Hi Manuel, this is Tom, DJ5RE. Thanks so much for promoting our "U01 emergency antenna". Since your videos, the feedback about this antenna went up dramatically. Thanks for sharing the hobby in our local club in Amberg/East Bavaria, DOK U01. Our common activities are always a pleasure! You do extremely valuable work for the whole amateur radio community! Chapeau! Tom, DJ5RE😃
I’m very new to amateur radio.. my main interest is CW. I ordered your SDX.. I’m studying Morse daily. And for my Fcc license… this antenna is all new to me..as I’m a newbie… thanks. This will be a nice project in the future…. Boy ….I’ve got a lot to learn btw I’m 73
Noone was born as a master. We all went and still go through the learning process and I appreciate, that you´re doing it. Welcome to the family ;) 73 Manuel, DL2MAN
Great video, thanks for posting. Been playing with NVIS on 40m and can maintain a JS8Call contacts all day between Melbourne & Sydney about 900km. its a really interesting mode of operation. 73's from VK land.
Hi Manuel! Very good implementation of the antenna project. Perfectly printed high quality parts. Your drawing is very useful for rebuildig the U01-antenna. The wire from DX-WIRE is ideal for light and stable antennas. A special thank goes to DJ5RE Tom for developing and optimizing the "emergency communication antenna".
Hello Manuel, received my tr usdx main board, its built and setup as by your advice, functionality is fantastic, looks great in the green case, I have great sound quality front a little exterior speaker, congratulations on all your hard work about your project, I await delivery of my classic band board to arrive, a big thank you to you and gedo, I will be looking at your anntena very shortly! it will be amazing how it will perform, ime sure of that, keep those surprises coming, this is just what the amateur radio hobby needs right now, innovation and functional and fun to use hand held transceivers. Brilliant work 👏 👍
Thank you Manuel. We asked for an antenna building video serie (everyone remembers the poll, right?), you did it! And what a serie: very comprehensible and insightful at the same time. Great job. Can’t wait for the next topic you will address. 73, HB3XBA
Hello, I heard you mention Amberg. I was stationed at Vilseck (Rose Barracks) from 1989-1992. I really liked that area. It reminded me of Western Washington State where I grew up. 73
Couple corrections: the 60m one should also resonate close to 30m, and the 80m should certainly be resonant without tuner on 80, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10m. It seems in your case they were all a bit out perhaps as it was resonant on 80m higher in the band. I think there's also some trick with a coil to make 80m usable higher up without upsetting the resonance on all the others (except 60m).
One more new thing I've learned from your videos. I didn't know the thing about the coax acting as RF choke. I must buy you a couple of beers by now with all the new things I learn 😁😁. 73 and have an amazing weekend. I will build this antenna too to have it there just in case 😁. Brilliant.. P.S. I didn't know about the 60m band either that it works that way.
There´s 2 reasons for min 5m coax: 1. The coax acts as counterpoise. 2. The coax on the ground helps in suppressing some common mode currents. I´m always available when it comes to drinking beer ;) Wish you the same. 73 Manuel; DL2MAN
@@dl2man Hehe... thanks Manuel. Ohh I hope one day we will share some and some QRP fun. Maybe next year. Until then... I am learning a bit more and having fun on air. 73
Excellent video and project. I have a question however. I know the antenna was designed for NVIS operation. How much of an impact on the VSWR plots do you think would occur if the antenna was suspended at both ends from a greater height making it an flat end fed antenna instead of an inverted V? If not much of a change it could function for both local and distant comms.
Especially on the fundamentals, the effect will be huge and wire length need to be adjusted. U01 Antenna is no re-invention of the wheel. It´s just a standardized setup. If you change the setup, you need to tweak wire lenghts and maybe even Transformation Ration of UnUn.
Thank you Manual for supplying this information on the U01 antenna. Our club is going to build and test a U01 for experience as well as use for emergency communication. I was wondering what kind of antenna did Tom use on his side.
Tom was at home and used a full size doublet 2x20m, as you can see on his QRZ.com page. Basically the same amount of wire in the air, exept he used a tuner....
I´m sure it will handle it. I´m not sure if it will heat up.... 100W Version will have FT140-43. Coming soon with own PCB including spindle ;) 73 Manuel; DL2MAN
@@dl2man Not so. l recently read about an OM, who burnt his 400W Balun with a 100W TX using FT8. Also I have seen Baluns/Ununs adverstised for 1000W SSB and 500W CW. The reason is the duty cycle. Duty cycle is low when talking on SSB, higher with CW and extremely high when using digital like FT8.
Nice video and antenna, however, please place more links to the construction materials. You wouldn't believe how difficult it is to fine a source of antenna wire here in the Netherlands!!!
Manuel, I may have missed the answer to this question over the last few months, but what SWR would you say is the worst that can be accepted to operate with without much concern that the (tr)uSDX FET's will pop? As you designed the rig I suspect you have blown up numerous output FET's so you have a good for what they can and can't tolerate. I understand that there is simply no way to know for certain, especially these days with fake and subpar FET's on the market, but your best guess would be appreciated so I have an idea of how much effort I have to take to ensure a good match. I know some old-time tube-running hams who were happy with anything under 3.5 to 1, but I also have used some Motorola biz-band rigs that start cutting their output power any time the SWR climbs over 1.6. What's acceptable all depends on the output circuitry. I assume 1.5 is OK, but is 2? I always try to have a near perfect match because I'm just that sort of person, and it eliminates all sorts of possible problems before they can occur, but there may be situations such as emergency operations where I can't, so knowing what will probably work and what won't would be a great help. Thanks.
I wouldn´t bother too much up to 1,5:1. If your FET´s are not matched well, it could be a problem above that. On the other hand: ua-cam.com/video/VVN6xxu69zg/v-deo.html with carefully selected BS170´s I TXed for 20 Minutes into SWR of 9:1 and worse with no problems.
Very interesting concept which is based on a resonant wire and 49:1 transformer which provides the benefits of harmonics. The downside is that you have to lower the mast to make the adjustments which is a pain in my opinion. There is another alternative using a non resonant random wire (60 ft long and 5:1 transformer), you could get resonant on most of those bands by adjusting the length of the counterpoise.
There´s always plenty of options. I´ve also built trapped EFHWs, which do not need links, but in physics, there is no free lunch ;) You´re always trading one benefit for another. This concept has poven itself over time, and was a constant performer for me. If I could only have one ANtenna with me, it would be U01. Thanks to DJ5RE.... 73 Manuel; DL2MAN
@@dl2man Certainly, worth trying and validating as a practical option for NVIS communication. I will give it a shot and compare with a non resonant option.
First of all, you, good Sir, are a mad genius!!! Secondly, well, I am a 3d printing addict, so I have to ask.... are those parts PLA? or nylon? or what? I noticed that you are a perfectionist and have fantastic attention to detail, so I'm thinking you used a very strong material for the 3d printed parts? If possible, can you just let me know what filament you use?
Hi Matey. I am in the process of making one of these aerials . But using mainly scrap material. Old wire, Car connectors and my homemade balun. Not as detailed video as yours so if you dont mind I will include a link to your video and a short clip from your video. Assume that's ok. Cheers from old George G1BKI. Ps my video is now uploaded and live.
Thanks for considering building one. Everything that helps in spreading the word is welcome. Just a quick remark: It probably won´t work, if your UnUn is really 1:9.... 1:49 required, as Impedance is quite high. You can watch my other Videos about EFHW Theory, if you want to know how to wind one. 73 es hpe cu on Band ! Manuel; DL2MAN
@@dl2man Hi Manuel. Thanks for your reply. I have made plenty of Baluns. Got quite a selection using Ferrite Torods and Rods. So I can experiment. Video of them is included in my Ham Radio Playlist. I will be updating my Videos Later today. Cheers from G1BKI.
5:54 Upper Left of video frame. A stray TO-92 transistor loose on the table; which is perfectly understandable. Happens all the time here, even at dinner. ;-)
No, this is a DIY project. Noone of us has the time to build and sell those antennas next to our dayjobs. Maybe this will be my Plan B if I lose my job one day ;)
How close have your contacts been ? I am interested in this antenna design. I live in the rocky mountains, in northern Utah on the Wasatch front how close can you talk with it?
9:1 unun and 110ft of insulated wire, put it up in the air and a decent radio tuner and it works well 160m through 2m. Yes I tried it on 2m and it worked just fine. Oh it is an inverted V in my yard. I tried it out just for giggles. make sure you have a decent counterpoise wire
@@n0vty873 simple: good conditions. Try in a direct comparison and you will know. By the way: Your answer is called a "strawman argument". You´re attacking a position, that I´m not defending. I did not say, your antenna does not work, I just said, I try to avoid tuners, as resonant antennas are usually more efficient. When I only have 5Watts, I want as much of that low power as possible radiated and not transformed into heat.
Thank you for providing this information and also showing how it works. I built a similar "linked EFHW" 100wt antenna in May so that I could use the regular 80-10 EFHW on 60m. It used automobile wire bullet connectors from a local store and it is hung on my 30' tower. My antenna was not nearly as elegant as yours - a work of art as well as practical. I really enjoy your videos and recommend them to my friends. VY1GP
I don´t think, this would be possible with reasonable effort. In this case, it might be easier, to build a trapped efhw. The Problem is: You´re losing the harmonics with that.... Building this exact Antenna with traps would limit it to 80/60/40m. But you can add more traps for more bands. However: Every Trap means loss..... 73 Manuel; DL2MAN
Thank you for sharing. I would like to build one of these. I am wondering if anyone has tried replacing the 40/60 and 60/80 connections with 40 and 60m traps. I am lazy and don't like taking antennas down to change bands 😁.
I´m not so sure if the Antenna will still work with Traps. You might be able to make it work if you insert a Trap for each Band, but I think, using the harmonics is no longer possible with traps, as they act as artificial additional length for the fundamental, so the harmonics are way off.... And every Trap means additional loss ! So you will lose efficiency. I might be wrong, and I thought I had a measurement of my Trapped EFHW for 20/30/40, but unfortunately I did not save it for the higher Bands, so I could look at the harmonics. Will do that measurement, next time, I elevate this Trapped EFHW, because I´m interested as well. Thanks for your question. 73 Manuel; DL2MAN
Hi Manuel, this is Tom, DJ5RE. Thanks so much for promoting our "U01 emergency antenna". Since your videos, the feedback about this antenna went up dramatically. Thanks for sharing the hobby in our local club in Amberg/East Bavaria, DOK U01. Our common activities are always a pleasure! You do extremely valuable work for the whole amateur radio community! Chapeau!
Tom, DJ5RE😃
I’m very new to amateur radio.. my main interest is CW. I ordered your SDX.. I’m studying Morse daily. And for my Fcc license… this antenna is all new to me..as I’m a newbie… thanks. This will be a nice project in the future…. Boy ….I’ve got a lot to learn btw I’m 73
Noone was born as a master. We all went and still go through the learning process and I appreciate, that you´re doing it. Welcome to the family ;) 73 Manuel, DL2MAN
Excellent video. I built a trusdx as my first HF Radio and watched all of your videos, read all of your content and I have learned so much! Thank you.
Great video, thanks for posting. Been playing with NVIS on 40m and can maintain a JS8Call contacts all day between Melbourne & Sydney about 900km. its a really interesting mode of operation. 73's from VK land.
I like the idea of the choke balun simply being coax laid on the ground. That's something that never occurred to me. Thanks.
There´s 2 reasons for min 5m coax: 1. The coax acts as counterpoise. 2. The coax on the ground helps in suppressing some common mode currents.
Hi Manuel!
Very good implementation of the antenna project.
Perfectly printed high quality parts.
Your drawing is very useful for rebuildig the U01-antenna.
The wire from DX-WIRE is ideal for light and stable antennas.
A special thank goes to DJ5RE Tom for developing and optimizing the "emergency communication antenna".
Thank you so much !
Hello Manuel, received my tr usdx main board, its built and setup as by your advice, functionality is fantastic, looks great in the green case, I have great sound quality front a little exterior speaker, congratulations on all your hard work about your project, I await delivery of my classic band board to arrive, a big thank you to you and gedo, I will be looking at your anntena very shortly! it will be amazing how it will perform, ime sure of that, keep those surprises coming, this is just what the amateur radio hobby needs right now, innovation and functional and fun to use hand held transceivers. Brilliant work 👏 👍
Thank you so much for your kind words. 73 Manuel; DL2MAN
Thank you Manuel.
We asked for an antenna building video serie (everyone remembers the poll, right?), you did it! And what a serie: very comprehensible and insightful at the same time.
Great job. Can’t wait for the next topic you will address.
73, HB3XBA
Hello, I heard you mention Amberg. I was stationed at Vilseck (Rose Barracks) from 1989-1992. I really liked that area. It reminded me of Western Washington State where I grew up. 73
Like it, thanks, thinking of getting back into radio again, miss the people and knowledge they share.
Couple corrections: the 60m one should also resonate close to 30m, and the 80m should certainly be resonant without tuner on 80, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10m. It seems in your case they were all a bit out perhaps as it was resonant on 80m higher in the band. I think there's also some trick with a coil to make 80m usable higher up without upsetting the resonance on all the others (except 60m).
Good to see you on HRCC's chat tonight, your input was helpful.
Manuel nice work. I am enjoying your channel. Thank you.
One more new thing I've learned from your videos. I didn't know the thing about the coax acting as RF choke. I must buy you a couple of beers by now with all the new things I learn 😁😁. 73 and have an amazing weekend. I will build this antenna too to have it there just in case 😁. Brilliant.. P.S. I didn't know about the 60m band either that it works that way.
There´s 2 reasons for min 5m coax: 1. The coax acts as counterpoise. 2. The coax on the ground helps in suppressing some common mode currents. I´m always available when it comes to drinking beer ;) Wish you the same. 73 Manuel; DL2MAN
@@dl2man Hehe... thanks Manuel. Ohh I hope one day we will share some and some QRP fun. Maybe next year. Until then... I am learning a bit more and having fun on air. 73
Brilliant 😂❤
Fine build, clean and effective. Your "studio" audio volume was a bit low.
Thanks ! Yes, I´m still trying to figure out how to level the mics from different sources..... 73 Manuel; DL2MAN
Dziękujemy.
Excellent video and project. I have a question however. I know the antenna was designed for NVIS operation. How much of an impact on the VSWR plots do you think would occur if the antenna was suspended at both ends from a greater height making it an flat end fed antenna instead of an inverted V? If not much of a change it could function for both local and distant comms.
Especially on the fundamentals, the effect will be huge and wire length need to be adjusted. U01 Antenna is no re-invention of the wheel. It´s just a standardized setup. If you change the setup, you need to tweak wire lenghts and maybe even Transformation Ration of UnUn.
Outstanding
Thank you Manual for supplying this information on the U01 antenna. Our club is going to build and test a U01 for experience as well as use for emergency communication.
I was wondering what kind of antenna did Tom use on his side.
Tom was at home and used a full size doublet 2x20m, as you can see on his QRZ.com page. Basically the same amount of wire in the air, exept he used a tuner....
Excellent.
Will the FT114-43 core on the DL2MAN PCB handle 50watts?
I´m sure it will handle it. I´m not sure if it will heat up.... 100W Version will have FT140-43. Coming soon with own PCB including spindle ;) 73 Manuel; DL2MAN
@@dl2man Awesome re the 100w version. I will certainly build that. Thank you so much for sharing with us 73 Greg VA7BC
@@dl2man How much FT8 power would the 100W version handle? Like 20 W?
@@TheMicrofox 100W means 100W ;) We´ve tested the FT140 cores with up to 400W, and it worked with some heating up.
@@dl2man Not so. l recently read about an OM, who burnt his 400W Balun with a 100W TX using FT8. Also I have seen Baluns/Ununs adverstised for 1000W SSB and 500W CW.
The reason is the duty cycle. Duty cycle is low when talking on SSB, higher with CW and extremely high when using digital like FT8.
Interesting setup. What was the name of the wire you talked about, the UL? Good viedeo! 😀👍
You´ll find more information on dl2man.de/antennas/ including links.... The wire is dx wire UL (Ultralight)
@@dl2man Thank you, ill check that out.
Nice video and antenna, however, please place more links to the construction materials. You wouldn't believe how difficult it is to fine a source of antenna wire here in the Netherlands!!!
I´ve documented this in great detail on my page: dl2man.de/u01-emergency-communications-antenna/
Manuel, I may have missed the answer to this question over the last few months, but what SWR would you say is the worst that can be accepted to operate with without much concern that the (tr)uSDX FET's will pop? As you designed the rig I suspect you have blown up numerous output FET's so you have a good for what they can and can't tolerate. I understand that there is simply no way to know for certain, especially these days with fake and subpar FET's on the market, but your best guess would be appreciated so I have an idea of how much effort I have to take to ensure a good match. I know some old-time tube-running hams who were happy with anything under 3.5 to 1, but I also have used some Motorola biz-band rigs that start cutting their output power any time the SWR climbs over 1.6. What's acceptable all depends on the output circuitry. I assume 1.5 is OK, but is 2? I always try to have a near perfect match because I'm just that sort of person, and it eliminates all sorts of possible problems before they can occur, but there may be situations such as emergency operations where I can't, so knowing what will probably work and what won't would be a great help. Thanks.
I wouldn´t bother too much up to 1,5:1. If your FET´s are not matched well, it could be a problem above that. On the other hand: ua-cam.com/video/VVN6xxu69zg/v-deo.html with carefully selected BS170´s I TXed for 20 Minutes into SWR of 9:1 and worse with no problems.
fantastic video terrific job 73 from kb2uew
Very interesting concept which is based on a resonant wire and 49:1 transformer which provides the benefits of harmonics. The downside is that you have to lower the mast to make the adjustments which is a pain in my opinion. There is another alternative using a non resonant random wire (60 ft long and 5:1 transformer), you could get resonant on most of those bands by adjusting the length of the counterpoise.
There´s always plenty of options. I´ve also built trapped EFHWs, which do not need links, but in physics, there is no free lunch ;) You´re always trading one benefit for another. This concept has poven itself over time, and was a constant performer for me. If I could only have one ANtenna with me, it would be U01. Thanks to DJ5RE.... 73 Manuel; DL2MAN
@@dl2man Certainly, worth trying and validating as a practical option for NVIS communication. I will give it a shot and compare with a non resonant option.
@@dl2man thanks for sharing and for replying. 73s
Thanks, not sure dxwire ultra lite is available here in the states but I have seen it or something very like it somewhere
As I said: you can use anything.... I just like to use the good stuff, as it´s available for a decent price here.
First of all, you, good Sir, are a mad genius!!! Secondly, well, I am a 3d printing addict, so I have to ask.... are those parts PLA? or nylon? or what? I noticed that you are a perfectionist and have fantastic attention to detail, so I'm thinking you used a very strong material for the 3d printed parts? If possible, can you just let me know what filament you use?
Thanks ;) I´m using poor man´s nylon: PETG. My go to filament is "das filament". 73 Manuel; DL2MAN
Do you have a kit available with the components required for those of us who don’t have or have access to a 3D printer?
Not at this point. If you´re from germany I might be able to help. Anything outside (even Europe) would cost more shipping than it´s worth.
ah cool linked EFHW!
Ok, I have to ask: Where’d you get the radio shell & handles?
😆 They came out of my 3D Printer. Files are from thingiverse: www.thingiverse.com/thing:4709792 73 Manuel; DL2MAN
@@dl2man Thanks I was wondering where that case came from, very snazzy. Great Video VE6KBI Dana
Hi Matey. I am in the process of making one of these aerials . But using mainly scrap material. Old wire, Car connectors and my homemade balun. Not as detailed video as yours so if you dont mind I will include a link to your video and a short clip from your video. Assume that's ok. Cheers from old George G1BKI. Ps my video is now uploaded and live.
Thanks for considering building one. Everything that helps in spreading the word is welcome. Just a quick remark: It probably won´t work, if your UnUn is really 1:9.... 1:49 required, as Impedance is quite high. You can watch my other Videos about EFHW Theory, if you want to know how to wind one. 73 es hpe cu on Band ! Manuel; DL2MAN
@@dl2man Hi Manuel. Thanks for your reply. I have made plenty of Baluns. Got quite a selection using Ferrite Torods and Rods. So I can experiment. Video of them is included in my Ham Radio Playlist. I will be updating my Videos Later today. Cheers from G1BKI.
5:54 Upper Left of video frame. A stray TO-92 transistor loose on the table; which is perfectly understandable. Happens all the time here, even at dinner. ;-)
Good catch :)
Is this antenna available to order? My family is originally from the Bavaria region 😊 KM6SLF
No, this is a DIY project. Noone of us has the time to build and sell those antennas next to our dayjobs. Maybe this will be my Plan B if I lose my job one day ;)
Quick question? What radio was that in the video?
ICOM IC-705
9:04 The circles I run in say, "buy once, cry once".
How close have your contacts been ? I am interested in this antenna design. I live in the rocky mountains, in northern Utah on the Wasatch front how close can you talk with it?
Look for the NVIS Demonstration Video. From 0km to a few hundred km seems effortlessly possible.
9:1 unun and 110ft of insulated wire, put it up in the air and a decent radio tuner and it works well 160m through 2m. Yes I tried it on 2m and it worked just fine. Oh it is an inverted V in my yard. I tried it out just for giggles. make sure you have a decent counterpoise wire
I try to avoid a tuner.... resonant antennas are my choice, as they are usually more efficient.
@@dl2man So why does my inefficient antenna work around the world? it must be broken
@@n0vty873 simple: good conditions. Try in a direct comparison and you will know. By the way: Your answer is called a "strawman argument". You´re attacking a position, that I´m not defending. I did not say, your antenna does not work, I just said, I try to avoid tuners, as resonant antennas are usually more efficient. When I only have 5Watts, I want as much of that low power as possible radiated and not transformed into heat.
@@dl2man Yep Im just a fucking idiot
Thank you for providing this information and also showing how it works. I built a similar "linked EFHW" 100wt antenna in May so that I could use the regular 80-10 EFHW on 60m. It used automobile wire bullet connectors from a local store and it is hung on my 30' tower. My antenna was not nearly as elegant as yours - a work of art as well as practical. I really enjoy your videos and recommend them to my friends. VY1GP
Hello Manuel
Do you have a reference address for the various antenna parts? Wire, plug contacts etc.?
With the best 73
DL9GAW (Black Forest)
Wire = DXWire, Plug Contacts as well as SMA or BNC sockets Amazon or Ebay, Silver Mica Cap: www.tubeampdoctor.com/ 73 Manuel; DL2MAN
Super
Has anyone tried to implement connecting and disconnecting antenna segments with a remote control? Is it possible?
I don´t think, this would be possible with reasonable effort. In this case, it might be easier, to build a trapped efhw. The Problem is: You´re losing the harmonics with that.... Building this exact Antenna with traps would limit it to 80/60/40m. But you can add more traps for more bands. However: Every Trap means loss..... 73 Manuel; DL2MAN
Thank you for sharing. I would like to build one of these. I am wondering if anyone has tried replacing the 40/60 and 60/80 connections with 40 and 60m traps. I am lazy and don't like taking antennas down to change bands 😁.
I´m not so sure if the Antenna will still work with Traps. You might be able to make it work if you insert a Trap for each Band, but I think, using the harmonics is no longer possible with traps, as they act as artificial additional length for the fundamental, so the harmonics are way off.... And every Trap means additional loss ! So you will lose efficiency. I might be wrong, and I thought I had a measurement of my Trapped EFHW for 20/30/40, but unfortunately I did not save it for the higher Bands, so I could look at the harmonics. Will do that measurement, next time, I elevate this Trapped EFHW, because I´m interested as well. Thanks for your question. 73 Manuel; DL2MAN