It’s these type of builds that encourage more people on the bands. Wonderful to show how easy and cheap these things can be. Thanks for posting 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 73 de M0AZE Mike
Thanks Tim. As you know I built the 2mtr version last week having seen your video and I can happily report that it works extremely well on the band. This 4mtr version has gone into the book, but no point building as I don't have a 4mtr radio, but maybe in the future. Thank you for sharing.
Thats what's brilliant about these videos. It might not be completely relevant to where we are "right now" but in the future, videos like this are invaluable IMHO. 👍
Hi Tim, just referred back to this video as I'm about to build this one- meant to do it ages ago but with lockdown about to ease now is the time to get it done, made the 2m version a few months back and it works very well so thanks for these fantastic videos!. 73...Andy M0LSL
Yes I agree, if these videos aren't your thing then just move on -don't knock someone who goes out of his way to help others, I've learned so much from Tim's videos and long may they continue.. Andy M0LSL
Built one tonight tonight while slightly drunk, using your numbers rather than those I found elsewhere on the internet. Spot on. With it hanging just hanging off the apex of the shed roof I got SWR of less that 1:1.3 across the band. Foldback of 10cm, and choke formed around a toilet roll core that I then removed taped up.
Another good video Tim. 4m is a great band, and quite surprising as to distances that can be covered. I had a Motorola GM350 low band at a time and it was excellent on 4 from a bit of high ground. Looking forward to the next Sked from the Shed !
We had a contruction night at my local club making these for 70 mhz we used mini 8 instead and showed how to use a nano vna to check it and then how to put a pl259 on it new foundation licence holders need this practical knowledge. They were used on a net a couple of nights later, anytone sell cheap 70mhz fm radios.
This is my new fav channel. I love learning from others. You had so much informative information. I have an obsession with making antennas. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of your videos. @EZTechFix - VA3BGW.
Thanks for the info Tim,I have a tyt 4 m rig so will build one of these and see how it goes ,I have no non metal pole so it will have to go on my alloy one ,we'll seee how it performs on that ,thanks again ,useful stuff !!!
Hi Tim, thought I'd give you some feedback on the antenna in this video. I've just made one using the same coax type and lengths, coil diameter and turns and it works a treat. The coax lengths were spot on and I managed to get a flat SWR of 1.2 across the 4m band using a nano-vna and using a dedicated SWR meter showed 1.1 across the band. It wasn't quite right first time, and found weird tuning/capacitance issues using plastic waste pipe tubing to support the cable based elements, but after using fibre glass rods instead it settled down. It took a few attempts to get the element lengths correct but the lower element of 910mm and upper element of 950mm (not looped back) put the tuning spot on centre of the band - all this bringing 'this amateur' back into amateur radio. This is now waterproofed and ready to stick on a 10m fibre glass pole and 'buried' into the tree at the bottom of the garden. I did give up at one point and looked to buy a 4m aerial, but persevered and used the cash to buy the 10m mast instead. 73 :)
Seems to be a good bit of activity in your area Tim so if you get on high ground I'm sure you'll do well. Need a little more activity here in the midlands & NW
In IO92 there are regular nets using SSB with vertical antennas. Not so busy on 70.450 FM but it’s always worth with putting a call out if you have the kit. And don’t forget to check the RSGB’s contest calendar to.
Very useful Tim hust been given a rig for 4mts, needed antenna to use on a small mast, wonder what the call channel is pls for fm. De G1GDB choke info was useful.
Another great video, still not active on HF, but it's my birthday the middle of this month and hoping the xyl might buy me or order me a IC 705 sadly it wont have 4m, but no biggy 73s
Hi Tim Re the turns. It’s one complete turn around the former to make the choke. The parts of the co-ax which start and finish the former, which are only small, don’t count as one full turn to make up 8 turns? Thanks.
I took the measurements from my 2m version based on desired centre frequency and proportions due to velocity factor especially in terms of the lower portion of the radiating part of the antenna. It seems to work ok. 73
Hej from Sweden! Great video Tim thanks for that! How do you calculate the length of the top and bottom section above the choke. You said they are slightly Shorter Tham quarterwave. Thanks a lot Tim!!!
Hej Carsten! Here’s my formula: Formula looks to be 131/frequency (metric) Then divide by 100 Times by 50.8 for top 49.2 for bottom ( because is less 3% for velocity factor) Hope that makes sense 73 👍
Thank you! Yes it’s a shame.. there are some ‘cheap’ 4m FM rigs about at the moment (under £100) in case you ever fancied giving 4 a go. Thank you for your kind words 👍
Hi Tim, thank you very much for your job. I’ m looking for a 20 m light and easy antenna for portable operation, what do you think about this kinde of build ? Regards Stefano
Hi, passed my foundation exam 6 weeks ago, and am loving your videos as I'm a total newbie. With the 4m end fed antenna, would the diameter of the tube for the choke matter? Could I use 40mm pipe?
Great video no 4M here, Seems they are also called Flowerpot antennas here in VK was looking for a 6M version for 50.2Mhz , Going to try one not impressed with my Diamond V2000 on 6M.
Hi Tim, great informative Video, thank you. May I ask what the advantage of a 5/8th wave version would be on 4 meters, and the dimensions, coil winding please. Keen to make one as I have a 27Mhz T2LT and some spare cable etc. Thanks once again for the video's, only been an amateur for 2 months, so all new to me, cheers 73 M7NED
Great vid Tim, that aerial looks too good not to build, I am a bit of a tinkerer :) I wonder, did you snip the top element in the final version for a good match, or did you stick with it looped back on itself? Keep up the great work, 73 Col
Hi Tim, might be a bit of an odd question but where do you get your coax from? Any reputable sellers? I'm quickly running out of it here and having bought 2 lots of it and been really unimpressed with the quality of the braid. Just wondering if you have a supplier of choice?
Thank you for this video Tim. I made one today exactly the same as you said and it swr's fine. I want to turn it into a more permanent antenna, could I convert it to a "white stick" by putting the coax inside a plastic tube? would it still work as well? 73 Gerry M7UKD.
Hi Gerry it will work but I am sure it will slightly affect the tuning - I cannot remember if the antenna needs to be longer or shorter a little as a consequence?
Hi. I'm going to start with cb radio 69 mhz. Do you think this Will work fore that to? Any adjustments? Sorry my english are not so good. And thanks for sharing.
It’s a Halfwave dipole. The current max is halfway up the radiating wire. The matched impedance should be between 50-75 ohms or thereabouts. Nowhere near 300.
What's bugging me Tim is that depending on whose building this type of antenna and it seems, the band, some people fold the outer braid of the coax back on the lower part for between 0.66 and 0.50 wavelength, the balun using toroids, or no toroid balun just a common mode coax coiled choke. same weirdness go on for the upper element, some people use 0.25 wavelength or thereabouts, or others like Callum use a much longer upper element at least on 14-28 mhz like he did... i know having a low SWR does'nt dictate that the antenna will have a desirable low angle radiation. it is the conflicting advice i struggle with . Pete 2E1 MHA
Hallo.We use in the Czech Republic frequency 78Mhz..(4m band)..How long RG58 part 1 and part2 ,on coax???Choke is 50mm diametre and 8turns???Sorry for my language..Thank you werry much..73
Hi the choke should be about the same. Use 143/frequency to get the overall length and then divide by 2 for the top and bottom part. See how that works. By the way your English is great!
@@BarefootBeekeeper but from a "practical" viewpoint it builds as an end fed which is the whole point of this antenna over a dipole with its associated mounting problems
Have you thought about making then selling budget antennas , I know the point of the video is to encourage others to make themselves but some people just want to buy and install and I'm just trying to use up the spare pipe left in your shed ......
Yep as I said those pre made antennas I am sure will work well. Wish I had the time to make these to order. Maybe one day if there’s demand. Otherwise it’s great that ham operators make their own for a fraction of the price of buying an already assembled one. 73
Basically a feeder (coax) is connected to the beginning of a quarter wavelength radiator via an oversized choke. That is not END FED antenna. That's a 0.25 vertical. Also - a black pipe for VHF \ outdoors? Poor selection of materials & description. Sorry.
It’s these type of builds that encourage more people on the bands. Wonderful to show how easy and cheap these things can be. Thanks for posting 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 73 de M0AZE Mike
Thank you Mike! 73
Thanks Tim. As you know I built the 2mtr version last week having seen your video and I can happily report that it works extremely well on the band. This 4mtr version has gone into the book, but no point building as I don't have a 4mtr radio, but maybe in the future. Thank you for sharing.
My pleasure and it’s great to have you confirm the 2m version works well 73
Thats what's brilliant about these videos. It might not be completely relevant to where we are "right now" but in the future, videos like this are invaluable IMHO. 👍
Thanks for the 4m flower pot antenna will give that a go great video well presented
Glad you found it useful and good luck 73
Thank you so much for putting this on youtube, I am not into making my own, but you have given me the interest to do just that,
Go for it Brian 73
Love the Mc Donald's hybrid in the background 👍thanks Tim for the upload.
Thanks! Lol
Hi Tim, just referred back to this video as I'm about to build this one- meant to do it ages ago but with lockdown about to ease now is the time to get it done, made the 2m version a few months back and it works very well so thanks for these fantastic videos!. 73...Andy M0LSL
Thank you Andy! I hope she works as well for you as it does for me. Get up on high ground if you can and you’ll be surprised what you can work on 4m
What person gives a thumbs down a minute after the video is uploaded?? Muppets!
Thanks for another vid Tim!
Hope you hit the 2k subs this week!!👍
Thank you very much Nik. Appreciate your continued support 👍 73
Yes I agree, if these videos aren't your thing then just move on -don't knock someone who goes out of his way to help others, I've learned so much from Tim's videos and long may they continue..
Andy M0LSL
you always get one or two, forget those guys, Tim as you know does a great job...
Built one tonight tonight while slightly drunk, using your numbers rather than those I found elsewhere on the internet. Spot on. With it hanging just hanging off the apex of the shed roof I got SWR of less that 1:1.3 across the band. Foldback of 10cm, and choke formed around a toilet roll core that I then removed taped up.
Brilliant!!!
Hi Tim . Made the antenna from your specifications into a fiberglass pole and mounted it on the side of the house, works great 👍👍👍👍
Fab!!!!!
Thanks for this video Tim, I'm retiring in a week's time and looking forward to building this antenna 👍😁 73, Jonathan M0XXJ
Have fun!
Another good video Tim. 4m is a great band, and quite surprising as to distances that can be covered. I had a Motorola GM350 low band at a time and it was excellent on 4 from a bit of high ground. Looking forward to the next Sked from the Shed !
Thank you Syd. I’m looking forward to trying out 4m portable and appreciate the support you give. 73
Good build Tim 👍
Also well done on your subs 2k 👏👏
Thanks Mark 👍 73
Another nice video Tim 😀
Thanks Roly!
We had a contruction night at my local club making these for 70 mhz we used mini 8 instead and showed how to use a nano vna to check it and then how to put a pl259 on it new foundation licence holders need this practical knowledge. They were used on a net a couple of nights later, anytone sell cheap 70mhz fm radios.
Great points
This is my new fav channel. I love learning from others. You had so much informative information. I have an obsession with making antennas. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of your videos. @EZTechFix
- VA3BGW.
Thank you so much for the feedback! Appreciate you joining aboard. 73
Great information, just what I was looking for, of to the workshop!!!!!!
Nice one! Enjoy. 73
Thanks for the info Tim,I have a tyt 4 m rig so will build one of these and see how it goes ,I have no non metal pole so it will have to go on my alloy one ,we'll seee how it performs on that ,thanks again ,useful stuff !!!
Have fun!
Great video Tim, I made one on 25mm tube and it took 18turns to form the choke!! I just scaled up the 2metre one!
Should work ok 👍
@@timg5tm941 Yup It tuned up fine and performs very well.
Always a pleasure to watch Tim, the accent is familiar, im a newport lad personally. 73 keep up the good work.
Llanelli boy here! 73
Thanks for the video.
Hi Tim, thought I'd give you some feedback on the antenna in this video.
I've just made one using the same coax type and lengths, coil diameter and turns and it works a treat. The coax lengths were spot on and I managed to get a flat SWR of 1.2 across the 4m band using a nano-vna and using a dedicated SWR meter showed 1.1 across the band. It wasn't quite right first time, and found weird tuning/capacitance issues using plastic waste pipe tubing to support the cable based elements, but after using fibre glass rods instead it settled down. It took a few attempts to get the element lengths correct but the lower element of 910mm and upper element of 950mm (not looped back) put the tuning spot on centre of the band - all this bringing 'this amateur' back into amateur radio. This is now waterproofed and ready to stick on a 10m fibre glass pole and 'buried' into the tree at the bottom of the garden. I did give up at one point and looked to buy a 4m aerial, but persevered and used the cash to buy the 10m mast instead. 73 :)
Hope it works well 73
Hope we get access to 4m here in the US. Maybe one day. Great video as always. Tell your daughter to keep that active imagination going! 73, KV4ZA
I will thank you!! 73
Just purchased an Anytone AT-779W, never been on 4 Meters before!
It’s a good band! I went out portable last Friday and I should be releasing a video tomorrow ... lots of life out there. Hope you enjoy! 73
Seems to be a good bit of activity in your area Tim so if you get on high ground I'm sure you'll do well. Need a little more activity here in the midlands & NW
Another nice simple antenna Tim, you must teach me your trick for making white cable ties change to black ones one day ;-)
Ha!!! Well spotted I decided to switch at the last minute to a slightly longer pair of cable ties .. different colour!!73
Thanks Tim, not tried 4m yet as no antenna so no excuse now. For feeder try Super8 /8X. Much dearer but lighter than 58 and nearly as good as 213 etc
Nice idea and thanks for commenting
In IO92 there are regular nets using SSB with vertical antennas. Not so busy on 70.450 FM but it’s always worth with putting a call out if you have the kit.
And don’t forget to check the RSGB’s contest calendar to.
Will do mate
Will give this a try. not too far from you Tim. im just south of Horsham. Ive not been on 4M for a while.
2E0VCU Paul.
Great stuff Paul. I’d definitely hear you up the local hill. 73
Thanks so much
Pleasure!
That's a center fed vertical dipole aka t2lt.
Great video anyway!
Good job!
Thank you
Centre fed electrically I agree. End fed physically too. Thanks 73.
Like that design, must make one....Tnx de G8KAS East Sussex.
Thanks Barry! G5TM West Sussex 👍
Very useful Tim hust been given a rig for 4mts, needed antenna to use on a small mast, wonder what the call channel is pls for fm. De G1GDB choke info was useful.
Glad you found it useful
Another great video, still not active on HF, but it's my birthday the middle of this month and hoping the xyl might buy me or order me a IC 705 sadly it wont have 4m, but no biggy 73s
Thanks Steve. Wow! A 705 that’s a nice present .. plenty of bands to choose from too 73
ua-cam.com/video/0BNjJX_Jod8/v-deo.html
Hi Tim
Re the turns. It’s one complete turn around the former to make the choke. The parts of the co-ax which start and finish the former, which are only small, don’t count as one full turn to make up 8 turns? Thanks.
Good one Tim 👍🏻 No 4m here and not sure how popular it is up thisaway 🤔
Only one way to find out !
Are you referring to some design information for the dimentions?
This aerial will be very useful for me. Thankyou.
I took the measurements from my 2m version based on desired centre frequency and proportions due to velocity factor especially in terms of the lower portion of the radiating part of the antenna. It seems to work ok. 73
Hej from Sweden! Great video Tim thanks for that! How do you calculate the length of the top and bottom section above the choke. You said they are slightly Shorter Tham quarterwave. Thanks a lot Tim!!!
Hej Carsten! Here’s my formula: Formula looks to be 131/frequency (metric)
Then divide by 100
Times by 50.8 for top
49.2 for bottom ( because is less 3% for velocity factor) Hope that makes sense 73 👍
Shame my 991a doesn't have 4m, it has everything else. Excellent video's Tim im nearly watched them all.
Thank you! Yes it’s a shame.. there are some ‘cheap’ 4m FM rigs about at the moment (under £100) in case you ever fancied giving 4 a go. Thank you for your kind words 👍
Tim. Lindars Radio have a couple of second hand 4m FM transceivers that may be of interest. 👍
Thanks Adam
Greetings could you tell me what gain have the EFHW antenna. Excellent your video
W4EDY
Thank you Eddy. It’s the same as a centre fed dipole 73
Hi Tim, thank you very much for your job. I’ m looking for a 20 m light and easy antenna for portable operation, what do you think about this kinde of build ?
Regards
Stefano
Hi Stefano ... it’s in my future projects list. Can be made. I will show this soon my friend 73
Hi, passed my foundation exam 6 weeks ago, and am loving your videos as I'm a total newbie. With the 4m end fed antenna, would the diameter of the tube for the choke matter? Could I use 40mm pipe?
Yes you can. The wider the coil the fewer turns needed and vice Versa
Great video no 4M here, Seems they are also called Flowerpot antennas here in VK was looking for a 6M version for 50.2Mhz , Going to try one not impressed with my Diamond V2000 on 6M.
Yes those are the antennas - thanks.
Hi Tim, great informative Video, thank you. May I ask what the advantage of a 5/8th wave version would be on 4 meters, and the dimensions, coil winding please. Keen to make one as I have a 27Mhz T2LT and some spare cable etc. Thanks once again for the video's, only been an amateur for 2 months, so all new to me, cheers 73 M7NED
Hi! 5/8 tend to have a little more gain. I’ve never made one. 73
Great vid Tim, that aerial looks too good not to build, I am a bit of a tinkerer :) I wonder, did you snip the top element in the final version for a good match, or did you stick with it looped back on itself? Keep up the great work, 73 Col
Hi Col, I folded it back to get the best tune .. nice and simple to match.,73
Hi Tim, might be a bit of an odd question but where do you get your coax from? Any reputable sellers? I'm quickly running out of it here and having bought 2 lots of it and been really unimpressed with the quality of the braid. Just wondering if you have a supplier of choice?
Hi there. Mine was rg58U mil spec from Nevada. Hope that helps 73
Thank you for this video Tim. I made one today exactly the same as you said and it swr's fine. I want to turn it into a more permanent antenna, could I convert it to a "white stick" by putting the coax inside a plastic tube? would it still work as well? 73 Gerry M7UKD.
Hi Gerry it will work but I am sure it will slightly affect the tuning - I cannot remember if the antenna needs to be longer or shorter a little as a consequence?
Hi. I'm going to start with cb radio 69 mhz. Do you think this Will work fore that to? Any adjustments? Sorry my english are not so good. And thanks for sharing.
You may need to lengthen it slightly but you may well still have a good swr on 69mhz as it is
Thanks. Great chanel by the way. Keep go on strong. 👍
H Tim, can I ask why there is no matching at the feed point which would be 300ohm?
It’s a Halfwave dipole. The current max is halfway up the radiating wire. The matched impedance should be between 50-75 ohms or thereabouts. Nowhere near 300.
@@timg5tm941 I understand how it works now, thanks. Very clever
Hi Tim, not able to source 50mm od former at the moment. Is that guttering downpipe you are using???
Yes I think it was Peter
@@timg5tm941 Tnx for your quick reply, found it at scr*wf#x as mini guttering. Off tomorrow to get a le ngth.
I get a lot of my antenna parts from Screwfix. 🙂
What's bugging me Tim is that depending on whose building this type of antenna and it seems, the band, some people fold the outer braid of the coax back on the lower part for between 0.66 and 0.50 wavelength, the balun using toroids, or no toroid balun just a common mode coax coiled choke. same weirdness go on for the upper element, some people use 0.25 wavelength or thereabouts, or others like Callum use a much longer upper element at least on 14-28 mhz like he did... i know having a low SWR does'nt dictate that the antenna will have a desirable low angle radiation. it is the conflicting advice i struggle with . Pete 2E1 MHA
Well the lengths I use seem to map across different bands pretty well 👍
Hallo.We use in the Czech Republic frequency 78Mhz..(4m band)..How long RG58
part 1 and part2 ,on coax???Choke is 50mm diametre and 8turns???Sorry for my language..Thank you werry much..73
Hi the choke should be about the same. Use 143/frequency to get the overall length and then divide by 2 for the top and bottom part. See how that works. By the way your English is great!
Please make one sir thanks
Surely that's a centre-fed dipole, rather than an end fed half wave, which would require a 49:1 matching transformer rather than a choke?
Physically end fed and thanks to the skin effect of the coax of the lower half of the antenna it is electrically a centre fed dipole 73
@@timg5tm941 that's pretty much what I said... So not really a half wave end fed, then.
@@BarefootBeekeeper but from a "practical" viewpoint it builds as an end fed which is the whole point of this antenna over a dipole with its associated mounting problems
Centre fed through the axis of the antenna? 🙂
Hows 4m now ?
Not been on it much at all lately I must confess. Been focusing on 10.
Have you thought about making then selling budget antennas , I know the point of the video is to encourage others to make themselves but some people just want to buy and install and I'm just trying to use up the spare pipe left in your shed ......
Yep as I said those pre made antennas I am sure will work well. Wish I had the time to make these to order. Maybe one day if there’s demand. Otherwise it’s great that ham operators make their own for a fraction of the price of buying an already assembled one. 73
Simple aerial for 4 meters, much underused band, but it is ideal for mobile use. Not with that aerial of course! lol.
Thanks Bob 73
Basically a feeder (coax) is connected to the beginning of a quarter wavelength radiator via an oversized choke. That is not END FED antenna. That's a 0.25 vertical. Also - a black pipe for VHF \ outdoors? Poor selection of materials & description. Sorry.
Wrong. But thank you for commenting 73