I have the WRC 213” as well. Love it. Probably the best, most flexible antenna I own. Super easy to switch bands with. Most activations now I work 10-20m and everything in between. Slap the coil on it and 40-80 is child’s play too.
I totally agree. It's a great antenna and easy to use. If it's windy, I'll use hamsticks, but other than that, it's been one of my favorite antennas to use portable.
It's awesome that people are using the Baofeng as a measurement. I think I saw it first on HRCC. I'm a WRC owner, and it works fantastic. Good to see some tricks of the trade.
LOL, I’ve seen Mike K8MRD use the ‘feng as a unit of measurement too. This has been one of my favorite and go-to antennas for POTA. It’s easy to setup and it gets out great!
I just purchased this antenna at the 2024 Hamcation so I’m so happy you made this video. I’m looking forward to connecting it to my ICOM 703+ very soon.👍🎙
Awesome! It’s a great antenna and I’m sure you’ll love it. It’s multi-banded and can be setup multiple ways, like a tripod, mag mount, stake, and even a clamp mount.
@@MikeN2MAKI purchased The Spike as well for mounting.A friend told me that they make an adapter that works with a camera tripod as well but I didn’t know about that option since I have several camera tripods.
My original has held up well, even after it fell down. I couldn't pass up a deal and I do travel for work, so the smaller size will be handy for me. Thanks for watching!
Thanks, Mike! I do enjoy your videos. You're right up there with the best regardless of the fact that some of them have many more subs than you have. Keep up the good work! I am in the market for a small/cheap (can you have both at once?) rig/antenna combo. I'll investigate this one :)
Thanks, I appreciate the support and encouragement! And yes, it is possible to do both. In my opinion, the Xiegu G90 and Yaesu FT-891 are good and reasonably priced HF radios (I used both). The WRC and similar telescoping whips are resonant quarter-wave verticals on 6-20m, which is great for portable operations. Plus they can be deployed a number of ways, like tripods and mag mounts.
I love mine and I bid on it on a new auction website that seem to be just starting out. Its the 🐺 River 80-10 with the bigger tripod. It has the 2 sliders and has power pole so switches fast for 3 bands. I haven't used the shorter whip but I have used the mfj 17ft and I got the Chameleon SS17 and I can say it's way more sturdy and seems tougher than the mfj. If I'm going to be portable for like camping then I put up the EFHW also. I have used the wolf river with mag mount. Guess it's like my universal antenna.
I installed the dual collar and I love how easy it makes it to switch bands. I've got the longer tripod legs too. The WRC is definitely a versatile antenna.
If only I could find a reliable triple magnet mount. Tried the Tram chrome plated one and the SWR was really affected by where the coax was. This lead me to believe it had a poor ground connection on the coax to where it attached to the mount they use for the 3/8 24 threaded piece.
I've had my Tram triple for about a year and no issues. A friend of mine had a Tram single 5" mag mount that started giving him issues after the wind blew it over. I was able to take it apart and fix it easily. It was a poor connection for the shield, like you said. I know MFJ makes a triple and I'm sure there's some others.
@@MikeN2MAK for $80+ I shouldn’t have to go fix something that’s brand new. I probably got a lemon. If I laid the coax out to the front of the car the SWR was flat on 20m. The moment I moved the coax into the car the SWR shot up to over a 3:1. This tells me either the ground is bad or the coax is part of the antenna, which is never good unless it’s an EFHW.
When you go from 17m to 15m and so on, you drop it one more section for each band. Do you still have the extra few inches for 17m deployed, or do you retract it also when going to 15m? Hope this makes sense the way I’ve asked. Thanks for the videos!
When I go from 17m to 15m, I take down the half section, and one more full section, so 1.5 total to jump from 17m to 15m. I just went to double-check, since I got a new car this spring. Sometimes the SWR will vary from car to car, but I only had to re-tune 1 of 4 hamsticks, so my new car has been pretty consistent with the previous one. Overall, here's my notes after re-testing: 20m is fully extended, 17m is 2.5 sections down, 15m is another 1.5 sections down (4 total down), 12m is another section down (5 down total), 10m is another down (6 down total), and 6m is simply the top 2 sections extended. Lastly, I use Shark Quick Disconnects, which do add a few inches to the antenna length. I hope that helps!
While I haven’t used the Chameleon, I think you’d be happy with either. If you’re considering the Sporty Forty by Wolf River Coils, then stick with the WRC 212” whip-it’s a little longer and will work better. Thanks for watching!
I have the 102-inch whip. but I just ordered the 213-inch whip I have a friend who has the 213-inch whip. How many sections down did you put the antenna to get to 10M? Do Rember if there is wind it is a good idea to put a weight on the tripod to keep it from blowing over. I have seen it happen here; however, it was 20mph winds that day. What is the length fully collapsed? WQ9V
I just checked mine. the 213" whip is 23" fully collapsed. For 10 meters, I pulled out 5 sections to get a great SWR across the band. That is on a triple mag mount, so setting up on a tripod with radials--or even a different car/truck--could impact it. But it's a good starting point. When using a tripod, I will put j-hook stakes in the ground, over the tripod legs. This prevents it from blowing over in windy conditions. I hope that helps!
WQ9V I live in deep south Texas where the ground on the most part is as hard as a rock so to put spikes in the ground is next to impossible. So, I am thinking to use sand Bage to give my mega pod a more stable mount not to tip over in the wind. Any ideas on this? I had a cheap 213-inch whip on one night and there were 20 mph winds, so over it went.
I've seen others use sand bags, so I think that would be a good option. During the winters up here in Western NY, I can't always put stakes in the ground to anchor wire antennas, like a dipole. So instead, I use empty gallon jugs filled with water to tie off too. You might be able to tie the tripod legs to a weight like that to help secure it more.
Mike, do you know if Wolf River Coil has a way of working 80M. I am just contemplating about getting into POTA and I'm looking for the most bang for the buck, I live in an HOA and will be using and testing this our here. If not do you know of an antenna the will do 10M through 80M. Thanks in advance Jim N3LBY
Wolf River Coils has at least 2 coils that will do 80m-their Silver Bullet (this was my first, but max digital power is about 20W) and the Platinum (rated for more power on digital, like 100W). Both will tune 80m with either the 102” or 213” whips. I have a dual collar on my WRC now and it’s set for 80m and 60m. I used it for those bands last year when I was chasing the N1CC award for POTA and needed 10 different bands at 10 different parks.
I have the Platinum coil and love it all you need to do is go about 60 clicks down and you will be in 80M and with the 213-inch antenna you will have a wider spot in the band than you will with the 102-inch antenna.WQ9V
I like what I see. The real question is, how does it compare to the $20 Aliexpress whips? They are flimsy, but cost half as much and are slightly longer at 220 inches. Still, if this is more durable, it could be worth it. - Al AE2T
Thanks for watching, Al! The WRC whips are the only ones I've used so far. The new one definitely feels more durable than the original, which has held up fine for me and survived a nasty fall.
@@MikeN2MAK I spoke with them & they told me the MEGA POD is rated at 600 watts PLUS as long as you don't have any extra coils installed & I only want it for 6-20 so no extra coils for me.
I haven't had my own hands on the Chameleon yet, but I've heard a few others say the new WRC is now closer to the CHA in quality/durability. The objective differences are as follows: 1) The WRC is 9" longer than the CHA when extended, which is very helpful to have, especially if working in the lower portion of the band (CW, FT8, etc.) or if you don't have a tuner and need a little more metal to play with for a better match, plus it'll help with the Sporty Forty coil if you want to use it on 40m. 2) The WRC collapses about 4 inches smaller than the CHA, which would come in handy for packing in carry-on luggage or other small bags. 3) The WRC is $65 and the CHA is $70 on their respective websites. That's not really much of a price difference, although I got mine for $50 at Hamvention when WRC had a sale. I think it ultimately comes down to the operator as to which is a better fit. The differences are slight, but the extra length and easy of portability/packability might make a difference for some. I hope that helps!
I’m not using a coil in this video. I have used this whip with the Sporty Forty by Wolf River Coils, but that coil doesn’t have/need a collar for adjusting.
I don't see why not. If your using the 33 foot radials that came with it, you might run out of space. But there are other alternatives for your ground plane. KB9VBR has some videos on using faraday cloth or a mental window screen. You cut also cut or use smaller radial wires, like 17 feet or 8 feet each. K8MRD has some videos on using the shorter length radials. Good luck! I'm sure 3,000 feet above sea level will be an added bonus too.
@@KE8ODY-WV-Ares-Ham-Dad-3O4 The WRC might be a good option. But there are other wire antenna options outside of a dipole. Depending on the space and layout, a random wire or EFHW could be options.
If Wolf River possible in the brink of being out of business? It says ordering is shut down due to health reasons?? I guess you can't buy there products.
I'm not sure I understand the question. The 213" whip works just fine with any of the Wolf River Coils. I use it often with their Sporty Forty. I also have their Silver Bullet coil and have used it for that too. but when using it with a coil, I adjust the coil, not the whip. I hope that helps. Thanks for watching!
@@mikegianfrancesco9431 The 213 inch whip can be adjust for all bands from 20 meters on up to 6 meters--no coil required. Fully extended, it is a quarter-wave on 20m. Then by shortening, it can be made into a quarter-wave for 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m and 6m. But for lower bands, like 30m, 40m, 60m and 80m, a coil would be required. The standard telescoping whip from WRC is 102 inches and needs a coil to work 12-80m. But with the longer 213 inch whip from WRC, you can skip the coil for most bands. The only downside is that it is over 17 feet fully extended, so if it is windy, you might not want to use something that big.
@@mikegianfrancesco9431 The 213-inch whip in this video does not need a coil for 20m. When it it fully extended it is a quarter-wave vertical on 20m. There are smaller whips that do require a coil though.
@@MikeN2MAK I use a Tabit and they don't have much output. Sometimes I have background noise. Getting old isn't helping much. But the audio level down from the adds! Them I can hear! Yours are not the only ones I have trouble with.
I have the WRC 213” as well. Love it. Probably the best, most flexible antenna I own. Super easy to switch bands with. Most activations now I work 10-20m and everything in between. Slap the coil on it and 40-80 is child’s play too.
I totally agree. It's a great antenna and easy to use. If it's windy, I'll use hamsticks, but other than that, it's been one of my favorite antennas to use portable.
It's awesome that people are using the Baofeng as a measurement. I think I saw it first on HRCC.
I'm a WRC owner, and it works fantastic. Good to see some tricks of the trade.
LOL, I’ve seen Mike K8MRD use the ‘feng as a unit of measurement too. This has been one of my favorite and go-to antennas for POTA. It’s easy to setup and it gets out great!
Thanks for posting an image of it collapsed next to the measuring tape. I couldn't find anywhere on their website the collapsed length. 73 de W6OBB
I'm glad it helped! It really is much smaller and sturdy versus the previous one. Thanks for watching!
I just purchased this antenna at the 2024 Hamcation so I’m so happy you made this video. I’m looking forward to connecting it to my ICOM 703+ very soon.👍🎙
Awesome! It’s a great antenna and I’m sure you’ll love it. It’s multi-banded and can be setup multiple ways, like a tripod, mag mount, stake, and even a clamp mount.
@@MikeN2MAKI purchased The Spike as well for mounting.A friend told me that they make an adapter that works with a camera tripod as well but I didn’t know about that option since I have several camera tripods.
@@1OFGODSOWN Nice! I don't have the spike but might pick it up at Hamvention. That's good ot know about the camera tripod too.
@@MikeN2MAK I just watched a short video on the tripod mount & it would be very simple to make.
I have used the original for 6 months and found it to be great. If it breaks, I will get the updated version. Thanks for the video.
My original has held up well, even after it fell down. I couldn't pass up a deal and I do travel for work, so the smaller size will be handy for me. Thanks for watching!
The Updated whip is $60 US Dollars.👍🎙
Thanks, Mike! I do enjoy your videos. You're right up there with the best regardless of the fact that some of them have many more subs than you have. Keep up the good work!
I am in the market for a small/cheap (can you have both at once?) rig/antenna combo. I'll investigate this one :)
Thanks, I appreciate the support and encouragement! And yes, it is possible to do both. In my opinion, the Xiegu G90 and Yaesu FT-891 are good and reasonably priced HF radios (I used both). The WRC and similar telescoping whips are resonant quarter-wave verticals on 6-20m, which is great for portable operations. Plus they can be deployed a number of ways, like tripods and mag mounts.
I love mine and I bid on it on a new auction website that seem to be just starting out. Its the 🐺 River 80-10 with the bigger tripod. It has the 2 sliders and has power pole so switches fast for 3 bands. I haven't used the shorter whip but I have used the mfj 17ft and I got the Chameleon SS17 and I can say it's way more sturdy and seems tougher than the mfj. If I'm going to be portable for like camping then I put up the EFHW also. I have used the wolf river with mag mount. Guess it's like my universal antenna.
I installed the dual collar and I love how easy it makes it to switch bands. I've got the longer tripod legs too. The WRC is definitely a versatile antenna.
good video just pick on up for pota myself
Awesome! It’s a great antenna and I’m sure you’ll love it. And it’s very versatile, whether on a mag mount, tripod or some other setup.
If only I could find a reliable triple magnet mount. Tried the Tram chrome plated one and the SWR was really affected by where the coax was. This lead me to believe it had a poor ground connection on the coax to where it attached to the mount they use for the 3/8 24 threaded piece.
I've had my Tram triple for about a year and no issues. A friend of mine had a Tram single 5" mag mount that started giving him issues after the wind blew it over. I was able to take it apart and fix it easily. It was a poor connection for the shield, like you said. I know MFJ makes a triple and I'm sure there's some others.
@@MikeN2MAK for $80+ I shouldn’t have to go fix something that’s brand new. I probably got a lemon. If I laid the coax out to the front of the car the SWR was flat on 20m. The moment I moved the coax into the car the SWR shot up to over a 3:1. This tells me either the ground is bad or the coax is part of the antenna, which is never good unless it’s an EFHW.
@@truckinguy92 you're right, you shouldn't have to fix it if it's new and if the SWR is moving with the coax, it's not a good sign.
I might have to pick one up… 73!
You won't be disappointed. I use my hamsticks when it's windy or the weather is bad. But when I can, I love to use this for activations from the car.
When you go from 17m to 15m and so on, you drop it one more section for each band. Do you still have the extra few inches for 17m deployed, or do you retract it also when going to 15m? Hope this makes sense the way I’ve asked. Thanks for the videos!
When I go from 17m to 15m, I take down the half section, and one more full section, so 1.5 total to jump from 17m to 15m. I just went to double-check, since I got a new car this spring. Sometimes the SWR will vary from car to car, but I only had to re-tune 1 of 4 hamsticks, so my new car has been pretty consistent with the previous one. Overall, here's my notes after re-testing: 20m is fully extended, 17m is 2.5 sections down, 15m is another 1.5 sections down (4 total down), 12m is another section down (5 down total), 10m is another down (6 down total), and 6m is simply the top 2 sections extended. Lastly, I use Shark Quick Disconnects, which do add a few inches to the antenna length. I hope that helps!
Thanks for the video. I am debating between this one and the Chameleon 17ft
While I haven’t used the Chameleon, I think you’d be happy with either. If you’re considering the Sporty Forty by Wolf River Coils, then stick with the WRC 212” whip-it’s a little longer and will work better. Thanks for watching!
@@MikeN2MAK Proud owner of the Silver Bullet 1000 and Silver Bullet Platinum
I have the 102-inch whip. but I just ordered the 213-inch whip I have a friend who has the 213-inch whip. How many sections down did you put the antenna to get to 10M? Do Rember if there is wind it is a good idea to put a weight on the tripod to keep it from blowing over. I have seen it happen here; however, it was 20mph winds that day. What is the length fully collapsed? WQ9V
I just checked mine. the 213" whip is 23" fully collapsed. For 10 meters, I pulled out 5 sections to get a great SWR across the band. That is on a triple mag mount, so setting up on a tripod with radials--or even a different car/truck--could impact it. But it's a good starting point. When using a tripod, I will put j-hook stakes in the ground, over the tripod legs. This prevents it from blowing over in windy conditions. I hope that helps!
WQ9V I live in deep south Texas where the ground on the most part is as hard as a rock so to put spikes in the ground is next to impossible. So, I am thinking to use sand Bage to give my mega pod a more stable mount not to tip over in the wind. Any ideas on this? I had a cheap 213-inch whip on one night and there were 20 mph winds, so over it went.
I've seen others use sand bags, so I think that would be a good option. During the winters up here in Western NY, I can't always put stakes in the ground to anchor wire antennas, like a dipole. So instead, I use empty gallon jugs filled with water to tie off too. You might be able to tie the tripod legs to a weight like that to help secure it more.
Mike, do you know if Wolf River Coil has a way of working 80M. I am just contemplating about getting into POTA and I'm looking for the most bang for the buck, I live in an HOA and will be using and testing this our here. If not do you know of an antenna the will do 10M through 80M. Thanks in advance Jim N3LBY
Wolf River Coils has at least 2 coils that will do 80m-their Silver Bullet (this was my first, but max digital power is about 20W) and the Platinum (rated for more power on digital, like 100W). Both will tune 80m with either the 102” or 213” whips. I have a dual collar on my WRC now and it’s set for 80m and 60m. I used it for those bands last year when I was chasing the N1CC award for POTA and needed 10 different bands at 10 different parks.
I have the Platinum coil and love it all you need to do is go about 60 clicks down and you will be in 80M and with the 213-inch antenna you will have a wider spot in the band than you will with the 102-inch antenna.WQ9V
I like what I see. The real question is, how does it compare to the $20 Aliexpress whips? They are flimsy, but cost half as much and are slightly longer at 220 inches. Still, if this is more durable, it could be worth it. - Al AE2T
Thanks for watching, Al! The WRC whips are the only ones I've used so far. The new one definitely feels more durable than the original, which has held up fine for me and survived a nasty fall.
I had one of these it broke the first day.
How much power is it rated for? Thanks much.👍🎙
I’m not sure and would defer to the WRC website. It’s all metal, so I’m sure it’s fine well beyond 100W.
@@MikeN2MAK I spoke with them & they told me the MEGA POD is rated at 600 watts PLUS as long as you don't have any extra coils installed & I only want it for 6-20 so no extra coils for me.
How does the new WRC 213" whip compare with the Chameleon Antenna CHA SS17?
I haven't had my own hands on the Chameleon yet, but I've heard a few others say the new WRC is now closer to the CHA in quality/durability. The objective differences are as follows: 1) The WRC is 9" longer than the CHA when extended, which is very helpful to have, especially if working in the lower portion of the band (CW, FT8, etc.) or if you don't have a tuner and need a little more metal to play with for a better match, plus it'll help with the Sporty Forty coil if you want to use it on 40m. 2) The WRC collapses about 4 inches smaller than the CHA, which would come in handy for packing in carry-on luggage or other small bags. 3) The WRC is $65 and the CHA is $70 on their respective websites. That's not really much of a price difference, although I got mine for $50 at Hamvention when WRC had a sale. I think it ultimately comes down to the operator as to which is a better fit. The differences are slight, but the extra length and easy of portability/packability might make a difference for some. I hope that helps!
You didn't show where the collar is at on the coil when tuning.
I’m not using a coil in this video. I have used this whip with the Sporty Forty by Wolf River Coils, but that coil doesn’t have/need a collar for adjusting.
Could that Mega Take It Along (Mega TIA) be used in a deck 39 feet high at above 3000 ft above seal level would this work well for HF?
I don't see why not. If your using the 33 foot radials that came with it, you might run out of space. But there are other alternatives for your ground plane. KB9VBR has some videos on using faraday cloth or a mental window screen. You cut also cut or use smaller radial wires, like 17 feet or 8 feet each. K8MRD has some videos on using the shorter length radials. Good luck! I'm sure 3,000 feet above sea level will be an added bonus too.
@@MikeN2MAK it’s either that or a 100 foot dipole idk where to run with no help lol
@@KE8ODY-WV-Ares-Ham-Dad-3O4 The WRC might be a good option. But there are other wire antenna options outside of a dipole. Depending on the space and layout, a random wire or EFHW could be options.
@@MikeN2MAK end fed could work just not sure how
@@MikeN2MAK it’s pushing me away from hf because antenna etc
If Wolf River possible in the brink of being out of business? It says ordering is shut down due to health reasons?? I guess you can't buy there products.
I just noticed that the other day. I’m sure they’ll be back open for orders again soon, but for now, the focus seems to be on family.
HOW ABOUT THE COIL
I'm not sure I understand the question. The 213" whip works just fine with any of the Wolf River Coils. I use it often with their Sporty Forty. I also have their Silver Bullet coil and have used it for that too. but when using it with a coil, I adjust the coil, not the whip. I hope that helps. Thanks for watching!
@@MikeN2MAK coil when you change the bands dont you also need to move the coil up our down
@@mikegianfrancesco9431 The 213 inch whip can be adjust for all bands from 20 meters on up to 6 meters--no coil required. Fully extended, it is a quarter-wave on 20m. Then by shortening, it can be made into a quarter-wave for 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m and 6m. But for lower bands, like 30m, 40m, 60m and 80m, a coil would be required. The standard telescoping whip from WRC is 102 inches and needs a coil to work 12-80m. But with the longer 213 inch whip from WRC, you can skip the coil for most bands. The only downside is that it is over 17 feet fully extended, so if it is windy, you might not want to use something that big.
@@MikeN2MAK So you do not use the coil for 20 meters at all
@@mikegianfrancesco9431 The 213-inch whip in this video does not need a coil for 20m. When it it fully extended it is a quarter-wave vertical on 20m. There are smaller whips that do require a coil though.
I have trouble hearing you!
That’s odd. Thanks for the feedback. If you notice it on one of my other recent ones, let me know. I’ve been working with a new mic.
@@MikeN2MAK I use a Tabit and they don't have much output. Sometimes I have background noise. Getting old isn't helping much. But the audio level down from the adds! Them I can hear! Yours are not the only ones I have trouble with.
@@donaldsmith3048 I’ll try to pay close attention to the next ones. Thanks for letting me know. I’m still new at this, LOL.