Anyone here run any of the S9 verticals with a tuner mounted at the base, rather than in the shack?

I believe Mr_Harry has an S9v31 that has an SG-230 mounted at the base...He should be around shortly, I bet.

I have an S9v43, but my tuner is in the shack.

So how well do they work?

Do you have an install thread? I'm curious.

So long as you don't want to run QRO, the S9 with a tuner at the base is a great setup. Make sure you plan your antenna in such a manner, that you can put out an acceptable radial field.

I've been very happy with mine.  I'd buy another in a heartbeat if this one died.

ARCHIVED THREAD - S9v43 Vertical Antenna - "Just Buy It" or Try a DIY Vertical Wire?

I'm trying to decide between the 31 and the 43.  I'd like to keep 80M and stick with the KISS theory, which again means going with the 43ft and having 80M without having to use a coil.

I guess my question is, how hard is it on the S9's to add more wire to the top to make it an inverted L?

Reason I ask, is that if it's not too hard to add a horizontal wire from the top, I'd go with the 31ft, and I could make it work well on 80M and probably fair on 160M as an inverted L.

Bringing the tuner into the question, do you have a control cable from the tuner into the shack?  Was planning on running one of my AH-4 tuners from the base, and bringing the control cable into my shack, but, was wondering if anyone's experience any RF on the control wires.

RF intrusion is most likely not going to be an issue, assuming you bury it and also bury your coax.  You can and should have lightning protection on your control line, and that will effectively ground your control line before it enters the shack.

I would use something like this.


As far as making it run on 160m, I am going to have to think about the best solution for that.  I have typically thought adding a coil for 160 is the best solution.  Using one would require quite a bit of engineering. And using an antenna switch to switch in and out the coil and antenna tuner would be the way I would go. But in practice a lot more thought would have to go in to it.   Also single verticals on 160m do not receive very well so having a separate RX antenna wouldn't be a bad idea.

How much property do you have? It is kind of important for figuring out how to best accomplish a good radial field for your vertical for any band.

I have the S9v31 with a SGC DS-230 autouner at the base and 32 sixteen foot radials.
It works well for me and lets me operate on all HF bands.

The advantage it that your feed line has a very low SWR so the power is going to the antenna not being wasted in the coax.


You need to think about where you will mostly operate the 31 foot is better if you primarily work 40 and up.
If you use the 43' on the upper hf bands your angle of radiation gets pretty high (follows the wire)

That thought had crossed my mind...  Primarily, I like working 40M and up, but, I would like to have the availability for 80M and 160M for the winter months.



My backyard is only ~ 60'x30'.  Not too much space for anything large yet semi-hidden.



So far, that's the plan.  I am trying to find either metal bury flex conduit to bury from the feedpoint to the house, with a ground rod at each end.  If I can't come up with a good plan there, I'll have to hope I can bury it deep enough in plastic conduit to where the ground helps with the RF (if I have any when I get the antenna up).

Radials are going to be my biggest problem.  With all the trees in the backyard, I don't have much grass, just a lot of pine needles from the trees.  Plus, a 100lb furball in the backyard, might play hell with keeping the radials where I want them.

Darn you BD.... I just looked at R&L and these things are CHEAP. However, they don't have the 31' in stock. Probably better off that way since I need to go there for HT antennas this week.

For the money spent in conduit, you can buy direct bury coax and PE shielded control line cable.  As far as your radial system goes, what about using an edger to make trenches for it?

I used an S9 18' with an AH4 tuner at the base.  I coiled the control cable and the coax from the tuner around 4" PVC pipe, like 20 turns to help cancel out RF.  Laid out as many radial as I could, around 25 or so and around 20' each with a few at 30'.  Held the radials down with landscape staples.  Last change was to add another 30 + feet of wire to the top and bring it back to the house as an inverted L.  Total length was one of the random wire "magic numbers", around 52' maybe?  Tuned well on 6-80.  Have moved and now have a 135' dipole fed by 600 ohm ladder line with the AH4 connected to the ladder line.  Same setup back to the shack.

I stapled down the radials
I used bury-flex for the coax and sprinkler wire for the control wire.

I don't have any issue with stray RF, if you are worried about it put a few beads on the cables Past the Radial Field

I run an S9V31 with an Icom AH-4 tuner with my Gobox as an emergency antenna and seems to work fine.  I haven't tested it extensively but with a few radials (4) seems to work fine.  Sorry cant be of much help, but will try to test a little more and post results!

its advantages over the random length wire you can run with the same tuner is the takeoff angle allowing for more DX communication (if you wish).  I spliced a length of wire to the tip of the antenna and I can run it in an L shape allowing better take-off angle and beam pattern for Emergency Communication.  It also allows me to tune the 80m!

As inexpensive as ferritechokes are, it behooves any hf op to have at least a 10 pack sitting around waiting to be used.  Obviously IF you have the money and time to make an adequate grounding system they are not too necessary.  However, an adequate ground system is nothing to sneeze at.

I run a DXE 43' vertical that's very similar, with a tuner at the base. In my opinion it's about the "perfect" antenna
short of a tower-mounted yagi (which would suck for net operations anyway.)

You need a decent radial field but it doesn't have to be insane. I have 32 24-foot radials. I started with a SG-237
tuner but "upgraded" to a MFJ unit when I went QRO.

A fair number of us run DXE or S9 31' or 43' verticals, I don't think I've seen anyone complain that it wasn't
a good antenna yet.