recommendation for portable antenna

[Charles Greene]

Hi,

What's a good antenna for portable ops on 20 or 40 meters?  I have a wire
for use with the KX1, but it requires a tree, and you don't find trees
everywhere.  I was thinking about one with a base, or one that could be use
with a base.  There's a lot of them out there, but I'm looking for a
recommendation.

73,  Chas,  W1CG

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[Don Wilhelm-3]

Chas,

I consider the most versatile to be a non-metallic telescoping pole to use
as a support.  it can hold your wire vertically if you want, or since I
prefer balanced antennas, it can support the center of a dipole fed with
coax, or my real preference for portable work, a 44 foot wire center fed
with a parallel transmission line (of course a tuner/balun is needed at the
rig end with this combination) - works well 40 thru 10 meters, and maybe
even on 80 in a pinch.

For those curious about my preference for horizontally oriented antennas
over verticals, the horizontal antenna is not affected by ground losses as
verticals, and therefore give more consistent performance when moved from
place to place.  OTOH, if the location is on a salt water beach, a vertical,
even with a single radial is the only way to go - here I would use the 44
foot dipole with one 22 ft end vertically on the pole and the other end
stretched out on the sand.  Yes, MY pole needs to be 22 to 23 feet long.

So with a 23 foot telescoping pole and a suitable support mechanism (or
guys), I could erect either a wire vertical or an inverted vee  with the
center at 23 ft. quickly.

73,
Don W3FPR

> -----Original Message-----
>
> What's a good antenna for portable ops on 20 or 40 meters?  I have a wire
> for use with the KX1, but it requires a tree, and you don't find trees
> everywhere.  I was thinking about one with a base, or one that
> could be use
> with a base.  There's a lot of them out there, but I'm looking for a
> recommendation.
>
> 73,  Chas,  W1CG
>
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[EricJ-2]

I also get very good results with a 44' dipole supported by a 20' crappie
pole (non-metallic telescoping pole). Given the dearth of trees in this
semi-desert, it is the only way to go. However, crappie poles are made for
fishing. The last section is very thin and flexible to signal even the
slightest nibble by a 1-lb fish. That makes it far too "bendy" for me when
supporting even a very light dipole. I carry a short (about 2') section of
fiberglass tubing from an old dome tent that I slip over the very end to
stiffen it. It rests on the shoulder of the second section of the crappie
pole.

I also have good luck with an end fed half wave cut for 40m with a 1/4 wave
radial. Sometimes I have just layed the EFHFA out over the pucker bushes. If
you know the location you will be setting up, you can plan the kind of
antenna you need. If you don't, you need to take a variety of antennas.

Eric
KE6US

-----Original Message-----

Chas,

I consider the most versatile to be a non-metallic telescoping pole to use
as a support.  it can hold your wire vertically if you want, or since I
prefer balanced antennas, it can support the center of a dipole fed with
coax, or my real preference for portable work, a 44 foot wire center fed
with a parallel transmission line (of course a tuner/balun is needed at the
rig end with this combination) - works well 40 thru 10 meters, and maybe
even on 80 in a pinch.



73,
Don W3FPR

> -----Original Message-----
>
> What's a good antenna for portable ops on 20 or 40 meters?  I have a
> wire for use with the KX1, but it requires a tree, and you don't find
> trees everywhere.  I was thinking about one with a base, or one that
> could be use with a base.  There's a lot of them out there, but I'm
> looking for a recommendation.
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[Tony Wells]

Don wrote:
> stretched out on the sand.  Yes, MY pole needs to be 22 to 23 feet long.
Don,

What type of pole(s) do you use?

Thanks
Tony
G7IGG
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[Don Wilhelm-3]

Tony and all,

OK to answer 2 questions at once -

I don't have a decent fiberglass pole at the moment, just some push up
painter pole extensions from Home Depot - they are plenty stiff, but too
long when collapsed for quick and easy transport. The long fishing poles are
too flimsy, the poles sold by MFJ and (I believe) Wilderness Radio are a bit
more stable, but I will soon be buying one of K4TMC's telescoping poles
which are designed to hold flags and windsocks at the beach very soon.  See
http://www.tmastco.com/TelepolePage.htm for more info on my planned pole
purchase - he has heavy duty poles that will extend to 32 feet and collapse
to 46 inches.

As for end insulators and center supports - I don't have pictures, but I use
1/4 inch Lexan sheet stock - I pick it up in the cutoff bin at the local
commercial plastics supplier (your yellow pages should tell you where to
find one near you)  I cut a strip about 3/4 inch wide and 2 inches long for
the end insulators - drill a 1/4 inch hole in each end.  For the center
support, I use a triangle shape about 2 inches on each side and a 1/4 inch
hole near each corner.  two holes are for the antenna wire and feedline
junction, and the third hole is for a support rope where used.  A supply of
5/32 inch dacron coated black line provides the rope supports and when
required, guy wires.  A supply of tent stakes can hold the guy wires at
ground level - don't forget to take along a roll bright colored surveyor
flag tape to tie to the guy wires so other folks can see them where there is
danger of others walking through your antenna site.

After I get my pole, I will come up with some type of base support for it.
Lashing the base to something heavy or immovable object(like a medium size
bush) does for now.

73,
Don W3FPR

> -----Original Message-----
>
> Don wrote:
> > stretched out on the sand.  Yes, MY pole needs to be 22 to 23 feet long.
> Don,
>
> What type of pole(s) do you use?
>
> Thanks
> Tony
> G7IGG
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[Stuart Rohre]

Charles,

I got a Minuteman vertical on close out at local ham store.  It is still
available I think on web.  (Google the name) it has pvc mast and base and is
for 20 and up.  It has partly a telescoping whip top section.  Worked great
last year on a QRP outing in so so propagation.

You could easily home brew your own.  I suggest grey pvc for solar
resistance.  That is what they used.

Radial kit comes with it and is simply hook up wires, 3 each.

72,
Stuart
K5KVH



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[Mike Harris-9]

G'day,

| As for end insulators and center supports - I don't have pictures, but I
use
| 1/4 inch Lexan sheet stock - I pick it up in the cutoff bin at the local
| commercial plastics supplier (your yellow pages should tell you where to
| find one near you)  I cut a strip about 3/4 inch wide and 2 inches long
for
| the end insulators - drill a 1/4 inch hole in each end.  For the center

Seems like overkill to me.  By using synthetic "string" to tie off the
ends you have all the insulator you need.  OTOH I use plastic "corks" from
wine bottles on the end of the elevated radials of my 30 metre GP,
microwave oven tested naturally.  Much more fun to collect than Lexan
scraps.

Regards,

Mike VP8NO

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