End Feds? Par 40/20 vs EARCHI 40-6m - Page 1

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - End Feds? Par 40/20 vs EARCHI 40-6m

Posted: 8/5/2014 8:49:44 AM EDT

Any opinions on which of these end feds would perform better on the 20 and 40m bands? I need a stealthy antenna for a hoa/wife controlled house. If the performance is similar, I may get some other bands as bonus on the 40-6, but I would need to be able to tune it with the internal tuner of a TS 2000.

Thanks

Posted: 8/5/2014 10:06:49 AM EDT

[#1]

I own neither but I have wound my own 9:1 and used 31' of wire similar to the Hawaii one. My 2000 will tune it no problem.

While it isn't the best antenna it has always been able to get me own the air. Last year I just got moved into our new house the last day of the 13 colonies special event. In one day I got 5 stations with that antenna about 10' off the ground.

Posted: 8/5/2014 10:15:35 AM EDT

[#2]

I use the Hawaii EARC with 33' of wire running up inside a 31' Jackite pole. I am able to tune it and make contacts on 15, 17, 20, 30 and 40m. I've been very happy with it and have made over 300 DX contacts so far this year (it's all DX from here).

Posted: 8/5/2014 10:35:59 AM EDT

[#3]

I have the EF-10, EF-20, and EF-40.

I have NOT tuned any of them yet.

I have not tried the 40m yet.

The 10 and 20 are <2 SWR all the way across the band portions I want. I will no longer be packing the tuner on any hikes.

I do need to hang them up and tune them though.

Posted: 8/5/2014 11:01:11 AM EDT

[#4]

To clarify: the Par antenna I been looking at is the EF-40/20 100w version that have the little attachment in the middle that is supposed to make it tuned for 20m as well as 40m half waves.

I can also drop a line from the unun / matching network down towards the ground from where the feed point would be which will be at approx. 33ft off the ground out side a 3rd story window, to act as a counterpoise, if that would help.

Posted: 8/5/2014 12:13:06 PM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:
To clarify: the Par antenna I been looking at is the EF-40/20 100w version that have the little attachment in the middle that is supposed to make it tuned for 20m as well as 40m half waves.

I can also drop a line from the unun / matching network down towards the ground from where the feed point would be which will be at approx. 33ft off the ground out side a 3rd story window, to act as a counterpoise, if that would help.

View Quote

I have this antenna installed at the shack now and use it frequently with my KX3, 7200, and 703+. It's the third LNR EndFedz I've bought (EF-10/20/40MKII, and EF-10/20/40 Trail Friendly). Tried it with and without the little 20m stub hanging down and didn't notice much of a difference. Left it off because the antenna is less noticeable without it. Resonant, so tuner is not needed. Beat my other two favorite portable HF antennas in my Three Antenna Projects.

Posted: 8/5/2014 1:29:16 PM EDT

[#6]

I've used the trail friendly one with decent enough results. As always getting stuff high enough for good performance is always the issue.

Also realize that these things are basically half a dipole so the gain will be about half that of a dipole.

Posted: 8/5/2014 1:38:21 PM EDT

[#7]

I have the PAR 40/20/10 which worked great on all bands, no tuner required. Last year I replaced the wire with 66' if Flex-weave making my antenna a 1/2 wave on 40m. By doing this I increased the bandwidth on 40 and 20 and I don't need to use a tuner at all. However I lost 10m.

Posted: 8/5/2014 1:54:43 PM EDT

[#8]

End fed "Easy-tenna" from maple leaf studios.

Posted: 8/5/2014 4:48:18 PM EDT

[#9]

Thanks for the great reviews of the 2 types of endfeds...but it still does not help me much in the decision of picking the unun based or the tuned wire with the matching net....I would like to belive the Par antenna would be better performing, but how much? Are they close enough to chose the unun based antenna type that can be tuned to other bands in addition to 20 and 40? Of course the arfcom answers would be: get both!!

But I can only put up one, at least for now....so which would you chose if it could be your only HF antenna for at least the near future?

Posted: 8/5/2014 5:53:05 PM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m17/BigDaddy0004/LNREndFedzMatchBox_zpsdad9dfe9.jpg

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Mantis nets you another 2.15dbi

Posted: 8/5/2014 7:47:11 PM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:
But I can only put up one, at least for now....so which would you chose if it could be your only HF antenna for at least the near future?

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I've never used either one (I do have a 40m EndFedz, and I like it), but...

I would get the Earchi 40-6 meter antenna, and make good use of my tuner. 8 bands trumps 2 bands. I think you will be missing out on a lot of contacts if you limit yourself to 2 bands. But remember, they do recommend at least 16 feet of coax when using that antenna.

Earchi 40-6 Meter antenna:
40m
30m
20m
17m
15m
12m
10m
6m

Par EndFedz EF 40/20 Meter antenna:
40m
20m

That's what I would do.

Posted: 8/6/2014 4:30:21 PM EDT

[#12]

I went ahead and ordered the EARCHI 40-6m with a modified unun that had a terminal for a counterpoise.
We will see which bands my TS-2000 will tune on it. Cant wait to finally have a HF antenna, even though it's a very compromised one.

I will mount it from my 3rd story window sill, stretched across my backyard to some trees in the back with some heavier gauge fishing line, hopefully leaving it stealthy enough to avoid the gestapo HOAs attention.
I will also attach a wire to the counterpoise terminal and drop it down the side of my house towards the ground.

Should have it up and running in a bout a week.

Posted: 8/6/2014 4:41:06 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
I went ahead and ordered the EARCHI 40-6m with a modified unun that had a terminal for a counterpoise.
We will see which bands my TS-2000 will tune on it. Cant wait to finally have a HF antenna, even though it's a very compromised one.

I will mount it from my 3rd story window sill, stretched across my backyard to some trees in the back with some heavier gauge fishing line, hopefully leaving it stealthy enough to avoid the gestapo HOAs attention.
I will also attach a wire to the counterpoise terminal and drop it down the side of my house towards the ground.

Should have it up and running in a bout a week.

View Quote

I don't think you'll need a separate counterpoise, mine doesn't have one. As I understand it, the coax acts as the counterpoise.

You'll enjoy your "very compromised" antenna, I've used mine to talk around the world.

Posted: 8/6/2014 5:13:26 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:

I don't think you'll need a separate counterpoise, mine doesn't have one. As I understand it, the coax acts as the counterpoise.

You'll enjoy your "very compromised" antenna, I've used mine to talk around the world.

View Quote

Since I'll feed it straight from my 3rd story window sill, I don't want the coax radiating inside the house etc, and after having a chat with one of the guys form EARC, he offered to make one their new version that they will transition to in September, that have a counterpoise terminal on it.

Posted: 8/7/2014 4:58:59 AM EDT

[#15]

On my 9:1 antenna setup I sometimes hook the 3" jumper onto the kx3. When I do it that way I can't tune anything better than a 2:1, if I put something as small as a 2' counterpoise I can tune them all.

Posted: 8/7/2014 10:58:30 AM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
I went ahead and ordered the EARCHI 40-6m with a modified unun that had a terminal for a counterpoise.

View Quote

I went ahead and ordered one of these also. It will work better for my surroundings than the OCF dipole I was planning.

Curious to see how well my internal tuner will tune it.

Posted: 8/9/2014 11:35:08 AM EDT

[#17]

Got my antenna in the mail today. Now i just have to get a line up in a tree at the back of my yard later today.

With no slingshot, I'm going to try with a weight...problem is I want to get pretty high up....will see how it works out.

Posted: 8/9/2014 2:34:31 PM EDT

[#18]

Tuned the 40m today, needed almost 20" cut off!

The 20m and 10m were perfect as shipped.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Posted: 8/9/2014 3:20:36 PM EDT

[#19]

Let us know how you like it.

A while back, I started home brewing an Earchi 40-6m antenna. I wound the toroid, and it has been sitting here on my desk ever since. One day I'm going to finish it.

Posted: 8/9/2014 5:45:03 PM EDT

[#20]

So the antenna is up...now I have to get used to reading though the noise. Someone(OZ1BCG) running 1KW in Denmark is comming in very well on 7.183 running a pile up.

Posted: 8/31/2014 11:34:27 AM EDT

[#21]

Well the Earchi is not all it's cracked up to be for me. I guess I'll go back to plan A and build the OCF dipole.

Posted: 8/31/2014 1:12:11 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
Well the Earchi is not all it's cracked up to be for me. I guess I'll go back to plan A and build the OCF dipole.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23684163/earchi.png

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What was the problem?

Posted: 8/31/2014 1:33:44 PM EDT

[#23]

I gained 40meters, but loss 20

Posted: 8/31/2014 2:03:31 PM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:
I gained 40meters, but loss 20

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So the antenna tuner in your rig won't tune it on 20 meters? Is that the issue?

Posted: 8/31/2014 4:10:26 PM EDT

[#25]

My erachi will tune on 6,10,12,15,17,20 and 40 with a 30' wire(TS2000 internal tuner). Only 30m is a no go. I have gotten as far as to khazackstan and Japan on several bands and see my signal picked up in Australia on pskreporter.

And this is on a wire stringed from my window sills down to a tree behind my house...well below the roof of the house.

Posted: 8/31/2014 5:58:06 PM EDT

[#26]

Quote History

Quoted:
I gained 40meters, but loss 20

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How much wire?

Posted: 8/31/2014 6:35:53 PM EDT

[#27]

Whatever they supply you with. I think it's 30 feet.

Posted: 8/31/2014 7:10:28 PM EDT

[#28]

I just tired my home brew EARCHI for the first time, tonight. The good news, is that my K2 will tune it on everything from 80-10 meters. The bad news, is that no one I tried to contact could hear me.

I had it in a very slight sloper configuration, about 12 feet off the ground at the high end. I suspect I was working pretty close to NVIS as the strongest signals I heard (S-9) were all within about 200 miles. The only contacts I attempted were 800+ miles away, and were not very strong signals. I'd love to try this antenna in a vertical configuration.

I'm guessing 10 watts into an antenna that is 12 above the ground, is not ideal for working DX.

Posted: 8/31/2014 8:16:25 PM EDT

[#29]

I did forget to mention I have a 30' counter poise on mine as well. It may be what makes the difference...

Posted: 9/1/2014 9:37:22 AM EDT

[#30]

Quote History

Quoted:
I did forget to mention I have a 30' counter poise on mine as well. It may be what makes the difference...

View Quote

Try playing around with the wire lengths, it may help. I'm using 31' of wire and have no problems tuning it. I had a crystal clear chat with a guy in Colorado yesterday on 17m and he gave me a S9+20. He was shocked I was using 100w and no beam.

Posted: 9/1/2014 6:16:26 PM EDT

[#31]

FWIW I've had both the End Fedz 10/20/40 Mk1 and the 10/20/40 Trail Friendly version. It's my favorite antenna to date for portable and stealth setups. Yeah it's a little pricey for a matchbox and wire, but it comes in a clean & neat package, and performs very well. Just my $0.02 :)

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - End Feds? Par 40/20 vs EARCHI 40-6m

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