebook group here: End Fed Half Wave Antennas | Facebook and some nice videos on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/n4lq/featured. The FT240 is sized for 100 Watts but for the QRP version, I used a smaller FT114 core with #22 AWG wire which doesn’t seem to saturate until 25-50 Watts so I could probably even go smaller.
My QRP version with strain relief -
Plans:
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Fellow tree hugger here. I have a mental block about the name of what I use: I keep calling it embroidery thread but it’s UPHOLSTERY thread, cotton. It’s very light so I don’t think it could do any damage to a limb. The downside is that you either pull it very slowly or it breaks. I am still on the fence about whether getting the antenna end up this way is faster than the pole or not so I am at best a dabbler in this method.
FWIW there is also concern that reused antenna throwing line can be a vector for tree infestations. Michigan State Parks on the Air program specifically forbids hanging antennas in trees for this reason.
73,
Joe // N0MAP
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I have also built a number of wire antennas including a linked dipole. Here in the SE United States, the linked dipole is all but impossible to erect on summits because of the trees.
For a while I used the Sotabeams Bandskipper on the Sotabeams travel pole. It is a nice antenna that does a good job on my KX2. I still have it ready to use. However, I have gone to a resonant end-fed half wave connected to a 64:1 unun that I made. I take the 40m wire and counterpoise and usually work 40 and 20 well on it. For the small weight of the wires, I can take an assortment for whatever other bands I want to work. I actually cut a wire for 80m but I have not tried to deploy that monster yet. LOL
-Steve
W2SWA
Hi Steve (W2SWA),
Could you provide more details on the 64:1 unun and what lengths of counterpoise you use.
Counterpoises for resonant EFHW’s are usually 0.5 wavelengths but I’ve heard all kinds of lengths being used.
For the unun I’ve seen resonant tank circuits on the secondary and broadband transformers being used.
I am currently experimenting with a resonant tank circuit type as found in the SotaBeams Mountain Tuner but I’ve seen lots of designs for what I would call a broadband transformer like KJ4M has just posted.
Interested to understand what you are using…got any pics??
Thanks,
Paul VA6TTX
Sure, I have a buddy here locally (N1KDO) who has been using and liking this antenna setup with his KX3 for a while and has been encouraging me to give it a try. I finally built the unun pretty much exactly like he has on his website (link: https://www.n1kdo.com/baluns-ununs/index.html). It is the last thing on the page. I used a different case than he did, but it is pretty much the same otherwise. I made some small holes in the back of the case and looped a cable tie through it. Then I can velcro the cable tie to the pole, so it is not just hanging there. I dont have any pics of mine, but I will try to snap some next time I have it out.
The radiators are 0.5 wavelength and the counterpoise is 0.25 wavelength. The beauty of that is if you want to use the truly resonant wire for each band (and not have the tuner make up the difference) you can use/resuse wires as radiators and counterpoises. For example, the counterpoise for the 80m wire is the 40m radiator, the counterpoise for the 40m radiator can be used as the 20m radiator, and the 20m counterpoise can be the 10 radiator and so on. Same with 60/30/15. 17m and 12m are the only odd ducks that probably do best with their own set of wires. (I purposefully left out 6m since the KX2 doesnt have 6m :(. haha) So you can bring a whole “set” of wires out there and you will definitely have less than (# of bands)X2 sets of wires. Plus like I was saying before, the tuner can make up the difference as well. I did an activation a couple weeks ago, put the 40m set up, and did really well on both 40 and 20.
Hope that helps some.
-Steve
W2SWA
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Hi Steve.
Thanks for the response. You described your system very well so thanks for that.
I like the idea of using the wires for multiple purposes - that’s very creative and not something I would have though of!!
73,
Paul