![]() I have a couple of portable verticals (Buddistick and Pac-12) A consistent antenna is much more satisfying and is more predictable. It may work well enough over a swamp, but over anything else it is a lottery.Īs Ed has remarked, sometimes it is too frustrating when the antenna is giving inconsistent results. ![]() In addition, using a single radial for a quarter wave vertical is subject to the variations in ground conductivity and losses, So if you have the single radial lying on grass at one location, on ground the next, on rocks the next and elevated the next, that is four different antennas and the tuning of each configuration is definitely going to vary, as will the feed impedance. ![]() The shorter antenna length leads to a much reduced radiation resistance, and the use of a loading coil (whatever the brand) introduces losses which mean part of the power from your transmitter simply heats up the coil. ![]() Mobile whips on cars are usually rated at about 10% efficiency compared with a full size antenna. This is explored extensively in the antenna handbooks by RSBG and ARRL. It is optimistic to use loaded short verticals for QRP work. No tuner is needed for any of these set-ups. Resonant radials/counterpoise - I think (guys before you flame me - this is my opinion and experience, not a scientific investigation) while improving the antenna, are critical on set-up while non-resonant lengths are more flexible. The key point, I think, is to use 4 or 8 radial wires which ARE NOT resonant lengths - around 4 metres seems fine. Komunica also now produce a tripod as well if you don’t want to build yourself. Diamond) at a higher price) and a modified photo tripod. If you want to go with a compact vertical solution, my “Compact” antenna is a Komunica Power HF-PRO2 (the same antenna is available also from other suppliers (e.g. This is rather bulky but there are no radials to worry about and it’s simply resonant without an ATU - always. My “go-to antenna” has always been a linked dipole (SOTABeams Band Hopper) on a 6 or 10m high mast (depending upon how much weight I was willing to carry). I have seen that problem with the counterpoise/radials affecting an antenna with the QRP-Kits tri-bander antenna and in the end, I gave up and threw it away. I guess some of you are using verticals for SOTA so what do you do? Can I ever achieve my goal with this type of setup of simply plug and play or is dragging along an analyser of some kind of external SWR meter a must for this type of setup? I guess I would just get the vertical to maximum noise then use the tuner? Though I would rather not use a tuner unless I have to. I do have a ZM-2 tuner which is quite compact and I could use it. Is this just the nature of verticals or is there a way I can make this setup less location dependant to be able to easily just put it up and go (once I have found the ideal setup in a single location using the analyser) or am I never going to achieve this? Everytime I even move the counterpoise wire the SWR swings wildly from 1:1 SWR to potentally anything, therefore careful tuning at one location doesn’t seem to be able to be recreated at another! However tuning seems very picky and I don’t see how I can do it without taking my analyser which is bulky (my Mountaintopper has no SWR meter). I love the compact nature of these products. I have a couple of portable verticals (Buddistick and Pac-12).
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