Remember, trees contain water / sap so are resistive and so absorb rf very effectively.
Open spaces and fiberglass support poles have no losses and are therefore the best every time.
David
G0EVV
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Yes, and wet leaves are bad too as I found trying to do my very first 23cm activation at Wendover Woods trig point (G/CE-005) in a field surrounded by tall wet mature trees.
Having said that I have used a just-reachable branch on one of those trees to raise the far end of my 40/30/20 EFHW [with near end on 6m pole]. But who knows if it made any practical difference to stringing the far-end to a stake,
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Agreed David, but I don’t think setting up against a tree is as damaging to signal strengths on HF as most people make out, in terms of SOTA QSO rate when not specifically looking to attract DX QSOs.
That particular activation of ON/ON-009 on 10/06/2018 shows this to be the case:
KX2 with 8 watts to a resonant dipole at 5m fed with RG-178 on 20m and 40m (30m not tried), no ATU, no balun:
1042-1049z 20m 6 QSOs (EA/OH/SA4/9A/G0R/CT2)
1054-1114z 40m 16 QSOs (SP/DL/S5/G4/EA2/I/HB9/GI/ON
Total of 22 QSOs included 5 S2S QSOs
Impossible to say how many more I would have worked in that timeframe in an open area mounted situation but I took the lazy option… If I had had more time I would have used 30m, but the XYL was sat waiting for me and we had somewhere else to go on the holiday that day. This is a typical operation for me when I am able to use a tree for support when I can.
Note for Andy @G8CPZ - yes for sure on VHF and up this practice would be a very bad thing to do! I’ve never tried using an EFHW antenna I must confess.
73 Phil
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Useful for crowded summit, ‘pointy’ summit, surrounded by pesky trees, etc. My 40/30/20 EFHW is 19.2m (~21m with far-end support cord). I haven’t done A vs B comparisons with my linked dipoles but based on signal reports over the years, performance is not quite as good as the latter but perfectly acceptable unless you’re after exotic Dx. But good to have the choice of antennas for awkward summits.
Of course all this ‘mast vs. tree’ discussion is void when I choose to take my HF vertical, which has the smallest footprint and is slightly quicker to erect / take down than the wire antennas [but not good for 40m / 60m / 80m].
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Hello Alfonse,
I’ve done a couple hundred activations, averaging approximately 30 contacts per activation. My experience might be relevant as I’ve mostly operated Eastern U.S. (NH White Mountains, Catskills, Adirondacks, Virginia) and a bit in CO. I always carry:
- 11 Meter (okay, now 10 Meter) collapsible carbon fiber Tenkara style fishing pole for mast & straps
- 75 ft paracord in throw bag (for throwing from operating site)
- 75 ft arborist’s cord in bag, with weighted tennis ball (for throwing to operating site
Setting up the mast is almost always easier faster, and with a longer mast I can usually get my wire higher than I can with a tree (inaccurate and weak throwing arm. However, there are times when I can’t get the mast to work (high winds, no supports). Especially if there are nice, horizontal limbs inside my throwing range with no morass of smaller branches in the way, I’ll use a tree. I’ve suspected that the moisture/sap issue might have been the cause of certain band-tuning anomalies, but can’t say for sure, and yes, should start tracking what I’m using in my logs.
Other possible negatives for tree use:
- proximity of innocent bystanders (my throwing arm thing)
- proximity of children (occasional throwing embarrassments resulting in commentary using colorful vernacular)
- as mentioned elsewhere here, possibility of entanglements up in the tree
- when thick underbrush is present, entanglements on the ground
To summarize, realizing that I’m using a higher mast, my results have been better with the mast, but I carry throw bags as backup. Performance wise? Only times ZL1BYZ has chased me I was using the mast. I promise I’ll start logging my antenna info.
Cheers,
Paul - N1ZF
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Hi Paul, we may not be able to boast having some of the extreme weather one finds in other parts of the world, but in NW England and west of Scotland, where I mainly operate, we do frequently get strong winds.
After many laughable(?) solo attempts to put up a pole and linked dipole in howling winds, I’ve developed a technique - although not foolproof - which usually works.
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How to hang the EFHW inverted vee more than 12m up in a tree.
73 Chris
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Hello Chris, thanks for your video about your antenna. Very informative.
Cheers, Geoff vk3sq
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I threw things over a limb to obtain support exactly once. To answer your question, I have laid the wire on the ground and worked DX QRP. Almost no difference is with height IF one is on a peak. GL 73, Fred KT5X 900+ activations
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I can confirm that and it matches my experience.
Until recently, the weight was a metal nut that I could only throw a few feet. The antenna wire was mostly horizontal and yet DX connections on higher bands were regular. I couldn’t find any pronounced directivity either.
Like you, I suspect that the exposed location on a summit is the reason.
To find out more, I’m experimenting with a second vertical EFHW and switching back and forth between the two in the qso. So far there hasn’t been a clear winner.
73 Chris
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Use the pole and lean it against the tree for support. If needed, bungee pole to a limb. You don’t have to worry about snagging the wire in the tree. Additionally using a tree for support you can bungee to a sapling and have a clearer set up area for the wire. I use an EFHW in an inverted L configuration, fed at the bottom of the pole. Additionally, you can leave whatever weight you are using to throw the line at home.
Mike AD5A
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I am using always trees as support. Nearly all summits in the Bavarian Forest have some trees in the activation zone.
However my strategy always is to find a long and stable horizontal branch, where I throw the line across. This helps me to stay away from the tree trunk and ideally as well from other branches. Using a 7 m vertical I can erect the wire nearly vertical and stay away from branches at least some meters. Using the 14 m wire usually it ends in a 75 angle.
For the 20 m long EFHW I use the same tree position (horizontal branch as free as possible) , however attach the wire in the middle, at 10m to the throw line, then erect the line. As last step I fix the one wire end with some rope and a stone near to the earth, the other to the rig and get a quite suitable free hanging inverted V.
73 de Klaus , DL2KL
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When I first started activating, I used an arborist’s throw bag and line. I soon went to using a mast for several reasons:
- Repeatable process. I know I can set up my mast using much the same steps/options on any summit. This means I am on the air much sooner within a predictable time range. Throwing a line in a tree has many more variables from site to site. And I am pretty poor at it!
- If you activate in the winter, it doesn’t take many errant line tosses while wearing snowshoes to convince you to use a mast ;-).
- If you activate in the summer when the understory is bloomed out, it doesn’t take many times unsnarling your line from the bushes to convince you to use a mast ;-).
To adapt to most any setting, I carry a couple of bendable wires, 2 three foot velcro straps, and my version of the SOTABeams ground stake. One or more of those almost always is enough to secure my 15-17’ telescoping fishing pole mast.
As KT5X noted, operating from a summit forgives many sins that would be prohibitive elsewhere. I’ve laid my antenna atop bushes, or set it up as a loop only as far as I can reach when the forest is dense.
Speaking of reach – one compromise is to carry a mast to help lift your wire into the trees. Whatever you do, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
73 Paula k9ir
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That is the perfect picture illustrating what I tried to describe verbally above. 
Thx for sharing
73 de Klaus
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Gerne Klaus. With pleasure! Good luck with the efhw. I use them exclusively for over 10000 sota qsos in 6 years.
73 Chris
Yesterday on Dm/Ns-127
73 Chris
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Tree.
Scott kw4jm
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To clarify, QSOs are possible in this manner from a prominent point of elevation. However, more QSOs of higher quality (RST) are likely if one elevates the antenna from the ground.
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I would do whatever VK2IO does, as I work him damn near every time I go out!
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