Every 5 seconds of this video you cleared something up that was confusing me and no one else could explain it for my grey matter to digest. You are an amazing teacher and your presentation and instructional aids were amazing. Thank you so so much for this.
Agreed. Very professional, yet personable to listen to. (😉disclaimer… My mom was a US military wife, originally from Luxembourg. So, the dialect is most pleasing to my ear).
I built a 3 core version 64:1 and then I tapped the coils at the 49:1 point and ran a seperate wing nut. So now I have 2 transformers in one, a 64:1 and and 49:1, it works great! Thanks for the video!
Contests are a big spam challenge, what's worse is they will spam right on top of you after asking "is any station on this freq" instead of waiting for a response they crap all over your qso.
Couldn't agree more... contests are a waste of frequency spectrum... I love it when you hear someone have to repeat his callsulign 5 times, then the get a "5-9" report...
three simple rules to add to all contests to make them more acceptable to all (whilst not detracting from the contest);- a) only use "even 10's of freq" for the contest... ie 0-10 yes, 10-20 no, 20-30 yes, 30-40 no... 200-210 yes etc etc. b) if you have "big boots" you cannot monopolise a single freq and just "claim it" to the detriment of all others (including other contesters)... implemented by you cannot be on any one frequency for more than 10 minutes... you must move after that time and find a free space yourself. If your log times show excessive single freq use then points after 10 mins will not count. If you repeatedly stomp on smaller stations to make your space you will be deducted points. c) With the easy availability of waterfall displays these days, Splattering "wide boy" contestants will simply be disqualified.
Totally agree. I do not like contests. I like experimenting with antennas and get feedback on different setups on air. Contests are only hello-goodbye-next. Never understood the appeal of it my self. Leave some of the bands off limit for contests.
The last half of this video is the most important and a very good explanation. I have been a ham for 62 years and this is the best explanation I have seen. Dave K8WPE
I hate contesting, its so rude for a guy that wants to rag chew to get pushed out by the "all important contest" Great informative how to video, thanks Gill 🎙73's kd9oam
I hate rag chewers, it's so rude for a guy that wants to contest to have a frequency taken up because it's the rag chewer's special frequency that he uses every day to listen to himself talk for hours on end. He's already talked enough, let someone else talk! Share the band and don't hog frequencies, whatever you are doing!
@@brad1367 try giving other operators some room on the bands instead of hogging the whole band width be like the RSGB contesters operate within a certain band width which gives other users the opportunity to use the bands don't be selfish.
@@Pelnied you might hate rag chewers but dont be selfish and hog the whole bandwidth make room for all users Remember Amateur Radio is a broad church .
Im no rag chewer but i like to have a chat for up to t minutes before moving on. Shouting numbers is boring. I often end up pushed on the warc bands when propagation is poor over 20m. All bands should have a warc section where contests are invalid for points. And we dont need 4 channels for ft8 warbles.
Thank you! Your explanation of current flow in a HW was excellent. I now understand why radials are not needed for a HW but are needed for 1/4 wave. Non technical but spot on.
Whenever I see any hams asking about end fed antennas and how to go about making one I always point them to this video, so easy to understand, and even if licenced 30+ years you can always learn something new.
I just had to say thank you so so much for what I've found to be the best explanation to End Feds, Random Wires and Dipoles on the internet. You have allowed me to understand such fundamental principles of resonance in a wire, why feedlines don't radiate EM energy and allowed me such a fantastic and solid grasp on the basics of EM radiation in a wire. I also have to thank you for your superb explanation on UNUNs and why and in what cases they would be needed. I really cannot thank you enough. Just had to tell you! Adrian, M0AAG.
Agree with you on contesting. Glad that there are so many options and variations of amateur radio. However, we are taught as a general rule to show curtesy to others, but this seems to be put aside during contesting. There should honestly be some band plans put together for temporary areas to be used for contesting. 73 K5JRX
This is the Best!! explanation I have ever heard comparing 1/2 wave and random length antennas and the need for size appropriate transformers. Excellent job!!
I go to the 30M band. Regarding end-fed antenna I use a W3EDP (25.6M) which seems effective across all amateur bands. Love your regular UA-cam videos. Thank you.
This is the best video I have ever seen that really explains in layman's terms the whole end fed, half wave antenna thing using ununs or baluns. You have finally explained all of this so that even an old retired welder like myself who just enjoys making antennas and trying different things to get on the air can understand how it all works, even without an electrical engineering degree!! Thanks so much for taking the time to make this wonderful video!😃
Great video, I have been wanting to make my own for some time now but was confusing, your presentation has made it crystal clear. Thank you very much. 73 Glenn ZL1MY
Great video. Regarding the 100pf capacitor on the RF Transformer there isn't 3kv on the RF input, if there was your radio's final world be toast. Yes there will be 3kv on the high impedance output to the wire antenna. I only use a capacitor rated at 400v with no issues.
Excellent info! Thanks Gil. Tried the 0.05 wavelength, as you said it had no effect. Stacked 3 ft240 -43 together for a high power efhw and it handles 400w with no problem. Steve Ellington’s channel is good for this.
To calculate the 1/8th wavelength do this example: 468/frequency =1/2 wavelength x2 then multiply it by 0.05 this will give you the length of counterpoise. Cheers
I've always run 0.05WL and never had RF coming back at me. Great antenna for portable/QRP. Thanks for the excellent information and explanation. Toroid material is always a mystery ;) 73's and fair winds.
Very good compitition of Half vs Random length antennae. Thanks. And 30+ minutes is not too long on a technical subject like this. Keep up your good work. We appreciate what you do......
I genrally agree with your comments about contests, but without seeing if anyone else has mentioned it, we do have 30m (at least stateside) as a playground during contests. Thank you for info on end fed antennas. Good info.
Best video ive ever seen regarding end fed wires and impedance match transformers... built a 49:1 for QRP immediately after watching this video and realizing i had some small type 43 cores in my box. works great.
Excellent, Gil, thanks! I heartily agree that the contesters shouldn't completely take over the bands. It's kind of ridiculous. Supposedly no radio amateur has priority over anyone else. However, that seems to go out the window during a contest. Anyway, very interesting information about end-fed antennas. I learned quite a bit!
There are the so called “contest preferred” band segments which are an attempt to give everyone a bit of breathing space. However it is up to the contest organisers to make these segments an important part of the rules. 73
Nice video! Thanks for covering this stuff. I can't tell you how many concepts you covered in this video that I have heard people discuss and never understood.
Thanks so much for this. I'm returning to amateur radio after a 31 year break. The information you give here and in your other videos is really useful. Thank-you.
I am a swl and I know what you are saying the power output from some stations obliterate a wide bandwidth and only they ask for certain contacts which defeats the object of collecting contact from anywhere and dx and ruins the ham radio for new licenced hams.
Holy moly this video is gold. Thanks mate! There is a gap of knowledge in the radio side of youtube. I feel like we have the option of watching people who have been doing it for 50 years and dont remember the little things beginners need to learn. Or you find the goon who knows nothing and is just regurgitating what he has heard. Thanks again. I look forward to the rest of your videos.
You make a good point. Sometimes the WARC bands, 30, 17, and 12 meter bands, are not open. Contest organizers could set aside 50 KHz of the CW and voice bands they use and make them off-limits to contest activity. That would leave a little space for everyone else.
Well said sir. I have nothing against the idea of contests but I hate how the contesters just take over all the frequencies with no thought to sharing the spectrum with other hams.
I agree 100% with you my friend. I was a QRP for years in India and then in US about 40 years ago. Well, NOW i am back after other life things! And very surprised - shockingly to what you said is so true. Oh well I still plan to get back in 4-5 months.. 73 ...ex vu2du/w3
Thank you, when I watch enough of these videos and especially with concise hands on experienced operators like yourself, it all slowly sinks in. Actually, I feel your misfortune with the contest turned out to be quite fortunate for this viewer and like a cat, you anded on your feet with this content substitution.
This bloke and TRX Bench are top blokes, I love the way they pronounce balun, love it. and yes contest, what is it that makes them the Lords of Amateur Radio, is it a power trip, some times I think so.
So well explained! EFHW seems so easy but they have their peculiarities. I have a core ready for making one for my qth, this video will help me a lot! Thanks for your videos!
There is one thing I don't quite agree with in your 1st schematic. At the end of the antenna by definition the current should be zero, the missing current should be graphed at the other end (near the feed input).
Wow! what a great presentation. I will have to watch several times for this very interesting information to sink in. Really enjoy your videos. Thank you so much.
I also have a K1 that I built. This video is terrific! One of the very best antenna instructional videos. I can't wait to build my 64:1 unun! Thanks for the info. - W9PZ
End fed QRP antennas are fun to build. Buy them if you have the $$$$ but building and experimenting with them is A LOT OF FUN!!!!! The comps are keeping CW alive and making the bands busy.....but I do concur on better organising of the bands as "the bands are there to share!" :)
Excellente explication Gil sur le sujet. Some explanations in English now for the non French speaking amateurs to understand: Cap is supposed to help on higher bands and raise resonance frequency as far as I remember well :) Also as far as I remember well, material #52 is good for the lower bands and higher power (ex. 3 stacked 240-52 for 1/2 kW with still good efficiency ratio) and 43 will go up to 10m but with the cap to have a more centered resonance frequency. Also, on 6m, I would advise either use a 2 meter 5/8 antenna which happens to be electrically 1/4 wave on 6m or a telescopic antenna with some counterpoise, so depending on the available supports.
I just happened to stumble on your video through a suggestion from you tube. Well done sir. Very well presented. Thank you. I’m going to checkout more of your work.
Thanks Mr Radio Prepper. Very useful information & education. Comprehensive, comprehensible and entertaining. I am learing so much from you. Merci Beaucoup vraiment!
Thanks a Stack.... Greetings from New Zealand ..... What an Absolutely Brilliant vidclip .... So 'Simply' and well explained vidclip ....Very best to All from ChCh, NZ
Very nicely done, Gil...worth every minute since I have been using these kinds of antennas for years...I am with you, my 135' EFHW myantennas 80-10 works far better than my 9:1 unun 175' and 124'. 73 de Robert K3RRR
Big fan of you and the work that you do... your videos are excellent. You are to amateur radio what Milton Friedman was to economics... having a solid foundation of knowledge, you're able to communicate that knowledge in a very easy to understand method.
Ferrite core transformers work well at low impedances - above about 9:1 losses get really high. To check losses, run 100 watts through the matching network / wire for 30 seconds or so and then, with RF off, feel the cores' temperatures. If the network is efficient, they will be cold to lukewarm. The other issue is that an end-fed wire is a single ended load fed against a ground connection or counterpoise - this often introduces significant losses. Some time spent modelling antennas with EZNEC will show what impedance various wavelength antennas present.
True, but often dipoles aren't mounted high enough and suffer ground losses. I think the difference if the lower angle of radiation of the vertical end-fed, even if the transformer is a bit lossy...
I see you have a bit more space between the wire and the core. As a rule of thumb, I wind mine so i can't fit the wire being used under any turn. I also use the red core but I also install the tuning cap and the tiny LED. End fed is the most efficient antenna that fits in your pocket. Excellent video and will be looking for more 73 BOB AF2DX
Contests are awful. If you only have time to play radio on weekends like I do it really puts a dampener on the hobby. I get pretty sick of it. This was a super helpful video and clearly explained the diffrerences between randoms and half waves. I'll watch it again I imagine! Thanks.
I'd love to know how/why each of the turns do what they do, what the cap does and how etc. I've built a few successful to plan baluns for different antennas that have tuned well but I still don't get the science behind it. My next project for my next house (this one is a lost cause as there is a MASSIVE noise issue 15m and south all the way) will be a multiwire instead of just an OCF dipole.
Great video! Wish this straight forward information was around when I was first learning this... I had to descramble wives tales from old guys and experiment.
Gil, this is an amazing and very helpful video. Thank you so much. And it does not matter whether your explanations are correct from the point of view of high physics, with all those formulas and reactivities, as some people tend to say in the comments: the important thing is your advice works in practice and helps those who do not have time to read specialized books on how to engineer Space Shuttle antennas - we want something simply in our backyards. To me the simplicity of your explanation is the primary advantage - it is easy to remember what to do and how to do, and results are effective in real life. Also thanks for the links to those antenna shops - I never knew they even existed, being limited to MFJ, Diamond and similar huge companies. Do make more of your wonderful films if you can - this is very helpful for the HAM Radio community. They inspire to experiment, to fo to the fields and develop the hobby skills, thus developing the whole hobby. Everyone can go and pick those professional books on antennas - I have dozens of them, but get lost after 10 minutes. So, I prefer your films than professional books, mostly meant for professionals in celular and commercial communications. 73 de R2ARM!
WOW! What a fantastic teacher! Just one little thing - "Impedance" is pronounced "Im-PEE-dance". Many thanks for such a clear and informative explanation.
Great. Been looking for an explanation for this for days on the internet, concerning baluns. Trying to plan an end-fed antenna on a fence with a ground plane.
Agree with you re: contesters, although Europe sounds much more crowded than the U.S.A. during contests. Well, 14 meters mas o menos and you will have a 30 meter EFHW antenna. Better than not getting on the air at all, I suppose. Better than waiting until 17 meters awakens from its RF slumber as the solar cycle progresses.
Every 5 seconds of this video you cleared something up that was confusing me and no one else could explain it for my grey matter to digest. You are an amazing teacher and your presentation and instructional aids were amazing. Thank you so so much for this.
Thank you :-)
Agreed. Very professional, yet personable to listen to.
(😉disclaimer… My mom was a US military wife, originally from Luxembourg. So, the dialect is most pleasing to my ear).
You can also tap a 9:1 midpoint at the junction, and have a 4:1 ratio, which may be a closers match on some bands....almost free.
I built a 3 core version 64:1 and then I tapped the coils at the 49:1 point and ran a seperate wing nut. So now I have 2 transformers in one, a 64:1 and and 49:1, it works great! Thanks for the video!
Good idea!
This should be mandatory viewing for Hams; so much great information packed in this video.
Agree with your comments on contests. I've heard them say " everybody enjoys contests " - inability to see the hobby from anyone else's perspective.
Contests are a big spam challenge, what's worse is they will spam right on top of you after asking "is any station on this freq" instead of waiting for a response they crap all over your qso.
Contest's are a great way to work DX entities that you need and If working for WAS, I can think of no better way to quickly work many states.
Couldn't agree more... contests are a waste of frequency spectrum...
I love it when you hear someone have to repeat his callsulign 5 times, then the get a "5-9" report...
three simple rules to add to all contests to make them more acceptable to all (whilst not detracting from the contest);-
a) only use "even 10's of freq" for the contest... ie 0-10 yes, 10-20 no, 20-30 yes, 30-40 no... 200-210 yes etc etc.
b) if you have "big boots" you cannot monopolise a single freq and just "claim it" to the detriment of all others (including other contesters)... implemented by you cannot be on any one frequency for more than 10 minutes... you must move after that time and find a free space yourself. If your log times show excessive single freq use then points after 10 mins will not count. If you repeatedly stomp on smaller stations to make your space you will be deducted points.
c) With the easy availability of waterfall displays these days, Splattering "wide boy" contestants will simply be disqualified.
Totally agree. I do not like contests. I like experimenting with antennas and get feedback on different setups on air. Contests are only hello-goodbye-next. Never understood the appeal of it my self. Leave some of the bands off limit for contests.
The last half of this video is the most important and a very good explanation. I have been a ham for 62 years and this is the best explanation I have seen. Dave K8WPE
Something about the presentation helped me to finally understand 1/2 waves and their transformers. Many thanks, enjoyed your video.
Yep, I feel same.
I hate contesting, its so rude for a guy that wants to rag chew to get pushed out by the "all important contest" Great informative how to video, thanks Gill 🎙73's kd9oam
I hate rag chewers, it's so rude for a guy that wants to contest to have a frequency taken up because it's the rag chewer's special frequency that he uses every day to listen to himself talk for hours on end. He's already talked enough, let someone else talk! Share the band and don't hog frequencies, whatever you are doing!
@@brad1367 try giving other operators some room on the bands instead of hogging the whole band width be like the RSGB contesters operate within a certain band width which gives other users the opportunity to use the bands don't be selfish.
@@Pelnied you might hate rag chewers but dont be selfish and hog the whole bandwidth make room for all users Remember Amateur Radio is a broad church .
@@Pelnied9o
Im no rag chewer but i like to have a chat for up to t minutes before moving on. Shouting numbers is boring. I often end up pushed on the warc bands when propagation is poor over 20m. All bands should have a warc section where contests are invalid for points. And we dont need 4 channels for ft8 warbles.
Thank you! Your explanation of current flow in a HW was excellent. I now understand why radials are not needed for a HW but are needed for 1/4 wave. Non technical but spot on.
Whenever I see any hams asking about end fed antennas and how to go about making one I always point them to this video, so easy to understand, and even if licenced 30+ years you can always learn something new.
Great thanks!
I scoured youtube and google to understand transformers and this is THE best explanation ever. Very clearly done. Thank you!
I just had to say thank you so so much for what I've found to be the best explanation to End Feds, Random Wires and Dipoles on the internet. You have allowed me to understand such fundamental principles of resonance in a wire, why feedlines don't radiate EM energy and allowed me such a fantastic and solid grasp on the basics of EM radiation in a wire. I also have to thank you for your superb explanation on UNUNs and why and in what cases they would be needed. I really cannot thank you enough. Just had to tell you! Adrian, M0AAG.
Glad it helped :-)
Agree with you on contesting. Glad that there are so many options and variations of amateur radio. However, we are taught as a general rule to show curtesy to others, but this seems to be put aside during contesting. There should honestly be some band plans put together for temporary areas to be used for contesting.
73
K5JRX
This is the Best!! explanation I have ever heard comparing 1/2 wave and random length antennas and the need for
size appropriate transformers. Excellent job!!
I go to the 30M band. Regarding end-fed antenna I use a W3EDP (25.6M) which seems effective across all amateur bands. Love your regular UA-cam videos. Thank you.
Brilliant. Can't tell you how often I've watched this video. Built one for 30m yesterday and it worked extremely well.
Glad it helped 😀
This is the best video I have ever seen that really explains in layman's terms the whole end fed, half wave antenna thing using ununs or baluns.
You have finally explained all of this so that even an old retired welder like myself who just enjoys making antennas and trying different things to get on the air can understand how it all works, even without an electrical engineering degree!!
Thanks so much for taking the time to make this wonderful video!😃
Glad it was helpful!
Very clear explanation of ununs and the cause and effect of the windings. Will listen in more!!
Gil, what a brilliant explanation of wire antennas and UnUn's. You've cleared up a lot of confusion for me on this subject. Thank you.
For me also A1!
This is the best explanation of the theory behind an EFHW antenna that I have seen ... Well done! And, very helpful!
Great video, I have been wanting to make my own for some time now but was confusing, your presentation has made it crystal clear. Thank you very much.
73 Glenn ZL1MY
Great video. Regarding the 100pf capacitor on the RF Transformer there isn't 3kv on the RF input, if there was your radio's final world be toast. Yes there will be 3kv on the high impedance output to the wire antenna. I only use a capacitor rated at 400v with no issues.
Excellent info! Thanks Gil. Tried the 0.05 wavelength, as you said it had no effect. Stacked 3 ft240 -43 together for a high power efhw and it handles 400w with no problem. Steve Ellington’s channel is good for this.
Great, thanks for reporting :-)
To calculate the 1/8th wavelength do this example: 468/frequency =1/2 wavelength x2 then multiply it by 0.05 this will give you the length of counterpoise. Cheers
I've always run 0.05WL and never had RF coming back at me. Great antenna for portable/QRP. Thanks for the excellent information and explanation. Toroid material is always a mystery ;) 73's and fair winds.
Great video. Easy to understand information for someone beginning to learn about HF antenna building.
Great job at explaining everything on end-fed, random wire, and un un, I got a lot out of this thanks Gil.
Very good compitition of Half vs Random length antennae.
Thanks. And 30+ minutes is not too long on a technical subject like this.
Keep up your good work. We appreciate what you do......
Thank you!
I hear ya. I'm into emcomm, nets and talking about radio, not contests.
This was quite entertaining! I agree. Contests are agrivating.
thanks for the great explanation, probably the most clear explantion i've come across and i defintely learned so much about how end fed antennas work.
Absolutely the best explanation 49:1 vs 9:1 out there! Merci beaucoup. ~ k6sdw
Thanks for the fantastic explanation of the difference between 1/2 wave and “random” wire antennas!
I genrally agree with your comments about contests, but without seeing if anyone else has mentioned it, we do have 30m (at least stateside) as a playground during contests. Thank you for info on end fed antennas. Good info.
Best video ive ever seen regarding end fed wires and impedance match transformers... built a 49:1 for QRP immediately after watching this video and realizing i had some small type 43 cores in my box. works great.
Awesome!
Excellent, Gil, thanks! I heartily agree that the contesters shouldn't completely take over the bands. It's kind of ridiculous. Supposedly no radio amateur has priority over anyone else. However, that seems to go out the window during a contest.
Anyway, very interesting information about end-fed antennas. I learned quite a bit!
A lot of contesters are a damn nuisance-a law unto themselves even swamping all the QRP HF freqencies!! this worlds gone mad
There are the so called “contest preferred” band segments which are an attempt to give everyone a bit of breathing space. However it is up to the contest organisers to make these segments an important part of the rules. 73
Nice video! Thanks for covering this stuff. I can't tell you how many concepts you covered in this video that I have heard people discuss and never understood.
Thanks so much for this. I'm returning to amateur radio after a 31 year break. The information you give here and in your other videos is really useful. Thank-you.
Glad it helps :-)
I imagine you are well rested... 🙄😂
😎👍☘🍺
Thank you for explaining the workings so clearly. Now I understand a lot more. You are an excellent teacher.
Thanks, glad it helped!
Thank you for the clear details. This helped me to understand concepts that were very murky before.
I am a swl and I know what you are saying the power output from some stations obliterate a wide bandwidth and only they ask for certain contacts which defeats the object of collecting contact from anywhere and dx and ruins the ham radio for new licenced hams.
I agree with others here that you do a very clear and helpful description of the basics. A valuable resource - Thanks Gill
GREAT video, Gil. There's more information in this ONE video than I've been able to glean in the last couple years.
Thanks again, friend.
Holy moly this video is gold. Thanks mate!
There is a gap of knowledge in the radio side of youtube. I feel like we have the option of watching people who have been doing it for 50 years and dont remember the little things beginners need to learn. Or you find the goon who knows nothing and is just regurgitating what he has heard.
Thanks again. I look forward to the rest of your videos.
You make a good point. Sometimes the WARC bands, 30, 17, and 12 meter bands, are not open. Contest organizers could set aside 50 KHz of the CW and voice bands they use and make them off-limits to contest activity. That would leave a little space for everyone else.
Well said sir. I have nothing against the idea of contests but I hate how the contesters just take over all the frequencies with no thought to sharing the spectrum with other hams.
Agreed, contesting is waste of time in my opinion.
I agree 100% with you my friend. I was a QRP for years in India and then in US about 40 years ago. Well, NOW i am back after other life things! And very surprised - shockingly to what you said is so true. Oh well I still plan to get back in 4-5 months.. 73 ...ex vu2du/w3
Well Sir you did a very good job explaining some important basic working principles. Very glad I have watched it. Thank you!
Thank you, when I watch enough of these videos and especially with concise hands on experienced operators like yourself, it all slowly sinks in. Actually, I feel your misfortune with the contest turned out to be quite fortunate for this viewer and like a cat, you anded on your feet with this content substitution.
This bloke and TRX Bench are top blokes, I love the way they pronounce balun, love it. and yes contest, what is it that makes them the Lords of Amateur Radio, is it a power trip, some times I think so.
Thank you for your time. Best presentation I’ve ever seen on aerial transformers. 73
one of the best explenation ı have ever seen...perfect....super...thank you Gil...
Great video. I learned more in this video than in the last 5 or 6 I've watched. Thanks!
I can’t thank you enough for your detailed explanation on how to make an un un.
Glad it helped :-)
So well explained! EFHW seems so easy but they have their peculiarities. I have a core ready for making one for my qth, this video will help me a lot! Thanks for your videos!
There is one thing I don't quite agree with in your 1st schematic. At the end of the antenna by definition the current should be zero, the missing current should be graphed at the other end (near the feed input).
Wow! what a great presentation. I will have to watch several times for this very interesting information to sink in. Really enjoy your videos. Thank you so much.
Have just subscribed, agree with you totally about contests after 50 years in the hobby still think it’s just an ego trip for a lot of people
Thanks for the detailed explanation of 1/2 wave wires and end feed antennas.
Contests are a pain & your point about them taking up the whole band is exactly right... 🙄
I like this guy. Feels exactly the same way about "contests" as I do! ;)
Well said, indeed :D
73
de
G1LIW
That's because they only know how to sent five numbers: 599 73.
Contests are another form of radio jamming. They are my que to play on FT8.
I’ve learnt more from this video than any other antenna learning method!!!
Great 👌
Glad it was helpful!
You're explaining the exact way the American Field Days is each year, don't want to not "play", then suck it up and come back later. I feel your pain.
Please keep making these videos you are an excellent teacher my friend and people love you..
Thanks, will do :-)
50ohm - 😍
65ohm -😏
400ohm - 😢
1000 Ohm - 😭
4000 ohm -🤬
Make your radio happy - match the impedance)
I always learn more when I view your videos. Thank you.
I'm just starting out and this video has been more enlightening than anything else I've found so far. Thanks Gil 👍
Glad it helped!
I also have a K1 that I built. This video is terrific! One of the very best antenna instructional videos. I can't wait to build my 64:1 unun! Thanks for the info. - W9PZ
Let me know how it works for you!
End fed QRP antennas are fun to build. Buy them if you have the $$$$ but building and experimenting with them is A LOT OF FUN!!!!! The comps are keeping CW alive and making the bands busy.....but I do concur on better organising of the bands as "the bands are there to share!" :)
I believe the capacitor is to cancel out stray inductance for better matching on the high bands.
Excellente explication Gil sur le sujet.
Some explanations in English now for the non French speaking amateurs to understand:
Cap is supposed to help on higher bands and raise resonance frequency as far as I remember well :)
Also as far as I remember well, material #52 is good for the lower bands and higher power (ex. 3 stacked 240-52 for 1/2 kW with still good efficiency ratio) and 43 will go up to 10m but with the cap to have a more centered resonance frequency.
Also, on 6m, I would advise either use a 2 meter 5/8 antenna which happens to be electrically 1/4 wave on 6m or a telescopic antenna with some counterpoise, so depending on the available supports.
Thanks. I do have the same video in English..
I just happened to stumble on your video through a suggestion from you tube. Well done sir. Very well presented. Thank you. I’m going to checkout more of your work.
I agree on the contesting...that's why I prefer to stick to 17 meters when the contests are going on
Thanks Mr Radio Prepper. Very useful information & education. Comprehensive, comprehensible and entertaining. I am learing so much from you. Merci Beaucoup vraiment!
Glad it helped:-)
Thanks a Stack.... Greetings from New Zealand ..... What an Absolutely Brilliant vidclip .... So 'Simply' and well explained vidclip ....Very best to All from ChCh, NZ
Excellent training and information that is very usable, thank you
New ham here. Thank you for this. You are really great at explaining things!
Very nicely done, Gil...worth every minute since I have been using these kinds of antennas for years...I am with you, my 135' EFHW myantennas 80-10 works far better than my 9:1 unun 175' and 124'. 73 de Robert K3RRR
Yep, thank you for retweeting!
Big fan of you and the work that you do... your videos are excellent. You are to amateur radio what Milton Friedman was to economics... having a solid foundation of knowledge, you're able to communicate that knowledge in a very easy to understand method.
Thank you!
Thank you. I now understand unun and 49:1 vs 9:1. great information
Super!
Very clear explanations. Thank you. Curious about your sketch diagram with inverted V antenna.
Ferrite core transformers work well at low impedances - above about 9:1 losses get really high. To check losses, run 100 watts through the matching network / wire for 30 seconds or so and then, with RF off, feel the cores' temperatures. If the network is efficient, they will be cold to lukewarm. The other issue is that an end-fed wire is a single ended load fed against a ground connection or counterpoise - this often introduces significant losses. Some time spent modelling antennas with EZNEC will show what impedance various wavelength antennas present.
True, but often dipoles aren't mounted high enough and suffer ground losses. I think the difference if the lower angle of radiation of the vertical end-fed, even if the transformer is a bit lossy...
49:1 and 64:1 is the turn ratio of the transformer. The impedance ratio is the square root. The former is 7:1 and the latter is 8:1.
49:1 & 64:1 are the impedance ratio. 7:1 & 8:1 are the turn ratios. The impedance ratio is the square of the turn ratio.
@@RadioPrepper Sorry, I get it wrong. Ohm's law.
Thank you for explaining this. I now understand more.
I understand your frustration about the contests. Here in Europe lately it seems like there is a contest almost every weekend. 73s IU3JNT
I see you have a bit more space between the wire and the core.
As a rule of thumb, I wind mine so i can't fit the wire being used under any turn.
I also use the red core but I also install the tuning cap and the tiny LED.
End fed is the most efficient antenna that fits in your pocket.
Excellent video and will be looking for more
73 BOB AF2DX
Gil, this is an excellent instruction video! Thank you for your efforts. Tom IK7YCJ
Contests are awful. If you only have time to play radio on weekends like I do it really puts a dampener on the hobby. I get pretty sick of it. This was a super helpful video and clearly explained the diffrerences between randoms and half waves. I'll watch it again I imagine! Thanks.
Thank you :-)
Thanks for this video. This is the first time that I feel that I've actually understood this subject. 73
THIS WAS....BY FAR.... the best visual explanation of this topic. THANK YOU so much, Sir. KF4UTF/HZ1 - Robert
Thanks!
Thanks for explaining. I have a 42 metre wire and a 9:1 unun. I have had no surprises yet but perhaps I should add (some) radials or an earth spike.
Hard to predict with a 9:1...
What's hard to predict?
SWR and common mode current issues given different counterpoise and ground configurations using a 9:1 with a non-resonant wire...
Gil, thank you very much for this clear and didactic video. PY1AHD ALEX - Alexandre Grimberg
Thanks Gil. I watched this several times and got more from each viewing. :)
I'd love to know how/why each of the turns do what they do, what the cap does and how etc. I've built a few successful to plan baluns for different antennas that have tuned well but I still don't get the science behind it. My next project for my next house (this one is a lost cause as there is a MASSIVE noise issue 15m and south all the way) will be a multiwire instead of just an OCF dipole.
Great video! Wish this straight forward information was around when I was first learning this... I had to descramble wives tales from old guys and experiment.
Thanks for this great video - Explains a lot. The best I’ve seen so far.
Gil, this is an amazing and very helpful video. Thank you so much. And it does not matter whether your explanations are correct from the point of view of high physics, with all those formulas and reactivities, as some people tend to say in the comments: the important thing is your advice works in practice and helps those who do not have time to read specialized books on how to engineer Space Shuttle antennas - we want something simply in our backyards. To me the simplicity of your explanation is the primary advantage - it is easy to remember what to do and how to do, and results are effective in real life. Also thanks for the links to those antenna shops - I never knew they even existed, being limited to MFJ, Diamond and similar huge companies. Do make more of your wonderful films if you can - this is very helpful for the HAM Radio community. They inspire to experiment, to fo to the fields and develop the hobby skills, thus developing the whole hobby. Everyone can go and pick those professional books on antennas - I have dozens of them, but get lost after 10 minutes. So, I prefer your films than professional books, mostly meant for professionals in celular and commercial communications. 73 de R2ARM!
Thank you. My goal was primarily to make it understandable...
WOW! What a fantastic teacher!
Just one little thing - "Impedance" is pronounced "Im-PEE-dance".
Many thanks for such a clear and informative explanation.
Noted thanks!
Explained so well even this boy from Texas USA can understand. Fantastic job Gil!
Glad it helped!
Great. Been looking for an explanation for this for days on the internet, concerning baluns. Trying to plan an end-fed antenna on a fence with a ground plane.
The fence itself might make a good ground-plane, if it's metal..
Agree with you re: contesters, although Europe sounds much more crowded than the U.S.A. during contests. Well, 14 meters mas o menos and you will have a 30 meter EFHW antenna. Better than not getting on the air at all, I suppose. Better than waiting until 17 meters awakens from its RF slumber as the solar cycle progresses.