Wire antenna for HF ?

[bearcatrp]

Want to see if I am doing anything wrong. I have a par end fed wire antenna. I took the box thing that hooks to my coax and attached 60 feet of wire and ran the wire about 50 feet through my trees. Is there supposed to be something on the end of the wire or ok to tie off on a tree? I ran it this way last winter on a Icom 705. Seemed to work ok but the noise level was a bit high. Got away from it for a bit and looking to get back into HF listening. Don't have the 707 so am looking for a good HF rig. Have my R30 for now. My other post of the super antenna responses was not a good idea. So, going back to a wire, want a better experience. Have googled allot on this. Suggestions welcomed.

 

[KK2DOG]

Normally the end of the wire is attached to a small glass insulator and a rope is attached to the other end of the insulator.
The rope is then tied around whatever you're using to support the wire. Leave enough slack in the wire to allow for wind, etc.

 

[ka3jjz]

The 'box thing' is a balun with 3 different posts on it. Have you tried fooling around with the various connections? There are any number of ways to mount this antenna, depending on your circumstances. And you will need to experiment; every installation is different, and will react differently. No one solution will be the 'perfect' solution. This antenna really isn't quite a plug and play - it does take some experimentation. Did you try grounding one of the lugs? Changing the jumpers at the box?

The instruction sheet (found at the very bottom of this link) talks about this a little...YouTube isn't going to be much help here.

Par EndFedz® EF-SWL receive antenna

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Most folks i know that make a permanent installation in a tree use a rope and pully combination to account for swaying. Just leaving slack in the wire is fine for a temporary fix, but one good storm that make the tree sway too much, and there goes the antenna.

It should work just fine with the R30 - just remember the basic rules of HF propagation, and that we're really in the doldrums solar-wise; whether this cycle is going to be any better than the last is pure speculation at this point.

Mike

 

[ka3jjz]

I would also check the RF Gain on the R30 - probably want that at about 80% or so just so you can get a feel for how the antenna is working / not working. Don't judge it on a couple of hours - propagation can and does change from day to day, and sometimes more often than that. 6 Mhz in the middle of the evening ought to be chock full of stuff....Mike

 

[bearcatrp]

Thanks folks. Have not tried hooking wire to other posts on the balun. the 2 center posts have a wire connecting them together. I hooked up to the end post like the wire that was attached when I got it. Already had storms come through and screwed with the wire despite leaving slack. One of the reasons I posted about using the super antenna. Still might give that a try and compare. I did not attach the end glass piece to the wire that came with the original wire. I used my current long wire in the trees with my IC 705 before I sold that. Been away from HF since except using the R30 periodically. Using a handheld isn't cutting it for me so on the hunt for another HF rig, which I have another post about that. Looking at a used Icom R75, a Icom IC 718 and also considering the IC 7300. Like using the big knobs so don't want to use the R30.

 

[ka3jjz]

You didn't mention whether you grounded any of the posts....anyway, why not get another 705? As I understand it, the general coverage part of the radio is very capable....Mike

 

[bearcatrp]

Yeah, some times I regret selling the 705. But its gone so not sure I want to spend that much, even though am considering the 7300. The R75 should fit the bill but my worry is repairs if it goes south on me. I did not ground the posts. Would grounding on the far end of the wire work? Or should grounding closer to the radio be better? Also, the wire I use has a plastic coating on it. From what I have read, shouldn't be an issue.

 

[ka3jjz]

Did you read the instruction sheet, the link for which I supplied above? There's at the very end of the page for the antenna

Mike

 

[Ubbe]

Seemed to work ok but the noise level was a bit high.

If your neighbours are close by or if you have electronics in your house and also perhaps LED lights, and who hasn't, it will be a high noise level. Try and have the antenna as far away as possible from the house and put ferrite rings or clamps on the coax to stop the hash from your house traveling on the coax up to your antenna, or to your receiver if it is badly screened.

/Ubbe

 

[bearcatrp]

I live out in the country so no close neighbors. The wire goes out my back window, up a tree next to the house, across 2 trees (south to north), then i tied it off to a lower branch. I did work pretty good but sometimes the noise level was just nuts, while other times dead quiet. I hang my coax out the window to hook up to the balun. But I have nothing on the end of the wire, which sounds like may be the issue. Not grounding may be another issue. Have read the instructions on different methods to deploy. Guess mine could be considered an upside down L.

 

[Ubbe]

But I have nothing on the end of the wire, which sounds like may be the issue.

I wouldn't think so. It only affect the impedance and detunes the antenna if the wire are in contact with a tree or any branches, but very little so. It mostly are of higher importance if you transmit with several kW that you can get arcs from the antenna at the high impedance points that will have several thousands of volt. No problem at receive levels.

If the noise comes and goes it has to be some bad electric devices. A washing machine or a pump or similar that are not on continuously. If it stays on for long periods of time you can take a portable AM radio and try to tune to a frequency where you hear the same type of noise and then walk around and try and find the strongest signal.

/Ubbe

 

[bearcatrp]

Would the house heater when kicked in cause some of that interference? Last winter, I snaked the wire into the house, came through one of the heater vents, to my chair in living room. The plastic coating is still on. But did have contact with the heater vent itself.

 

[Ubbe]

Would the house heater when kicked in cause some of that interference?

The easiest test for all electric devices are to power them off, pull circuit breakers, remove fuses and so on just to test if it's something inside your home that interferes.

/Ubbe

 

[bearcatrp]

Thanks for the tip.

 

[bearcatrp]

Would burying a wire say 20 feet, then up in the trees be a bad idea?

 

[ka3jjz]

One word - very.

If you're going to use wire antennas in trees, you will realize at some point that you will need to compensate for the sway when storms hit. As I think I mentioned before, a rope / pulley system is usually what folks would use in this case. However if you have a fixed point to which you can attach - a pole is ideal - that's a better option. Do NOT use abandoned electrical poles- in some places they are still considered property of the electrical company.

As an alternative, do you have a large porch that you can use (or a similar structure) on which to create a wire loop? You might be better off with this, particularly with a handheld. Something like this, for example....

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How about mounting the PAR as a sloper? That might work better as its more mechanically stable than mounting it on a tree.

You appear to have many options, being out in the country like that. That is the envy of many. THINK!

Mike

 

[bearcatrp]

Never thought about a slope. My discone is about 30 feet in the air. Could put one end on top, then slope to the ground. Antenna pole doesn’t move much in high winds. Just have to buy 50 feet of coax. Thanks.

 

[w2xq]

You say you live out in the country. Assuming your house is electrically quiet and power lines and poles are ruled out, so you have farmers' electric fences in your area? Growing up in such an area, I heard fences up to ~2 miles distant. Good luck.

 

[ka3jjz]

Very true. Electric fences are great radiators of noise with all that 'antenna'. In such cases, loops placed as far away from them as possible are a good answer. Even the wire loops I mentioned would work better than a plain wire antenna, even a PAR, in many cases

Mike

 

[bearcatrp]

I know of one place close with electric fences. About 6 blocks from me. Will look around to see if others are using them. Will look into the wire loop. Thanks.