20m End Fed Half Wave Ham Radio Antenna: Icom 703 with MFJ 16010 L-network tuner and 10.4m long insulated wire fed through a window and supported by a bush. …
Video Rating: 4 / 5

15 replies
  1. on4mgy
    on4mgy says:

    Nice video, great to hear some CW at easy wpm rate. Antenna seems to work
    fine. Thanks for the posting 73 de ON4MGY Nic

    Reply
  2. meterbands
    meterbands says:

    thanks again for the information. I have all the parts to build one in my
    junkbox I think io will try it out over the weekend. thanks again and 73.
    Paul M3XPR.

    Reply
  3. artsnflies
    artsnflies says:

    Nice setup. Two questions: 1) How did you determine the length of the wire
    to use? The diapole formula? 2) How did you connect the wire to the banana
    clip? Thanks.

    Reply
  4. Sam Goldstein
    Sam Goldstein says:

    Lynn, thanks for all of your videos. They are more helpful and
    inspirational than you probably know. Question: Isn’t this end fed 1/2 wave
    antenna essentially a long-wire antenna? Whether that’s true or not
    ……… is RF a factor at the tuner end of the wire? Thanks and 73, Sam
    KJ6NYH

    Reply
  5. uslines
    uslines says:

    Thanks for posting your video. I was very interested in your antenna
    set-up. Nice having a half-wave wire, which usually means no counterpoise
    necessary. That antenna can save many an antenna restricted ham from the
    QRT blues. Again, congrats N2UGB

    Reply
  6. NG9D
    NG9D says:

    Hi Paul, On that set up, just the 10.4m wire, no counterpoise. Oh, that
    little extra bit of wire near the table is just a short piece taped to the
    antenna and tied to the table leg. That way the antenna won’t pull the
    banana plug out of the socket. I could have used nylon cord instead. 73
    Lynn NG9D . .

    Reply
  7. Craig S
    Craig S says:

    Really great NG9D, transmitting on a shoe-string!! Like the end fed. Just
    encouragement I need to get up on morse, thanks for the ideas &
    inspiration. …hope to see you on air from Shigakogen mountains soon. 73
    JJ0LYY Craig

    Reply
  8. meterbands
    meterbands says:

    great video I have an MFJ16010 and its a nice little tuner. Your antenna
    looks great for portable or stealth installations. Do you use a ground
    system with this antenna? I know its not so critial in an end feed 1/2
    wave. 73 Paul M3XPR.

    Reply
  9. NG9D
    NG9D says:

    • Hi Sam, Thanks. A LW antenna is long enough to generate gain. A half-wave
    (λ/2) wire has a pattern with two radiation lobes broadside, a 1λ wire has
    a four lobe “cloverleaf” pattern and a 2λ wire makes eight radiation lobes.
    When longer than 2λ, the lobes in direction of the wire get stronger. Gain
    in lobes comes at the expense of attenuation in the nulls. LW that are end
    fed tend to have stronger lobes in the direction of the wire. If fed at the
    TX, RF is a concern except at QRP. 73 Lynn/NG9D

    Reply
  10. zosinternational
    zosinternational says:

    i have the same tuner so the antenne start in the shackk what kind of swr
    meter do you use and do have earth it

    Reply
  11. NG9D
    NG9D says:

    @zosinternational Hi, thanks for the question. With the IC703 I just use
    the internal SWR meter. No grounding needed. With my Ten-Tec T1300, I use a
    Ten-Tec T1202 SWR meter. 73, Lynn NG9D . .

    Reply
  12. GregS635563
    GregS635563 says:

    Nice set up. I used the original version of that tuner back in the
    late-1970’s with a Tempo-1 and @ 90 feet of wire up 25 feet. The set up
    worked, except on 20. It was bacause of the length of the wire, but I could
    make 90 feet fit in a straight line. And the Tempo was 200 watts on 15, 40,
    75/80 with that set up. My prize cards from those days are a ZL (on 15 SB),
    some VKs (on 15 SB/CW) and an HK on San Andreas Island (on 75). GL & 73

    Reply

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