Great demonstration about how easy it is to put up a EFHW antenna! I've just started to use an EFHW and I love it. No need for a long run of coax, and can easily be elevated with a telescopic pole.
Yes, It's really easy and quick to setup an EFHW antenna. I used my standard 7-band EFHW on more than 200 summits and mostly there is no telescope pole guying needed as well, which is shown in the video. Enjoy the hobby!
@@VA3OSO For this and other tips, just read my related EFHW antenna document (link at the video description). At the end it got pretty long (>50 pages), even with focusing on practical experiments and aspects.
Thanks Frazer, indeed, lots of trees on the summits in this area. They block a bit the wind, but compared to Scotland, fortunately, there is hardly any wind. That's why this kind of setup with the telescopic pole works so easily...
Yes it's never completely vertical ;) but RF doesn't really care. Some put their end-fed as inverted-V, I do it as inverted-7. I show the radiation pattern in my document that looks mostly even better than the inverted-V configuration. But the conditions and environment plays an even more important role... Thanks again for your great videos in nature!
Yes, I could create one or several videos that focus on the antenna, including some setup tips. However, in most of my videos I show at least one part of the antenna. But if that part is of general interest, I'm happy to go into more detail.
Hi Stefan, great job and great video! May you describe the support? Which type of article i have to buy in dechatlon? Thanks a lot, 73 de iw2hus, Franco (happy with an 8010 EFHW inv.L 10m vertical + compensation coil + 15 radials 4m long) .
Hi Franco, I'm not at home, but you'll find the corresponding link to the article in my document. I bought them in Switzerland and in Spain. Just search for Decathlon in the document. 73 Stephan
Thanks Stephan (although I'm already convinced by the convenience of your 7 band EFHW for SOTA!). A quick question on the TX-500, does the speaker mic have a socket for plugging in earphones? I need to shed some more pack weight so am thinking of adding either a KX-2 or TX-500 to use instead of the IC-705. Still trying to balance the pluses and minuses of either rig. 73, Jonathan G4IVV
Hi Jonathan, Yes, the speaker mic does have a 3.5mm earphone socket that is protected for ingress. I just tested it with two headsets (4-pin) and one headphone (3-pin) but I could only hear the audio in the left earphone. If needed, a mono-adapter could solve that. When using the contained mic/speaker cable, one can hear the audio with all headsets/headphone on both earphones. Until now, I never felt the need for a headset when doing SSB, since one can quickly put the speaker mic close to one ear, if need be. With CW this might be different. And yes, the IC-705, KX-2 and the TX-500 have all their plus and minuses. I usually weight each requirement when doing a comparison, but at the end probably the gut feeling wins ;-) Looking forward for our next QSO! 73 Stephan
@@PortableRadio Thanks Stephan for testing that, its very helpful. I'm sure the mono issue can be esaily worked around. I'm still at the stage with my CW that I need to block out all external distractions to stand a chance of copying correctly ;-) 73 Jonathan
Nice video, Stephan. I'm intrigued by that equipment you push into the ground, as a base for the collapsible pole. Is that one of your home-brew items, or something you purchased? Tnx & 73 de VE7JBT
Thanks Jan for your question! This bright support can be bought for a few bucks from Decathlon and they call it in English a 'rod rest'. On page 12 of my document, that is linked from the video description, there are links for some countries, but I'm sure they'll also sell it in Canada.
@@PortableRadio Did you modify the outer diameter of the lower "plug" on the Tactical Mini mast? Mine is too tight a fit in its present state. In your video, however, it slides in very smoothly. A very helpful video that shows how to get on the air with no fuzz. I also like your article on the EFHW, excellent stuff! Cheers, Uli
@@ulistahl6555 Uli, thanks for your feedback! If I understand you correctly, you mean the red banana plug insulation that I slide over the top mast section? I found this insulation in my chunk box and it just fits perfectly. Another solution could be to use some shrink tubing. But probably you mean the rod rest that seems to be too tight for your Tactical Mini mast. It's a pity that it doesn't fit in your case. It seems that the exact measurements of the mast seem to differ from batch to batch. With mine, I even added some duct tape around. 73 Stephan
@@PortableRadio It was indeed about the rod rest and the Tactical Mini mast. But I found a workaround: Simply swap the top plug of the Tactical Mini mast to the bottom side of mast. Then it fits perfectly.
@@ulistahl6555 Thanks Uli for your explanation! What I don't understand is how one can put the cap from the top to the bottom. The bottom cap is screwed on and has a bigger diameter. OK, one could remove the bottom cap, including it's glued-on part. Maybe you did it like that?
Great demonstration about how easy it is to put up a EFHW antenna!
I've just started to use an EFHW and I love it. No need for a long run of coax, and can easily be elevated with a telescopic pole.
Yes, It's really easy and quick to setup an EFHW antenna. I used my standard 7-band EFHW on more than 200 summits and mostly there is no telescope pole guying needed as well, which is shown in the video.
Enjoy the hobby!
@@PortableRadio I've noted your technique of supporting the pole and will try that in the future.
@@VA3OSO For this and other tips, just read my related EFHW antenna document (link at the video description). At the end it got pretty long (>50 pages), even with focusing on practical experiments and aspects.
@@PortableRadio Thank you, I will check that out.
Wonderful demonstration……
Great setup! The EFHW antenna will be my choice when I start HF activations! 73 Monteiro
Thanks for your feedback!
If you need some inspiration about the EFHW, just check out my document (link in the description).
Nice film! Lots of trees, which must shelter you from any wind I guess.
73, Fraser
Thanks Frazer, indeed, lots of trees on the summits in this area. They block a bit the wind, but compared to Scotland, fortunately, there is hardly any wind. That's why this kind of setup with the telescopic pole works so easily...
Very nice. Keep making video like this.
Also show that system use used to keep your mast vertical :)
73
Julian oh8stn
Yes it's never completely vertical ;) but RF doesn't really care. Some put their end-fed as inverted-V, I do it as inverted-7. I show the radiation pattern in my document that looks mostly even better than the inverted-V configuration. But the conditions and environment plays an even more important role...
Thanks again for your great videos in nature!
great video!
reead your pdf with care - it woudl be great to see that antenna closer up in a video
Yes, I could create one or several videos that focus on the antenna, including some setup tips.
However, in most of my videos I show at least one part of the antenna.
But if that part is of general interest, I'm happy to go into more detail.
Hi Stefan, great job and great video! May you describe the support? Which type of article i have to buy in dechatlon? Thanks a lot, 73 de iw2hus, Franco (happy with an 8010 EFHW inv.L 10m vertical + compensation coil + 15 radials 4m long) .
Hi Franco,
I'm not at home, but you'll find the corresponding link to the article in my document. I bought them in Switzerland and in Spain. Just search for Decathlon in the document.
73 Stephan
@@PortableRadio Many thans, I'll try! 🙂
@HB9EAJ Portable Radio Founded!!!!
Thanks Stephan (although I'm already convinced by the convenience of your 7 band EFHW for SOTA!).
A quick question on the TX-500, does the speaker mic have a socket for plugging in earphones? I need to shed some more pack weight so am thinking of adding either a KX-2 or TX-500 to use instead of the IC-705. Still trying to balance the pluses and minuses of either rig.
73, Jonathan G4IVV
Hi Jonathan,
Yes, the speaker mic does have a 3.5mm earphone socket that is protected for ingress.
I just tested it with two headsets (4-pin) and one headphone (3-pin) but I could only hear the audio in the left earphone. If needed, a mono-adapter could solve that. When using the contained mic/speaker cable, one can hear the audio with all headsets/headphone on both earphones.
Until now, I never felt the need for a headset when doing SSB, since one can quickly put the speaker mic close to one ear, if need be. With CW this might be different.
And yes, the IC-705, KX-2 and the TX-500 have all their plus and minuses. I usually weight each requirement when doing a comparison, but at the end probably the gut feeling wins ;-)
Looking forward for our next QSO!
73 Stephan
@@PortableRadio Thanks Stephan for testing that, its very helpful. I'm sure the mono issue can be esaily worked around. I'm still at the stage with my CW that I need to block out all external distractions to stand a chance of copying correctly ;-)
73 Jonathan
Nice video, Stephan. I'm intrigued by that equipment you push into the ground, as a base for the collapsible pole. Is that one of your home-brew items, or something you purchased? Tnx & 73 de VE7JBT
Thanks Jan for your question!
This bright support can be bought for a few bucks from Decathlon and they call it in English a 'rod rest'.
On page 12 of my document, that is linked from the video description, there are links for some countries, but I'm sure they'll also sell it in Canada.
@@PortableRadio
Did you modify the outer diameter of the lower "plug" on the Tactical Mini mast? Mine is too tight a fit in its present state. In your video, however, it slides in very smoothly.
A very helpful video that shows how to get on the air with no fuzz.
I also like your article on the EFHW, excellent stuff!
Cheers,
Uli
@@ulistahl6555 Uli, thanks for your feedback!
If I understand you correctly, you mean the red banana plug insulation that I slide over the top mast section? I found this insulation in my chunk box and it just fits perfectly. Another solution could be to use some shrink tubing.
But probably you mean the rod rest that seems to be too tight for your Tactical Mini mast. It's a pity that it doesn't fit in your case. It seems that the exact measurements of the mast seem to differ from batch to batch. With mine, I even added some duct tape around.
73 Stephan
@@PortableRadio It was indeed about the rod rest and the Tactical Mini mast.
But I found a workaround:
Simply swap the top plug of the Tactical Mini mast to the bottom side of mast. Then it fits perfectly.
@@ulistahl6555 Thanks Uli for your explanation!
What I don't understand is how one can put the cap from the top to the bottom. The bottom cap is screwed on and has a bigger diameter.
OK, one could remove the bottom cap, including it's glued-on part. Maybe you did it like that?