EFHW Counterpoise Length: What I Learned

Comments · 75

• AA

  @aa3konthego · 1 year ago · pinned

  What are your experiences with different COAX lengths feeding an EFHW.  Please put them here in the comments.

• JO

  @JosephTroisi-w1w · 2 months ago

  I run an ICOM 7300.. I am using a 71 foot non-resonant end-fed with a 9:1 RDG matching unit directly hooked to a 1:1 line isolater connected to 25 feet of coax.  The coax at the transceiver is wrapped around a ferrite core. Now.... I am using a 20 foot counterpoise off the 9:1 unit.  My antenna is a sloper from 25 feet off the ground (out my window) to the garden fence 8 feet off the ground.  This configuration after lots of trials gave the best SWR readings that my radio can "tune".   I get good reports from around the country (I am in NH), Europe, and even New Zealand.  Thanks for the video confirming my observations. 73

  2

• KE

  @kevinmowrey5198 · 1 year ago

  Thank you for your videos

  1

• WI

  @willian.direction6740 · 11 hours ago

  My SOTA EFHW Has 2m of counterpoise,it becomes the tie off for the feedpoint end. I run 3m of RG174 feeder into my kx3.  Done hundreds of SOTA activations with this antenna i made several years ago.  Regards vk5cz..

• SI

  @SignalsAndWavelengths · 1 year ago

  Mark good video. I realized what you where comparing about half way though the video. The counterpoise topic in and of itself is a hot button issue for sure. What would be interesting same test and add a second part, an actual counterpoise vs shielding. Yeh I am going to put my effort where my mouth is lol. I am going to run it myself, simple enough and the curiosity has bit me.

  3

• DE

  @DellFargus · 1 year ago

  On my EFHWs that have a lug for a counterpoise, I run a wire that&apos;s 13 feet and change long off the lug, and I get slightly better results than without the wire.<br>Great comparisons on the coax - very useful information!

  2

• GO

  @GordonHudson · 1 year ago

  Great video. The strange thing about antennas is that someone could put a 40m hamstick on their car and think it was great, but they worry about going to the nth degree everywhere else.

  2

• MA

  @MarkTurner-u8s · 1 year ago

  17ft plus 33ft

  1

• IR

  @IronHam-AF4O · 1 year ago (edited)

  My go to SOTA antenna is a xTenna 20m EFHW (~31ft wire) with a 1m counterpoise. Put a choke at the feedpoint and it is a serious talker on 20m and 10m. <br>Thanks for the video!

  1

• JE

  @jerryKB2GCG · 1 year ago

  you can add a counterpoise to the SpoolTenna

  5

• RO

  @RossbHannemann · 1 year ago

  Mark I always use a counterpoise with my home made travel verticals and an air balun

• JO

  @JonathanAdami · 1 month ago

  the lenght of the coax affects the measurement of the swr just because you measure it at a different point of the standing wave. At the feedpoint the swr is the same!