The Par End Fed is 45 ft. and covers 1-30 Mhz. The MFJ version has lengths between 23-125 feet long and has different coverage. Made different? Which is better for 1-30 Mhz coverage? Thanks
PAR End - fed SWL wire antenna vs MFJ version
- Thread starter bearcatrp
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MFJ version makes them for use on different meters...80...40...20, etc. PARS 42' version receives actually from 3-30 megs. If you want to receive lower bands you put on more length- hence longer gives more bandwidth.
And from what I have seen in the catalog is that the ones that MFJ makes are for TX. Rather expensive being you just want to receive, correct?
Correct. Will stick with the Par End. Will be ordering next week.
I have the PAR SWL and it is a fantastic antenna. Check out the reviews on https://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/3707
Ryangn
Member
I have the PAR and I think it is a great antenna. Works great. I do know others that have purchased the PAR and have replaced the antenna wire with a longer one - something for you to think about in the future if that is what may meet your needs better. MFJ in my opinion doesn't make the highest quality stuff so I tend to stay away from them.
Good to hear good comments on the Par End. I'll start with the original to see how it does. How are yours configured? Will be starting with horizontal around 15 feet. will go from there. Thanks for your responses.
Mighty Fine Junk
Did I just say that?
Did I just say that?
belvdr
No longer interested in living
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I recommend myantennas.com. The one I used worked pretty well at 136'.
Ordered a bit ago along with new coax.
ridgescan
Member
You're going to enjoy that PAR. When you get it, short the two ground lugs together on the 9:1 trans box and run a 30-40' counterpoise wire out from one of those lugs. I just did this and it's way more effective for signal-to-noise than the hard ground to building copper pipe was. I run that counterpoise wire underneath the PAR antenna wire so it looks like a double-wire antenna to the layman's eye but we know that only the top wire is the antenna. Major improvement in MW and decent S/N in shortwave. (THANKS MAJOCO FOR THIS TIP
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TailGator911
Silent Key/KF4ANC
I love my PAR, but something must be wrong somewhere. I plan to redo when I get back home, maybe add some wire, too. I was not satisfied with the performance once I went to an online SDR and could not hear as well as I thought. Adding a loop, too. Time for HF overhaul.
Let us know what you find out tailgator911. I plan to start with the regular Par End, then go from there. How do you add wire to it though? Ridgescan, I still have a long wire from radio shack I never used. I'll get the part number and post it. Will this work for counterpoise wire?
ridgescan
Member
Sure any wire will do it. I'm using #12AWG stranded coated wire for my 45' counterpoise. My 100' antenna wire is #12AWG solid bare wire that's been up there about 6 years so far.
Adding wire to the PAR is easy just be sure that you secure the PAR trans box mount sturdy enough to handle extra wire in wind and stuff pulling on it.
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
Even if your antenna and radio are the same, you really can't compare performance between you and a remote radio. Different region of the country will propagate differently on HF, height of the antenna, any extras the remote might have (additional filtering, etc.) are all going to play a role. Just go for the best you can get for your area. Mike
Oh great, now you tell me. I just spent a fortune upgrading a remote rig near Dallas, TX and Boston, MA and I'm at the Boston site right now. Think of all the $$ in equipment and travel I could have saved if you had mentioned this earlier. I guess I'll go home now and try to be happy with the radios there.
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
Using a remote is quite the trend that has developed in the last couple of years. This is especially true when you're trying to hear a station you can't hear at your home due to propagation differences - often due to the different daylight/darkness patterns in different region. Still (and to get back on topic), there's nothing wrong with trying to improve your antenna choices. Old Sol ain't going to be kind to us for awhile, so the better the antenna, the better your results.
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It’s I think 100 feet of bare wire. Planing on attaching the box toward bottom of tree, run about 15 feet, then out to a pvc pole that I will set up. Now if I double the length down the road, then can put the end on another tree. Should be here Monday. North/south is the best? Does Par make an extension wire to add more wire to the original?
ridgescan
Member
For your counterpoise wire I think 45-50' long is best-no need to run 100' counterpoise from what I've read.
Par only supplies the 44' coated flex wire which is a very nice wire by the way (I still have mine tucked away somewhere-I need to go find it. But if you want to put up a longer wire, you can get rolls of coated wire at Home Depot-100' is like $28.00 for some nice #12AWG coated solid copper wire. To me it's worth that little price for better signals and nice strong wire that'll stay up there
I forgot to say about the wire direction-I suppose you should start with the wire's broad sides facing east-west (the end tip of the wire pointed north) this will probably yield the most signals. But being where you are up there in Minnesota, a lot of good stuff in SW happens to the south of you-so I'd say get that 100' wire and do what I did, run it as an "L" configuration horizontally. This makes the wire sort of omni-directional as it will capture stuff from all 4 directions
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Appreciate your help ridgescan. Can't wait to try it.
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