Been watching your stuff since I first saw you on Dual Survivor Dave back before either of us had gray hair lol! Thank you for always being real and providing so much knowledge over the years.

Dave I thank you for taking us along. I do SAR and Disaster Services as well as just fun off-grid things. I'm also a General class operator and just now (after two years) and I trying to improve at just what you are already accomplishing. You, and others, are doing the homework for me, and I appreciate it.

Enjoying your ham radio videos. Keep it up. Got my ham license for the purpose of emergency preparedness. Both you and Julian are doing a great job covering the subject.

Love your HAM content. Followed you 5+ years before but like your channel even more now.

HI-- the counter poise allows the signal to be reflected straight up. The better the ground the better the reflection and more radiation up to the clouds. It should be noted that the SUN and time of day effect the efficiency as well. If the counter poise is off the ground, it becomes a tuned radial with problems of its own. The critical frequency is the point where a signal upwards will bounce back to earth. Below that frequency, NVIS will work. From 4 ft. up to 12 ft. the NVIS allows more energy until a 1/4 wave of the frequency of the transmitted signal. This is where it transits to a long wire with more side radiation. As the power shifts from straight up to side ways, it becomes a long wire antenna. The efficiency of NVIS is a tradeoff to how quiet it will be. The closer to the ground, the less noise it picks up from local sources, but also less efficient for transmit. Try a loop on the ground as a receive only loop. It is easy to drop, and low noise pickup in noisy areas. A small one is just practical to use when needed. Great job, AD6EC Rich in EDH El dorado Ca.

thank you for all the experimenting. i am currently a tech and havent gone general yet because i dont have room and the antennas are so complicated. we live in a fjord surrounded by 3k-5k foot mountains in alaska. signals are hard!

Having worked in communications for two decades, I firmly believe that NVIS is the ideal solution for emergency communications (EmComm). During a crisis situation, cell phone networks can rapidly become unavailable. In my personal time, I enjoy operating JS8 and PSK on a regular basis. I am seriously contemplating upgrading from my Flex 1500 to the Icon 705 for camping trips. As an avid hiker in the Carolina mountains, I recently watched your Survival Basic and have decided to include some orange-colored items in my backpack.

Thanks Dave de KD4PWP. Like the bushcraft stuff, I grew up in the southeast forests, and now living in the Sonoran desert in s.w. AZ. Especially enjoy the Ham radio vid. 73

Appreciate the video, Dave! I'm a General level in Texas, but originally from Brown County, Ohio. (Just sayin). This is exactly what I'm looking at as I want to stay closer for emergency comms. Great to see a hands-on video doing NVIS in the field. I'm not a contester or DX guy. Just getting started with JS8call soon. This video was actually recommended by another club member so I'm thinking we will be trying out some of this stuff.

A dipole at full height will have lobes perpendicular to the wire, as you lower the antenna the side lobes will merge with the main lobe, an as you get lower about 1/4~ the main lobe will increase in vertical gain which is what you want for NVIS, to increase this gain you can put a wire on the ground under your antenna a bit longer than your driven element think reflector. I use NVIS several times a week 40/60/80m for winlink VARA HF protocol

I've been doing this dor years with a 40 meter NVIS inverted V. The peak is at 12 feet above ground & the ends are at 1 foot above the ground. I use the folded dipole method of creating the legs of the antenna so as to transform the lower impedance due to ground proximity. Speaker wire works well. The end result is great coverage in a 800 mile radius. The advantage of using an inverted V is at 40 meters it is resonate at 15 meters and less NVIS at the 15 meter band.

Great video. If you use an 80m antenna at about head height you will get 30 miles out to 250 miles all day long. That is true close range NVIS. Keep the videos coming.

I’m in Central Ks, running a home brew 40 meter dipole with a peak height of 8 ft, and ends only 3 ft agl. Using a Kenwood 480, I regularly make contacts everywhere from Kansas to the east coast, Missippii, Arkansas, Tennessee. Running 100 watts or less.

Dave, it’s been a couple weeks now since I saw your last video…but I can tell you’re picking up speed on your radio skills and knowledge….very good stuff. Love what you’re doing, man….so keep it up!! You’re missing nothing, but clean off your radio…killing me…looks like a toddler’s face after eating spaghetti-o’s…lol. 73, from a fellow Jeep/IC-705/PowerFilm Solar owner, KN4UNO

Thank you sir Dave!! Im enjoying DX listening- all over the place! Trying to catch you on Q so- like trying to find a needle in a needle stack!😅

If you could elevate the antenna to about .07 wavelength you would probably find the sweet spot (antenna gain/ ground loss) as well as slightly increasing directivity for closer in emm coms, if that is where you want your signal. I make 80 mile contacts in this manner.

I have done NVIS as close as 100 yards on 40 meters, on a homemade dipole antenna . Five feet in the center, and three and a half feet on the ends. I orient it east to west for north to south comms, and the opposite for east to west. my average has been 30 to 300 miles, using an Icom 7100. kn4jkz

Good Video That's cool Josh is coming out this way I like his stuff also.

Dave, I believe you should acquire an amp, 100 watts would be handy when band conditions are tough, especially for voice communications. I am happy to see you include amateur radio as part of preparedness, it is a useful skill and resource of talented and knowledgeable radio operators. 73 de N8EYF

Great video!

New to digital modes and it looks really interesting! Checking out Grid Tracker now!

Thank you Dave always incredible content just speaking me I’m enjoying the way you explain different things also the circle of friends you surround yourself with love and respect your loyal soldiers from Boston

Dave, I am a Southeastern Ohio Ham and very interested in your NVIS experiments. My family is in central Iowa (about 600 miles)and looking for HF comms with them. Thank you for the great Ham Radio videos. 73's KE8OFV

Great stuff Dave W9KOA

Optimal NVIS antenna is a dipole tuned at NVIS height (1/4~), configured in a shallow inverted V 40m day 30m night. Dave is solid on the range 55mi to 471 is my experience with 230mi being the sweet spot, height of 0 to 23 ft

Dave, what software are you using? Very good video.

Outstanding

I’m curious how you are connecting the 705 to the power bank. Are you using usb? Or have you made a Barrel connection to power poles- to the 705? Nice video. I’ll be looking up your videos.

thanks, fantastic video 73 from kb2uew

Right, keep it above wildlife runs. I used to run it at my height 6'2. Didn't make a difference, still easy, and safer.

I need to do more experimenting with cloud warmers.

Thank You Dave 73 AB7RR Bob God Bless America LET'S GO BRANDON

are you connecting with actual voice communication or just data?

Dave are you running a counterpoise on your EFHW in this config? EDIT: So does the radial act the same as a counterpoise?

@DavidCanterbury I only know you for your cookin' n eatin' content. Don't freeze the ham!

This is near foreign language to me but I still enjoy it.

…..and I missed it. I’ll be looking for you on 40 this week.

👍👍✍

Hi Dave Where can we get the pack tena ( overseas) ? Where can we get the small cable from Baofeng to the coax ? where can we get the or what type of Coax cable to get or use ? Sorry, just can't find the basic information, trying to do what you are with a UV-82HP. Post your call sign,,,, if you want, incase i ever get that many "fars". ( or a licence) god bless NZ- we need it.

You stated something about the gathering, to what and where? KG7NYG, West Virginia.

Did you mean to be working split? Transmitting on 7.072 mhz and receiving on 7.074 mhz. Just wondering.

Could you do a video about the software you’re running here? Or at least what is it?

What antenna are you running?

Passing traffic is quite different from a minimal exchange you likely won’t get the same ranges

High gloss screens are not your friend when working in the field. They sure look sharp at BestBuy, but they suck in the sunlight.

Was ich nicht verstehe: Wenn der Gesprächspartner keine NVIS Antenne nutzt, wie kommen denn seine Signale bei dir an 🤷‍♂️

If at deer antler height, elk are still a threat. ;)

Dave, you gotta clean your screen!😂

Not a radio question but that looks like a great coat. What kind is it?

Uhhh,. this makes my head hurt.

I was a 2531 or Field Radio Operator when I was in the Marines. Basic radio antenna configuration was required for basic VHF, HF and FM comm. Your way too technical for the average person. All you need is a roll of slash wire and anyone can have a basic antenna for both receiving or transmitting. There is more than enough wire on a roll. Just my thoughts.....

most hams have 45 to 50 ft mast +_ so most hams on 2 to 10 Mhz will be nvis!

Thumbnail was fine but Aussie security programmes had that tech waaayyyy befoe. Then it became 'Mind mapping'... Prove how to get water from a tree or plants, sir. Then I know you are worthy of our Commandoes.

Please don’t stray too far away from teaching primitive life and survival skills.

Just a quick note......technically speaking, the wire below is a parasitic reflector and does not need to be connected to counterpoise.. Additionally, It should be approximately 5% larger than your 40m element. on5au.be/content/a10/wire/n3.pdf KO4DEF