New Test Antenna for N8RR

[Charlie Young]

I am getting ready to install a new test antenna for 160 and 80, a MyAntenna 4KW  160 and 80M End Fed Half Wave (EFHW).   Bought one oof these before but W8IW traded me out of it before I could install it.

MEF-104-4K – MyAntennas.com

K8RRT bought one and deployed it this season.  He is using it on 160 and it seems to work well for him.    David's antenna works good as well. 

I really don't know what to expect compared to these inverted L's, which are all currently down.  It is no big deal, I will find out soon enough. My L's are not optimally deployed and this end fed should have fewer ground losses.   The matching transformer is rated at  .2 db insertion loss, which is very low.  My L antennas are generally good on receive, and I suspect the end fed will be as well.  

In North America vertically polarized antennas like L's couple better to the ionosphere on 160 than horizontal antennas, but end portions of this antenna will be over sloping ground, so the polarization here should be a mix.  At the terminator sometimes horizontal antennas are best here for some minutes.  I have seen this phenomenon.  Although the top wire of an L is horizontal. the maximum radiation is from the vertical portion ao I consider the L to be a form of top loaded vertical.   The end fed should be primarily hoirizontal polarization BUT this is modified by the sloping ground. 

I really don't have concerns that his antenna is a compromise efficiency wise so it may work quite well.   I am anxious to get back on 160 and give it a whirl.   Maybe it can work Bouvet.   Twice I have installed a Bouvet L but never got to try it.  The thing is kaput again.    Maybe the 3^rd antenna try will be successful 🙂. 

On 80, this is 2 half waves in phase.  It should have gain in some directions compared with my dipole.  I still have a dipole up and can do side by side comparison. THis is an acid test; I have 310 confirmed on 80 with this dipole. 

This is one of my favoirite things, comparing DX antennas side by side. 

73 Charlie N8RR+++