This is a well prepared and executed NVIS COMM for 5W. I consider it total success as MOST NVIS are conducted at 100W and military are doing it in the field at about 20W. It’s important that BOTH station operate an NVIS antenna during that kind of exercise.
Thanks again for sending the CHA LEFS my way. It checked off all my requirements. I wish I had a bit more room (8-10 more feet) to really see it in action. I may try to improvise a temporary support off the Jeep (receiver flag pole mount) to see how it behaves. Well done on this design and the 80m extension!. I was having a blast on 80m prior to filming the Winlink session on 40m. While I am not prior service, my goal is to get use to running low power similar to the US Military as standard practice. If you can make 5 watts and wire work, you're miles ahead of the pack. The QRP radios are not only smaller and lighter, but the power requirements are reduced. I intentionally decided not to pull out the FT-891 or FT-857D for this exercise. Cheers and thank you again!
Nothing more frustrating than to see a review of a great product only to find it's not in stock. I'm sure you folks are grappling with all of the same problems other manufacturers are. Didn't see any info on your website, but do you have any idea as to when you might get this and some of your other out of stock items back in stock? Can we hope in time for Christmas, or are we realistically looking to Q1-2 of 2023? Loving the idea of an antenna that doesn't need a tuner.
I exclusively use QRP for all HF ops. It becomes critical to overcome propagation and interference issues with timing, antenna deployment, chokes, etc. I think that this video does well presenting that concept, especially using Voacap.
You may want to try using a capacitor between the 10- 40 meter and 80 meter section. It allows you to keep the good tuning on the 10 to 40 meter band and adjust the 80 meter length for the part of the 80 meter band you wish to operate on. It electrically disconnects the 80 meter section from the 10-40 meter section but on 80 meters allows the antenna to operate as an 80 meter wire. It will allow you to have all the bands much closer to your desired frequency than just attaching the 80 meter section which without the capacitor, affects the 10 to 40 meter bands or your ability to dial in the portion of the 80 meter band you are looking for. There are a couple of videos about this on youtube. It works ! Also, Chamelon makes great quality wire antennas, but they are darn expensive. People should look into making their own end fed. Very easy and cheap to do. Keep the videos coming.
Evening, John. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll definitely add this to the list on the "todo" whiteboard. Chameleon makes great gear, but you are right, it's pricey stuff. I am grateful that they took the time to send me an antenna to test. 73 de KT1RUN
@@TheTechPrepper Here is the title of the you tube video about the capacitor. I've seen a couple of others. "EFHW 8010 75 meter Modification". This should work well with radios such as the 897 that don't have a built in tuner. In many cases, if the antenna is tuned well on the 10-40 meter band, with the 75/80 meter addition, you many times end up in the 3500 MHz range. Adding the capacitor (depending on the value) can raise it to the 3800 MHz range for voice. You could then easily bypass the capacitor if you wanted to go lower again. Best of both worlds.
Do you know if the 90° bend at the end of this setup will cause any issues? Would configuring the antenna in a shallow V (with the midpoint carabiner / capacitor at wall height and then the 80m portion sloping back up to a 15ft max height? I haven't done the trig but I think this would remove the excess length at the end. Maybe the V shape is worse than a short dogleg?
@@kschleic9053 That's a good question. I have no clue sadly regarding your proposed V setup. Carl from Chameleon, as well as a few others, mentioned that the current configuration is not a problem. The key is that the first 30%-50% of the wire is deployed in free space.
Great video! I too love the Mr. Long Arm painters poles. I use mine when camping or operating POTA. Great to see your set up in action. Look forward to the next videos! 73
Thanks. You can't beat the price on those poles. I've never used them for portable work. However, I plan to run the next antenna build (Vee Beam) that we do on the channel off a Mr. LongArm that's mounted to the Jeep from the flag pole receiver hitch.
Im sure Amrron would love to have you. Amrron corps here and we do alot. You would definitely be an asset. Youre already on a ton of govt list. you have a drivers license, guns, a home, a job, a bank account, TH-cam channel, ham radio operator, etcetc youre listed. :)
For your antenna deployment and the 8 ft that you had to drop on L shape, please consider adding a slightly longer pole in the center, this would raise the middle portion of the wire and help you getting the entire wire on the air. I used similar poles for my 135ft OCD deployment here in Tucson. 73s
Excellent planning! Excellent execution! During solar cycle minima 80m & 60m will be your go to bands, but 60m will require a dedicated antenna for best results. Keep up the great work!
Thank you! For 60m, I'll just go with a simple resonant dipole and call it good. The VOACAP analysis that I have been doing lately indicates that good 60m in most cases will give me pretty decent chances of success.
Again, VERY informative, and much more applicable to my needs than just DXing. I an NOT putting down those who enjoy DX, but this meets my needs! Thank you again!
There's nothing wrong with DXing, but I really enjoy the concept of targeted contacts with modest power and equipment. Glad that you are enjoying the series.
Man, that book was excellent. It's in the 40's this week in the garage. I can handle the heat, but I was not built for the cold. Where are you located?
@@TheTechPrepper I’m in the Detroit metro area. The winter is rough but the other three seasons are perfect. Now that the leaves are off the trees I was actually looking to throw up a permanent antenna in the back yard in the next month. Hopefully the neighbors don’t mind too much haha.
I was in the Army and deployed in 17 as a tactical comms SGT for an aviation battalion. I'm out now and am looking at what I want to do on the civilian side. I want to apply what I know about HF and comms to the civilian side specifically for emergency or PACE plan stuff. I used ALE and all the other HF stuff to set up comms around the middle east as part of the PACE plan. I got into antenna theory and found the best way to propagate my signal based on shape and structure of it.
Awesome, Gaston! I have yet to execute a Winlink NVIS session. NVIS is my favorite HF propagation technique. Great demo, with a thorough walk-thru of all the steps. I’ll have to check my Winlink email, thanks for sending one back! Meanwhile, I’ll need to modify my antenna a little for digital NVIS.
Just ordered the same antenna! Will fire off a winlink email to you soon. I made a winlink Vara connection about 400 miles away on 40m with 5 watts on a Buddistick pro. In Vara it will list the stations with the best connection probability. I found that on FT8, I had to run higher power to make contacts. Not as much power needed on winlink.
I am curious to hear how you deploy yours and how it performs for you. I had pretty decent success with FT8 on 80m running 6 watts before this video. I'll have to spend time on 40m to see how your experience compares to mine. Enjoy your new CHA LEFS. 73 de KT1RUN
I can relate. I'm in Western WA and we have peaks everywhere and hiking them is fantastic. When I heard of SOTA it immediately clicked with me. I'm planning a cathedral mountain activation along with others as soon as able (next summer). As for government lists, yea its hard not to be on them. If you have concealed carry permits you are on one. If you lean right, you are on one. If you say things, as you mention, encryption etc then yea you are probably on one. I remember years ago, back when the internet heavily used newsgroups and people were talking about how to ignite potato cannons. They had all sorts of really dangerous ideas so I layed out how to do it safely. The problem is this also overlaps with setting off explosives so I'm sure I ended up on a list.
SOTA is a great gateway drug. That's what got me hooked as well. I was partially joking about the lists. Most of us are on one list or another. Thanks for the comment. Be careful with those potato cannons.
That slight bend in the antenna should have no negative impact. I have run antennas in all kinds of crazy configurations when no other options were available.
It looks like that's the case with this little experiment. Now the only trick is trying to reduce the noise floor (S8 at the moment). There are overhead power lines about 25' away. Praying for a power outage. In the mean time, I am going to try attaching a counterpoise. Have a good one, Jason.
I really do enjoy your mission sitrep type of video. What important lesson I learned early in my radio hobby - antenna, antenna, antenna. What was that model of Yagi?
Glad you enjoy the format, Kevin. The antenna is everything. It's the Arrow II Yagi. Mine is the backpacker model. The boom breaks down into three sections that fit on the side of the pack. I can either run the (4) elements on 2m or (10) elements for 440 MHz. I'll change the orientation depending on whether I plan to run FM or SSB. I have a few videos on this antenna. Happy Sunday.
I wouldn't have expected the antenna to perform well for NVIS on 40 M with the 80 M extension. A wire that long should not have max gain to zenith according to EZNEC but if it works, it works. My end fed is at 40 ft and does well for NVIS on 80 but not for 40. Great video!
That's the thing about assumptions...but in the end it worked. Personally, I was really concerned about the L configuration at the end of the wire. You never know until you try. It took a few attempt to get into one of the two Winlink RMS gateways, but it was a success with a compromised deployment and only 6 watts! Thanks for the comment and view.
A you tube video worth watching, "NVIS Antenna Presentation". The person in the video claims up to a 50% increase in performance using a reflector. Just a piece of wire 5% longer than the antenna wire length, on the ground, directly under the antenna. It would stand to reason that the reflector would give you a better pattern as to getting your signal much more towards a 90 degree, straight up pattern. He also states that moving the reflector to one side or the other can change the direction of the signal (makes sense). Placed to the east of a east-west wire will send the signal more towards the west and vice versa. I had a NVIS antenna up at my old QTH and had a reflector under it. I didn't do an A-B test with or without a reflector, but got excellent results. I put links in at the end of the 40 meter length to hook up the additional length of wire on both ends for the 80 meter. If it works half as good as he claims, just a piece of wire could make a worthwhile difference. It sure couldn't hurt. Maybe something for a future video. I love the fact that a NVIS antenna is very hard to Direction Find. Something very useful in SHTF.
Thanks for the tip. I plan to layer on performance enhancement like a reflector and/or counterpoise after I make some voice contacts so that I can establish a baseline and take some performance measurements.
I appreciate the ongoing support. I was a bit concerned when I found that I was 8 ft. short between posts, but in the end, the targeted contact worked...and with 6 watts. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
@@TheTechPrepper Yes, you never know what to expect. Antennas seem to be quite forgiving in my experience. I've had these fall to the ground and still recieve and send, although not great. There is a lot of experimenting and modeling that could be interesting with that antenna. After watching Adam last night it made me wonder how dropping both ends may make it more directional for a purposeful contact. I think I need to look more into the modeling software. At any rate, the NVIS worked great. My recent NVIS experiments have been encouraging also so press forward OM. This stuff is fun!
Gaston, I have good luck with CHA LEFS on top of electric fence posts. Then add a reflector on ground underneath. I think the rule of thumb is 5% longer.
Glad to hear that others are having success with the CHA LEFS in less than ideal deployments. This is very promising. I plan to add a reflector after I capture some voice signal/digital signal reports as a baseline for evaluating performance.
I don't see it on his web site but, Carl has a pretty slick telescoping 25' mast that we were looking at in the Phoenix HRO store this week. Great video, thanks from Waddell, AZ. 73
Excellent. Thanks for shooting the tip my way. I'll have to check the diameter on the CHA PORTA-MAST to see if it can fit within the RFMAX mounting hardware. Another 10' of height would be a nice upgrade.
Several Houston area clubs had a "FD/POTA/GOTA" demo in a CITY park near Downtown. Took the FTM60000, 12v Battery, $60 Win 10 laptop, Digirig, pizza pan, magmount antenna. Could hit voice repeaters and WL gateways. 20 minutes set up, including table and chair. All day's goals met.
Good luck evolving your station, Dominic. As Carl mentioned, NVIS is great in environments where there are obstacles in the way. In this case, I have a couple of mountains blocking line of site, so NVIS performs pretty well for this situation.
@@TheTechPrepper Mountains? In H-Town? For HF, I do have a 40m dipole which seems to act as NVIS. With WL, I have the time to tune between bands. Have none WL VARA HF 5W to a VARA HF gateway in Arkansas....
I think ABR in Houston has the contract for the Coax cables for their antennae. They can build custom coax cables in various widths, lengths, chokes, and connectors
Great stuff Gaston. As a antenna tinkerer, I keep forgetting others are not. The only thing I think kills a manufactured antenna coming home to me is the price and with the current exchange rate. Ugh. Keep up the great work. Cheers.
Glad you liked it, Malen. It's always fun to make your own gear. These are pricey, but I am happy that I now have decent (permanent) operating capabilities on 40/75/80m. I owe you and the "Buy Me a Coffee" group and update regarding the TTP Manpacks. Apparently, the admin side of starting a bag business is more work than building the damn bag. Stay tuned and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
If your local friends can afford it, get away from VHF/UHF as much as possible as NVIS propagation is very difficult to nearly impossible to DF. Field phones are the best choice for my immediate neighborhood. These are rock solid and so easy to use that grandma can use it. These will greatly reduce our RF footprint. Modern drones increasingly have RDF capability that law enforcement, federal and local use today. As the tech proliferates, drones in the future could be a very serious threat, and most will not know how to use techniques for VHF/UHF that can make it difficult to DF. I would establish a simple SOI, and use equipment that is affordable. Most will not be able to handle a sophisticated SOI in an emergency. With a balanced approach to prepping, most can not afford to purchase broad banded antennas, and will have to use low cost antennas. For example, my first NVIS antenna cost me less than $5 bucks. It is quick and simple to make, and so inexpensive that I can set up all my friends with it. As it is, I make all their antennas, omni and directional, of various types, so that they have all the same antennas. If directional antennas between all stations are used, this will reduce the possibility of interception of any and all. Sadly, we can not go out and purchase HF sets for every one. Keeping it simple in general, makes any plan and implementation more feasible, yet a plan must be able to evolve. Standardizing on equipment is more likely if all can afford it. And standardization means we can also help each other master the equipment, and learn as we go. And BTW, if you are a licensed Amateur, you are on the list. Be prepared to be able to operate without a license as in history, during a collapse or, in time of war, license are typically revoked. Good Luck!
As always thanks for the tips. I am not sure if you initially put it on my radar, but I plan to incorporate field phones into my capabilities. It's been on the todo's whiteboard for a couple of months. As for inexpensive, simple and effective antennas, I found the cobra head (BNC with binding posts) to be a great dipole for NVIS. I've shown it a few times on the channel and it was the star of episode two in this series. Take care.
@@TheTechPrepper Those BNC connectors are fine, but perhaps not tough enough for very long runs. I make a simple and rugged cobra head, yet there are lower cost and easily reproducible DYI designs for field expedient dipoles of any flavor. It is best to use 14awg, or heavier copper wire , and a strong enough connector at the junction. Pure copper wire does not have as high tensile strength as steel, and can break in high winds. WD1A military field wire is super strong and only 22awg and it is cheap. Out in the desert, there is enough land for 160 meters, AND super long runs for a BOG antenna (beverage on the ground), good for RX. Wd1a has several strands of copper wash steel and is an adequate conductor. It can be pulled tighter and is durable as antenna wire, yet the antenna is only as strong and durable as it's weakest link. A.5 kilometer (1/3 mile) of WD1a can cost about $100 on Ebay, or check out the Signal Center.....c om. Yes, I've mentioned field phones before, and as advertised, I recently did an article on field phones ,and a follow up that included field phones and other methods to mitigate the drone/rfd threat. It is titled, Mitigating the Drone/RFD Threat posted over on su vi valb lo gc om. It is not comprehensive, but does provide food for thought. I simply do not have the time to write a book... One must keep it simple, otherwise potential readers will tune out. It is all too easy to be overly enthusiastic and nerd out on a topic, and leave 99 percent of the audience, including your friends behind. Sadly, most do not appreciate how important are Comms. My latest article on guns was popular, but guns are fun, yet not the only thing that is necessary to get it done. Without Commo, we got nothing.
@@TheTechPrepper Good morning Gaston. It's getting colder here as well. Last Night Temps went down to 41°F at the lowest Point. 4mm of Rain 96% moisture. Still no Frost but it's coming. Sky right now overcasted at 48°F. I am going to dress up warm and going for a Ride on my Mountain Bike picking a nice muddy Trail somewhere in the Woods. Have a nice Sunday & 73 💯🙋♂
If you use a ferrite choke at the feedpoint (yes, some will say that's the wrong place to put it, but listen to Chameleon) the LEFS will work without a tuner on 80m, 40m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, and 10m. Add an antenna tuner (LDG-type) and it will also tune on 30m. See: th-cam.com/video/JWCvHqTxLBY/w-d-xo.html
Hi Gaston, now that you've had a chance to try a few different resonant antenna designs, which would you recommend to a HF beginner for the shack? I could build an 80/40m fan dipole. A multi band end fed would be easier to setup and give me a few additional bands, but would obviously cost a lot more.
I'm not much of a shack operator, so I only have experience with the CHA LEFS 8010 and MFJ 1984. I built a number of mono band dipoles as well. For frequency agility, I enjoy the flexibility of these EFHW antennas. I am actually going to very likely be moving to a Terminated Folded Dipole it is very broadbanded and takes up less space than a traditional dipole. Fan dipoles are easy to build and give you multiple bands, but I have never tried on yet. Find an antenna that meets your operating needs, available space and budget. Good luck.
I have been trying for a while now to get my yaesu ft-818 and digirig to work with winlink and have been unsuccessful. This setup is currently working with ft8, do you have any tips on setup for winlink? Thanks for your videos big fan!
That's interesting that it works for one digital mode and not another. AI typically use WSJT-X first to test if digital modes work whenever I try a new radio/sound card configuration. As long the radio can be keyed up by the software and you have your audio levels tuned properly it should work. 1. Are you trying HF or VHF/UHF? 2. Which method/modem (VARA, ARDOP, packet, etc.)? 3. Which operating system? 4. Which Winlink client are you using? Thanks for the support.
Had elbows fail. They have a pin on one center contact and a hole in the other, they just press together in the blind mate inside the shell. Keep them dry if you must use them. Like your buddy's cable adapter, these are likely failure points.
@@TheTechPrepper In Harris Co ARES, in the NW quad, we have a Sunday net, 2000 local. Actually, 2 nets. Regular voice net. But we are asked, from 1930 Saturday to 1930 Sunday, to check in Winlink in: Packet, Vara FM 2m, Vara FM .70, Ardop HF, Vara HF, PACTOR, and/or Arden. Get in in as many modes as possible. I have also heard there is a WL drill on Thursdays. Each week, a different situation, different forms.... So we are getting plenty of chances to train
Thank you. I don't enjoy operating from home, so it would be difficult to justify the expense at the moment. I prefer taking a backpack operating portable. I have plenty of room, so there may a tower in the future.
@@TheTechPrepper I get that. It doesn't that you'd have to solely use the base. I'd probably have a tower farm if I had your location. LoL. I currently don't have a base up. I have the parts, just haven't got it up yet.
Dude, I know you're all about regional and local, I get it, but the whole goal is to get your winlink message out as fast and efficiently as possible. So why sleep on 20 and 17 using vara tactical. I trained a few times a month using my 705 elecraft Ax1 pocket vertical vara tactical making gateway connections and it came in clutch when I really needed it after Ian. 73's brother
I have a capabilities on 20 meters if needed. I always have my PackTenna Mini EFHW ready to go in my pack for those times where I want DX. Good point. Glad your message out during an actual natural disaster.
Probably ignorant question here as I'm still trying to learn antenna physics, but is it possible to configure long antennas in a U-turn or S-curve deployment such that the antenna come come back on itself and thus cut the length of the vertical run? I imagine it would have to be spaced so that the two wires are some distance apart, but could they be close enough for a practical deployment or would they have to be too far apart to make it useful?
I am not sure. I've read that the line can be blurred a bit at that range. We have several mountains/ridges between our stations. Is there a way of determining which propagation is actually used?
Mike! I'll be in touch over the next day or so. I'd like to establish a voice contact with you on 40m or 75m for the next video if you have time. Take care, bud!
Absolutely, I am looking for people that are willing to make a contact across the US. I plan to cover country-level, targeted comms in December. If you want in, would you mind shooting me and email? I am on QRZ. My email is also on my TH-cam about page.
@@TheTechPrepper you made comments about the poles getting pulled a guy would help your poles with The side load, if your happy with it that’s all that maters..
Preppers are a great market. They buy expensive stuff they don't need, never use it, then buy more. They're not smart enough to realize that building an effective HF antenna is the simplest thing imaginable if you have even a basic level of skill.
I've built a number antennas on the channel. For example, episode II in this series was a custom build. I made a planned contact to Utah from Arizona, so I am not sure why you're being rude. 73
![ILLSLICK - WINTER IS COMING [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dwTMeM1zIhQ/mqdefault.jpg)
This is a well prepared and executed NVIS COMM for 5W. I consider it total success as MOST NVIS are conducted at 100W and military are doing it in the field at about 20W. It’s important that BOTH station operate an NVIS antenna during that kind of exercise.
Thanks again for sending the CHA LEFS my way. It checked off all my requirements. I wish I had a bit more room (8-10 more feet) to really see it in action. I may try to improvise a temporary support off the Jeep (receiver flag pole mount) to see how it behaves. Well done on this design and the 80m extension!. I was having a blast on 80m prior to filming the Winlink session on 40m.
While I am not prior service, my goal is to get use to running low power similar to the US Military as standard practice. If you can make 5 watts and wire work, you're miles ahead of the pack. The QRP radios are not only smaller and lighter, but the power requirements are reduced. I intentionally decided not to pull out the FT-891 or FT-857D for this exercise.
Cheers and thank you again!
Nothing more frustrating than to see a review of a great product only to find it's not in stock. I'm sure you folks are grappling with all of the same problems other manufacturers are. Didn't see any info on your website, but do you have any idea as to when you might get this and some of your other out of stock items back in stock? Can we hope in time for Christmas, or are we realistically looking to Q1-2 of 2023? Loving the idea of an antenna that doesn't need a tuner.
@@TheTechPrepper QRP is mission critical. Low battery use is important when the grid is down.
@@insboswiz it’s the CHA LEFS 8010 which replace the CHA LEFS. Plenty of inventory!
I exclusively use QRP for all HF ops. It becomes critical to overcome propagation and interference issues with timing, antenna deployment, chokes, etc. I think that this video does well presenting that concept, especially using Voacap.
Great video! I love your very targeted and mission-oriented approach to developing capabilities. I'll be watching for your follow-up submissions!
Glad you like the format. Tomorrow's video will be a bit of fun with a light mission objective. Stay tuned.
You may want to try using a capacitor between the 10- 40 meter and 80 meter section. It allows you to keep the good tuning on the 10 to 40 meter band and adjust the 80 meter length for the part of the 80 meter band you wish to operate on. It electrically disconnects the 80 meter section from the 10-40 meter section but on 80 meters allows the antenna to operate as an 80 meter wire. It will allow you to have all the bands much closer to your desired frequency than just attaching the 80 meter section which without the capacitor, affects the 10 to 40 meter bands or your ability to dial in the portion of the 80 meter band you are looking for. There are a couple of videos about this on youtube. It works ! Also, Chamelon makes great quality wire antennas, but they are darn expensive. People should look into making their own end fed. Very easy and cheap to do.
Keep the videos coming.
Evening, John. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll definitely add this to the list on the "todo" whiteboard. Chameleon makes great gear, but you are right, it's pricey stuff. I am grateful that they took the time to send me an antenna to test. 73 de KT1RUN
@@TheTechPrepper Here is the title of the you tube video about the capacitor. I've seen a couple of others. "EFHW 8010 75 meter Modification". This should work well with radios such as the 897 that don't have a built in tuner. In many cases, if the antenna is tuned well on the 10-40 meter band, with the 75/80 meter addition, you many times end up in the 3500 MHz range. Adding the capacitor (depending on the value) can raise it to the 3800 MHz range for voice. You could then easily bypass the capacitor if you wanted to go lower again. Best of both worlds.
@@johnkaelberer237 Roger. Thanks for the info.
Do you know if the 90° bend at the end of this setup will cause any issues? Would configuring the antenna in a shallow V (with the midpoint carabiner / capacitor at wall height and then the 80m portion sloping back up to a 15ft max height? I haven't done the trig but I think this would remove the excess length at the end. Maybe the V shape is worse than a short dogleg?
@@kschleic9053 That's a good question. I have no clue sadly regarding your proposed V setup. Carl from Chameleon, as well as a few others, mentioned that the current configuration is not a problem. The key is that the first 30%-50% of the wire is deployed in free space.
Great video! I too love the Mr. Long Arm painters poles. I use mine when camping or operating POTA. Great to see your set up in action. Look forward to the next videos! 73
Thanks. You can't beat the price on those poles. I've never used them for portable work. However, I plan to run the next antenna build (Vee Beam) that we do on the channel off a Mr. LongArm that's mounted to the Jeep from the flag pole receiver hitch.
Im sure Amrron would love to have you. Amrron corps here and we do alot. You would definitely be an asset. Youre already on a ton of govt list. you have a drivers license, guns, a home, a job, a bank account, TH-cam channel, ham radio operator, etcetc youre listed. :)
You're right on all accounts. I was joking with that comment. We're all on a list. I'll definitely join up.
For your antenna deployment and the 8 ft that you had to drop on L shape, please consider adding a slightly longer pole in the center, this would raise the middle portion of the wire and help you getting the entire wire on the air. I used similar poles for my 135ft OCD deployment here in Tucson. 73s
Excellent planning! Excellent execution!
During solar cycle minima 80m & 60m will be your go to bands, but 60m will require a dedicated antenna for best results.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you! For 60m, I'll just go with a simple resonant dipole and call it good. The VOACAP analysis that I have been doing lately indicates that good 60m in most cases will give me pretty decent chances of success.
Sweet thanks for the link from the "next" video. This channel was a random recommend.
You're welcome. Thanks for stopping by. Good luck.
Again, VERY informative, and much more applicable to my needs than just DXing. I an NOT putting down those who enjoy DX, but this meets my needs! Thank you again!
There's nothing wrong with DXing, but I really enjoy the concept of targeted contacts with modest power and equipment. Glad that you are enjoying the series.
Looks like flannel season is on even the Arizona heat. Another great video. Listened to “Tomorrow war”. I really liked it. Thanks for the suggestion.
Man, that book was excellent. It's in the 40's this week in the garage. I can handle the heat, but I was not built for the cold. Where are you located?
@@TheTechPrepper I’m in the Detroit metro area. The winter is rough but the other three seasons are perfect. Now that the leaves are off the trees I was actually looking to throw up a permanent antenna in the back yard in the next month. Hopefully the neighbors don’t mind too much haha.
I was in the Army and deployed in 17 as a tactical comms SGT for an aviation battalion. I'm out now and am looking at what I want to do on the civilian side. I want to apply what I know about HF and comms to the civilian side specifically for emergency or PACE plan stuff. I used ALE and all the other HF stuff to set up comms around the middle east as part of the PACE plan. I got into antenna theory and found the best way to propagate my signal based on shape and structure of it.
Awesome, Gaston! I have yet to execute a Winlink NVIS session. NVIS is my favorite HF propagation technique. Great demo, with a thorough walk-thru of all the steps. I’ll have to check my Winlink email, thanks for sending one back! Meanwhile, I’ll need to modify my antenna a little for digital NVIS.
Morning, Eric. It's a great mode. I have you on my list for an NVIS P2P session when you're ready.
@@TheTechPrepper awesome bud. That’s going to be fun.
@@TheTechPrepper gonna be a fun time.
Just ordered the same antenna! Will fire off a winlink email to you soon. I made a winlink Vara connection about 400 miles away on 40m with 5 watts on a Buddistick pro. In Vara it will list the stations with the best connection probability. I found that on FT8, I had to run higher power to make contacts. Not as much power needed on winlink.
I am curious to hear how you deploy yours and how it performs for you. I had pretty decent success with FT8 on 80m running 6 watts before this video. I'll have to spend time on 40m to see how your experience compares to mine. Enjoy your new CHA LEFS. 73 de KT1RUN
I can relate. I'm in Western WA and we have peaks everywhere and hiking them is fantastic. When I heard of SOTA it immediately clicked with me. I'm planning a cathedral mountain activation along with others as soon as able (next summer). As for government lists, yea its hard not to be on them. If you have concealed carry permits you are on one. If you lean right, you are on one. If you say things, as you mention, encryption etc then yea you are probably on one. I remember years ago, back when the internet heavily used newsgroups and people were talking about how to ignite potato cannons. They had all sorts of really dangerous ideas so I layed out how to do it safely. The problem is this also overlaps with setting off explosives so I'm sure I ended up on a list.
SOTA is a great gateway drug. That's what got me hooked as well. I was partially joking about the lists. Most of us are on one list or another. Thanks for the comment. Be careful with those potato cannons.
That slight bend in the antenna should have no negative impact. I have run antennas in all kinds of crazy configurations when no other options were available.
As long as you DO NOT CHANGE THE FIRST 30%to 50% of the antenna length ( where most HF radiation happens) you should be ok.
It looks like that's the case with this little experiment. Now the only trick is trying to reduce the noise floor (S8 at the moment). There are overhead power lines about 25' away. Praying for a power outage. In the mean time, I am going to try attaching a counterpoise. Have a good one, Jason.
More good stuff. Gratz on working the objective and achieving goal!
Thank you. My Elmer calls it "radio with purpose".
I really do enjoy your mission sitrep type of video. What important lesson I learned early in my radio hobby - antenna, antenna, antenna. What was that model of Yagi?
Glad you enjoy the format, Kevin. The antenna is everything. It's the Arrow II Yagi. Mine is the backpacker model. The boom breaks down into three sections that fit on the side of the pack. I can either run the (4) elements on 2m or (10) elements for 440 MHz. I'll change the orientation depending on whether I plan to run FM or SSB. I have a few videos on this antenna. Happy Sunday.
Really good stuff Gaston. Are you using a ground for this configuration? Learning about grounding lately.
I wouldn't have expected the antenna to perform well for NVIS on 40 M with the 80 M extension. A wire that long should not have max gain to zenith according to EZNEC but if it works, it works. My end fed is at 40 ft and does well for NVIS on 80 but not for 40. Great video!
That's the thing about assumptions...but in the end it worked. Personally, I was really concerned about the L configuration at the end of the wire. You never know until you try. It took a few attempt to get into one of the two Winlink RMS gateways, but it was a success with a compromised deployment and only 6 watts! Thanks for the comment and view.
A you tube video worth watching, "NVIS Antenna Presentation". The person in the video claims up to a 50% increase in performance using a reflector. Just a piece of wire 5% longer than the antenna wire length, on the ground, directly under the antenna. It would stand to reason that the reflector would give you a better pattern as to getting your signal much more towards a 90 degree, straight up pattern. He also states that moving the reflector to one side or the other can change the direction of the signal (makes sense). Placed to the east of a east-west wire will send the signal more towards the west and vice versa. I had a NVIS antenna up at my old QTH and had a reflector under it. I didn't do an A-B test with or without a reflector, but got excellent results. I put links in at the end of the 40 meter length to hook up the additional length of wire on both ends for the 80 meter. If it works half as good as he claims, just a piece of wire could make a worthwhile difference. It sure couldn't hurt. Maybe something for a future video. I love the fact that a NVIS antenna is very hard to Direction Find. Something very useful in SHTF.
Thanks for the tip. I plan to layer on performance enhancement like a reflector and/or counterpoise after I make some voice contacts so that I can establish a baseline and take some performance measurements.
Well planned and executed, as usual.
I appreciate the ongoing support. I was a bit concerned when I found that I was 8 ft. short between posts, but in the end, the targeted contact worked...and with 6 watts. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
@@TheTechPrepper Yes, you never know what to expect. Antennas seem to be quite forgiving in my experience. I've had these fall to the ground and still recieve and send, although not great. There is a lot of experimenting and modeling that could be interesting with that antenna. After watching Adam last night it made me wonder how dropping both ends may make it more directional for a purposeful contact. I think I need to look more into the modeling software. At any rate, the NVIS worked great. My recent NVIS experiments have been encouraging also so press forward OM. This stuff is fun!
Gaston, I have good luck with CHA LEFS on top of electric fence posts. Then add a reflector on ground underneath. I think the rule of thumb is 5% longer.
Glad to hear that others are having success with the CHA LEFS in less than ideal deployments. This is very promising. I plan to add a reflector after I capture some voice signal/digital signal reports as a baseline for evaluating performance.
I don't see it on his web site but, Carl has a pretty slick telescoping 25' mast that we were looking at in the Phoenix HRO store this week. Great video, thanks from Waddell, AZ. 73
It’s called the CHA PORTA-MAST.
Excellent. Thanks for shooting the tip my way. I'll have to check the diameter on the CHA PORTA-MAST to see if it can fit within the RFMAX mounting hardware. Another 10' of height would be a nice upgrade.
Several Houston area clubs had a "FD/POTA/GOTA" demo in a CITY park near Downtown.
Took the FTM60000, 12v Battery, $60 Win 10 laptop, Digirig, pizza pan, magmount antenna. Could hit voice repeaters and WL gateways. 20 minutes set up, including table and chair. All day's goals met.
This us when you’ve line of sights. NVIS goes above hills and mountains.
@@carllavoie3804 True. But I am improving one level at a time. And just got got the Digirig and 6000, and wanted to try it out in field.
Good luck evolving your station, Dominic. As Carl mentioned, NVIS is great in environments where there are obstacles in the way. In this case, I have a couple of mountains blocking line of site, so NVIS performs pretty well for this situation.
@@TheTechPrepper Mountains? In H-Town? For HF, I do have a 40m dipole which seems to act as NVIS. With WL, I have the time to tune between bands. Have none WL VARA HF 5W to a VARA HF gateway in Arkansas....
Try splitting the difference on the antenna ends. Bring the matching unit down 4 feet (less pole bend too) and the far end up 4 ft.
That's an interesting idea. Chameleon indicates that you should keep the first 50% straight, so I will just live the bend. Thanks!
I think ABR in Houston has the contract for the Coax cables for their antennae.
They can build custom coax cables in various widths, lengths, chokes, and connectors
Thanks for mentioning this. I am short about 15' with the run to my garage. I'll have to give them a look.
Great stuff Gaston. As a antenna tinkerer, I keep forgetting others are not. The only thing I think kills a manufactured antenna coming home to me is the price and with the current exchange rate. Ugh. Keep up the great work. Cheers.
Glad you liked it, Malen. It's always fun to make your own gear. These are pricey, but I am happy that I now have decent (permanent) operating capabilities on 40/75/80m. I owe you and the "Buy Me a Coffee" group and update regarding the TTP Manpacks. Apparently, the admin side of starting a bag business is more work than building the damn bag. Stay tuned and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
@@TheTechPrepper the admin is always so much harder than the r&d/engineering for someone passionate about the product 🤣
@@kschleic9053 I am finding this out. ;-) It's all part of the process.
09:11 That cactus is giving us the spikey finger.
Yeah. That Saguaro cactus can be a jack ass.
If your local friends can afford it, get away from VHF/UHF as much as possible as NVIS propagation is very difficult to nearly impossible to DF. Field phones are the best choice for my immediate neighborhood. These are rock solid and so easy to use that grandma can use it. These will greatly reduce our RF footprint. Modern drones increasingly have RDF capability that law enforcement, federal and local use today. As the tech proliferates, drones in the future could be a very serious threat, and most will not know how to use techniques for VHF/UHF that can make it difficult to DF.
I would establish a simple SOI, and use equipment that is affordable. Most will not be able to handle a sophisticated SOI in an emergency. With a balanced approach to prepping, most can not afford to purchase broad banded antennas, and will have to use low cost antennas. For example, my first NVIS antenna cost me less than $5 bucks. It is quick and simple to make, and so inexpensive that I can set up all my friends with it. As it is, I make all their antennas, omni and directional, of various types, so that they have all the same antennas. If directional antennas between all stations are used, this will reduce the possibility of interception of any and all. Sadly, we can not go out and purchase HF sets for every one.
Keeping it simple in general, makes any plan and implementation more feasible, yet a plan must be able to evolve. Standardizing on equipment is more likely if all can afford it. And standardization means we can also help each other master the equipment, and learn as we go. And BTW, if you are a licensed Amateur, you are on the list. Be prepared to be able to operate without a license as in history, during a collapse or, in time of war, license are typically revoked. Good Luck!
As always thanks for the tips. I am not sure if you initially put it on my radar, but I plan to incorporate field phones into my capabilities. It's been on the todo's whiteboard for a couple of months. As for inexpensive, simple and effective antennas, I found the cobra head (BNC with binding posts) to be a great dipole for NVIS. I've shown it a few times on the channel and it was the star of episode two in this series. Take care.
@@TheTechPrepper Those BNC connectors are fine, but perhaps not tough enough for very long runs. I make a simple and rugged cobra head, yet there are lower cost and easily reproducible DYI designs for field expedient dipoles of any flavor. It is best to use 14awg, or heavier copper wire , and a strong enough connector at the junction. Pure copper wire does not have as high tensile strength as steel, and can break in high winds. WD1A military field wire is super strong and only 22awg and it is cheap. Out in the desert, there is enough land for 160 meters, AND super long runs for a BOG antenna (beverage on the ground), good for RX. Wd1a has several strands of copper wash steel and is an adequate conductor. It can be pulled tighter and is durable as antenna wire, yet the antenna is only as strong and durable as it's weakest link. A.5 kilometer (1/3 mile) of WD1a can cost about $100 on Ebay, or check out the Signal Center.....c om.
Yes, I've mentioned field phones before, and as advertised, I recently did an article on field phones ,and a follow up that included field phones and other methods to mitigate the drone/rfd threat. It is titled, Mitigating the Drone/RFD Threat posted over on su vi valb lo gc om. It is not comprehensive, but does provide food for thought. I simply do not have the time to write a book... One must keep it simple, otherwise potential readers will tune out. It is all too easy to be overly enthusiastic and nerd out on a topic, and leave 99 percent of the audience, including your friends behind. Sadly, most do not appreciate how important are Comms. My latest article on guns was popular, but guns are fun, yet not the only thing that is necessary to get it done. Without Commo, we got nothing.
Happy November Gaston 💯🙋♂
Happy November Guenter! It's getting cooled here. How is DE?
@@TheTechPrepper Good morning Gaston. It's getting colder here as well. Last Night Temps went down to 41°F at the lowest Point. 4mm of Rain 96% moisture. Still no Frost but it's coming. Sky right now overcasted at 48°F. I am going to dress up warm and going for a Ride on my Mountain Bike picking a nice muddy Trail somewhere in the Woods.
Have a nice Sunday & 73 💯🙋♂
@@DK5ONV Stay warm... Aside from the rain, were also at 41°F right now.
If you use a ferrite choke at the feedpoint (yes, some will say that's the wrong place to put it, but listen to Chameleon) the LEFS will work without a tuner on 80m, 40m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, and 10m. Add an antenna tuner (LDG-type) and it will also tune on 30m. See: th-cam.com/video/JWCvHqTxLBY/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for the additional operating tips, Julian. 73's, bud.
@@TheTechPrepper It's a two-way street, brother! Thank you!
Oh HRO - nice to see you commenting guys!!!
@@Chameleon_Antenna We enjoy The Tech Prepper channel --- and Chameleon Antennas --- so we have a good combination here!
Could you create a playlist for all the no random contacts videos.
I want to watch them all
Thanks for the interest. No Random Contacts Series: th-cam.com/play/PLZpc6PnzmzmHfXxqeluz6q-rYCElhMuZa.html
Hi Gaston, now that you've had a chance to try a few different resonant antenna designs, which would you recommend to a HF beginner for the shack? I could build an 80/40m fan dipole. A multi band end fed would be easier to setup and give me a few additional bands, but would obviously cost a lot more.
I'm not much of a shack operator, so I only have experience with the CHA LEFS 8010 and MFJ 1984. I built a number of mono band dipoles as well. For frequency agility, I enjoy the flexibility of these EFHW antennas. I am actually going to very likely be moving to a Terminated Folded Dipole it is very broadbanded and takes up less space than a traditional dipole. Fan dipoles are easy to build and give you multiple bands, but I have never tried on yet. Find an antenna that meets your operating needs, available space and budget. Good luck.
@@TheTechPrepper Thanks for the reply. Also thanks for bringing the Terminated Folded Dipole to my attention - looks like an interesting design!
I have been trying for a while now to get my yaesu ft-818 and digirig to work with winlink and have been unsuccessful. This setup is currently working with ft8, do you have any tips on setup for winlink? Thanks for your videos big fan!
That's interesting that it works for one digital mode and not another. AI typically use WSJT-X first to test if digital modes work whenever I try a new radio/sound card configuration. As long the radio can be keyed up by the software and you have your audio levels tuned properly it should work.
1. Are you trying HF or VHF/UHF?
2. Which method/modem (VARA, ARDOP, packet, etc.)?
3. Which operating system?
4. Which Winlink client are you using?
Thanks for the support.
@@TheTechPrepper Vara Hf, Windows 10, and Winlink Express i have also tried packet winlink, the radio will transmit but with no audio.
Had elbows fail. They have a pin on one center contact and a hole in the other, they just press together in the blind mate inside the shell. Keep them dry if you must use them.
Like your buddy's cable adapter, these are likely failure points.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I'll change out the connector. This one has been outside for awhile and was outside during our monsoon season.
Winlink needed in hurricanes and once a decade ice storms in Houston.
Winlink is handy backup form of communication for natural disasters. The trick is to practice when time are good. Be safe in TX. 73's.
@@TheTechPrepper In Harris Co ARES, in the NW quad, we have a Sunday net, 2000 local. Actually, 2 nets. Regular voice net. But we are asked, from 1930 Saturday to 1930 Sunday, to check in Winlink in: Packet, Vara FM 2m, Vara FM .70, Ardop HF, Vara HF, PACTOR, and/or Arden. Get in in as many modes as possible.
I have also heard there is a WL drill on Thursdays. Each week, a different situation, different forms....
So we are getting plenty of chances to train
You look to have a nice location. Is there a reason that you don't have any towers in place?
Thank you. I don't enjoy operating from home, so it would be difficult to justify the expense at the moment. I prefer taking a backpack operating portable. I have plenty of room, so there may a tower in the future.
@@TheTechPrepper I get that. It doesn't that you'd have to solely use the base. I'd probably have a tower farm if I had your location. LoL. I currently don't have a base up. I have the parts, just haven't got it up yet.
Now we are talking
Yes, we are. Thanks for the view.
Dude, I know you're all about regional and local, I get it, but the whole goal is to get your winlink message out as fast and efficiently as possible. So why sleep on 20 and 17 using vara tactical. I trained a few times a month using my 705 elecraft Ax1 pocket vertical vara tactical making gateway connections and it came in clutch when I really needed it after Ian. 73's brother
I have a capabilities on 20 meters if needed. I always have my PackTenna Mini EFHW ready to go in my pack for those times where I want DX. Good point. Glad your message out during an actual natural disaster.
Based on previous videos and discussions ( in addition to I'm sure the ATF knows you from previous FFL transfers) - you're already on lists.
Excellent point. I figured that I have not been doing myself any favors with some of the topics. If I disappear, it was the government. ;-)
As federally licensed radio operators, yep that’s a list.
@@forgetyourlife Yeah...I am ok with that list. ;-)
Probably ignorant question here as I'm still trying to learn antenna physics, but is it possible to configure long antennas in a U-turn or S-curve deployment such that the antenna come come back on itself and thus cut the length of the vertical run? I imagine it would have to be spaced so that the two wires are some distance apart, but could they be close enough for a practical deployment or would they have to be too far apart to make it useful?
Yes it’s possible - but the will get radiation patterns that might not reach the stations you can hear.
Thanks for jumping into the comments, Carl. I appreciate your knowledge and insight. I love this antenna. Well done, sir.
at 44 miles its probably ground wave and not nvis. Either way it worked no matter what you call it LOL :)
I am not sure. I've read that the line can be blurred a bit at that range. We have several mountains/ridges between our stations. Is there a way of determining which propagation is actually used?
This will be very cool! :-). Mike KC8OWL
Mike! I'll be in touch over the next day or so. I'd like to establish a voice contact with you on 40m or 75m for the next video if you have time. Take care, bud!
If you ever want to stretch out and try cross country, let me know, I’ve got a couple different setups I can use and would love to help out!
Absolutely, I am looking for people that are willing to make a contact across the US. I plan to cover country-level, targeted comms in December. If you want in, would you mind shooting me and email? I am on QRZ. My email is also on my TH-cam about page.
@@TheTechPrepper will do, I’ve got your email somewhere from when I won the weather radio. I’ll shoot you an email yomorrow
You need some Choya in your backyard.....
We actually have Cholla. We have a bit of everything. All of my plants have defensive capabilities. ;-)
Why no guy lines on the painter poles
I just don't need them. They are mounted very securely to the wall. We have 50-60 mph whip through here and I've had no issues.
@@TheTechPrepper you made comments about the poles getting pulled a guy would help your poles with The side load, if your happy with it that’s all that maters..
Digirig can co VARA HF.
Yes, it can. I have only tested it under Windows and VARA FM. I plan to test VARA HF under Linux.
Preppers are a great market. They buy expensive stuff they don't need, never use it, then buy more. They're not smart enough to realize that building an effective HF antenna is the simplest thing imaginable if you have even a basic level of skill.
I've built a number antennas on the channel. For example, episode II in this series was a custom build. I made a planned contact to Utah from Arizona, so I am not sure why you're being rude. 73
I was wondering if you would be able to run your antenna diagonally across your back yard to possible reduce your excess drop...
That will work. Pythagorean theorem for the win!
Massive powerlines in the background. Do they affect anything?
They sure do. You can see the noise floor drop to an S1 when the power goes out. I am usually around and S4.