Chameleon SPIKE mount.

[gil]

Gil.

[RadioRay]

Very Cool -

I like the quick-up/down thinking that goes into this and as you pointed-out: It's a wise company who listens to their customer base. So, what's next: titanium ?

73 de RadioRay  ..._  ._

[NCGunDude]

What's the purpose of pouring a liquid around the stake site, better conductivity to ground?

Does it help? Thanks!

[gil]

What's the purpose of pouring a liquid around the stake site, better conductivity to ground?

Yes.

Does it help? Thanks!

Probably...

Gil.

[CroPrepper]

50$ for a stainless stick with a screw thread is quite cheeky [emoji848]

Via TapaTalk

[Jon_Garfio]

50$ for a stainless stick with a screw thread is quite cheeky [emoji848]

Via TapaTalk

Amen

Enviado desde mi Redmi Note 4 mediante Tapatalk

[CroPrepper]

I just browsed their website looking for those vertical portable antennas. I don't understand why they are so ridiculously expensive. Same thing with Alpha EZ antennas. Any other suggestions for portable verticals with reasonable prices? Do the mfj telescopics work good?

Via TapaTalk

[scarr]

I just browsed their website looking for those vertical portable antennas. I don't understand why they are so ridiculously expensive. Same thing with Alpha EZ antennas. Any other suggestions for portable verticals with reasonable prices? Do the mfj telescopics work good?

From my understanding - perhaps someone else can provide figures on this - all telescoping (e.g. MFJ/Elecraft) and all click together (e.g. Clansman, Chameleon, Alpha) antennas are inherently lossy compared to running a continuous copper wire up a fishing pole. 

You're paying for convenience rather than performance.

If you grab 100 meters of wire, and a fiberglass fishing pole on ebay, you'll have the ingredients for a better performing antenna for a fraction of the price. It may be a little less convenient, but it'll be better on the air and you'll also learn about antenna design...

[gil]

Hello,

Here is my take on this... Indeed a longer fishing pole type mast with a wire will be more efficient, because of its length; the best, of course, being a half wave. The shorter antennas, telescopic or otherwise are only less efficient because they are shorter. We are talking HF here of course and compromise antennas shorter than a quarter wave.

Convenience is indeed what you buy and pay for. I can set up my Chameleon Hybrid Micro and whip faster than anything else... The clamp included in the MPAS system is awesome. Chameleon antennas are expensive, but they make stuff that nobody else makes, or at least not as well. The fact remains that you can indeed copy all those designs for much less money, even if a bit flimsier, but then, well, you could make two or three and still come on top financially. That said, the Hybrid Micro and whip is the antenna I use the most, and I wouldn't sell it. Unless you have a lath and milling machine, you won't make something as nice.

I am testing the QRP-Guys 17ft vertical antenna right now. It isn't an end-fed, but rather a sort of base-loaded vertical with four radials, and is to be used with a fishing pole. Stay tuned for the video...

Wire antennas will always cost less and a UNUN or end-fed tuner are easy and cheap to make. The issue is how to get the wire up in the air... The reason short compromise antennas are so popular is because they solve that problem. They also work quite well down to 30m, even 40m, though I would use them for CW or digital only below 20m.

Gil.

[CroPrepper]

I see your point. But still, I think they are totally overpriced. The Mil-Ext(ension) is 132$, the Mil 105$. The coil over 200$.
I think that is the section of HAM market where you pay for the name. The same thing started to happen in outdoor and bushcraft market. Everything that has "bushcraft" in its name is 75% more expensive. If you buy a stove in a prepper shop you pay twice or more the price than if you buy it at a regular outdoor shop.
Paying almost 400$ for a portable vertical antenna is exaggerated. That's a lot comfort to pay for. Maybe I start to be annoying flaming the prices and bugdets all the time. But as kind of a prepper I can't spend all my budget for one prep. HAM radio is a new skill to learn and to master if god beware, SHTF. Maybe a new hobby and reason going out in the field and simulating bug outs.
It's different if you look at radio amateurism as a new skill for preparedness or as an HAM enthusiast .

[gil]

The Mil-Ext(ension) is 132$

That is why I did not buy it. It is after all just a nice tent pole with a couple fittings. I might get the MFJ-1979 17' telescopic whip instead, though it won't be as strong.

Gil.

[CroPrepper]

The Mil-Ext(ension) is 132$

That is why I did not buy it. It is after all just a nice tent pole with a couple fittings. I might get the MFJ-1979 17' telescopic whip instead, though it won't be as strong.

Gil.

I saw you getting more distant contacts with your simple endfed wire and a tuner then most of the guys using 1000$ antenna rigs. I am looking forward to the qrpguys video.

[gil]

I am looking forward to the qrpguys video.

That will be an interesting one... I built it but haven't tried it yet... It's only $15, a little PCB to wind the wire, two toroids and a couple switches. Reading the Les Moxon book on HF antennas really got me wondering about radials and counterpoises... Moxon suggests using at least two, shorter than a quarter wave so that the radials do not radiate too much. It's pretty interesting because we usually use a single long counterpoise, when a couple shorter ones might be better... Something to experiment with... The QRPGuys vertical uses four 3m radials.

Gil.

[scarr]

Here is my take on this... Indeed a longer fishing pole type mast with a wire will be more efficient, because of its length; the best, of course, being a half wave. The shorter antennas, telescopic or otherwise are only less efficient because they are shorter. We are talking HF here of course and compromise antennas shorter than a quarter wave.

I just want to clarify - I was comparing like with like: a 5m telescoping antenna or click together antenna, to 5m of copper wire.

The connections between the pieces are imperfect, copper is a better conductor than aluminium or steel.. etc.

As I said, I don't have figures for the real world losses and how significant or otherwise they are and am open to correction on this.

The below page reflects losses on continuous lengths, e.g. 5m of solid steel, not factoring in losses through connections.
http://owenduffy.net/antenna/conductors/loss.htm

[gil]

The connections between the pieces are imperfect, copper is a better conductor than aluminium or steel.. etc.

Right, it probably does play a role, the question is, how much? I don't think the difference is significant, but I might be wrong... Some models, of course, would have better connectivity than others... I know conductivity is very important for magnetic loop antennas, but I don't know about verticals. I will say that I do prefer using copper rods or tubes for my antennas rather than aluminum...

Gil.