Endfedz 80-10-jr-kw

Found the above antenna while searching for a solution to the problem i was getting with my UKantenna 10-80 endfed.
Well it looked interesting and had a link to the installation manual.
Victor you know what's coming.
In the manual it has all the details everything you need to know (will link the advert with the manual download).
Well having just bought 2 ferrite's 240-43 and a roll of wire i had hanging around i started to look around for something to wrap the coils on.
Well i found the ideal thing silicone tubes and nearly empty at that.
So i first made the 49:1 unun and put the last of the silicone to good use.
Spent yesterday making the coils and measuring the wires  putting eyelets on and all that.
Had some shopping to do with the station commander Linda this morning so after lunch i sat in the shack pondering shall i put it up will have to take the other one down ?????.
Anyway the long and the short of it i have just finished putting it up and blow me it only works if i could run i would have done 10 laps of the garden but as i struggle to walk i thought i would sit in the shack and write this.
Link to the manual.
http://www.vibroplex.com/contents/en-us/p3512.html

Hi Alan,

All sounds good mate and does that now give you good access to 80m etc?

I like the sound of you converting your original antenna to the other and well done with getting it all working. (Love even more the idea of winding your own toroids and making use of those silicone tubes! )

I shall look out for your call sign on those lower bands now.
 
So far I've found not much activity at 160m despite receiving PSKReports South around Europe and North as far as Scotland. They must all be 'monitoring' FT8 rather than transmitting?!

Enjoy the fruits of your labours mate and I'll hobble around that garden with you in celebration.
(I just punch the air in joy nowadays!)


All the best,
Victor

Thanks for that one Victor.
I have put the old UKantennas in a box in the old shed.
This one i made from scratch all of it.
Needs a bit of tuning as it is slightly out on all bands but the tuner is taking care of that for now.
Need to alter the coils but the Mk2 is in the planning stage at the moment.
Just been down the builders yard and scrounged some marley pipe around 1mtr of it they had lining about they didn't know why they had it as they only sell it in 4mtr lengths so i helped them tidy the pipe rack by removing it for them they did look puzzled when i told them what i wanted it for and gladly gave it to me.
Some stainless bolts and shrink wrap on order so the Mk2 should look better.
Cot some wire but will need to source some more soon but not found any yet well i did but the price was way too high but will keep looking so the Mk3 will be out later this year lol.

Edit.
The SWR is under 2 on all bands but top band is not playing YET.

Edit Edit.
Just had.
Z6/KN4P Republic of kosovo
4O4DB   Montenegro
HI3T Dominican Republic.
Plus the good old USA.

Ah, totally from scratch - flipping well done mate!

I'm afraid I never did find a source of good external antenna wire at any sort of reasonable price but when I played with an experimental end fed I did use some wire type washing line(!) It's not as actually lossy as many would make out, won't rust and nicely UV resistant plastic coated. Comes in 20m (66 foot) lengths and cheap as chips too.


Builders yards can be great with short or off-cut lengths of plastic pipe and as you say some so bemused with alternative uses that they'll bung you a bit for free.

Sounds like you're almost there mate and getting <=2 SWR is good going with as you say an ATU or internal tuner being able to handle those numbers.

160m on a really short antenna is a bit of a challenge with most ATU's running out of steam which was why I investigated and built my own ATU for it. Adding 80m, 40m & 30m to it was to see how much I could get out of it but the link-coupling prevents less turns for the higher bands. Seeing as 160m has been totally lacklustre I may well just go back to my Pi match or maybe play with a T type but keep it just in case.


Well done again Alan, I do like to see a bit of homebrew and especially with antennas as most can manage those sort of projects.

Cutting your own lengths of wire certainly beats paying someone else to do it!

Plus winding your own toroids/coils can be less frustrating than first thought.

Getting a good QSO on a homebrew antenna can be enough to fill you with a smile often.


All the best,
Victor

It was handy that they gave dimensions in the manual.
Plus they tell you how to tune it.
They won't sell many lol.

Oh they will Alan as not everyone likes cutting bits of wire preferring straight out of the box solutions.

Added an extra 14" to it yesterday to get the SWR a bit lower well that is what i ended up with after trimming bit by bit.
Working well this morning on the 40m band and didn't knock my internet off like it did.

All sounds good Alan.  

I did see your call sign flash across the WJST-X window on 30m this morning as I was working my way upwards for any action. (17/15/12m was going barmy for a while with Japan!)

Working on 80m? (I know, bit useless during daylight hours but wondered if you could match her up.)

80m will match up no problem but not top band.
It did match a week or 2 ago but not now but working on it.
Been reading up on wire antennas to find a solution but not got anywhere yet.

You all sound good to go on those lower bands then which is great.
(Especially if it doesn't knock your internet out!)

I've not had much luck down on 160m so far, plenty of PSKReports from my signals but nothing more in the way of replies. My setup is definitely a lot more NVIS but expected, however spanning the UK and the Continent it's doing OK. I'm hoping for some better action as we roll on towards winter.

(Been reading some old reports with Hams working 160m on 500mW with SSB!)

Your ATU might run out of steam down at those frequencies Alan which was why I had to build an ATU to get there. The reactance plummets usually requiring some hefty inductance which adds to the losses but despite the maths you can make it work in practice. (Even if 'impractically' so but I do love to have a go!)

Working on it lol.
Bing Hong Kong VR25XMT on 17M FT4.

Edit The bartender doesn't confirm.

Australia this morning on the now modified new antenna.
VK7AC 30m ft8.

Nice one Alan.

Those VK/ZL's can really romp in on that dawn greyline especially when it's a more manageable time as we exit summer.

Do love a bit of 30m action and often surprised at what 17m can pull in also.

Never use 30 in the past as tuner wouldn't handle it.
With this aerial it seems to tune any any band i put it on.
40-20-15 and 10 don't need a tuner since i did my little mod.
It needs tidying up now so going to make it again well change the wire got some of the steel coated stuff to go up when the grass dries out.