Hey Michael! As always, a wonderful video with a Polish-American history lesson, too! And thanks once again for featuring the PERformer quarterwave with elevated radials in one of your videos. It's fun to see in action by other operators. One of the best features of the PERformer is its radiation efficiency being over 90% (meaning 100 watts in, 90+ watts out) and you demonstrated that in your activation. I appreciate you continuing to keep the PERformer active in your antenna arsenal. Keep in touch my friend 😀73 KJ6ER
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I had the POTA PERformer the other day on QRP and picked up 33 contacts in 20 minutes including Sweden and France. People couldn't believe I was running 5 watts.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Wow, that's fantastic Michael!! Yes ... especially when you QRP, you need a resonant antenna with high efficiency so every one of those few watts are radiated out. I'm very pleased the PERformer continues to work well for you 😀73 KJ6ER
119 in about an hour is a very nice rate for SSB. I am second generation Polish ( grampa from Rzeszow ) and I thoroughly enjoyed the included Polish history segment from your video. Thanks.
Thank you Michael. I did an activation, today, using an MFJ 1979, 17' whip on a Gabil tripod, with BOTH faraday cloth and 5 17' counterpoise speaker wire ground radials. It worked great! SWR almost flat across the 20m band and super contacts. I get a lot of my ideas from you and your content. Keep it coming. 73
Thanks for including Polish / American heritage in your POTA activation. Just upgraded to General and built the POTA Performer. Looking forward to activating some parks here in CO. Enjoy all your videos. Keep up the great content. KF0QWD Don
I'm a big rybokov antenna fan! This was a great video , ,not sure what I liked most the ham stuff or history stuff,,both good ! You seemed to really enjoy this too thanks for what you do 73
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I feel the best ham radio videos are the ones that keep you engaged the whole time with a combination of amateur radio and regular life.
I use the POTAPerformer since you showed it on your channel; using it almost exclusively now. Great antenna and quick deployment. I haven’t used the Rybokov yet. Let me review K4OGO Walt’s video and put it up. Looks like you were very successful with both.
Very good video. love the history of the 2 parks and all the pics . I have used the Rybakov with great success . I have not tried elevated radials yet. I have used a 43 Ft vertical on 4:1 and got 1.7 SWR on 20 meters no tuner. Worked super. I am still shocked. From the pile ups and contacts on both antenna's . I say they both worked just fine . 73
I follow you and I think I have seen nearly all of your videos. It has been a long time I have though of doing Ham but never pulled the trigger. You have steered me toward and away from various products some good and some not so good. I am about to start up some video posting then eventually streaming. I do enjoy this hobby that kinda is becoming a mild profession now that I am retired all together. Eventually somewhere down the log I would like to meet up at an RV park. I doubt it would be within the next year. I live in Alaska and will make a long trip down to Ohio again within the next two years so doing a meet and greet would be super awesome. So I appreciate all your videos and keep it up. 73
When the weather starts getting cold, it's multi-band antenna season for me, so the Rybakov would be my pick. Set it up once and then stay warm in the car or shelter with the ability to change bands at the push of a button.
I do love the multiband antenna for that reason. When it is really cold, I throw a hamstick on the roof, but you may see the Rybakov pop up in more of my winter activations.
I did not, but my plan for next spring is to shoot a video on the Wolf River so you can see the sturgeon spawning. They travel up the Wolf every year and it is a sight to behold.
The performer does have a 3dBi “front to back”, at its best direction it’s 1.5dBi up on a quarter wave with 2 elevated radials at 180 degrees at the same height and is 1.5dBi down at its worst direction. The Rybakov also does not need that many radials (hardly any) from 10-17m as on these bands it’s between a 3/4 and 1/2 wave approx. It’s only from 20m and below that radials become important.
@@timg5tm941 wonder how height of the elevated 20m horizontal is effected. Say you have a tripod that extends from 4-6 feet if either end of that really matters or what the best height for one is or where the decoupling from earth really happens and your elevated radials really kick in vs ground mount with many radials or magic carpet
The Rybakov really screams on 10-15m. Last month I did an activation on 15 meters and over half of my contacts where European stations. (it helps when the band is open, too). But setup was a bit more of a hassle for that antenna. that is, until Chameleon introduced their 25 foot whip. Now, according to my estimation, I can set up either antenna in about the same amount of time.
Michael, another great video. I see that you are not using the jaw mount clamp on this setup. I also use a mirror mount on my flag/banner stand. Once I bolted it on, I just left it mounted to the stand. I also see that you are using four ground radials. How long are they? I use six ground radials that are 16-1/2 feet long. What was your swr with the four? I really enjoy the rybakov antenna. 73s
I don't use the jaw clamp with the 25 foot Chameleon whip, because I've found that when fully extended, the clamp starts to slip, making the antenna lean. The four ground radials about about 16 feet long. This is the preferred length for the Rybakov. On 20 meters the Rybakov SWR was 3:1, so the tuner had no problem finishing the job.
Can't beat the POTA Performer for performance and simplicity of equipment required and ease of setup and takedown. Only negative is time required to switch bands compared to the Rybokov. If I wanted to hunt a lot of bands and work on the N1CC I might prefer the Rybokov for a period of time to do 10 parks. Again, for simplicity and ease of setup and takedown, I would use a nonresonant end fed wire antenna that the rig's internal tuner could handle multiple bands over the Rybokov. Chameleon and Palomar Engineers offer great multiband end fed that can be handled with an internal tuner. The Rybokov is a great base antenna. Permanent installation and ease of changing bands make it a winner as a base antenna. I just cannot see hauling an external tuner around for POTA.; prefer the FT-991a shack in a box with internal tuner over the FT-891 HF and an external tuner.
For N1CC hunting, I'll set up a 71' end fed random wire antenna while camping and work all those bands over the weekend. But for my last 10 band activation, I used the Rybakov. You can improve the low band performance by adding a 28 foot long horizontal wire off the top of the Chameleon 25 foot whip, turning it into a 53 foot inverted L antenna. I show you how in this video: th-cam.com/video/i1RDLy7a0ZA/w-d-xo.html
Hey Michael, another great video. It’s always fun to hear when we make a QSO with you. I did the North Dakota POTA day last weekend and it was pretty fun. I was able to make almost 900 contacts in seven hours at 4 parks. I was using the VOX feature, which is new to me, but a game changer. I noticed you were still using a switch, have you considered using VOX? 73, WI0O
I don't use the VOX as I'm afraid of background noise. But I'm thinking of switching up to the foot pedal for high rate mobile events, like the WI and MN QSO parties. 900 QSOs in 7 seven hours is a great rate. I almost hit that level on the Wisconsin QSO party, but the setup and teardowns between parks almost killed us. We may have to swap tips.
What Fun! 😀 Instead of hitting 2 parks at different times of day, would it not be better to set up both antennas in the same park and use an A/B switch alternating antennas every 10 contacts? I would think that this would give you a better way to compare the two, wouldn't it?
I was thinking the same thing. You really can’t compare 2 antennas performance without doing a side by side comparison. Other than that, another great video.
The only way to legitimately compare the two antennas would be side by side WSPR testing alternating between the two with every cycle. Once I have the pileup established, the pileup will continue no matter what antenna I'm one. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I like producing this style of entertaining content, because as hams we tend to really get bogged down in the numbers and really miss the enjoyment of amateur radio.
@ that’s not the only way to test 2 antennas. When I want to compare 2 antennas, I do it 1 of 2 ways. 1) I send automated CW test messages, 3 minutes on 1 antenna, & 3 minutes on the other. Then look at the RBN Reverse Beacon Network filtering down to 3 minutes. This is my easier method and more in line with where my SSB signal would be heard. WSPR works as well but requires more setup and with me being anti digital doing it with CW is more in line with my beliefs of what ham radio is. 2) Actually ask the hunters to compare the two signals as I use my KXPA100 which has 2 antenna ports to switch between the 2 antennas. This also allows me as you call it “not get bogged down by the numbers”. I actually get to have a little bit of a QSO with hunters as well, which is a nice added bonus. POTA isn’t only about the numbers after all.
Which tripod are you using? I am having a difficult time finding a sturdy tripod.....which I need for the Performer. Also: is that a jaw clamp on yours? TIA.
I'm using a Bogen (Manfrotto) 3001 tripod that I purchased many years ago. It is no longer produced. If you are looking for something super sturdy and weight isn't an issue, I'd look at a surveyor's tripod and get the Chameleon Surveyor tripod adapter: chameleonantenna.com/shop-here/ols/products/cha-surveyor-a
For the last couple months I've been running the POTA PERformer antenna and the longer Chameleon 25 foot whip because the upper bands, notably 15 and 10 meters have been really hot. I typically don't use a coil on those bands. But with winter approaching, I'll get into more low band stuff and the Big Kansas Coil will certainly go back into the antenna rotation.
With the elevated vertical have you seen any need or benefit from having more than 2 radials, and do you try to angle them at 45 degrees for a better ohm match, or has it really needed it?
Angling the radials downwards does improve SWR slightly. Honestly, if I am in the ballpark of 1.3:1 or less, I don't sweat it. The reactance is typically near zero anyway, so I'll run with it instead of trying to get perfect SWR.
@ do you think adding 2 more radials would be a benefit to rounding out the signal in all directions? What about 2 radials for 20m then place 2 radials for 10m then with a tuner you could do 20-15-10 without changing radials but adjusting the whip only?
Two radials at 180 degrees is enough to give you omnidirectional coverage. Four radials is the sweet spot for antenna gain, as adding more above that number only gives marginal improvement: rudys.typepad.com/files/qst-march-2010-ground-systems.pdf The problem with adding more radials is that it also adds to the time it takes to tune and adjust the antenna for a band change. For portable use, in the trade off between time and efficiency, time wins out. As for using varying sized radials and adjusting the whip, I don't have an answer. That would be something that would need to be modeled and or tested. But it is a good theory worth trying out.
I built a couple of jumpers, one has a large ring terminal that goes to the base of the 25 foot whip and the other has a blade connector for attaching the ground wire to. This video shows the connections a bit better: th-cam.com/video/i1RDLy7a0ZA/w-d-xo.html
With a tuner the Rybakov will work on 10-80 meters. But it is most effective on the upper bands, 10, 12, and 15 meters. That's because on those bands it develops a major lobe with a low RF radiation takeoff angle that is excellent for DX.
I currently live in a town whose earliest permanent settlers include Polish immigrants that built the second oldest Polish Catholic church in the USA, also called St Stanislaus. Uh-oh, someone is addicted to the pull-tabs.😉 U-rah-rah
Hey Michael! As always, a wonderful video with a Polish-American history lesson, too! And thanks once again for featuring the PERformer quarterwave with elevated radials in one of your videos. It's fun to see in action by other operators. One of the best features of the PERformer is its radiation efficiency being over 90% (meaning 100 watts in, 90+ watts out) and you demonstrated that in your activation. I appreciate you continuing to keep the PERformer active in your antenna arsenal. Keep in touch my friend 😀73 KJ6ER
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I had the POTA PERformer the other day on QRP and picked up 33 contacts in 20 minutes including Sweden and France. People couldn't believe I was running 5 watts.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Wow, that's fantastic Michael!! Yes ... especially when you QRP, you need a resonant antenna with high efficiency so every one of those few watts are radiated out. I'm very pleased the PERformer continues to work well for you 😀73 KJ6ER
119 in about an hour is a very nice rate for SSB. I am second generation Polish ( grampa from Rzeszow ) and I thoroughly enjoyed the included Polish history segment from your video. Thanks.
Awesome. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Making that one put me in the mood for some Pierogi.
Thank you Michael. I did an activation, today, using an MFJ 1979, 17' whip on a Gabil tripod, with BOTH faraday cloth and 5 17' counterpoise speaker wire ground radials. It worked great! SWR almost flat across the 20m band and super contacts. I get a lot of my ideas from you and your content. Keep it coming. 73
Nice photography. Excellent production.
Thanks for including Polish / American heritage in your POTA activation. Just upgraded to General and built the POTA Performer. Looking forward to activating some parks here in CO. Enjoy all your videos. Keep up the great content.
KF0QWD
Don
Thanks, I hope to get you in the log soon.
👍
The music and editing in this video was spot on
I'm a big rybokov antenna fan! This was a great video , ,not sure what I liked most the ham stuff or history stuff,,both good ! You seemed to really enjoy this too thanks for what you do 73
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I feel the best ham radio videos are the ones that keep you engaged the whole time with a combination of amateur radio and regular life.
Always enjoy these activations with rhe history of the area
Thanks so much for the video. I'm originally from the Midwest and appreciate the historical details. A Ribakov is in my future. W2TTV, Bruce
I'm glad you enjoyed it. The Rybakov is a fun antenna and really excels on 10-15 meters. I've been putting it to good use while those bands are open.
Ohhhh…I wondered about the slow click on a recent activation. Thanks for pointing out the electric fence source. 😊
I use the POTAPerformer since you showed it on your channel; using it almost exclusively now. Great antenna and quick deployment. I haven’t used the Rybokov yet. Let me review K4OGO Walt’s video and put it up. Looks like you were very successful with both.
@@randyn5ilq POTA Performer for the win!
Great park to use your Wolf River coil. 😂😂
Very good video. love the history of the 2 parks and all the pics . I have used the Rybakov with great success . I have not tried elevated radials yet. I have used a 43 Ft vertical on 4:1 and got 1.7 SWR on 20 meters no tuner. Worked super. I am still shocked. From the pile ups and contacts on both antenna's . I say they both worked just fine . 73
I follow you and I think I have seen nearly all of your videos. It has been a long time I have though of doing Ham but never pulled the trigger. You have steered me toward and away from various products some good and some not so good. I am about to start up some video posting then eventually streaming. I do enjoy this hobby that kinda is becoming a mild profession now that I am retired all together. Eventually somewhere down the log I would like to meet up at an RV park. I doubt it would be within the next year. I live in Alaska and will make a long trip down to Ohio again within the next two years so doing a meet and greet would be super awesome. So I appreciate all your videos and keep it up. 73
That's awesome, hopefully we can meet up some day.
When the weather starts getting cold, it's multi-band antenna season for me, so the Rybakov would be my pick. Set it up once and then stay warm in the car or shelter with the ability to change bands at the push of a button.
I do love the multiband antenna for that reason. When it is really cold, I throw a hamstick on the roof, but you may see the Rybakov pop up in more of my winter activations.
Nice work Michael! Did you find any "coil" fish in the Wolf River? HA HA HA!!! 73!
I did not, but my plan for next spring is to shoot a video on the Wolf River so you can see the sturgeon spawning. They travel up the Wolf every year and it is a sight to behold.
Thanks Mike.
I installed a big sound system in that Church....
@KB9VBRAntennas - Michael, have you done an A/B comparison with the two antennas ?
I may set them up and do some side by side WSPR testing. Only problem is that takes me away from having fun in the park.
The performer does have a 3dBi “front to back”, at its best direction it’s 1.5dBi up on a quarter wave with 2 elevated radials at 180 degrees at the same height and is 1.5dBi down at its worst direction. The Rybakov also does not need that many radials (hardly any) from 10-17m as on these bands it’s between a 3/4 and 1/2 wave approx. It’s only from 20m and below that radials become important.
Would the addition of 2 more radials even it all out?
@ it would make things slightly more omni directional
@@timg5tm941 wonder how height of the elevated 20m horizontal is effected. Say you have a tripod that extends from 4-6 feet if either end of that really matters or what the best height for one is or where the decoupling from earth really happens and your elevated radials really kick in vs ground mount with many radials or magic carpet
The Rybakov really screams on 10-15m. Last month I did an activation on 15 meters and over half of my contacts where European stations. (it helps when the band is open, too). But setup was a bit more of a hassle for that antenna. that is, until Chameleon introduced their 25 foot whip. Now, according to my estimation, I can set up either antenna in about the same amount of time.
@ I find a beach umbrella holder screwed into the ground with a lightweight 8m pole and a bit of wire does the job
Great video Micheal!!
I was building a elevated vertical and found your channel, my idea is the same at your POTA performer! Great minds think a like!
Michael, another great video. I see that you are not using the jaw mount clamp on this setup. I also use a mirror mount on my flag/banner stand. Once I bolted it on, I just left it mounted to the stand. I also see that you are using four ground radials. How long are they? I use six ground radials that are 16-1/2 feet long. What was your swr with the four? I really enjoy the rybakov antenna. 73s
I don't use the jaw clamp with the 25 foot Chameleon whip, because I've found that when fully extended, the clamp starts to slip, making the antenna lean. The four ground radials about about 16 feet long. This is the preferred length for the Rybakov. On 20 meters the Rybakov SWR was 3:1, so the tuner had no problem finishing the job.
Can't beat the POTA Performer for performance and simplicity of equipment required and ease of setup and takedown. Only negative is time required to switch bands compared to the Rybokov.
If I wanted to hunt a lot of bands and work on the N1CC I might prefer the Rybokov for a period of time to do 10 parks. Again, for simplicity and ease of setup and takedown, I would use a nonresonant end fed wire antenna that the rig's internal tuner could handle multiple bands over the Rybokov. Chameleon and Palomar Engineers offer great multiband end fed that can be handled with an internal tuner.
The Rybokov is a great base antenna. Permanent installation and ease of changing bands make it a winner as a base antenna. I just cannot see hauling an external tuner around for POTA.; prefer the FT-991a shack in a box with internal tuner over the FT-891 HF and an external tuner.
For N1CC hunting, I'll set up a 71' end fed random wire antenna while camping and work all those bands over the weekend. But for my last 10 band activation, I used the Rybakov. You can improve the low band performance by adding a 28 foot long horizontal wire off the top of the Chameleon 25 foot whip, turning it into a 53 foot inverted L antenna. I show you how in this video: th-cam.com/video/i1RDLy7a0ZA/w-d-xo.html
Hey Michael, another great video. It’s always fun to hear when we make a QSO with you. I did the North Dakota POTA day last weekend and it was pretty fun. I was able to make almost 900 contacts in seven hours at 4 parks. I was using the VOX feature, which is new to me, but a game changer. I noticed you were still using a switch, have you considered using VOX? 73, WI0O
I don't use the VOX as I'm afraid of background noise. But I'm thinking of switching up to the foot pedal for high rate mobile events, like the WI and MN QSO parties. 900 QSOs in 7 seven hours is a great rate. I almost hit that level on the Wisconsin QSO party, but the setup and teardowns between parks almost killed us. We may have to swap tips.
What Fun! 😀
Instead of hitting 2 parks at different times of day, would it not be better to set up both antennas in the same park and use an A/B switch alternating antennas every 10 contacts? I would think that this would give you a better way to compare the two, wouldn't it?
I was thinking the same thing. You really can’t compare 2 antennas performance without doing a side by side comparison. Other than that, another great video.
The only way to legitimately compare the two antennas would be side by side WSPR testing alternating between the two with every cycle. Once I have the pileup established, the pileup will continue no matter what antenna I'm one.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I like producing this style of entertaining content, because as hams we tend to really get bogged down in the numbers and really miss the enjoyment of amateur radio.
@ that’s not the only way to test 2 antennas. When I want to compare 2 antennas, I do it 1 of 2 ways. 1) I send automated CW test messages, 3 minutes on 1 antenna, & 3 minutes on the other. Then look at the RBN Reverse Beacon Network filtering down to 3 minutes. This is my easier method and more in line with where my SSB signal would be heard. WSPR works as well but requires more setup and with me being anti digital doing it with CW is more in line with my beliefs of what ham radio is. 2) Actually ask the hunters to compare the two signals as I use my KXPA100 which has 2 antenna ports to switch between the 2 antennas. This also allows me as you call it “not get bogged down by the numbers”. I actually get to have a little bit of a QSO with hunters as well, which is a nice added bonus. POTA isn’t only about the numbers after all.
Thanks !
Which tripod are you using? I am having a difficult time finding a sturdy tripod.....which I need for the Performer. Also: is that a jaw clamp on yours? TIA.
I'm using a Bogen (Manfrotto) 3001 tripod that I purchased many years ago. It is no longer produced. If you are looking for something super sturdy and weight isn't an issue, I'd look at a surveyor's tripod and get the Chameleon Surveyor tripod adapter: chameleonantenna.com/shop-here/ols/products/cha-surveyor-a
Enjoy the antenna comparision videos. You did a video a while back on the Big Kansas Coild, and I noticed you don't use that antenna, may I ask why?
For the last couple months I've been running the POTA PERformer antenna and the longer Chameleon 25 foot whip because the upper bands, notably 15 and 10 meters have been really hot. I typically don't use a coil on those bands. But with winter approaching, I'll get into more low band stuff and the Big Kansas Coil will certainly go back into the antenna rotation.
Another great video, thanks, link or info regarding your headset
It's the Heil BM-17 dual side headset. I do a review on it here: th-cam.com/video/qB1z2g8m090/w-d-xo.html
Short skip on 20 usually corresponds with 6m being open. Would be cool to see A/B tests. - N5NU
For mine, the noise blanker on the 891 is excellent and always eliminates those electric fence clicks.
Yes, the noise blanker is really good on the FT-891. Not sure why I didn't think of turning it on.
You were distracted by having too much fun working so many stations! Another excellent activation/video. Thank you!
It's amazing of the amount of noise I will put up with once I get into the zone.
Nice post!
With the elevated vertical have you seen any need or benefit from having more than 2 radials, and do you try to angle them at 45 degrees for a better ohm match, or has it really needed it?
Angling the radials downwards does improve SWR slightly. Honestly, if I am in the ballpark of 1.3:1 or less, I don't sweat it. The reactance is typically near zero anyway, so I'll run with it instead of trying to get perfect SWR.
@ do you think adding 2 more radials would be a benefit to rounding out the signal in all directions? What about 2 radials for 20m then place 2 radials for 10m then with a tuner you could do 20-15-10 without changing radials but adjusting the whip only?
Two radials at 180 degrees is enough to give you omnidirectional coverage. Four radials is the sweet spot for antenna gain, as adding more above that number only gives marginal improvement: rudys.typepad.com/files/qst-march-2010-ground-systems.pdf
The problem with adding more radials is that it also adds to the time it takes to tune and adjust the antenna for a band change. For portable use, in the trade off between time and efficiency, time wins out.
As for using varying sized radials and adjusting the whip, I don't have an answer. That would be something that would need to be modeled and or tested. But it is a good theory worth trying out.
It would have been great if you used a Wolf River Coil in that second park.
Will you use TinySA?
How did you actually make the connection between the antenna and the 4:1?
I built a couple of jumpers, one has a large ring terminal that goes to the base of the 25 foot whip and the other has a blade connector for attaching the ground wire to. This video shows the connections a bit better: th-cam.com/video/i1RDLy7a0ZA/w-d-xo.html
If you are doing the test , how are we expected to evaluate? Looked like a lot of 59 .
It was a lot of 59. Both antennas were rocking it
Ok tks for that , so the showdown was a tie, i guess .
what frequencies besides 20 M? For rybakov?
With a tuner the Rybakov will work on 10-80 meters. But it is most effective on the upper bands, 10, 12, and 15 meters. That's because on those bands it develops a major lobe with a low RF radiation takeoff angle that is excellent for DX.
I currently live in a town whose earliest permanent settlers include Polish immigrants that built the second oldest Polish Catholic church in the USA, also called St Stanislaus.
Uh-oh, someone is addicted to the pull-tabs.😉 U-rah-rah