These don't even work, right?
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2023
- Today I take the plunge into Hamsticks with the 20m Hamstick setup as a 20m vertical ground plane antenna. Does it work? Can you make contacts? Are they garbage? Let's find out!
👉 20m Hamstick Dipole Bundle: geni.us/gEjI2WB
(Mount, 2 antennas)
👉 Single Antenna "Mirror" Mount: geni.us/GurB
👉 Double Antenna Mount (Dipole): geni.us/WR1PII3
👉 Pole Mount: geni.us/vWdupi8
👉 3/8ths X 24 to SO-239 Adapter: geni.us/dVNllmC
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Appreciate you sharing this video and associated information. I am getting a POTA Station prepared and planning on using some HAM Sticks. This has been a great refresher as I haven’t used my HAM STICKS in several years.
These are great for POTA. I have a set in my truck that I've been carrying around. I need to get them on the mag mount and make a video about that next.
Great video, TO. Hamsticks are also a good option for when the weather doesn't cooperate. I use them when it's windy and often in the WNY winter too (which I'm sure you can appreciate). I also use the quick disconnects (does affect tuning, like everything else) to switch 'em out even faster.
Yeah, my goal is a speed POTA. I have 2 parks I want to activate right now, but really, its just too hot to be bothered. If I had my truck and my hamsticks setup, I'd just go chill in the A/C. I fully admit that I'm being spoiled here.
Really good practical demos with products people can afford. I like your ideas.
Glad you like them! Thanks!
I'm just getting started, scheduled to take my Technician exam this weekend. Your videos have a wealth of information, quick and to the point. I love the hands on, in the field demo. You definitely help build up the confidence for this newbie!
Great to hear, good luck on the test! You gor this!
I'm taking my general exam this weekend. You will do great.
@@chipweather Thanks! I passed the Technician and I’m also studying now for the General. Wish I prepared for both of them together and took them at the same time. Good luck to you too! 73
@@acv7233 I made that same mistake. Mad at my self because it's been a year since i took mine. 73s
Keep going. Pass the General and then go after Extra. @@acv7233
I live in an HOA, have been using hamsticks for the past 10 years. I have 4 hamsticks, each one mounted on a 3’ pole with counterpoise wires. I operate on 30, 40, 60 and 80 meters with the hamsticks. I have WAS on each band. For 20-10 meters I am using a Transworld TW2010 vertical dipole. I highly recommend the hamsticks for an HOA application or portable operation. It’s worked for me over the years….
That's awesome!
I have a set of ham sticks but my 40 and 20 meter ham sticks are my favorites... Awesome antennas for the money once you get them figured out...
I haven't tried radials yet. Only various mounting points on my crew cab truck. The best spot is the middle of the roof.
I'm in Washington State and have made contacts with these hamsticks out to Kentucky, the Dakota's, Alberta, and Mexico...
I'm eager to try these on my truck too!
Great job, sir!!! Looking forward to seeing how the dipole works.
Thanks Ed, me too!
I use hamsticks on a triple mag mount, square in the middle of the roof of my truck. I set the whips at the factory recommendation, lock the allens in, and throw the wrench into a drawer. I use an old manual tuner ($20 score at a hamfest) inline. Usually, the SWR is close on the hamstick, but then I use the tuner to slam it down to 1:1.
I would recommend removing the hamstick from the roof of your vehicle before driving off. They don't like it what you hit a low branch at 45 MPH. Learn from my mistake.😁
I've only driven with it once... there is a reason there is no video on it ;-)
Nice to see the DenCo special battery case in use. Seems like a good super-portable HF setup.
It is! Just the right amount of oomphs!
Hamsticks rock. I used them on SOTA activations and made QSOs with F4WBN in France with a G90 at 20w from mountain tops in UT and NV. They can be a pain in the ass to carry if there are overhanging trees. But I'd still use them in some applications (eg summits without much space).
Have you seen the GABIL 7350T? ua-cam.com/video/TC8olSQ4i5U/v-deo.html
I had Hamstick Dipoles for 20 and 80 on my tower for years and they worked well enough for a low cost rotatable antenna. (Since replaced with a Hexbeam: MUCH better performance, but of course much more expensive).
They also work well for Field Day and ARES ops. Have been thinking of using the ones I took down from the tower for portable use and had not considered using the dipole mount in a vertical configuration. Thanks!
I want one of those octopus mounts. They look like fun to play with.
Thanks for your efforts.
My pleasure
Nice Steve, I like the spike setup as well as your go box.👍
Thanks Don! Just about everything I own is in some kind of kit/box setup now.
I use a hamstick on the truck for 10 and 12m. Works fantastic. 2:1 or less from 27.185 to 29.6 with the 10m stick. Made fully mobile contacts as far away as VK and ZL land running 50-60 watts. Can't be beat for the money.
That's sweet!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and insights with this video. Appreciate you explaining details. I only recently learned about the NanoVNA, nice seeing it in action.
73 Steve AA4SH
My pleasure!
Great info tnx bro!
UBet!
Great looking antenna solution and test TO. I like your idea using powerpoles for radials or counterpoise.
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Love hamsticks. Got them on a 2' pole in backyard on a large shelf assembly for ground area. With a 15m and 20m stick connected on the mount plate and spread at a 10 degree angle like a v. With them i run a Ultimate 3 WSPR at 1/4w and get world wide reports on 20,15, and 10m. With my 6 watt qrp rig to WebSdr's all over the US and hawaii i see my signal at only 3db less than the rotatable dipole on the roof. on my van's roof mount i get about the same signal at websdrs all over US and Hawai as my 19' tall EFHW mounted on the back of the van. Soon hoping to get 2 of them mounted about 8' apart and compare to just one.
That sounds pretty awesome!
Hamsticks are up to the task. I use them on the car frequently for 6M through 40M, and on vacation, I use them as you did in the video. Keep up the good work! 73, Mike K3CXG
Thanks Mike! I like 'em, they are keepers!
I’ve been using ham sticks on a tri mag mount for POTA. I sit on the back of the hatchback w the radio and battery. I’ve gotten extraterritorial contacts too. My 20 meter hamstick is great.
I have zero complaints about hamsticks now.
I used hamsticks on the 5th wheel when we wintered in AZ. Being fiberglass I did run some radials. Worked out great.
Sounds like fun. Where in AZ?
@@temporarilyoffline Mesa. 1st year was in a no frills, no nothing except hook-ups because it was kind of last minute. Then we work camped at Val Vista Villages for 4 years and then just paid for the 5th year. Then grandkids came along so we now just stay home.
great work
Thanks Terry!
Thanks!
Thanks Cliff!!
Oooo, really like the idea of a thumb screw. I have a bunch of car antennas that have the "grub" nuts. The thumb screw is a great idea!
You can steal it from me just like I stole it from whoever said it to me!
I like the idea of powerpole connections for the radials, I've found with these types of whips that the allen screws are made of butter and a firm "wrench" will strip the threads.
Yes, me too!
I always immediately replace the junk metal hex setscrews with stainless metric Phillips head screws 4 or 6mm IIRC.
Re the use of power pole connectors for radials, seems like overkill and a very expensive way to go. My go to connectors for wire antenna jumpers and attachment of radials and tuning stub sections are the AMP snap connectors, look like small banana pin and sleeves. Easily crimped on with a standard electricians wire stripper and crimper, and relatively inexpensive - typically less than 4 bucks for a box of 5 male and 5 female connectors at Home Depot. I usually use the yellow 10-12 AWG ones, smaller wire size ones in red and blue. I’ve been avoiding the blue ones lately, seems they have a problem with the diameter of the pins being too large relative to the ID of the barrel side.
Chris AJ1G
Stonington CT
Good idea on the thumb screws I will have to do that also Thanks KI7SSO
I don't know where I heard it, but it seemed genius to me!
891 and a vertical is a good time. Been using a 17' whip but I might need to try a hamstick as well. 💡
I have been using the 17' whip a lot lately too - I really want something that can fit in a normal laptop sized backpack... So the Gabil 7350 slider is probably the best bet currently. The hamstick will most likely go on the car. That's a future test.
im from KY, now a central hoosier, i know the terrain of Ky, i was impressed w/your contacts from the Ky hills. i ordered my 1st ham stick last p. looking for ward to all this in future. keep filming..73 KD9ZWT.
Kentucky was easy with these hamsticks!
I have found that device to be a useful utilitarian tool on my ham kit. Thumbscrews, you are a genius TO.
The dipole mount thing on the tent peg or the hamstick?
Excellent options…..hams need to see more videos like this one. 73s
More to come!
Years ago I worked Japan and Galapagos on a 20m Hamstick on a clamp mount on a rusted steel T post. At the time I had a TS2000 and was running 100w.
It's amazing what you can do with so little.
Great video. If you are using Gigaparts Shark hamsticks the screws are 10/32 and 3/16 stock length. Thumbscrews between 5/16 and 3/8 seem to be the sweet spot for me.
Thanks for the info!
You may be able to find a Specialized Thumb screw, at McMaster Carr. They have TONS on machine screws, nut & bolts, and machined parts & tools! They are more expiensive than any local hardware store, but there stuff is 1000x better made!
I use hamsticks on my motorscooter (not while driving of course). I have a jaw clamp that attaches to the scooter. The mass of the scooter does not seem to be enough, but when I use a 5m length of coax the SWR falls into the sweet spot.
Sounds like you need a counterpoise! Great fun!
Great ham stick video. I have used them alot when band conditions are good hard to beat, quick set up and take down. I have used with metal cooking sheet, radials cooking sheet resting on ground with good luck. Will have to try with ground spike. Keep up good work. Ed KF5ETZ
Thanks Ed - they just plain work and I guess that's why they have been around so long.
I have used the Shark Distributing hamsticks for three years in my mobile units and have had excellent reports on signal strength.
I'm always impressed with how good mobile stations are - you'd think they would be a mass of compromises that equal mud, right?
@@temporarilyoffline I have an IC-705 and am amazed by it's performance as well. My mobiles are a FT-891 and an IC-7100. The two mobiles are equal in performance with the same hamstick antennas I own. It really doesn't take much time to change bands compared to the cost of a tar heel antenna. I have also used my hamstick antennas on my Wolf River Coil TIA tripod base and radials for portable operation. Thanks for sharing.
@@1crazynordlander I had my 705 set up for mobile for a while. I gotta admit I love a waterfall.
@@temporarilyoffline I just use it for portable but would like to try that but I want a FT10DX for my shack then I would use my 7300 as a mobile. Sounds crazy.
Thanks for the video. Where'd you get those side brackets for the 891?
Here you go: www.thingiverse.com/thing:4757295
Great video. Where did you get the little green tagswith your callsign on it?
A viewer sent that in to me as a thank you. Its a 3d print as far as I can tell!
When I saw your mount, I thought you were building some sort of J-Pole antenna. I have not seen a T bracket, like that one, before.
You can grind that nail head, flat, on one side, and it should clamp together nice and tight!
You could definitely make a J-Pole out of this mount. That would be neat.
What are the red rails you have on the side?
www.thingiverse.com/thing:4757295
I use 2 hamsticks on the top of my home for 10 meters and they work absolutely great!!!!!👍
I'm a big fan!
A quick note! I used one of these when I just started out, and nearly obliterated my finals on my new to me radio because I accidentally put the hamstick on the WRONG SIDE of the dipole mount. I was essentially keydown into open coax.
Oh, that stinks!
Hams sticks are not great antennas, but they do work. For portable use, they are good if you only need to fill in one or two bands (ie adding a 17m stick because your main antenna is a 10-40m EFHW), but they stop making sense when you start buying four or five of them. Getting a sporty 40 coil and a 17ft whip gets you a better antenna, covers 8 bands (6-40m) and you're carrying a lot less stuff with you. The people that only use ham sticks are usually the first people I see complaining about band conditions.
Some people's kids man
I also have 2 40m hamsticks, and one 80m, and another 80m but made by Pro-Am ,but don't have a mount for a dipole config. I wonder if i should make one or buy one . The ready to use ones aren't very cheap. Thanks for your video.
Check out the link in the description and see if that dipole mount is cheap enough.
NIce....well done...
Thanks K!
you should try the telescopic mfj 17' antenna, that thing rocks, it's small when all collapse and very light. For portable operation, you would have a lot more gain on 20 with a 17' whip ! That telescopic antenna covers from 20-6m depending on how long you deploy it. Perfect for portable operation with full resonant antenna, no coils.
I have a few of those and I've got some videos in the queue coming up. I think you can even get 2m on that 17ft when fully collapsed - so I've heard.
Dumb question but we’re you tuning the antenna with the radials on or off?
Radials on - every antenna needs 2 sides, if it doesn't have a second side, the your coax becomes that second side. (With a mag- or car- mount, thr car is the second side). Hope that helps!
Another successful park activation on Ape's favorite antenna. Nice use of a ham stick. 73
Now I just need some of that sweet DX!
@temporarilyoffline in one of your videos (can't find which one), you're using a PowerPole to bare wire adapter. Which one did you get? I can't find any on the internet
I got them from hamsource.com during Dayton Hamvention. He may or may not have them on the website. You can also grab the double-ended wagos from Amazon and do some DIY Magic: geni.us/AI2c
@@temporarilyoffline thank you! That’s the one!!
Do you have a 17' whip? they work great for that same setup, 20-10 no coils.
I do, I used it in some other videos and still need to make some more vids on the subject. Its what I used to work the kilo at Monte Sano this year.
TO, is the 12v convertor in in your RV making all that hash noise?
I don't know if its my RV or another RV yet. I haven't been isolated enough yet to blame my rig.
I have 20m and 40m hamsticks on my f-250 through a 2x1 coax switch in the cab. They’re finicky to tune set up. But they work just fine. 73 de Chris K2CJB
I'm looking forward to trying them mobile. Cheaper than an ATAS!
Love hamsticks for 20m. I have a small space situation and have a hamstick dipole mounted at about 23 feet. From Shenandoah Valley in VA I make contacts in the West of the country, Canada, Italy, Spain and eastern Europe with IC 7300 at 80 Watts. 73! KN4VDG
Very nice!
I have a 20m whip antenna on top of my house and I've worked across the world with it.
That's awesome!
I'm sure Ape will be yelling 'fake', lol. All my activations and hunts have been with a hamstick on a mag mount. I did have 1 contact using your configuration. It was with you when you did your MN kilo. I've tried the dipole a couple times but it's been a bear tuning each hamstick. I had it 20ft up on an aluminum flagpole.
I have a dipole video coming out next. So far I love them "for what they are"
Hi Steve,
I replaced both setscrews with Phillips screws from Ace Hardware. Don't remember the size, but think it was 3mm. The Ham Sticks do quite well for their size. Stay safe. 73 WJ3U
Good idea Don! I know I'm going to lose that wrench!
great ! watch the outher video. with that area you want low take off angle. ground mount vertical is way to go. if you put on mast as you go up the take off angle will change. this can help if you are trying to reach a country of interest. with ground elements I found more is better spread them out. more short is better then few long. love them power poles . the less time for set up is more time on the air. 73's
Exactly!
Cool portable setup 😎
I've always wanted a ft 857d or 89. Thanks for the video Steve.
How much gain with 1 vertical vs. the 2 in a dipole configuration?
I don't know, I'd need to model it in MMANA - which I'm not good at.
Good video. Hamsticks really don’t deserve their “dummy load on a stick” reputation. I suspect they got it from people using them on 75 meters for local short haul contacts. On 75 meters any mobile antenna is not going to be very efficient. What’s more significant however is that most short haul contacts on 75 involve high angle and often NVIS propagation. Well, a mobile vertical antenna is a low angle radiator and has low high angle radiation efficiency.
I’ve been using Hamsticks in mobile operation on 80 through 6 meters for over 22 years now and have had excellent results with them. Yes on 75 locals may not hear you very well, but they are not bad for working DX with their low angle radiation pattern. On many occasions I’ve been told by locals on 75 that they are having trouble hearing my mobile, and a few minutes and only a small number of kHz down the band in the DX window I can have solid extended rag chew contacts with stations in Europe, and on occasions have made contacts to Australia and Japan via long path.
On forty meters and higher frequency bands of course they are much more efficient as their length relative to wavelength gets larger.
What I really like about them for mobile use is that they are very tough and have low wind resistance. I’ve only broken one once underway in over 22 years and that was due to stupidity on my part when I backed my truck under a large crabapple tree. The low wind load of them allows you to mount them on a vehicle without any nerdy looking guy lines to keep them stable at highway speeds.
One thing you didn’t mention is that Hamsticks, and in fact almost all physically short vertical antennas will have a relatively low feed point impedance, especially on 40 and 80 meters. You can get a near perfect close to 1:1 SWR at resonance simply by using a shunt capacity match across the feed point at the base of the antenna, typically 500 or 1000pf on 75/80 and 500pf on 40, usually not needed on higher bands. The Hamstick instructions usually identify this. Alternatively, a small shunt coil across the feed point can be used, which has the advantage of also providing a static discharge drain path for the antenna.
Chris AJ1G Stonington CT
@ajfogertyfan8245 hey Chris, that's awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Just curious, would it be possible to fabricate a mounting plate to allow you to install 2, 3, or more Hamsticks using the stake and radial configuration and create a multiband vertical? A poor man's DX Commander?
You sure could - the links in the description will get you the 3/8ths X 24 to SO-239 adapter and then you just need a metal plate and some hardware from the local hardware store and you're in! When I get more hamsticks, I'll give it a shot and make a video... but right now I only have the 2 20m sticks.
Since I could not built a antenna at my place I went with the MoonRaker Hamstick for 10/15/80 m (3 Hamstick) and made my very first DX contact from Germany to Israel. 3000 Kilometer. Mounted the stick to a magnetic foot for cars. Attached to my xiegu g90. Made the ssb contact at 15 Meter
That's awesome! Hamsticks are cheap and they work. I'm a fan!
Will these mono-band antennas also resonate on other frequencies? So for example a 60 meter antenna on 30?
60m and 30m are pretty far apart - you might get away with 20/17 or 10/11/12 - if you already have one, it never hurts to try. You could also (gasp) use a tuner and get understandably compromised results.
OK, thanks. I was thinking that where it would work as 1/4 wavelength it might also work at 1/2 wavelength at double the frequency, but maybe antennas with coils like this don't work well that way. 73
Only one way to find out! @@WR3ND
I used two fiber CB sticks tuned for 10M and first contact was a VK!! 👍👍
Very nice! I think they are great!
I bought a 40 meter MFJ ham stick and it does work... not as well as an inverted V but it can get the job done. btw I'd recommend setting the stinger where the antenna is resonant where you want it and then cutting off the excess. From what I have read, its not good to have any of the stinger in the coil while transmitting. I'm not sure if yours was like this but this is just general info for anyone who uses ham sticks. 73 KD5YOU
I have heard the same thing about cutting the stinger. I move so often and the ground reference changes, so I left mine uncut
Hey Steve, great meeting you at Huntsville! 73 AE5DW.
Same here Don! Looking forward to seeing you at the next one!
Intresting mine work great on my car I have a 20m mini and 20 large shark stick and they work amazing
I haven't seen the mini's in person. How much smaller are they?
I’ve been looking for this setup since my friends showed up with a ‘Super Antenna’, like a wolf river coil but easier to tune. Ham Stick would be easier on my truck.
I'm looking forward to trying it on the truck!
I find a great way to experiment is use a laptop or smartphone to tune to a WEBSDR like utah or KFS etc and see what your signals look like far from your QTH. I found out a HamStick on the back of my van does 2 to 5 db better than the 19' tunable endfed on the back of the van. I use a 15 and 20m hamsticks on a plate in the back yard for worldwide WSPR coverage. Yep they get out and receive well.
I'm a fan.
I've never had the screws strip on the Shark hamsticks but I've lost at least three of the Allen keys.
It's a no win situation brother!
Was hoping you were going to try a pair of sticks as a dipole. 😊
Next week! Stay tuned!
I saw a video about radials from a guy in UK. Raising it off the ground and adding 2 resonant radials supposedly gives you 6 db gain. Radials for 40m would be about 35 feet.
Sounds right! I'll try it in a future video
@@temporarilyoffline He compared it to a yagi, where the reflector is slightly longer than the antenna. A little more than 1/4 wavelength.
@@tangobayusAnother fun experiment!
@@temporarilyoffline Have you tried 20m using a 40m hamstick?
@@tangobayusNot yet, I don't have a 40m hamstick
I always worry that propagation conditions might make my poor antenna seem good, or my good antenna seem poor, and cause me to incorrectly assess a given antenna's performance. Might be an idea for a future video -- how to assess an antenna and account for propagation conditions. Then again... the other side of my brain hopes I'm never satisfied with my antennas so I can keep tinkering.
I don't know how I would do that - WSPR would be the chosen method, but proximity says to use different bands - 2 antennas, 2 radios, 2 power sources, 2 computers - the test must be run at the exact same time on the exact same day or you run into propagation issues like you discussed. Using the same bands close enough to be doable doesn't work due to front end overload issues. That's a tough one.
I'm thinking of using a pair of 40 meter ham sticks as a horizontal dipole, but wonder if a standard tv antenna rotor would hold up, or would I need a heavier duty one?? Already 40 feet up, so should be high enough...
they don't weigh much... depending on the costs, it might be worth a shot.
FWIW, I used two 20 meter ham sticks in a rotatable dipole configuration for many years. I used a cheap TV rotor (new at TRW swapmeet, $25!) mounted to a vent pipe on my roof and two 4' TV antenna mast sections. It worked quite well, the rotor had no trouble with the load. I've still got all the components, I've been considering setting it back up. Performance is not as good as a proper dipole, but the ability to turn it often makes up for it.
@socallars3748 fun is fun, even if it isn't perfect. In fact, the less perfect and still working it is, the more fun it is. Perfection is boring.
@@temporarilyoffline Perfection is not only boring, it's literally impossible! The best antenna is the one that gets you on the air.
@socallars3748 you got that right!
I like using the hamstick as a dipole setup, nice for a quick easy and dirty activation, 😂
Yeah, very versatile and cheap enough that I'd suggest everybody get some.
similar setup for hamstick and 20m telescoping vertical.. and I POTA away for 1000's of QSOs... the 12 penny nail and mirror mount works... and I only use 50-70w amp off LFP batteries.. and "it gets the job done" as I head on ham say recently.. 🙂always great videos (and I use G90 and now X6100 exclusively..need an update on that rig maybe?) -KD2PWB
Thanks! I do have some x6100 updates coming! So many vids to make, so little time!
@@temporarilyoffline So many unique POTA parks to activate... (and long distances to drive..hum.. ok I'll still keep activating..17,000+ QSOs and still going with the X6100 and ham sticks on the car.. thanks for you great insightful videos (you gave the info and I bought the X6100..hum..need that FT8 flash card to boot off to make things even more DIGITAL and compact..hum...topic?)
@@werkiek right on - time keeps on marching!
I always start about 4" in on the Whip and adjust from there. It is a lot quicker to tune that way and I have tuned Ham Sticks from 160m to 6m using that technique. I was one of the things that was mentioned in one of my MFJ inserts with one of my ham sticks. Still as a Ham Stick fan if you will, I recommend the MFJ 600W hamsticks especially on 40m for maximum Q. For 80, you have to kind of pick either 75 or 80. Thanks for the video TO.
I "heard" that if you have too much whip inside the coil part that its not good... I don't remember why, but I know a lot of people cut them after they figure out what close is.
@@temporarilyoffline I had to cut off a few inches of the whip to get the SWR down. Worked great after that.
@@45auto thanks!
@@temporarilyoffline 4" in is not inside the coil. But yes, that can cause arcing. By coil part, they mean inside the tightly wound part.
All the way to Cali!!
Always open to CA!
I use a pair of ham sticks as portable dipoles on 20, 17 and 15 up 20' on 4 sections of 5' alum tv masts with my FT-817ND. Playing around out in the woods a few weeks ago with the HF activity group (former HFPack folks), I heard NZ on 15, but couldnt get back to him with my 5 watts. Did quite well otherwise, tho. I have a pair for 40, but they are just too short (very low efficiency). Try a ham stick in a mag mount on your car roof. I think u will be pleasantly surprised. 72, 73, Jerry wa2omu
I'm on it, sounds like part 4 is in the works!
@@temporarilyoffline I also use a 24" length of 1/4"ID ferrite silicone tube for a CM choke on the coax at the antenna feed point, you can find it if you look. Handier than toroids. Jerry
@@iamnobody9542 that's a new one, I'll have to take a look, thanks
@@temporarilyoffline If you cant find it, a few 0.2" ID # 31 or 43 ferrite sleeve beads will work too. Tape them in place just behind the coax connector to the antenna. You would likely get that tubing from a ferrite house, too. They form a choke balun (1:1 Current balun) to keep RF off the outside of the coax. With an EFHW, put that choke at the rig or tuner output to use the braid as your counterpoise, but keep the RF out of your radio. Jerry
Zanzibar...:)))
Exactly!
I am going to do something like this. I am converting a old school bus into an rv. I think the roof will make a great ground plane
Yeah it will! Be careful of height! I've seen some older buses that have an 8-12" tall railing all the way around the roof and I thought that if it was done right with proper termination/isolation you'd have a fantastic loop or folded dipole antenna!
@@temporarilyoffline i never thought of that the bus is 40 feet long and 8 foot wide. Now you got me thinking
@@Cliff-KI5OPP Even if it wasn't 'great', the fact that its always there would be useful.
@@temporarilyoffline sure has got me to thinking thats for sure
I ALWAYS replace allen head screws with either a Philip's head or a thumbscrew, those allen heads ALWAYS round off on me!!!
Yes they do!
Best quality Allen Key (US wrench) you can get, the cheap wrong size ones do the damage as does an imperial key in a metric head like on a Diamond brand antenna
6:20 - That looks like a good catfish hole in that bend behind you.
Yeah, there were a lot of people fishing the hole when I was there.
If that's an MFJ ham stick, replace the screws with stainless steel ones .. they will strip in an instant.
It is. I'm looking for some thumb screws
There is no way id store lithium batteries with my radio.
Thanks for sharing!
Isn't it strange how people have no trouble with a 1x2 call, but give them a 2x1 and they can't process it. You have no idea how often I have to repeat and repeat and repeat. 73 de NG3P
Yeah, people seem to like some changes/improvements and not others. 2x3s don't seem to be an issue though.
Try one that is also a word... Like AG0NY
i have a hamstick dipole 10 meters 25 feet up in the air on top of a flagpole i have made eu contacts Spain Ireland uk state side tx Florida
I'm really impressed with the bang for the buck on hamsticks. I did a dipole version in this vid: ua-cam.com/video/oBWTKoGbOLQ/v-deo.html more to come!
It work? Or not?!
Exactly! Thanks for watching!
It's raining
I wish it would rain here. LA needs it!
10 pts for DP Zero.
10 pts out of how many? 10 out of 10, right? Please say 10/10!!
hi , here is SP6KE , what is your radials length ???
4x10m radials is what I was using in this video
Dumb question: yep, I'm full of them.
Where's (if you know cause I can't figure it out) the starting point for tuning a 80 meter shark ham stick? No instructions came with it and the SWR is off the charts.
Sure, what tool are you using? I would start full extended and see where your 1:1 SWR is. And then your only choice is to shorten the whip until you get where you want. Keep in mind there is an 80m and a 75m ham stick. 80m is a huge band, so you might be trying to tune a frequency the stick isn't meant for.
Trying to get 3.905 which is a local channel. Started with about 45" extended and have now worked my way all the way back to 30". SWR maxed each move which was about 1" each time. No sure what to do, but I am using my 7300's built in SWR meter if that makes a difference. Don't have a specific SWR meter yet. @@temporarilyoffline
@bigdicksplace that's what I suspected - you're on the higher end of 80m aka 75m. You can't make the antenna short enough to get good SWR. Try as low as your license allows and see if you can get a better match on the other end.
I'm an Extra so that's no issue. My knowledge and abilities seem to be the major hurdles. I confess to knowing nothing of electronics as I just got into Ham radio back in late June. @@temporarilyoffline
@bigdicksplace no worries. If you use a NanoVNA you can better visualize what's happening, but with some practice you can do it without the VNA. Turn the volume up on your radio and move the whip until you hear the loudest noise - then you're really close. From there, with your antenna, you're going to want to move mere millimeters to fine tune it. It's almost an art, but if you start with the most noise, you should be close enough for the 7300s built in SWR tool to tell you I'd you are too long or too short.