Build an End-Fed Halfwave antenna and bal-un

[prcguy]

That comes out to a little under .050" dia and a good size.

I bought mine from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Micro-Sport-1-18mm-Lightweight-Braided/dp/B073FMLVZQ/ref=sr_1_2?crid=ESJHC3K22Z1L&dchild=1&keywords=micro+paracord&qid=1605113467&sprefix=micro+paracord%2Caps%2C148&sr=8-2

I mentioned it was 1.8mm before. It's actually 1.18mm. I'm sure you got a better deal, but one spool was enough for my one antenna.

 

[tweiss3]

I bought mine from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Micro-Sport-1-18mm-Lightweight-Braided/dp/B073FMLVZQ/ref=sr_1_2?crid=ESJHC3K22Z1L&dchild=1&keywords=micro+paracord&qid=1605113467&sprefix=micro+paracord%2Caps%2C148&sr=8-2

I mentioned it was 1.8mm before. It's actually 1.18mm. I'm sure you got a better deal, but one spool was enough for my one antenna.

That is the stuff I was looking at as well, even the same color. The wire I got was blue as well.

After thinking about it, I'm going to make a 40m version first, which should fit on the 100' reel no problem.

 

[belvdr]

That is the stuff I was looking at as well, even the same color. The wire I got was blue as well.

After thinking about it, I'm going to make a 40m version first, which should fit on the 100' reel no problem.

For what it's worth, my KX3 can tune the 70' feet of wire to 80m, but of course it comes with the standard short antenna problems.

I was able to use it with FT8 and make contacts on 80/40/20/10.

 

[W5lz]

Wire antennas have two basic characteristics. One is electrical the other mechanical. I've found that if the antenna can hold it's self up during bad weather then it's going to work with out a -lot- of help, then it's going to be able to handle any power I put into it. That's the mechanical part. The electrical part is the same as any other wire antenna no matter the size of wire. Unless it's made for one single frequency it requires re-tuning at times. I have no problem with using a tuner to do that "re-tuning". That's not the best way of thinking about a tuner though. It only does one thing and that's to match impedances (the part that changes with a change in frequency). It doesn't make any actual changes to the antenna.

 

[prcguy]

This thread is about "building an end fed half wave antenna and balun". This is a multiband antenna that doesn't need a tuner on most bands and the 80m version works well on all bands 80 through 10m including WARC and should only need a tuner on 60m. I get about a 1.7:1 to 2:1 match on 17m otherwise all the harmonically related bands are under 1.5:1 and I just connect my big amplifier without a tuner and talk.

The 40m version covers 40, 20, 15 and 10m with a great match and both of these antennas are about as efficient as a center fed dipole fed of the same size fed with ladder line. Wire size and type is up to the builder and you can go big for permanent use that will live through hurricanes or go light for portable low power use.

Wire antennas have two basic characteristics. One is electrical the other mechanical. I've found that if the antenna can hold it's self up during bad weather then it's going to work with out a -lot- of help, then it's going to be able to handle any power I put into it. That's the mechanical part. The electrical part is the same as any other wire antenna no matter the size of wire. Unless it's made for one single frequency it requires re-tuning at times. I have no problem with using a tuner to do that "re-tuning". That's not the best way of thinking about a tuner though. It only does one thing and that's to match impedances (the part that changes with a change in frequency). It doesn't make any actual changes to the antenna.