Top Base Antenna Type For Ham Radio Preppers - OCF-Dipole Antenna

I will be covering the advantages of OCF-Dipole Antenna as well as what some of the top vendors offer. I will explain what to look for and and how to set one up.

[tccycling]

Good vid! I just built an OCFD at my house. I’m using a dual core 4:1 current balun and 130’ total wire length. It’s not perfect on any band, but it’s operational on 80/40/20/17/10 with a tuner. I got the balun 35’ in the air and the ends slope down to 8’. The long end has a turn in it that’s about 95 degrees as that’s the only way I could set it up at my house. I’m super happy with it.

[delvalle]

Newbie here,
Thanks for taking the time to explain the concept plain and simple but with all the information needed. Looking forward to talking with you on the air some day.
W4BFR
Cary, NC

[stephenclaymcgehee]

Just a quick note to say "Thanks" for this whole prepping series. I've had my Advanced Class license since 1989, but I set it aside for quite a while and now I'm trying to get back up to speed on HF digital. I'm the "Comms guy" for our local prepping group, so I suppose that's what it took to get me back in. Still working on getting this set up again using FLDIGI. I used to use a TNC with mainly AMTOR as the mode. Again, thank you - your videos are making it a lot easier for me to get back in. (By the way, I chose not to upgrade to Extra just because it's kind of fun to have a license that is no longer issued.)

[Tokyo.JLAJE]

1:50 - a properly constructed EFHW is a fully resonant antenna typically using a 49:1 matching transformer. Not to be confused with the random wire and a typical 9:1 matching transformer which requires a tuner to be useful.

I build inductively shortened EFHW that tune perfectly for 40/20/10m.
You can also make a linked wire to tune just 15m and 10m when you want something shorter and easier to set up. In my case 10m gets me into VK land whereas 15m gets me to the US west coast and into Salt Lake city. WSPR/JS8 on 200mW to 10W. It’s about a 55db path loss. And some of that is due to being only able to operate horizontally polarized at my main QTH.

Love the content and energy btw
73s
John

[harvest]

Thanks, MJ, love your videos. Keep ‘em coming! -Chris/N3AXR

[pamhowdy]

I think I know who your Utah contact was! Another great video, thank you.

[Swamp-Fox]

Enjoyed it! Looking forward to the upcoming videos! Merry Christmas!!

[LeeMcc_KIYPR]

I bought a Palomar OCFD, and it works 80-10, without 60m. But it is 132 ft of wire, end to end. My personal opinion is that it is the best wire antenna for fixed placement.

I have done just a few portable activations, but an EFHW has been excellent.

[drewrinella]

Such a shame about Palomar. Thanks for the video!

[joedonnelly]

Incredibly helpful & informative!!

[bradfordwilliams]

Great video and perfect for EMCOMM. Can be a base antenna or deployed in the field. I have a Buckmaster OCF-Dipole similar to MJ. It is more pricey than the Palomar but is essentially "military grade" in construction similar to the ones I encountered in the military.

For EMCOMM I recommend a well-built, all-weather, commercial antenna. I have friends who are "homebrew" fanatics when it comes to antennas and eschew using any commercial products. But when the Sh*t hits the fan you want something that works, works every time, and under the harshest conditions when failure is not an option. Communication is often the weakest link in a crisis.

[donausmus]

I'm curious. Is there another video where you go over the other antenna options that were bypassed? I happen to be a Buckmaster fan. Bulletproof.

[StephenGangi]

I've made various antenna types, and very soon will be putting up an OCF dipole myself. -- AA6LJ

[mikemcdonald]

where do you post your handouts, you mentioned one and ive found a few located on ham websites?

[BurtonChristmasLites]

I just bought a 49:1 balun before watching this video. Any ideas how it might work with using the short end on the counterpoise and the longer end on the radiator? I know the short answer is to just try it out and see (and I will be doing that after the holidays). Just wasn't sure if you have had any experience with a 49:1. Robert KD4YDC

[TotallyUnknownSomeone]

Create video on DMR Radio and How it works.
Create video on SDR Radio how it works and Can SDR Radio be used for both sending and receiving transmission? Like a transceiver?

Waiting.

[AL-knyx]

What Rig control software do you use with your IC-7300 and JS8Call?

[bobperkinson]

I need to get a phone number where you can walk me through some of the problems that i am having with *j8call, such as the freq change when I tune the rig going from UDB -d to usb when I tune, I cant make the 7300 s tay put on split operation I think i have time sync down ok but it migjt not be a simple as it looks

[BOBWIK-mq]

Newbie here ! Im been looking into the Ham hobby im getting old and i want to have a hobby.

[kellysnodgrass]

Thanks for the video! I have a conspiracy theory question. With all of the Chinese made radios, is it possible that they could build in some sort of mechanism to disable the radios if they were to receive certain signals and thus cripple our civilian prepper communication? Don't beat me up too bad! I'm asking for a friend. ;-)