40m: Fixing their Broken Directions!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- In this video I show how to construct this antenna which is pretty simple, But it's big! The 40m band is the band that needs some work , watch how I finally get it usable.
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Xiegu VG4 4-Band Base Station Vertical Antenna, amzn.to/3F9C7A3
#xiegu , #antenna , Vertical antenna
Great video. That antenna looks crazy sturdy.
Good job Chuck!
Aloha and good morning, Chuck!
Yes, I could see me setting this antenna up out on my lanai for my condo-NOT! 😂🤣😂
I would agree that this antenna needs a little more patience and a good antenna analyzer to get it as close to perfect as possible.
I think most folks would be going for a permanent mount with the antenna in the neighborhood of 25 feet and I would take steps to prevent rain water from getting inside the tubes of this Xiegu antenna for sure like I do for my repeater antennas since Hawaii usually gets more rain than most locations around the country with the exception that we get most of our rain during the overnight hours.
What a great video and a must watch if you’re going to buy this antenna to set up on the roof.
Now if Xeigu can come out with a 120 watt version of their G90, this would be the ultimate HF set up.
Thanks Chuck for all the work you put into this video, I’m sure it wasn’t easy, because it never is really. 🤙🏻
73 and Aloha my friend. 🤙🏻
Another great video Chuck I have been looking at this antenna looks like a winner ! You keep making them I will keep watching!
It's great that the manufacturer has clearly marked and numbered these antennas because everyone knows hams don't "RTFM" 😁😁😁
Very true!
Chuck that is some nice looking grass.
Great video Chuck. I've been testing vertical mobile antennas. I got the OPEK HVT-600 multiband antenna and a ANLI magnet mount for my vehicle. Made some contacts to the east coast on 10m with it. Also made on on 15m phone to Netherland Antilles (Curacao). its a fairly well made antenna but I dont drive around with it on the car. I usually pull over and install the antenna on the mag-mount
Nice job Chuck. Thanks for the video.
dx Commander best vertical I have had in 40 years!
Great video Chuck. For the $$$, it looks like a decent vertical. I think you helped anyone who buys one to get it adjusted without too much frustration. You continue to produce videos people like to watch. Off subject...but. I have a GAP Challenger Vertical antenna. I have not seen too many reviews on it. At about $500., it's a very, very good vertical. Super strong on 20 and 40 meters and with a short stub in the 12 meter tube, 17 is great and 12 meters still very good. It goes up to 6 meters and also does 2 meters. It's pretty wide banded. I can use all of the bands without a tuner and be 1.3 to 1.7 on the SWR on all portions of the bands except 80M. 80 meters gets you about 150 Mhz. You can buy caps for different parts of the 80m band. Like most multi band verticals, it's not super strong on 80 meters. I'm letting you know about this antenna because it has worked very well for me for the last 13 years. Great signal reports and DX all over the world. It's not a beam, but for the price I feel it's better on 20 and 40 and just as good on other bands than the $800. offerings from other manufacturers (as compared to other hams I know who have the more expensive verticals). Many good reviews on E HAM. If you ever get the chance, check one out. Customer support is excellent. It's 31 feet tall and only requires three 25" counterpoise wires for the 40 meter band only (which can be bent...Great for small spaces). I think it's basically a vertical dipole. It does not use any traps or transformers. I believe a lot of hams would be very happy with this antenna, especially at it's price point. It ground mounts with a supplied, direct bury tube. Gap also makes another version of this antenna that is mounted in the air than many really love also. At my old QTH, it was out in the open. At my new QTH with less land, it's mounted 12' off the corner of my one story, metal roof house with a bunch of very tall pine trees on the other side of it. It worked a little better in the open, but still works excellent with all the obstructions around it. The owner of the company advises it works best with about 100' of coax to the radio. 73 !
Nice video. I've been struggling some with tuning mine as well. Most bands are resonating too low. I finally found that that the 2 short tubes that come preassembled to the trapes were the same length! They aren't supposed to be! One is supposed to be around 9.6" and the other 11" or so. I contacted Radioddity and they shipped me a new short tbe from China! I also found that the SO-239 did not fit many of my PL259s properly because of the overly wide spread of the teeth in the shielf part of their SO-239. I replaced the SO-239 and that solved that problem. Iwish you had told us what your final dimensions were. I gathered that you only adjusted the length of the lowest tubes, which are actually the 10 meter section, which is bizzare. I do think your conclusion about the design flaw is correct in that it was designed to resonate to low for 40 meters and that throws everything off a little. For the money though, I'd agree it is a good atenna and works well and with a tuner can also be used very affectively on 30, 17 and 12 meters! Components are of good quality too as is the machining. Can you tell us your final measurements?
Richard I have a second video out with the measurements that I used.
TNX Chuck I'll have to compare them to mine which I think are close but 20 meter resonance is still too low. @@KK6USYHamRadioAdventures
@@RichardLawn The only band I had that was too low was 40m for me
I learn something every time I watch you videos, Chuck! Nice video! Thanks. 73 de Bill
Nice job with the build Chuck, prolly gonna have some fun with that antenna 👍
I found it a lot easier to adjust the antenna by using a tilt base (HyGain ATB-75). You need to prop it up with a ladder when it is down, but it makes adjusting higher up relatively easy. Glad you spent some quality time explaining the tuning. This antenna is vastly underrated, particularly for a backyard lacking room for a decent radial field. Look forward to any updates.
That would be easier with the tilt base!
Instructions...?
I don't need no stinking instructions !
🤔...?
Great video! I suggest you putting the name of the antenna in the title of the video, because there may be looking people looking how to solve this issue you did. 73!
Great video Chuck. I had the same issues tuning. The best I could get was around 1.6 which was fine. Great quality build, wish I had a bigger spot to put it.
Great vid Chuck. I'm waiting for mine to be delivered. 73
Should 40m capacity hat be on top of antenna ? Antenna theory and practice confirms that. So probably bad placing of capacity hat is a cause of problems.
Neverseze grease works for the sections it wont turn white at the connection ends
Chuck showing you how its done!
I think I need one Chuck.
Mine DID NOT go together easily. I had to sand the fiberglass tube. The bolt holes were slightly misaligned.
Such a nice video! Thanks for sharing your build experience. One question: Did you found the antenna? Maybe a ground from the mounting bracket U bolts? Thanks for an answer...John N6TRC
What a HAM sexy looking Antenna Chuck. 💯👌
Will "U" bolts accommodate a 1 1/4" diameter? Thanks for any answers. John N6TRC
Mast? Yes
Thanks for the FAST answer!@@KK6USYHamRadioAdventures
Just received my antenna....The ground bolt from the ground strap was missing....must be metric maybe a M4. Can anyone confirm this? Also, the U mounting has been changed to a couple of slip-on collars making a 1 1/4" mast unlikely. Most likely 1 5/8" mast has needed. Thanks for any ideas about the missing ground bolt. John N6TRC
This antenna no longer comes with that style mounting bracket
ok.
I left you another question on your measurement video (VERY HELPFUL). Did you attach a ground wire from the mounting the U brackets? Thanks for thew answer John N6TRC
No I didn't.
Thanks again....I have a lightning arrestor before the shack and that will be John N6TRC. it@@KK6USYHamRadioAdventures
Would this antenna have better gain than a OCFD at 35 feet or is this just something better for limited space? In your opinion? Thanks
Who makes this antenna 😮
Xiegu
@@KK6USYHamRadioAdventures looks to be good quality i knew they made the qrp rigs wow iam waching this in the hospital
So benefits of this vs DX commander?
DX commander is better.