Suggestions for a 2m roll-up vertical antenna

The half-wave flower pot is a good design. Or you can make a ribbon feeder J-pole as described here. 1/2 watt from Cyrn-y-Brain - #6 by MM0FMF Both are simple and relatively easy to build.

I have the same antenna, two of them actually, one mounted inside PVC tubing and the other is rollup format, so gets attached to a fibreglass pole - like Ignacio’s.

Andrew VK1AD has written several articles on these antennas, with hints on construction and tuning on his blog http://vk1nam.wordpress.com. Originally named the flowerpot antenna by John VK2ZOI, due to mounting the pole in a flowerpot on a balcony. Easy to build and set up. Works very well for what is really just a few metres of coax. Put whatever connector you need onto the radio end of the cable.

73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH

2 Likes

I bought one of these and am pleased with it. Appears well made and rolls up nicely. Haven’t put it on the analyser and can’t really comment on performance other than on the limited number of occasions I’ve used it, it seemed to be fine!

I have been using an EDZ vertical antenna for awhile now. Longest contact was 265 Km with a HT, RG-58 coax, antenna on a 18’ mast.

Malen
VE6VID

This is the J-POLE that K6WRU is talking about. I bought one and I am very glad with It for Sota activities.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F190898779511

Have a look at the sketch that Peter OE5AUL posted here.
I can confirm that it is working ufb.

73 Joe

Thank to all for your interesting suggestions. In the end I decided to buy a new one (okay I’m lazy) and replace the connector on the old one which is probably all that’s wrong with it. That way, I can do an A vs B comparison between them and I get to have a spare.

I went with the nelson_antennas deluxe roll-up that Tony and Jon recommended. It was $25 plus $10 international shipping to the UK. Lucky, I got in before Brexit else I’ld be paying 10 times that.

Looking forward to A vs B testing.

73, Andy

1 Like

The J-POLE roll-up (eBay) deployed with 4.1m fishing rod.

N9TAX roll up J-Pole. light weight, easy to deploy and has been on every summit with me.

2 Likes

Don’t buy one!

Make one!!

This cost me about £5 to make

Roll up slim Jim, with the Lindstrom wire cutters as a reference!

73

Matt G8XYJ

2 Likes

The spirit is willing but …

I used to be good at making stuff, but sadly, in recent years my near vision has deteriorated a lot. I finally stopped after I damaged a small PCB trying to solder connections whilst viewing it through a magnifying lens.

I’ve field tested the off-the-shelf J-pole I bought (mentioned in my previous posting) on a few small Lake District hills (the smallest Wainwright and nearly the smallest) with the antenna hanging from the top of my 5m pole.


The 10ft coax feeder is long enough to reach the HT at chest height. I’m pleased with the results so far: excellent signal reports, its low weight and small (coiled up) volume, ideal for a crowded SOTA rucksack.

Regards, Andy

1 Like

Fold up not roll up.

http://www.hamuniverse.com/2metercollinear.html

M0GIA

Hi Andy

I use a RH 770 telescopic antenna for 2m SOTA. It fits in every bag and is ready to use in seconds. :blush:

Good luck for future 2m QSOs
73 Sabrina

Hi Sabrina,

I completely agree. I have a RH770 too (I’ve had a few). I get great results with it, and it’s my default 2m antenna on every activation. I take a J-pole and 5m pole when I think the coverage will be marginal or when I want to shelter down low from the wind but need the antenna up high.

I got three 5/9+ reports today with the RH770 and it’s already packed for tomorrow’s trip.

73 Andy

1 Like

I used to be able to cope with maps printed double size so I could use them without my glasses when walking. I could read the GPS too. No longer…I really struggled today. I have an old pair of varifocals I carry but I guess I need them all the time now. Walking in glasses is a pain as sweat runs onto them and they get in the way or fall off.
It’s a real booger getting old… especially as it reinforces the statement that youth is wasted on the young :-):face_with_raised_eyebrow:

Me too! I was staring at my small iPhone 4S screen at the self-spot on the SOTA website I had texted from the summit and I’m thinking, Is that an “O” or a “Q”?

BTW: thanks for the 60m SSB S2S today. That wasn’t a sudden deep QSB fade you heard - it was my 5m pole and antenna falling over mid QSO! No wind but almost no soil for the guy pegs at rocky summit. I’ve hardly used SSB in the last 25 years and today after our contact, I had 10 back-to-back 60m SSB chasers. Not bad for 10W with an antenna not even designed for 60m. Good fun despite the cold.

Hi Andy G8CPZ

You can’t win them all. Missed you by 5 minutes for s2s on 60m…looked at my phone, gave you a call but you had gone :frowning:

Thanks to all the chasers on both summits and all the s2s.

73 Allan

Hi Allan,

I saw your self-spot for 5.3715 whilst still walking up G/LD-041. At the summit I raced to put up the EFHW to try to catch you in time. It didn’t help that the pole fell down before I even started. By the time I was QRV on 60m I think you had QSY’d to 80m. It’s a pity if you tried to call me after I had finished with the other chasers and QSY’d to 2m.

I’ve never got 11 CW QSOs in a row on 60m. I’ll try both SSB and CW on 60m for future activations.

1 Like

The problem with that is it’s tuned for the American 2m band - if you built your own it would probably be a better match here in the UK.

I haven’t done VSWR tests on it yet but the seller claims 1.5:1 or lower across the whole band and quotes losses w.r.t. to 145MHz not 146-148MHz. As I said earlier, making my own isn’t an option any more. And on the 3 ops so far, it worked great.

1 Like