Building Vertical Antennas for HF Ham Radio DX

Building and using a vertical antenna for great Ham Radio DX performance #hamradioantenna #verticalantenna #hamradio

[msdh]

Thanks Walt. I got the same 6m pole from Decathlon here in UK few weeks ago. Cost only 20 GBP (~25 USD). Just Friday I did my first ever portable HF activity, activating my first POTA, and the pole worked great with inverted V EFHW for 40m, and higher resonant bands. I'll look to try out a vertical antenna setup next time I'm out and see what the difference is.

[JS-oqcd]

The best HF vertical I've found was a Slim Jim. It's only good for one band but highly effective. Built from 450 ohm ladder line...a 1/4 wave matching stub connected to a half wave radiator, like a J-pole, but the Slim Jim connects both sides of the ladder line at the top and there's a gap down near the top of the 1/4 wave stub. The trickiest part is to know the exact vF of the ladder line, in order to get the dimensions right the first time. Not easy to retune. I ended up grabbing a vintage Millen grid dip meter and finding a vF of .95 when it was stated as .92. But it's worth the effort...this thing works very well on 10 meters. Built a second one for 12 meters and 2nd contact was JA with 5x6 on his end. There's also a noise benefit...it's a DC short antenna, like a loop, so has lower noise floor. Very much worth building.

[kennethblackwell]

Well done Walt. Lots of great information here. Starting place for lots of FUN...!!!!

[quadcamv]

I really like your casual and positive vibe, it makes watching these videos easier.
I mainly operate with either an EFHW or a inverted V dipole but I may have to cut some wire for this antenna.

[paullinnell]

Great video Walt!! You’re a true asset to Ham Radio!! De NØPL

[KPRD]

Thanks for the video Walt. I’m having great success with the speaker wire 20 meter EFHW vertical you’ve shown on your channel. Hope to catch you on 20 before you return to the States. -K1PRD

[KJRZOnTheAir]

I think I need to a build a Rybakov antenna. Nice work Walt! 73!

[mewrongwayKOCXF]

That is so kool!! I built a DX Commander 12.4 copy and love it!

[DKONV]

AWSOME, UW...this slinky Antenna I like just by looking at it. This Thing will do the Job very well 💯👌

[mnpd]

I've fooled with verticals for decades... the most effective one was my "Chicken Coop Vertical." It was simply a trap vertical in the backyard, but the counterpoise took me three full days of work to construct. I literally carpeted the backyard with chicken coop wire. While it was on the ground I took a propane torch and soldered every twist together to prevent oxidation. Then I used chopped up metal coathangers to tack down all the chicken wire (no digging). For a good while I mowed the grass high so as not to hit the wire... the weight of the mowed grass eventually buried the wire and it was never seen again and struck during regular height mowing. I was a great antenna for 20-years until I retired and moved away. Unless he wants to dig holes in the backyard, the new owner will never know it's there.

[rlm]

I have not had any ham radio signals on 10M or 6 Meters. I use a OCF 80M wire horizontal at about 24 feet up. I had to make it L shaped because of my property but Eurpope would be at 45degrees from the center of the LI am in the Kansas City area. I can get 20 all day and evening including DX in dark hours, 40 dx dark hours, 80 dx dark hours. I would love to know what is keeping me from getting any 10 or 6 meters. I do get constant tones down the waterfall spaced every few hundred or so KHz on both 10 and 6. I use a tuner with a 7300. I make many long distance contacts on the three bands I can get. I have turned off everything but the radio sill have those constant tones. They don't sound like a digital signal just a constant tone. I want to make one of your vertical antenna designs but I have no space for radials. Kansas is running a little short on salt water. Maybe in a few years that will change.

[stevecolby]

Walt: I like your shirt. I watched a couple music videos....they are good. You must be very proud. Do they ever play up here in Williamsburg?

[TheYANNI]

Walt, I am interested in the slinky set up. How high up and do I see an UNUM 9:1 on the bottome? Do you also ground it?

[trig]

Verticals are great in the Clear but not good in built up areas GM4NNC

[MikeNMAK]

If you say Rybakov 3 times, I show up in the comments, LOL. I just got a 6m pole--SOTABEAMS Carbon 6--and building a 1/4-wave for 20m is on the to-do list.

[eahwt]

Why you don't try delta loop antenna? I see you have a lot of room there. 73

[bullterriertransylvania]

I ues a similar pole also from Decathlob, the 7m version with ENDFED antenna to mount it vercial :D YO5QKA. 73.

[BenTrem]

My last plan _(never executed it)_ was phased verticals. 3, switchable, for directivity.
HeyHo!
--VE6IU

[jackzweifler]

love 20m band !!!! i am on the border with germany, south west Poland

[kdopi]

I’ve had a few. In my experience they have always been inferior to horizontals. I built one over 30’ tall with a web of buried radials, it worked and it wasn’t bad; but it was inferior to dipoles oriented in the direction of the station I was working. I had a MA5b mini beam deployed only 20’ up, and it was life changing. The ability to add gain and minimize noise can’t by underestimated. Near the ocean, you basically get a lobe over water with a vertical, so I’m not surprised you got some gain to the northwest.