The EARC 40-6M End-Fed matchbox
Endfed6_40.pdf
This is the design for my current HF antenna...I have been fiddling with antenna and counterpoise lengths and I find the 31 feet with no counterpoise has worked best for me...
73,
Monday, February 2, 2015
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Fixed Coax and redid the End-Fed(up)
Well, I fixed the shorted coax connector, and redid the End-Fed antenna...Still fed through the 9:1 UNUN in the posts below, but now has a 31 foot radiator and a 27 foot Counterpoise. Seems to tune OK??? on all bands 80 through 12 except for 15 meters...I think if I had a roller inductor tuner, that I could tune 80 through 10 more easily. Come Spring, I am gonna try a different approach and maybe go with Isotrons, or maybe a GAP (no ground plane) antenna.
But for now, I can tune 40 and 20 fairly well, and also 17 and 12 meters. 80 tunes, but very lousy reception, so probably lousy transmit too...10 does not tune well at all. I can always come up with a 10M dipole or vertical if I want.
73,
P.S. I am calling it the End-Fed(up), because it gives me nothing but trouble most of the time, but when it works, it works VERY well...
But for now, I can tune 40 and 20 fairly well, and also 17 and 12 meters. 80 tunes, but very lousy reception, so probably lousy transmit too...10 does not tune well at all. I can always come up with a 10M dipole or vertical if I want.
73,
P.S. I am calling it the End-Fed(up), because it gives me nothing but trouble most of the time, but when it works, it works VERY well...
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Now I need new Coax
Need a straight 50 foot run of good coax...Gonna be another month before I can put up the new antenna properly.
73,
UPDATE:
I scavenged a Coax connector and made up a new length of feedline. Took me 2 times to get the solder job right (first time I had a short). Now the Doublet just will not tune right, because I cannot get it up high enough...Going back to the End-Fed with the new coax and a counterpoise...Now how long will it take me to get this thing to tune correctly??? I need to find a solution before I pull out all my hair!
73,
73,
UPDATE:
I scavenged a Coax connector and made up a new length of feedline. Took me 2 times to get the solder job right (first time I had a short). Now the Doublet just will not tune right, because I cannot get it up high enough...Going back to the End-Fed with the new coax and a counterpoise...Now how long will it take me to get this thing to tune correctly??? I need to find a solution before I pull out all my hair!
73,
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
New Antenna on the way
Just ordered a new antenna 40-10M from BuxComm...The 4010CD
Hope that it does the job for me...
73,
UPDATE: I cannot hang this antenna up high enough right now with the snow on the ground...It will have to wait till Spring when I can take my antenna pole down and get it up to 30 feet or higher...they recommend 32-35 feet...
73,
UPDATE: I cannot hang this antenna up high enough right now with the snow on the ground...It will have to wait till Spring when I can take my antenna pole down and get it up to 30 feet or higher...they recommend 32-35 feet...
Friday, October 31, 2014
Tonight I am saddened
Tonight I got word that the pet that was like a child of mine for nearly 8 years passed. "Maggie" May Doodles was the name I called her by. She slept with me every night. We walked the local streets every day. She layed in my lap when I was sad or worried. She never asked me for a thing, but she gave me all her love. You will be missed dearly Maggie...Run wild and free...
12.22.99 - 10.31.14
12.22.99 - 10.31.14
Sunday, October 26, 2014
2014 CQ WW SSB Contest
Pretty much just fooled around in this contest, but by my log, I have 37 (31 on 20M/6 on 40M) contacts with a multiplier of 47 (38 on 20M/8 on 40M) for 4,512 points...I have had more fun with this than anything I have done so far. Lots of new places contacted...See my log at the bottom of the page.
I put the End-Fed back to 31 feet length, no counterpoise...It seems to tune the best at this length with the 9:1 UNUN. It is now 30 feet in the air from my back balcony to the corner tree. It tunes 40 down to 20M fine, but puts RF in the shack from 17M-6M...I think this is because my coax run is too short, I do not have a proper RF ground, and I am not using a counterpoise. If you stand just 50 yards away, the antenna disappears from site...HI HI Next year I think I will try Isotron Antennas, unless I find something better for my situation.
73!
I put the End-Fed back to 31 feet length, no counterpoise...It seems to tune the best at this length with the 9:1 UNUN. It is now 30 feet in the air from my back balcony to the corner tree. It tunes 40 down to 20M fine, but puts RF in the shack from 17M-6M...I think this is because my coax run is too short, I do not have a proper RF ground, and I am not using a counterpoise. If you stand just 50 yards away, the antenna disappears from site...HI HI Next year I think I will try Isotron Antennas, unless I find something better for my situation.
73!
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Current HF Antenna Doing Well
I am using one of my 9:1 UNUNS with 36 foot of #14 coated wire slung from my back porch up into a tree...The box end is at about 25 feet, and the end of the wire is about 35 feet high...Doing much better this way than as a flat horizontal...hears and gets out much better. I am NOT using a ground or counterpoise...First contact in this configuration was S58N from Slovenia in ONE call....
73,
73,
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