Previously, references to the MP-1 antenna have met with some disparaging remarks (*), albeit meant tongue in cheek, I’m sure… well today, having quickly qualified G/CE-005 on 2/FM (and building on my confidence on G/SC-008 yesterday) I deployed the MP-1 in anger…
Contacts were made on 20m as follows (alphabetical order):
9A/OK1HWS on Lastova, Croatia (EU-016)
EB6ADS in Menorca (EU-004)
IT9KJH/M in Palermo, Sicily (EU-025)
LA5GMA in Sparbu, Norway
OE6MOG in Poels, Austria
S53DX in Ljubljana, Slovenia
VA6UK in Calgary, Canada
Plus
YO3BBM in Bucharest on 17m
IT9PRV in Augusta, Sicily (EU-025) on 15m
IT9KQF in Syracuse, Sicily (EU-025) on 15m
I suppose calling it a dummy load is a little harsh: it is probably comparable in performance to a multiband mobile whip, and I would guess it probably has an efficiency of about 5%. Andrew was using 10 watts so the actual power that got him all those contacts was about 500 milliwatts - not bad!
Were you using a counterpoise, Andrew? They can help, too.
In reply to M6ADB:
Well done.
The rising number of sun spots and the rise in solar flux to 90 and above will give rise to more such openings where low power to a ‘wet string’ will be possible around Europe. As I type the 12m band is alive with stations from around Europe.
73 de Ken
Always apply Andy’s antenna maxim when contemplating physically small antennas.
Andy’s maxim states:
“If physically small base loaded whips where as good as the manufacturers would like us to believe, all the SW broadcasters around the world would use them rather erecting miles and miles of wire into the sky.”
But for some peculiar reason they don’t use them and I can’t for the life of me think why? ;->
Sometime back an article in QST showed how to make a long wire antenna using garden twine (the natural fibre kind) that was soaked in brine. The guy who made it had quite a few contacts with his “piece of wet string” before it dried out.
Of course these antennas work. It just depends on how you define “work”!
Andrew I agree with you completely, and congrats on the nice QSOs. There’s a rule I read somewhere that says that when it comes to antennas you can have any two of bandwidth, efficiency or small size. This one has narrow bandwidth, good efficiency and small size.
I also have a miracle whip (anyone want one?) which has wide bandwidth, small size and with which I’ve had just 1 QSO. Truly a dummy load, though not too bad as a listening antenna.
Back to the MP-1, I don’t know if it’s made much difference but I separated the ribbon cable into 12 radials immediately when I had it. I’ve been meaning to add a bunch of longer radials for ages but haven’t got round to it - will be interesting to see how much difference it makes, should give a couple extra dB. HFpack also reviewed the MP-1 favourably in their vertical shootout, the only thing that convinced me into buying it after my experience with the miracle whip.
I still use dipoles, inv-V dipoles, doublets, long wires and a few half wave end fed dipoles suspended from a kite amongst others, all of which have the edge, but the MP-1 is only a very small compromise. Just about perfect for mountain topping. The 817, antenna, mic., key, notebook (rite-in-the-rain paper is amazing by the way), pen, SLAB, power cable and coax fit perfectly in a small waterproop laptop case and I can change bands in the warm and dry from inside my Akto, antenna up through the door vent.
The key to making these compact loaded whip antennas work seems to be in the counterpoise system. Check out Julian Moss’s review of the ATX Walkabout in which he comes up with the brilliant idea of using a steel tape measure as a counterpoise: ATX Walkabout
