tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2968254002071870786.post4154260997147976234..comments2024-02-23T03:50:28.988-05:00Comments on VE9KK Blog : The Endfed antenna is up but with mixed results. VE9KK http://www.blogger.com/profile/04720839744779758420noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2968254002071870786.post-68155701502834798742019-10-05T19:01:37.836-04:002019-10-05T19:01:37.836-04:00Good evening Stefano very nice to hear from you, t...Good evening Stefano very nice to hear from you, the vertical or any other antenna will have to wait until the spring time. This antenna is meant to get me through the winter. At this point in time I have lots to do around the new place so the idea of an antenna is one of get the easiest one up and live with it over the winter. <br />73 and great to hear from you Stefano, <br />Mike <br />VE9KKVE9KK https://www.blogger.com/profile/04720839744779758420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2968254002071870786.post-56837653303274802232019-10-05T12:48:06.238-04:002019-10-05T12:48:06.238-04:00Mike, glad you are back on the air. if you have so...Mike, glad you are back on the air. if you have some space just run a simple dipole or vertical wire for 20 or 40. EF are nice especially for /p use but a nightmare to tune.<br /><br />StefanoStefano IZ3NVRnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2968254002071870786.post-64401096055605871622019-10-05T07:53:30.918-04:002019-10-05T07:53:30.918-04:00Good morning Paul very nice to hear from you, I di...Good morning Paul very nice to hear from you, I did Google the EARCHI and I do see an extra wing nut on the unit for a counterpoise. With the W1SFR there is only one wing nut and that is for the antenna. Looks like I am going to have to attach a counterpoise wire to the outside of the PL257 connector configuration. <br />Thanks for the info and I will be looking into that today. <br />73, <br />Mike <br />VE9KKVE9KK https://www.blogger.com/profile/04720839744779758420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2968254002071870786.post-62818419841962382002019-10-04T10:10:49.875-04:002019-10-04T10:10:49.875-04:00The EARCHI endfed (google it - I think it is the s...The EARCHI endfed (google it - I think it is the same as W1SFR's) does have a counterpoise connection though they say you don't need to use it since the coax is the counterpoise. However you can use it if the coax counterpoise is causing problems like rf in the shack. <br /><br />I was operating portable in Antigua with the EARCHI and getting rf on the TV. I bought about 20 ft. of wire and attached it to the counterpoise connector and voila, no more rf in the shack. Plus the antenna worked better. <br /><br />Try taping some wire to the shield of the pl-259 connector at the 9:1 balun. That is the same as the counterpoise connector. That should do the trick.<br /><br />Then get on the air and make some contacts.<br />Good luck and good DX from VE3 land.<br />Paul VA3ZC<br /> VA3ZChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12703376340249135169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2968254002071870786.post-50153160005498033102019-10-03T19:12:06.683-04:002019-10-03T19:12:06.683-04:00Bas as always it's great to hear from you, thi...Bas as always it's great to hear from you, this Endfed indicate online that it's good for 6m to 40m so it's really not a 3 band Endfed. On the weekend I am going to run some tests to see at what power level I have issues. As for the 1:1 balun I have ordered a good quality balun from Balun Designs (1115). As for the antenna running parallel to the mini home we have plastic gutters and plastic siding so there is no metal or zinc. I have some ideas that I am going to try on the weekend and will be posting in the blog the results. <br />Bas thank very much for your time and the info. <br />73,<br />Mike <br />VE9KKVE9KK https://www.blogger.com/profile/04720839744779758420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2968254002071870786.post-58043954460408831522019-10-03T19:01:20.537-04:002019-10-03T19:01:20.537-04:00Good evening MJ and thanks for the info, I will be...Good evening MJ and thanks for the info, I will be doing some tests over the weekend to see just what power limit I have before things start to happen. I have ordered the 1115 Balun from Balun designs and it should be here within the week. It is a nice quality 1:1 balun and I will see what difference that makes. <br />Thank very much for the link and the info. <br />73, <br />Mike <br />VE9KK VE9KK https://www.blogger.com/profile/04720839744779758420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2968254002071870786.post-91243623050977720662019-10-03T18:58:10.331-04:002019-10-03T18:58:10.331-04:00Good evening john again very nice to hear from you...Good evening john again very nice to hear from you, it's funny just before I read your comment I came up with the same idea! I tried 10 feet, 15 feet and 20 and it was all the same. But it was worth a shot but after the tests I placed an order for the Balun Designs 1115 balun. So when that comes in we shall see how things turn out. <br />73, <br />Mike <br />VE9KK VE9KK https://www.blogger.com/profile/04720839744779758420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2968254002071870786.post-3897052413222362642019-10-03T18:55:40.891-04:002019-10-03T18:55:40.891-04:00Good evening Paul and greetings from New Brunswick...Good evening Paul and greetings from New Brunswick, the W1SFR balun does not have a counterpoise connection. The design of the Endfed is that it uses the coax as the counterpoise. With regards to having 20 feet of coax before the house I have about 45 feet of coax before it enters the house so I am good there. Thanks for the facebook info during the weekend I will check that out. <br />Have a good Friday and weekend Paul and again thanks for the info. <br />73, <br />Mike <br />VE9KKVE9KK https://www.blogger.com/profile/04720839744779758420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2968254002071870786.post-81580629747307625742019-10-03T11:33:17.056-04:002019-10-03T11:33:17.056-04:00Hi Mike - one thing you might try before buying a ...Hi Mike - one thing you might try before buying a balun is to use a different length of coax coming into your shack from the antenna. If you have it on hand, try to jumper in an additional 10 feet or so and see if it makes a difference.<br /><br />73 - John AE5XJohn AE5Xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06884676867006975179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2968254002071870786.post-86841222255419890172019-10-03T10:29:32.014-04:002019-10-03T10:29:32.014-04:00Been there. Does the W1SFR balun have a counterpoi...Been there. Does the W1SFR balun have a counterpoise connection? I had rf in the shack issues until I installed a 20' wire counterpoise (just laid on the ground). Without that wire the coax shield is the counterpoise. <br /><br />Alternately you could add a 1:1 isolation balun before the coax enters the house but you need 20' of coax before the 1:1 balun. See Balun Designs Model 1115.<br /><br />There is a good thread about end feds and grounds on Facebook > Stealth Antennas at the moment.<br /><br />Good Luck and congrats on the move.<br /><br />73,<br />Paul VA3ZC VA3ZChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12703376340249135169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2968254002071870786.post-1408071755488775112019-10-03T02:11:22.042-04:002019-10-03T02:11:22.042-04:00Mike, the endfed may not be the best antenna ever ...Mike, the endfed may not be the best antenna ever but if well made a antenna tuner should not be needed. At least not for the center part of the bands it is made for. I got a 3 band endfed which is 1:1 at center of 40m, 20, and 10m. Have been using it portable with 50W without any problems. However since the coax is used as counterpoise RFI problems are easily created. I would recommend a 1:1 balun as well both at the feedpoint as directly behind the radio. There are some other things you could do like connecting a wire counterpoise at the earth screw of your radio. Another thing comes to mind when viewing your SWR....since your antenna runs parallel to the house...does the house have something in it that radiates like zinc raingutters or alu strips? This could seriously change the SWR. Sorry to say but a SWR of 4,5 might be tuned by your tuner in the radio but still at the antenna it is wrong and creates a lot of loss (coax!). A SWR below 2 is acceptable. At least the SWR on 17m is good and it seems propagation is good these days on that band at daylight. Good luck, 73, BasPE4BAS, Bashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12958141238330445285noreply@blogger.com