Radials, radials, radials! I have been doing a lot of experimenting with this 17’ whip and have found that the higher bands (20,15,10,etc) are much more resonant in this configuration with radials. I run 18, 16.5’ radials and my impedance is good and my SWR is excellent.
Mike, Love my Wolf River Silver Bullet 1000 for POTA work. Fast, easy set up, quick band changes if needed. Agree the 90 degree adapter is a big help. Also the antenna analyzer is almost a must. Just makes life easier. I have the Rig Expert AA-230 and it works great. I use longer larger legs for the tripod, prefer the stability they offer.
Absolutely agree 100%. Those Rig Expert analyzers are fantastic. I haven't played with one too much but they are surprisingly light weight. They look much heavier.
Hi Mike. I watch ALL your videos, and I’m so very grateful that you take the time to help others with your knowledge. I apologize for bothering you with this question, but I live out where there are only cows, horses, elk and cowboys/girls. I haven’t found anyone in any of those groups to help me. I bought a Yaesu FT-710 AESS and a Wolf River Coils 1000 Platinum. I set up the WRC antenna with 6 of their 31-foot radials and tuned it with my new RigExpert AA-35. For 20M it showed 1.73. That is as good as I was able to get the SWR. When I turn on my radio and tune to the 20M band I get HUGE amounts of static. Turning the SQ/Gain dial I can get it quiet, but then it shows the SWR going to 5 on the gauge on the transceiver. I can hear some people talking but I am unable to contact anyone when I transmit. I am a newly licensed General, and I have Parkinson’s Disease. I mention this because after watching your videos I decided to set up my own “park” in the backyard so that my already addled brain doesn’t have to deal with bonding/grounding/pulling what little hair I have left out. I use a LifePo4 20AH battery and 50ft of coax I got when I purchased a Chameleon EMCOMM III antenna that I haven’t used yet. I apologize again for writing War and Peace. If you can point me to another of your videos that will help I will appreciate it more than you could imagine. Everything is harder for me because of the disease, but I intend to make this thing work. Many thanks, Jim in Oregon K7NJL
Good video Mike. I found that adding more radials made tuning the coil more consistent. Until the weekend, I used 6x33ft. I then added another 4 roughly 17ft radial and it appeared that the s/n ratio improved. Not sure that I was expecting that though. By the way a 2L plastic bottle over the coil makes operating in the rain perfectly OK
More radials is never a bad thing. I've thought of bringing more out but just never have. I have another set too from my other WRC antenna! It sits in a milk crate with a bunch of other odds and ends lol!
Mike a.k.a. Poppa POTA, Thank you for the QSO from Huntsville last night. This video is more informative than you know. While watching you assemble the antenna I noticed the coil on my antenna was upside down. The long nut was at the opposite end and I believe this would make the coil shorter than usable for 80m - 6m. The antenna wouldn't tune. You and Mike, KB8VBR are my heroes.
Thanks, that was useful. I just bought the Silver Bullet TIA with long legs. I didn't think that you could stand near it while tuning. Speeds things up a bunch.
Thanks for watching. Your body does change it a little when you are close. I'll back up a few feet to see a more accurate reading usually. Then I'll go back and fine tune it.
I just got most of a TIA kit with the 1000 -- they didn't have the tripods apparently, so I'm getting a different tripod. This + an FT710 will be my starting rig as soon as all the pieces arrive. This was a great overview of the different ways to set things up. Thanks!
more betterer... my kind of guy. Thanks so much for making these videos. I'm in talks now with WRC to get what I need and your videos on these antennas have been a great help. Thanks again for keeping things simple for the everyday guy!
The WRC was one of my first HF antennas. Like you, I've been a ham for just a couple of years. This is an easy to deploy antenna. It's easy to tune. I bought the 17ft whip with mine (and the mini-coil). I suggest either staking it down or putting weights (found rocks) on the legs to prevent tipping over. Here in Nevada, ground conditions are very dry. I built a battery of 18x16ft ground radials (three six-into-one wires) using some cheap zip wire, which I throw out on the ground to improve the ground field. Most of my ops with this antenna are portable and I worked 20, 30, and 40 meters. But, I've used it for a local 10m net as well. What I've learned (D'Oh moment) is that this is an excellent antenna when you do not need to be frequency agile. If you want to play on one band or are running a frequency, then it's fine. But if you are moving across bands, it's a bit of a PITA to get up, disconnect the coax from the radio, add the antenna analyzer, retune, and hook back up. It does not take very long, but it uses up field time. We also used this antenna on a couple of SOTA ops and it was serviceable. Be careful with the legs and hub, though. It is fairly easy to cross thread the aluminum hub. If the damage is minor, you can chase it out with a tap. Otherwise a helicoil repair will be necessary. I wish they made a stainless steel version of the hub. A benefit of the center-loaded version is that I think you get a bit more bandwidth around the resonant frequency. Good review. Thanks.
I'll put my bag or some stakes over the legs if its windy but I haven't needed to do that too many times. It has fallen over and didn't cause any damage. It is a compromise for sure between band hopping or staying put. Changing bands is certainly not as easy as other antennas for sure. I find it has a wide enough band width so I don't need to retune if I'm staying on the same band. Funny you say that about he legs/hub. I let a friend borrow it and it came back all messed up. Fortunately he replaced it so all is well with the world.
Mike - You are the reason that I bought the WRC system. You and Josh talked me into it at the WRC booth at the 2019 Hamvention in Dayton. On 20watts digital, I've been able to hit Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Russia and several countries in Europe from the St. Louis metro region. The only change that I've made is to run 12 33' counterpoise that really lowers the SWR and seems to widen the bandwidth.
Oh cool, glad to hear that we had a chance to meet. We sure were looking to going this year too. Did you do 3 bunches of 4 radials on the same connector?
@@hamradiotube I put two wires on a ring terminal and made 6 sets. They are made out of 16 gauge speaker wire that I bought a 250' roll from Menards. To add longevity, I soldered and heat shrink the the connection between the wires and the ring terminals.
Thanks for the helpful video. I've been using the 80-10 WRC at POTA activations the past 2 weeks. I have 7 33-ft. radials and works great. I was pondering getting the larger whip but after seeing your very helpful video today, I see no need now. Finding 20 meters is very easy with the coil and the 102 inch whip. I know you don't do CW, but the WRC is incredible on 30 meters and I get a flat 1:1 on that band at the parks. Thanks for your video today. You saved me some $$. 73 de KN3A.
Thats great. Glad to hear you area doing POTA! I've personally never thought I needed a larger whip, but I get so many questions about the 17' so I thought I'd include it as well. I think the guys at WRC got it figured out pretty well what works best with their antennas. One of these days (not soon) I will eventually learn code. Thanks for watching. 73
@@hamradiotube I needed something better than the Super Antenna. I wasn’t happy with them so I did some research and went with the WRC Platinum so I can run some FT-8 & FT-4 outside my car in the parks ! I can’t wait till I can set it up next week , after the Chrissy weather coming to NJ a the next 4-5 days ! Cheers Jim K2WPA
Mike, thank you for the comprehensive review of the WRC products! You were on the right track with the additional radials, for the lower bands add three-four 16' radials for 20m, 11' radials for 15m, etc. In the setup you have, the extra wire radials will only add to the "ground plane" reflectivity for 40m and lower so no harm, no foul. Also, your truck is your ground for the antenna. It's a big hunk of metal. Think of 2m ground plane on your car roof top.
The 3 radials do great for 40 and 20. I should play around with them more for the other bands. Maybe coil them back up on some winders and mark where the lengths are. I really don't feel like bringing more radials out in the field with this antenna so that might be a good solution.
Awesome video! Antennas videos for beginners are a must! There are some many different antenna configurations it kinda leaves you not even knowing where to start!
Hey thanks. I've gotten lots of comments over the last couple years about these antennas. Though it was about time to show the different configurations. As far as where to start, I would just go with one of their stock configurations honestly. You can always add more in time. Thanks for watching. 73
Thank you very much for this video...I'm just getting into POTA and trying to learn as much as I can. I like your little quips, "your mileage may vary"...you're talking my language.....Im in Nevada KJ7GEZ
Mike. Great explanation of the different configs on Wolf River Coils. You should be their PR guy! From their website, I had a hard time trying to figure out what each configuration did. Now I feel like I know. I ended up with the the 1000 with mega tripod and 17' whip because when I ordered it they didn't have the shorter whip in stock. I like that it's resonant on 20. I have used it only a couple days, on 20. Interested to see how the 17' whips works with the 1000 coil. Thanks again for the great review
Thanks Pat, that configuration should do you quite well. Especially on 20 -80. I haven't played with my 17' whip too much on the higher frequencies, but like I say in the video, the more radiating element you have up, the better. Congrats on your new antenna and make lots of contacts! 73
Very practical video, thanks a lot. I am a friend of your Dad's down here in Highlands County Florida. Use to wrk 80 meters from state park there in Ludington, never tried it from the dunes. 73, Don W4CBS, formerly from Gaylord, MI
I really love your videos. You provide the information I want without being overly technical. Based on your videos I'm just about ready to jump off and get a Xiegu G90 and a WRC TIA Mega. I've been a ham since the early 80s and got my Extra back when you still had to pass a 20 wpm test but newer did work HF much. I retired and want to get into POTA as well as other portable work. I don't have a place for a permanent station at my QTH. W5HHY
I'll tell ya, other than a battery and some coax thats all you will need for many a successful POTA activation. 20 watts might leave a little to be desired if you are trying to break the pileup, but not so much when everyone is trying to work you. I did just break a pileup with it the other day though. I got Michael, KB9VBR with my new G90 Go Box and my Tarheel antenna on the car.
Thanks for the video. I have the Wolf River Mini with the Mega tripod and the 213" whip. It works great. I've thought about doing the center fed and buy the extra 2 pieces to do that but haven't done it yet. Again thanks for all of the videos. 73
@@timw8ngt I was thinking of staking the tripod with a ground rod cut to maybe 2' or so. Not sure on how to best secure it to the tripod. It would work like a photographer hanging a weight from the tripod and also function as a bit of an extra ground. 73 - KC1OCA Good video BTW!
Hey Mike. Love your work. I bought the WRC 1000SB TIA Mega. I got it along with my Yaesu FT891. I got it before the Human Malware began back in March. So far, I have over 200 contacts and 150+ confirmed contacts in LOTW. All from my backyard. Can't wait for it to get cooler here so I can start doing POTA activations.
That’s awesome! A little backyard portable is all it takes. I love playing radio in the yard while I’m bbq’ing. Hope to catch you on your POTA activations. 73
Every year that I went down to the Duluth/Superior hamfest I was so tempted to pick the coils up and never did. I always found something else that made the roster and stayed under my duty when doing a day trip
For fast deployment, portability and versatility it is hard to go past the end fed 1/2 wave especially below 20m. Base loaded verticals are essentially mobile antennas and along with that comes the extra limitations of a vertical whip.
Mike, I sent you a PM re your incredible evangelism re the WRC products. The videos were more than sufficient to convince me to get a TIA with the SB1000, the "MAGA" base, and the extra two 2-foot sections. Also, your enthusiasm for ham radio does you immense credit! For being in the pastime for only three-four years, you have accomplished a lot -- and you will go a long way! Best of luck down in Texas and hope you have fun finding new parks for your splendid POTA work. 72/73 de k6whp dit dit
Thanks so much for your kind words that means a lot! I know you'll make plenty of contacts with your new antenna. The hobby has certainly taken over my life to say the least. I absolutely love it. 73
Thanks. I did that setup in Florida earlier this year. The whip tuned up way better than in this video for some reason. Same exact setup. Different ground is all I can think.
Good video, I use the 17' whip for 20m and it works great. I mount it on top of my truck (permanent mount). The roof of the truck works as a great ground plane and I can tune the antenna from 6-20 just by adjusting the MFJ whip's length. I hope to use this same configuration with the WRC SB 1000 and try out 40-75m for future POTA events. Thanks again. W1SRR
One of your best videos Mike (they're all great). Good detailed review of the Wolf River product line. Well done! Thanks for tyaking the time to make it. 73, George K2WO
@@hamradiotube I just re-watched your video on the DX commander expedition. If you could only have one antenna would it be the DXE or WRC for portable use? Thanks. Love your videos!!
@@gregnewberry4813 DX Commander for sure. All the bands and no adjusting anything. A little bit longer to set up though. I've got it down to about 15 minutes. You do have to make the antenna though, so if you aren't into that, the WRC would be the way to go.
I bought the sota special and have made contacts in Germany, UK, Italy, Switzerland, Canary Islands and all over the US, best money i ever spent. Now i need to get the center load legs. I like your idea for powerpoleing the radials, that'll same me from having to reattach the ring terminals all the time. Well i guess if i bother to solder the bloody things i might not have that problem of them popping off. Great video Mike, thanks for another one. Wife keeps looking at me, i think she knows i'm thinking about buying more radio stuff. 73 de W8MJL & K8MKL
Well don't blame me for it haha! You've certainly got more DX with yours than I do. I've not chased any DX with mine though. I should do that. Some were talking about setting 2 up and using one as a reflector to get some directional gain. That should be fun.
Funny thing is all those DX's were under solar minimum, guess the bands aren't dead...lol! Good idea on making one a reflector, dipole set up would be interesting to. Now I have to go buy the dipole kit. 73 de W8MJL & K8MKL
Not a bad idea but I don't want to put anything on the legs. I find a couple tent stakes over the legs serves me just fine. Or I've used my backpack to keep it from falling over.
Great info Mike, I’ve been debating picking one of these up and you make a compelling argument to do so... the real star of this video is that wire winder though 👍
Great video, thanks Mike. So after watching, I modeled the "MFJ 1979 Whip instead of the WRC TIA 1000 coil" in the MMANA-GAL program and got: f=14.200, SWR=1.4, R=37.8ohms. Also got a gain of -6.8 dBi at 5 degrees of elevation which is Callum's (DX Commander) suggestion for good DX. It's always good to compare the computer model to actual field results.
I've certainly gotten better results with the 17' whip in the exact same configuration than I did today. The SWR and ohms were better. Could have just been the ground it was over. I used it in Florida when I was down there in February and it worked great. I'm gonna have to experiment a little bit more. Thanks for doing that though. Those results are more in line with what I have seen in the past.
@@AdamMelancon Hey Adam. FYI I have a quick introductory video to computing the response of a simple vertical antenna using the MMANA-GAL modeling SW. The URL is: ua-cam.com/video/o_5H1EvyOY8/v-deo.html
Excellent video Mike. I just bought the Silver Bullet 1000 (coil only). I already have a copper rod mount to drive into the sand at the beach and I'm thinking about also trying this on a big Tram mag mount on the top of my car to see what it will do. I'm going to try the HF Manpack 112" whip and will see how it does. As you state for the 17' whip, more radiating in the air and less coil loading, I'm thinking the additional 10" over the 102" whip will just mean a couple clicks difference on the coil (we'll see). Hope you are doing well, 73, Walt K4OGO
I use the silver bullet . Itshard mounted in the trunk lid . When I use a 102 inch whip (driving down the road ) I can use it on 80,40 and 20. I use a 63 inch whip for 20 ,17,15,12 and 10 is usually just the whip.
Love the 1000 TIA. I found that wiping the telescoping whip down with a silicone (gun) cloth as I collapse it makes the difference. It removes fingerprints, surface gunk and allows the sections to slide easier. Give it a try.
Hi MIke: I have the 3 magnet MFJ antenna mount on the roof of my SUV and screw the coil into it. Works awesomely! Used it today to activate K-1409 for a second time. 73 de NU3Q
Totally. I have made so many contacts with my SB mini on my trunk. I was amazed at how well it performs. Even better than on the ground with the radials.
I have also used the WRC just mounted on the car with great results. I have used it on a trunk lid mount and also on my drilled NMO mount in the center of the car with an adapter. Up there works better than the trunk mount. Great for quick POTA activations. Takes no time at all to get on the air. Screw in the coil and you are good to go.
You make great videos! This one might be my favorite! Thank you for taking the time to make these and share them with all of us. I am subscribed with notifications turned on and of course thumbs up! 73 W3TCP
@@hamradiotube I REALLY enjoyed this video, too! I have the TIA 100 with the megapods. Great. I am grateful for seeing how you tuned it. Have you had any luck with adding shorter counterpoise wires?
Loved the video Mike, the SB-1000 is truly a gem of portable antennas. Is my first antenna that I bought as well. I can't wait to take it out for POTA! 73 de W8IJC!
You Answered all my questions but one, if you had to choose between the 1000 TIA Wolf River antenna and the DX Commander Expedition, which one would you choose for performance? How about making a park challenge video of the two? Pros-Cons setup, weight etc. I can't make up my mind which one to buy , roughly the same price range. thanks for the great videos, Ron in WA.
Well if you like making antennas the DXC is going to be your best bet. It's a resonant multi band antenna. Also handles legal limit. It comes in kit form and you have to cut and tune all the elements, as well as the counterpoise wires. The WRC is plug and play but requires loading to get the antenna resonant which is a bit of a compromise, and you need to adjust it every time you want to change bands. It's a bit quicker to get on the air though. They both work very well. As far as a challenge video, I don't think I'd do one. I've done multiple videos on both antennas already and hopefully covered the features and benefits of both of them to help make a decision. I know it's tough, they are both very appealing antennas. The other problem with a challenge video is that every antenna is different. They all have places they excel at in exchange for a compromise somewhere else. There is no "one" antenna that is the best. To answer your question on which one I'd chose for performance, I honestly can't answer that. I've had way more time with the WRC than the DXC. I have had tremendous success with both antennas. I'll tell you that I do prefer the DXC over all. It does take a bit more time to set up, but the ability to switch between bands without having to retune the antenna is a big plus for me. You won't make a wrong decision either way you go.
As with all these portable antennas, an antenna analyzer is really the key to easy tune up. The SWR meter in some rigs works but is cumbersome to use. I favor the YouKits FG-01 as it is very easy to use. The NanoVNA, once you get accustomed to using it, works well for about $50.00 USD.
I learned after a few outings that an analyzer def makes setup way faster. I was running back and fourth from the radio to the antenna I don't know how many times using the radios swr meter. Such a pain. Its still good to know how to do that, but I am not the most patient person in the world, and just want to get on the air when I'm out. I had a NanoVNA for about 10 minutes. I hated it and gave it to a friend haha!
on the low bands using it as a center loaded antenna i would add a capacitor box between ant and coaxial cable around about 330pf for 80m and 1000pf for 160m i used to run mobile late 90's with home made center loaded 16ft whip for 40/80/160m just changed the coil for each band and cap setting worked a treat for me and swr spot on. i just got the wolf river coil SB1000 TIA with long base and 2 x 24" poles for center load set up i am looking forward to using it nice video keep up the good work Chris G0WFH
That is so above my technical abilities but thank you for the insight lol! I don't doubt what you are saying is true. That would kind of make it like an EFHW would it not? I think I've seen a 10-15k resistor in some of those builds??? That would still be a far stretch for what the antenna in the versions I've shown could do I suspect though. I did have a bit of success tuning the Silver Bullet Mini on 80 meters by adding more radials of different lengths. It was pretty silly what I did, but it worked. I should have done a video. I'd love to hear what you think of the WRC Center Loaded. Keep me posted. 73
@@hamradiotube hi i not used mine yet its to cold out now and today i was knocked of my bike so grounded with a bad leg easy way to add a cap is get a cap box to add at the base i think mfj makes one my 44ft center load at home uses 220pf it helps with the independence at the feed point lower the frq the more capacitance you need at was the same on my mobile 16ft center load for 80/160m cap was 330/1090pf old friend told me about this years ago just to let you know it will not make it like a EFHW you are using a loaded 1/4 wave , i have been playing with EFHW and home made rf transformers they are very inexpressive i got 1/2 wave verticals on on 1 40ft mast for 40/20/17/15m and 10m working usa with 100w ok but not 10m its dead love your videos can you send us some sun thanks chris G0WFH
I get great results with the MFJ-1979 and tuned elevated radials with SWRs close to unity on 20 threw 10. It even works good with one tuned counterpoise as a bent vertical dipole. I get the feed point in the air with a Buddipole tripod, and use a 36 inch dowel to keep the counterpoise off the ground. You can tweek the SWR to unity by adjusting the counterpoise a few inches this way or that on the kite winder at the end of the counterpoise wire.
I've not tried any of my verticals with elevated radials. Some guys swear by it. That just sounds like more set up in the field and less time playing radio to me. I suspect you'd have to have more of a tuned radial system as well, something that I'm not personally trying to fuss with while portable but good to know you are getting the results you are. Are you only using 1 counterpoise wire? That wouldn't be too big a deal to tweak.
K8MRD RADIO STUFF one wire works very well. Tuning is really not a big issue. I keep 33 feet of wire on a kite winder. Just wind in to 20 meters, then in or out a turn or two to tweet the SWR. This set up is in effect an offset bent vertical dipole, and adjusting the end point of the counterpoise wire is in effect moving the feed point of the dipole off center to a place where the SWR satisfies your transmitter. Takes less than a minute. Once you have it set up mark the wire with some masking tape for quick deployment. Works way better than a radial on ground heating the earth worms. The wound wire on the kite winder is a choke for the wound wire. It does not affect operation. I’ve worked Europe with 20 watts with decent signal reports. If you use one radial the signal is somewhat directional in the direction of the radio. It low Q. You can tune the whole band without making any changes. Relatively more efficient than ground mounted radials. More signal in the air... less in the earth. More fun operating. That’s my experience. 73s
@@danielzdanowicz6899 yeah i can see one wire being pretty easy. I'll have to give that a try some time. Do you use more radials when you are on the lower frequencies? I know some antennas only need one, others require a bunch. I've just always operated with the 3 supplied by WRC.
K8MRD RADIO STUFF in the field you can still get away with one wire. Just keep it a few feet off the ground. For 80 meters you can string it out as a big suspended L shaped wire. I find dowels make a good way to keep the radial off the ground. Get them from Home Depot. They are light and don’t take up much room. For 80 some guys use an end fed half wave antenna with a 49 to 1 unun.
@@danielzdanowicz6899 Good to know. I absolutely never get on 80, but I keep it in the back of my mind and want to know that I can still use it if I need too. I've got an EFHW that is good on 80 if I need it as well. Just stupid long.
I was getting >2 SWR for 20m and higher until I discovered that coiling the tips of the radials back to 1/4 wavelength, including a couple back and forth iterations between adjusting the whip and adjusting the radials, brings the SWR much closer to 1. It is an easy experiment to try and costs nothing since you don’t have to cut wires. (Coil the tips, not the centers!)
Thanks Mike. You went through configurations I had not even considered. I am using the WRC at home right now on 40m and have worked Italy and Spain on the antenna with just 20 watts. Oh and Mike, maybe you need to try doing the phased array with a WRC some time. See how well they work together
Nice Mike, I make my own coils and it does work well , you can use the mini with 7-13 meters wire in to a tree or on angle ant get up to 80m I use 2.3,5,7,10 -meter wire in swithing can do all bands just figure out diffret length to join together to get what you want and were,HAPPY DX, Pieter
I've wondered about using a piece of wire instead of the whip for the lower bands. Kinda like Chameleon does with their MPAS antenna. I'm not on 80 hardly ever but it would be nice to have more radiating element in the air and less loading from the coil. Thanks for the info.
I have a TIA. I am less than impressed. I found tuning difficult and absolutely required an antenna analyzer. I talked to Wolf River. They said the coax needs to be at least 25 feet. I have compared operation with several other antennas. The TIA was always the worst. I plan to do some more experimentation. I may try tuning it with a Nanovna which will be small enough to cary on field trips.
Thats interesting. I've had nothing but great success with both of my WRC antennas. I've done many a video activating Parks on the Air with them you can check out. The coax def needs to be at least 25 feet for sure. Some guys find they need to add more counterpoise wires to get a better tune. Not a fault of the antenna, but a symptom of the ground/soil conditions where you are. I'd start with that.
Bought it earlier this year...more than 1 month delivery-time to Germany 😅 As a vertical antenna great performance on several bands with QRP-Power up to 20W. Had also the MFJ1979....good pairing 👍
K8MRD RADIO STUFF But your videos were one of the deciding factors for buying 😄. Tough test next Saturday at IARU 1 Fieldday. If you want to come to Bavaria by chance, you are welcome to come to my place. Thanks for the videos, 73 Volker, DG1VM
Great presentation Mike. I own the 1000 and the mini. Work great for portable work. Would like to see you do a video on the Otophone version of Wolf River products. Curious how tuning is accomplished using two mini coils and whips. Hope you can experiment with this version and show how to set-up
Nice review! I've got one on order with their 17 foot telescopic whip. I also own the Buddistick, which is OK. But the WRC looks easier to tune with the collar sliding function. Plus it's beefy enough to mount on a car...and it may work 80 meters. Looking forward to it.
Awesome, you will make many contacts with it, I know that for a fact! If you got the Silver Bullet 1000 it will absolutely do 80 meters. I'll tell you they aren't hard to tune, but I would recommend using an analyzer, it just makes it way faster. Some guys will mark on the coil with a sharpie so they can get close and then fine tune by checking the swr on the radio. Have fun with your new antenna! 73
@@hamradiotube Yes, I have the NanoVNA SAA-2N analyzer, essential bit of kit. The WRC works so well I pulled my dipole out of the tree in the yard, which made my wife much happier! This hobby is addictive. Just got a new ic7300 and already looking at a KX2. Thanks for all your videos. You and Hoshnasi are really helping the ham community. And I like that you both are such normal guys.
Thanks for sharing, Mike! I'm debating pulling the trigger on one of these myself. In your video you say the Silver Bullet 1000 TIA works from 80m to 6m. Their website says it works from 80m to 10m. Have you tried it on 6m? The only possible ding on this antenna that I can see is a lack of a guying solution. 73 de KF5RHI!
I was thinking of bringing a short ground rod, maybe cut one down to 2' and pound it in directly under the antenna. Not sure how best to attach it. Even a 2' might help the antenna get out a little bit more. Similiar to photographers putting a small weight under the center of a tripod to steady it. I have an old fiberglass 102" whip I purchased when I worked at Radio Shack and it seemed to want to work perfectly on 17m just down a few clicks. Only tried this antenna for a few minutes but really liking it so far. Nice thing about the fiberglass whip is it can fall over all day long and not break or bend. With some extra tuning and playing it may cover other bands, 10 & 12 etc. Also, I like 6m, I plan on seeing what it can do once Amazon figures how to deliver some coax. :-) 73 - KC1OCA
Hey mike.. have you, or anyone else that you know, tried to use a wrc in a delta loop config like the chameleon antenna that you can use as a vertical or delta loop?
The relatively high resistance of most stainless steel wire makes it a poor choice in the critical area of a loading coil, especially if a lot of the coil is involved in achieving the match.
Mike, what do you use for recording your videos? I'm looking for a simple recording setup and I have heard you use your phone to record, but you have good audio.
Thanks for the review, nice job! I do have a couple of questions: 1. Max wattage? I have an IC7300 that will do 100 watts. 2. I would love to mount this to the roof of my house. How would I handle the counterpoise?
Just a heads-up... Andre The Giant is deceased, so he wouldn't be able to adjust the top antenna extension either. Good vid. May look deeper into this set up. Keep them coming.
Super informative mike. Currently studying for my general but would like to work 10m in the meantime. I’ve been looking around for HF antennas on the go for when I’m motorcycle camping. I think the SOTA special will do the trick. Thanks for the info! -N6BFG
Really? Since when? I've never used more than 3 and have had great success. I know you can but I've never found a reason too. I have 20 on my DX Commander though, but that's a bit different antenna.
Radials, radials, radials! I have been doing a lot of experimenting with this 17’ whip and have found that the higher bands (20,15,10,etc) are much more resonant in this configuration with radials. I run 18, 16.5’ radials and my impedance is good and my SWR is excellent.
This is one of the best videos showing the WRC antenna options. Well done!
Thank you very much!
I picked up a WRC at Hamcation now I’m going back and watching all the videos. Thanks for the video
That's great, congratulations! You will make lots of contacts.
Mike, Love my Wolf River Silver Bullet 1000 for POTA work. Fast, easy set up, quick band changes if needed. Agree the 90 degree adapter is a big help. Also the antenna analyzer is almost a must. Just makes life easier. I have the Rig Expert AA-230 and it works great. I use longer larger legs for the tripod, prefer the stability they offer.
Absolutely agree 100%. Those Rig Expert analyzers are fantastic. I haven't played with one too much but they are surprisingly light weight. They look much heavier.
Thanks for making me not feel bad about my new purchase. I have a friend uses one for POTA and he recommended it, as well.
Quite the contrary you should feel great about your new purchase. Hope you make lots of contacts! 73
Hi Mike. I watch ALL your videos, and I’m so very grateful that you take the time to help others with your knowledge. I apologize for bothering you with this question, but I live out where there are only cows, horses, elk and cowboys/girls. I haven’t found anyone in any of those groups to help me. I bought a Yaesu FT-710 AESS and a Wolf River Coils 1000 Platinum. I set up the WRC antenna with 6 of their 31-foot radials and tuned it with my new RigExpert AA-35. For 20M it showed 1.73. That is as good as I was able to get the SWR. When I turn on my radio and tune to the 20M band I get HUGE amounts of static. Turning the SQ/Gain dial I can get it quiet, but then it shows the SWR going to 5 on the gauge on the transceiver. I can hear some people talking but I am unable to contact anyone when I transmit. I am a newly licensed General, and I have Parkinson’s Disease. I mention this because after watching your videos I decided to set up my own “park” in the backyard so that my already addled brain doesn’t have to deal with bonding/grounding/pulling what little hair I have left out. I use a LifePo4 20AH battery and 50ft of coax I got when I purchased a Chameleon EMCOMM III antenna that I haven’t used yet. I apologize again for writing War and Peace. If you can point me to another of your videos that will help I will appreciate it more than you could imagine. Everything is harder for me because of the disease, but I intend to make this thing work. Many thanks, Jim in Oregon K7NJL
Good video Mike. I found that adding more radials made tuning the coil more consistent.
Until the weekend, I used 6x33ft. I then added another 4 roughly 17ft radial and it appeared that the s/n ratio improved. Not sure that I was expecting that though.
By the way a 2L plastic bottle over the coil makes operating in the rain perfectly OK
More radials is never a bad thing. I've thought of bringing more out but just never have. I have another set too from my other WRC antenna! It sits in a milk crate with a bunch of other odds and ends lol!
Mike a.k.a. Poppa POTA, Thank you for the QSO from Huntsville last night. This video is more informative than you know. While watching you assemble the antenna I noticed the coil on my antenna was upside down. The long nut was at the opposite end and I believe this would make the coil shorter than usable for 80m - 6m. The antenna wouldn't tune. You and Mike, KB8VBR are my heroes.
Thanks, that was useful. I just bought the Silver Bullet TIA with long legs. I didn't think that you could stand near it while tuning. Speeds things up a bunch.
Thanks for watching. Your body does change it a little when you are close. I'll back up a few feet to see a more accurate reading usually. Then I'll go back and fine tune it.
I just got most of a TIA kit with the 1000 -- they didn't have the tripods apparently, so I'm getting a different tripod. This + an FT710 will be my starting rig as soon as all the pieces arrive. This was a great overview of the different ways to set things up. Thanks!
more betterer... my kind of guy. Thanks so much for making these videos. I'm in talks now with WRC to get what I need and your videos on these antennas have been a great help. Thanks again for keeping things simple for the everyday guy!
Let em know K8MRD sent you! Thanks for watching. Enjoy your new antenna!
I see WRC borrowed my idea for the split extension poles. They do come in handy. 73
I know, you should have patented it.
The WRC was one of my first HF antennas. Like you, I've been a ham for just a couple of years. This is an easy to deploy antenna. It's easy to tune. I bought the 17ft whip with mine (and the mini-coil).
I suggest either staking it down or putting weights (found rocks) on the legs to prevent tipping over.
Here in Nevada, ground conditions are very dry. I built a battery of 18x16ft ground radials (three six-into-one wires) using some cheap zip wire, which I throw out on the ground to improve the ground field.
Most of my ops with this antenna are portable and I worked 20, 30, and 40 meters. But, I've used it for a local 10m net as well. What I've learned (D'Oh moment) is that this is an excellent antenna when you do not need to be frequency agile. If you want to play on one band or are running a frequency, then it's fine. But if you are moving across bands, it's a bit of a PITA to get up, disconnect the coax from the radio, add the antenna analyzer, retune, and hook back up. It does not take very long, but it uses up field time.
We also used this antenna on a couple of SOTA ops and it was serviceable.
Be careful with the legs and hub, though. It is fairly easy to cross thread the aluminum hub. If the damage is minor, you can chase it out with a tap. Otherwise a helicoil repair will be necessary. I wish they made a stainless steel version of the hub.
A benefit of the center-loaded version is that I think you get a bit more bandwidth around the resonant frequency.
Good review. Thanks.
I'll put my bag or some stakes over the legs if its windy but I haven't needed to do that too many times. It has fallen over and didn't cause any damage. It is a compromise for sure between band hopping or staying put. Changing bands is certainly not as easy as other antennas for sure. I find it has a wide enough band width so I don't need to retune if I'm staying on the same band. Funny you say that about he legs/hub. I let a friend borrow it and it came back all messed up. Fortunately he replaced it so all is well with the world.
Mike - You are the reason that I bought the WRC system. You and Josh talked me into it at the WRC booth at the 2019 Hamvention in Dayton. On 20watts digital, I've been able to hit Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Russia and several countries in Europe from the St. Louis metro region. The only change that I've made is to run 12 33' counterpoise that really lowers the SWR and seems to widen the bandwidth.
Oh cool, glad to hear that we had a chance to meet. We sure were looking to going this year too. Did you do 3 bunches of 4 radials on the same connector?
@@hamradiotube I put two wires on a ring terminal and made 6 sets. They are made out of 16 gauge speaker wire that I bought a 250' roll from Menards. To add longevity, I soldered and heat shrink the the connection between the wires and the ring terminals.
Thanks for the helpful video. I've been using the 80-10 WRC at POTA activations the past 2 weeks. I have 7 33-ft. radials and works great. I was pondering getting the larger whip but after seeing your very helpful video today, I see no need now. Finding 20 meters is very easy with the coil and the 102 inch whip. I know you don't do CW, but the WRC is incredible on 30 meters and I get a flat 1:1 on that band at the parks. Thanks for your video today. You saved me some $$. 73 de KN3A.
Thats great. Glad to hear you area doing POTA! I've personally never thought I needed a larger whip, but I get so many questions about the 17' so I thought I'd include it as well. I think the guys at WRC got it figured out pretty well what works best with their antennas. One of these days (not soon) I will eventually learn code. Thanks for watching. 73
I just pulled the trigger toady on a WRC Platinum ! I can't wait to get out there and set up ! Thanks again for all your informative videos Mike !
Heck yeah man congratulations!
@@hamradiotube I needed something better than the Super Antenna. I wasn’t happy with them so I did some research and went with the WRC Platinum so I can run some FT-8 & FT-4 outside my car in the parks ! I can’t wait till I can set it up next week , after the Chrissy weather coming to NJ a the next 4-5 days ! Cheers Jim K2WPA
Mike, thank you for the comprehensive review of the WRC products!
You were on the right track with the additional radials, for the lower bands add three-four 16' radials for 20m, 11' radials for 15m, etc. In the setup you have, the extra wire radials will only add to the "ground plane" reflectivity for 40m and lower so no harm, no foul.
Also, your truck is your ground for the antenna. It's a big hunk of metal. Think of 2m ground plane on your car roof top.
The 3 radials do great for 40 and 20. I should play around with them more for the other bands. Maybe coil them back up on some winders and mark where the lengths are. I really don't feel like bringing more radials out in the field with this antenna so that might be a good solution.
Awesome video! Antennas videos for beginners are a must! There are some many different antenna configurations it kinda leaves you not even knowing where to start!
Hey thanks. I've gotten lots of comments over the last couple years about these antennas. Though it was about time to show the different configurations. As far as where to start, I would just go with one of their stock configurations honestly. You can always add more in time. Thanks for watching. 73
Thank you very much for this video...I'm just getting into POTA and trying to learn as much as I can. I like your little quips, "your mileage may vary"...you're talking my language.....Im in Nevada KJ7GEZ
Right on, glad to help. Be careful though, POTA can be habit forming!
Great job loved it from across the pond
Mike. Great explanation of the different configs on Wolf River Coils. You should be their PR guy! From their website, I had a hard time trying to figure out what each configuration did. Now I feel like I know. I ended up with the the 1000 with mega tripod and 17' whip because when I ordered it they didn't have the shorter whip in stock. I like that it's resonant on 20. I have used it only a couple days, on 20. Interested to see how the 17' whips works with the 1000 coil. Thanks again for the great review
Thanks Pat, that configuration should do you quite well. Especially on 20 -80. I haven't played with my 17' whip too much on the higher frequencies, but like I say in the video, the more radiating element you have up, the better. Congrats on your new antenna and make lots of contacts! 73
Very practical video, thanks a lot. I am a friend of your Dad's down here in Highlands County Florida. Use to wrk 80 meters from state park there in Ludington, never tried it from the dunes.
73, Don W4CBS, formerly from Gaylord, MI
Oh cool, what a small world. You know my dad and you operated in Ludington. Maybe I'll see you down there in February for Hamcation. 73
That shirt has never been more accurate than today
Thank you Mike, this video has held up well. I think watching it will save me money when I order. 73
You're way more informative than any website, Mike! Very cool setup and, as a bonus, very affordable, too! 73 DE W1NLJ
Thanks Norm, I appreciate that. Thats what the UA-cams are for lol!
Well done Mike. I enjoy your practical straight talking honest reviews.
Thank you very much.
I really love your videos. You provide the information I want without being overly technical. Based on your videos I'm just about ready to jump off and get a Xiegu G90 and a WRC TIA Mega. I've been a ham since the early 80s and got my Extra back when you still had to pass a 20 wpm test but newer did work HF much. I retired and want to get into POTA as well as other portable work. I don't have a place for a permanent station at my QTH. W5HHY
I'll tell ya, other than a battery and some coax thats all you will need for many a successful POTA activation. 20 watts might leave a little to be desired if you are trying to break the pileup, but not so much when everyone is trying to work you. I did just break a pileup with it the other day though. I got Michael, KB9VBR with my new G90 Go Box and my Tarheel antenna on the car.
Thanks for the update on the WRC offerings. I've really enjoyed my SB1000tia as well. LCARA Ham Radio.
Def a great antenna for portable use. Pretty quick setup too.
Thanks for the video. I have the Wolf River Mini with the Mega tripod and the 213" whip. It works great. I've thought about doing the center fed and buy the extra 2 pieces to do that but haven't done it yet. Again thanks for all of the videos. 73
You'll prob not want to use that big of a whip with the center loaded unless you really secure the tripod, but it would work.
@@hamradiotube Thanks for the advice, if I go that route I will look to make some changes to secure the tripod.
@@timw8ngt I was thinking of staking the tripod with a ground rod cut to maybe 2' or so. Not sure on how to best secure it to the tripod. It would work like a photographer hanging a weight from the tripod and also function as a bit of an extra ground. 73 - KC1OCA
Good video BTW!
Hey Mike. Love your work. I bought the WRC 1000SB TIA Mega. I got it along with my Yaesu FT891. I got it before the Human Malware began back in March. So far, I have over 200 contacts and 150+ confirmed contacts in LOTW. All from my backyard. Can't wait for it to get cooler here so I can start doing POTA activations.
That’s awesome! A little backyard portable is all it takes. I love playing radio in the yard while I’m bbq’ing. Hope to catch you on your POTA activations. 73
Every year that I went down to the Duluth/Superior hamfest I was so tempted to pick the coils up and never did. I always found something else that made the roster and stayed under my duty when doing a day trip
They're fantastic antennas. Don't want to pay any duties though I understand that.
For fast deployment, portability and versatility it is hard to go past the end fed 1/2 wave especially below 20m. Base loaded verticals are essentially mobile antennas and along with that comes the extra limitations of a vertical whip.
I just got an EFHW that I'll be playing with in the near future.
Extremely informative
N5LRZ
Ray
Thank you.
Great antenna. I use mine with the MFJ whip. I get it close and my LDG Z100 tuner takes care of the difference. I like it.
These antennas are so good; one could buy a couple of these and be done for a lifetime.
Absolutely. Unless you are like me and get an addiction to antennas!
Mike, I sent you a PM re your incredible evangelism re the WRC products. The videos were more than sufficient to convince me to get a TIA with the SB1000, the "MAGA" base, and the extra two 2-foot sections. Also, your enthusiasm for ham radio does you immense credit! For being in the pastime for only three-four years, you have accomplished a lot -- and you will go a long way! Best of luck down in Texas and hope you have fun finding new parks for your splendid POTA work.
72/73 de k6whp
dit dit
Thanks so much for your kind words that means a lot! I know you'll make plenty of contacts with your new antenna. The hobby has certainly taken over my life to say the least. I absolutely love it. 73
Ditto. Great video! I chose the mini to pair with the 891.
Good choice!
This was a very good presentation. Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching.
N0CALL, That antenna looks like a dam good portable for a multitude of uses. Thanks for the video.
Oh it is. Thanks for watching.
Nicely done. I use the longer WRC whip extended on 20m without the coil with the mega tripod setup with tent stakes to keep it secure.
Thanks. I did that setup in Florida earlier this year. The whip tuned up way better than in this video for some reason. Same exact setup. Different ground is all I can think.
When I’m on the beach in the wind I mount it on a superantenna ground spike. Works great. 73 KM6OND.
That’s a good idea. Plus you can use the spike incase of zombies lol!!
Good video, I use the 17' whip for 20m and it works great. I mount it on top of my truck (permanent mount). The roof of the truck works as a great ground plane and I can tune the antenna from 6-20 just by adjusting the MFJ whip's length. I hope to use this same configuration with the WRC SB 1000 and try out 40-75m for future POTA events. Thanks again. W1SRR
For sure, the car is a great place for the WRC. I've gotten out very well with it on my trunk lip mount.
One of your best videos Mike (they're all great). Good detailed review of the Wolf River product line. Well done! Thanks for tyaking the time to make it. 73, George K2WO
Well thank you, I appreciate that. I get so many questions about these antennas I figured it was time to do another video.
I was just wondering about the Wolf River antennas yesterday, and here is the answer today! Thanks. 73 WB7DUO
I had a feeling you would be wondering about them, so I made this video for you :)
@@hamradiotube I just re-watched your video on the DX commander expedition. If you could only have one antenna would it be the DXE or WRC for portable use? Thanks. Love your videos!!
@@gregnewberry4813 DX Commander for sure. All the bands and no adjusting anything. A little bit longer to set up though. I've got it down to about 15 minutes. You do have to make the antenna though, so if you aren't into that, the WRC would be the way to go.
I bought the sota special and have made contacts in Germany, UK, Italy, Switzerland, Canary Islands and all over the US, best money i ever spent. Now i need to get the center load legs. I like your idea for powerpoleing the radials, that'll same me from having to reattach the ring terminals all the time. Well i guess if i bother to solder the bloody things i might not have that problem of them popping off.
Great video Mike, thanks for another one. Wife keeps looking at me, i think she knows i'm thinking about buying more radio stuff.
73 de W8MJL & K8MKL
Well don't blame me for it haha! You've certainly got more DX with yours than I do. I've not chased any DX with mine though. I should do that. Some were talking about setting 2 up and using one as a reflector to get some directional gain. That should be fun.
Funny thing is all those DX's were under solar minimum, guess the bands aren't dead...lol!
Good idea on making one a reflector, dipole set up would be interesting to. Now I have to go buy the dipole kit.
73 de W8MJL & K8MKL
@@W8MJL All you gotta do is get on the air. I only know what its like in solar minimum and I'm having a blast. I can only imagine when things pick up!
Weld some washers to the base legs then you could put stakes in to keep it from tipping over
Not a bad idea but I don't want to put anything on the legs. I find a couple tent stakes over the legs serves me just fine. Or I've used my backpack to keep it from falling over.
adding more counter poise wires helps on all bands. I put 6- 20 ft on each leg and it made a big differance.
Great info Mike, I’ve been debating picking one of these up and you make a compelling argument to do so... the real star of this video is that wire winder though 👍
Yeah some cool guy printed it for me. They have a new one that handles more power for digital modes that would work well for you.
K8MRD RADIO STUFF I was looking at that yesterday and got all worked up 👍
Great video, thanks Mike. So after watching, I modeled the "MFJ 1979 Whip instead of the WRC TIA 1000 coil" in the MMANA-GAL program and got: f=14.200, SWR=1.4, R=37.8ohms. Also got a gain of -6.8 dBi at 5 degrees of elevation which is Callum's (DX Commander) suggestion for good DX. It's always good to compare the computer model to actual field results.
I've certainly gotten better results with the 17' whip in the exact same configuration than I did today. The SWR and ohms were better. Could have just been the ground it was over. I used it in Florida when I was down there in February and it worked great. I'm gonna have to experiment a little bit more. Thanks for doing that though. Those results are more in line with what I have seen in the past.
I really wish I was better at antenna modeling software.
@@AdamMelancon Hey Adam. FYI I have a quick introductory video to computing the response of a simple vertical antenna using the MMANA-GAL modeling SW. The URL is: ua-cam.com/video/o_5H1EvyOY8/v-deo.html
Excellent video Mike. I just bought the Silver Bullet 1000 (coil only). I already have a copper rod mount to drive into the sand at the beach and I'm thinking about also trying this on a big Tram mag mount on the top of my car to see what it will do. I'm going to try the HF Manpack 112" whip and will see how it does. As you state for the 17' whip, more radiating in the air and less coil loading, I'm thinking the additional 10" over the 102" whip will just mean a couple clicks difference on the coil (we'll see). Hope you are doing well, 73, Walt K4OGO
Your videos are clear and to the point. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. 73 AC0AE
Thanks Mike, very good presentation! 73
Very welcome
I use the silver bullet . Itshard mounted in the trunk lid . When I use a 102 inch whip (driving down the road ) I can use it on 80,40 and 20. I use a 63 inch whip for 20 ,17,15,12 and 10 is usually just the whip.
Love the 1000 TIA. I found that wiping the telescoping whip down with a silicone (gun) cloth as I collapse it makes the difference. It removes fingerprints, surface gunk and allows the sections to slide easier. Give it a try.
Ballistol!
Great Video. I have a wolf river coil coming in this Thursday.
Very cool!
Hi MIke:
I have the 3 magnet MFJ antenna mount on the roof of my SUV and screw the coil into it. Works awesomely! Used it today to activate K-1409 for a second time. 73 de NU3Q
Totally. I have made so many contacts with my SB mini on my trunk. I was amazed at how well it performs. Even better than on the ground with the radials.
K8MRD RADIO STUFF More grounding area/surface than three 33’ radials hihi
@@NU3Q Yeah exactly. I was just amazed cuz I have no bonding or grounding done on my car and it still worked!
I have also used the WRC just mounted on the car with great results. I have used it on a trunk lid mount and also on my drilled NMO mount in the center of the car with an adapter. Up there works better than the trunk mount. Great for quick POTA activations. Takes no time at all to get on the air. Screw in the coil and you are good to go.
It's absolutely fantastic on a car for sure. I find I get a lot farther out.
You make great videos! This one might be my favorite! Thank you for taking the time to make these and share them with all of us. I am subscribed with notifications turned on and of course thumbs up! 73 W3TCP
Thank you so much, I really appreciate the support. This video was long overdue. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the sub. 73
@@hamradiotube I REALLY enjoyed this video, too! I have the TIA 100 with the megapods. Great. I am grateful for seeing how you tuned it. Have you had any luck with adding shorter counterpoise wires?
Totally buying WRC now! So many options. Sounds like I should go bigger even if I don't plan on using right away.
Right on man. Go big or go home. I'm glad I got the SB 1000 even though I never use 80. Rather have it and not need it.
the 90 degree connector tip was pro.. it made setting mine up so much easier with the coax.
You almost have to have it. Thanks for watching.
Loved the video Mike, the SB-1000 is truly a gem of portable antennas. Is my first antenna that I bought as well. I can't wait to take it out for POTA! 73 de W8IJC!
Thanks for watching. It should work great for you. Make lots of contacts! 73
@@hamradiotube I hope so, 73! I'm still up for POTA sometime after covid, whenever that is lol.
You Answered all my questions but one, if you had to choose between the 1000 TIA Wolf River antenna and the DX Commander Expedition, which one would you choose for performance? How about making a park challenge video of the two? Pros-Cons setup, weight etc. I can't make up my mind which one to buy , roughly the same price range. thanks for the great videos, Ron in WA.
Well if you like making antennas the DXC is going to be your best bet. It's a resonant multi band antenna. Also handles legal limit. It comes in kit form and you have to cut and tune all the elements, as well as the counterpoise wires. The WRC is plug and play but requires loading to get the antenna resonant which is a bit of a compromise, and you need to adjust it every time you want to change bands. It's a bit quicker to get on the air though. They both work very well. As far as a challenge video, I don't think I'd do one. I've done multiple videos on both antennas already and hopefully covered the features and benefits of both of them to help make a decision. I know it's tough, they are both very appealing antennas. The other problem with a challenge video is that every antenna is different. They all have places they excel at in exchange for a compromise somewhere else. There is no "one" antenna that is the best. To answer your question on which one I'd chose for performance, I honestly can't answer that. I've had way more time with the WRC than the DXC. I have had tremendous success with both antennas. I'll tell you that I do prefer the DXC over all. It does take a bit more time to set up, but the ability to switch between bands without having to retune the antenna is a big plus for me. You won't make a wrong decision either way you go.
As with all these portable antennas, an antenna analyzer is really the key to easy tune up. The SWR meter in some rigs works but is cumbersome to use. I favor the YouKits FG-01 as it is very easy to use. The NanoVNA, once you get accustomed to using it, works well for about $50.00 USD.
I learned after a few outings that an analyzer def makes setup way faster. I was running back and fourth from the radio to the antenna I don't know how many times using the radios swr meter. Such a pain. Its still good to know how to do that, but I am not the most patient person in the world, and just want to get on the air when I'm out. I had a NanoVNA for about 10 minutes. I hated it and gave it to a friend haha!
You are so right. I only recently acquired an analyzer and am just realizing the value of my wolf river coil that I have had about 2 years.
Great walk-through, I love having deployment options. Definitely an antenna I want to play with sometime.
When you get your 705 we can meet up somewhere in between both of us and play radio.
Outstanding! Thanks so much.
Very welcome!
Great job Mike.Those kinds of videos do help on making a decision what we would like to try.Thanks for all your hard work.
Glad to help. Thanks for watching.
on the low bands using it as a center loaded antenna i would add a capacitor box between ant and coaxial cable around about 330pf for 80m and 1000pf for 160m i used to run mobile late 90's with home made center loaded 16ft whip for 40/80/160m just changed the coil for each band and cap setting worked a treat for me and swr spot on. i just got the
wolf river coil SB1000 TIA with long base and 2 x 24" poles for center load set up i am looking forward to using it nice video keep up the good work Chris G0WFH
That is so above my technical abilities but thank you for the insight lol! I don't doubt what you are saying is true. That would kind of make it like an EFHW would it not? I think I've seen a 10-15k resistor in some of those builds??? That would still be a far stretch for what the antenna in the versions I've shown could do I suspect though. I did have a bit of success tuning the Silver Bullet Mini on 80 meters by adding more radials of different lengths. It was pretty silly what I did, but it worked. I should have done a video. I'd love to hear what you think of the WRC Center Loaded. Keep me posted. 73
@@hamradiotube hi i not used mine yet its to cold out now and today i was knocked of my bike so grounded with a bad leg easy way to add a cap is get a cap box to add at the base i think mfj makes one my 44ft center load at home uses 220pf it helps with the independence at the feed point lower the frq the more capacitance you need at was the same on my mobile 16ft center load for 80/160m cap was 330/1090pf old friend told me about this years ago just to let you know it will not make it like a EFHW you are using a loaded 1/4 wave , i have been playing with EFHW and home made rf transformers they are very inexpressive
i got 1/2 wave verticals on on 1 40ft mast for 40/20/17/15m and 10m working usa with 100w ok but not 10m its dead love your videos can you send us some sun thanks chris G0WFH
Very nice technical review appreciate your time with this
Appreciate you watching all the videos these last few days :)
I get great results with the MFJ-1979 and tuned elevated radials with SWRs close to unity on 20 threw 10. It even works good with one tuned counterpoise as a bent vertical dipole. I get the feed point in the air with a Buddipole tripod, and use a 36 inch dowel to keep the counterpoise off the ground. You can tweek the SWR to unity by adjusting the counterpoise a few inches this way or that on the kite winder at the end of the counterpoise wire.
I've not tried any of my verticals with elevated radials. Some guys swear by it. That just sounds like more set up in the field and less time playing radio to me. I suspect you'd have to have more of a tuned radial system as well, something that I'm not personally trying to fuss with while portable but good to know you are getting the results you are. Are you only using 1 counterpoise wire? That wouldn't be too big a deal to tweak.
K8MRD RADIO STUFF one wire works very well. Tuning is really not a big issue. I keep 33 feet of wire on a kite winder. Just wind in to 20 meters, then in or out a turn or two to tweet the SWR. This set up is in effect an offset bent vertical dipole, and adjusting the end point of the counterpoise wire is in effect moving the feed point of the dipole off center to a place where the SWR satisfies your transmitter. Takes less than a minute. Once you have it set up mark the wire with some masking tape for quick deployment. Works way better than a radial on ground heating the earth worms. The wound wire on the kite winder is a choke for the wound wire. It does not affect operation. I’ve worked Europe with 20 watts with decent signal reports. If you use one radial the signal is somewhat directional in the direction of the radio. It low Q. You can tune the whole band without making any changes. Relatively more efficient than ground mounted radials. More signal in the air... less in the earth. More fun operating. That’s my experience. 73s
@@danielzdanowicz6899 yeah i can see one wire being pretty easy. I'll have to give that a try some time. Do you use more radials when you are on the lower frequencies? I know some antennas only need one, others require a bunch. I've just always operated with the 3 supplied by WRC.
K8MRD RADIO STUFF in the field you can still get away with one wire. Just keep it a few feet off the ground. For 80 meters you can string it out as a big suspended L shaped wire. I find dowels make a good way to keep the radial off the ground. Get them from Home Depot. They are light and don’t take up much room. For 80 some guys use an end fed half wave antenna with a 49 to 1 unun.
@@danielzdanowicz6899 Good to know. I absolutely never get on 80, but I keep it in the back of my mind and want to know that I can still use it if I need too. I've got an EFHW that is good on 80 if I need it as well. Just stupid long.
I was getting >2 SWR for 20m and higher until I discovered that coiling the tips of the radials back to 1/4 wavelength, including a couple back and forth iterations between adjusting the whip and adjusting the radials, brings the SWR much closer to 1. It is an easy experiment to try and costs nothing since you don’t have to cut wires. (Coil the tips, not the centers!)
I use the mini coil with the MFJ-1979 and it works great.
Absolutely. A lot of guys like that setup.
Very good presentation. Antenna101, More Iron in the sky.
Thanks
Great video - no BS - just an honest appraisal - THANK YOU, 73
Much appreciated!
Thanks Mike. You went through configurations I had not even considered. I am using the WRC at home right now on 40m and have worked Italy and Spain on the antenna with just 20 watts. Oh and Mike, maybe you need to try doing the phased array with a WRC some time. See how well they work together
Someone else commented earlier about using the phased array. I'm gonna have to take a look into it.
Nice Mike, I make my own coils and it does work well , you can use the mini with 7-13 meters wire in to a tree or on angle ant get up to 80m I use 2.3,5,7,10 -meter wire in swithing can do all bands just figure out diffret length to join together to get what you want and were,HAPPY DX,
Pieter
I've wondered about using a piece of wire instead of the whip for the lower bands. Kinda like Chameleon does with their MPAS antenna. I'm not on 80 hardly ever but it would be nice to have more radiating element in the air and less loading from the coil. Thanks for the info.
Sometime I would like you to do a video on the Wolf River Coil. I have not seen any videos on those antennas. Thanks!
I'll see if I can get one made soon. Thanks for the idea:)
I have a TIA. I am less than impressed. I found tuning difficult and absolutely required an antenna analyzer. I talked to Wolf River. They said the coax needs to be at least 25 feet. I have compared operation with several other antennas. The TIA was always the worst. I plan to do some more experimentation. I may try tuning it with a Nanovna which will be small enough to cary on field trips.
Thats interesting. I've had nothing but great success with both of my WRC antennas. I've done many a video activating Parks on the Air with them you can check out. The coax def needs to be at least 25 feet for sure. Some guys find they need to add more counterpoise wires to get a better tune. Not a fault of the antenna, but a symptom of the ground/soil conditions where you are. I'd start with that.
Thanks Mike, made up my my mind for me ! great content
Glad to help.
Great video and you are a great teacher. Thanks for
very informative and helpful in understanding the product. thanks
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching.
Bought it earlier this year...more than 1 month delivery-time to Germany 😅 As a vertical antenna great performance on several bands with QRP-Power up to 20W. Had also the MFJ1979....good pairing 👍
Thats awesome you were able to get one over there. A lot of people are put off by the expense of shipping over seas.
K8MRD RADIO STUFF It was expensive, but it was worth. 👍
@@volkermunch773Awesome. Glad you like it.
K8MRD RADIO STUFF But your videos were one of the deciding factors for buying 😄. Tough test next Saturday at IARU 1 Fieldday. If you want to come to Bavaria by chance, you are welcome to come to my place.
Thanks for the videos, 73
Volker, DG1VM
Great presentation Mike. I own the 1000 and the mini. Work great for portable work. Would like to see you do a video on the Otophone version of Wolf River products. Curious how tuning is accomplished using two mini coils and whips. Hope you can experiment with this version and show how to set-up
Thanks Norm. I don't have an Otophone. Maybe if I see them at Huntsville I'll ask if they will let me review one. I'm kinda curious about it myself.
Great review Mike, thanks! Question, have you ever used a faraday cloth in place of the radials?
Just worked VK2CR on 20m SSB with this antenna and a 7300, from a boat about 6 miles off the coast of Maine.
Ok I'm definitely jealous! I would love to operate out in the ocean. Working VK land would just be the icing on the cake.
@@hamradiotube
Once the apocalypse is over, you’ve got an invite out here! Here's the QSO if you're interested ua-cam.com/video/gQY2DJuF01s/v-deo.html
great stuff!
Nice review! I've got one on order with their 17 foot telescopic whip. I also own the Buddistick, which is OK. But the WRC looks easier to tune with the collar sliding function. Plus it's beefy enough to mount on a car...and it may work 80 meters. Looking forward to it.
Awesome, you will make many contacts with it, I know that for a fact! If you got the Silver Bullet 1000 it will absolutely do 80 meters. I'll tell you they aren't hard to tune, but I would recommend using an analyzer, it just makes it way faster. Some guys will mark on the coil with a sharpie so they can get close and then fine tune by checking the swr on the radio. Have fun with your new antenna! 73
@@hamradiotube Yes, I have the NanoVNA SAA-2N analyzer, essential bit of kit. The WRC works so well I pulled my dipole out of the tree in the yard, which made my wife much happier! This hobby is addictive. Just got a new ic7300 and already looking at a KX2. Thanks for all your videos. You and Hoshnasi are really helping the ham community. And I like that you both are such normal guys.
Nice job Mike, keep up the good work.
Thanks, will do!
Thanks for sharing, Mike! I'm debating pulling the trigger on one of these myself. In your video you say the Silver Bullet 1000 TIA works from 80m to 6m. Their website says it works from 80m to 10m. Have you tried it on 6m? The only possible ding on this antenna that I can see is a lack of a guying solution. 73 de KF5RHI!
Ah, perhaps I mis-spoke. You could def get 6 with the whip. You just wouldn't need the coil.
I was thinking of bringing a short ground rod, maybe cut one down to 2' and pound it in directly under the antenna. Not sure how best to attach it. Even a 2' might help the antenna get out a little bit more. Similiar to photographers putting a small weight under the center of a tripod to steady it.
I have an old fiberglass 102" whip I purchased when I worked at Radio Shack and it seemed to want to work perfectly on 17m just down a few clicks. Only tried this antenna for a few minutes but really liking it so far. Nice thing about the fiberglass whip is it can fall over all day long and not break or bend. With some extra tuning and playing it may cover other bands, 10 & 12 etc.
Also, I like 6m, I plan on seeing what it can do once Amazon figures how to deliver some coax. :-)
73 - KC1OCA
the right angle connector also supply you a place to put a sandbag on to ancker the antenna to make it sturdy
I hadn't though about that but yes, that would work.
Hey mike.. have you, or anyone else that you know, tried to use a wrc in a delta loop config like the chameleon antenna that you can use as a vertical or delta loop?
Excellent video. I also look forward to watching all your reviews!
Much appreciated!
The relatively high resistance of most stainless steel wire makes it a poor choice in the critical area of a loading coil, especially if a lot of the coil is involved in achieving the match.
And yet they still work great.
Mike, what do you use for recording your videos? I'm looking for a simple recording setup and I have heard you use your phone to record, but you have good audio.
You have heard right. I record with my iPhone. I use a cheap wireless lav for audio amzn.to/357eUh0
Thanks for the review, nice job!
I do have a couple of questions:
1. Max wattage? I have an IC7300 that will do 100 watts.
2. I would love to mount this to the roof of my house. How would I handle the counterpoise?
Just a heads-up... Andre The Giant is deceased, so he wouldn't be able to adjust the top antenna extension either. Good vid. May look deeper into this set up. Keep them coming.
Yes, but I still love him in The Princess Bride. Thanks for watching. 73
Super informative mike. Currently studying for my general but would like to work 10m in the meantime. I’ve been looking around for HF antennas on the go for when I’m motorcycle camping. I think the SOTA special will do the trick. Thanks for the info! -N6BFG
You got it bud. That'll do you quite well.
Typical excellent video, thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
Love it, gonna order one.
Good choice!
WRC recommends 6 counterpoise wires, 9 if you can do it. I made 3 more and run 6. I think it made a difference.
Really? Since when? I've never used more than 3 and have had great success. I know you can but I've never found a reason too. I have 20 on my DX Commander though, but that's a bit different antenna.
Thank you!
On the net there is a diagram for the 17' whip. For 6 and 10 1/2 is possible.