Again, I don't apologize for the crappy jokes. I would, however, highly recommend you research and build (or buy) your own Ed Fong J-pole - these are great antennas!

life, the universe, and everything!

The humor is fine, love to hear a hitchhikers guide reference 😀 😄. Keep up the experiments. 73's from Bergen op Zoom the Netherlands

The guitar explanation really spoke my language. Thank you, sir!

Cheap connectors are a pain. Glad you fixed it! Good diagnosis! Glad to see the issue present itself so easily!

Ah, The ham radio experience. Now theres a hoopy frood who really knows where his towel is.

Thanks for all the fish. And a great video. As Jesse and Marvin said Ed recommends the thinner wall PVC. It’s not always easy to find though. Incidentally, Ed is very approachable and helpful if you have questions. Also the antennas Ed sells are made by his EE students and the proceeds go back to the class to acquire equipment and materials for the classroom and lab.

Thanks for all the fish...

I see a lot of hams build these, and no one seems to tests their antenna with an SWR meter, to tune it. And when they did, they were in their home's ham shack, which is the worst place to tune any antenna. I recently built mine, and have been testing and tuning it, outdoors, away from any electronics, or metal. Hanging 20 feet up a tree. Even though I followed the instructions, the SWR is way the hell off, on 2M. I have learned that the point where you solder, the feed line coax on, can greatly effect the SWR, more than the length of the antenna. Just by moving those 2 connections up or down the ladder line, can re-tune the SWR. My antenna is still not tuned yet!

The crane's cries went with the mellow jazz, Nice

Great video! I need to build one of those for portable ops.

For the SO239 just solder the braid, crimp on a connector and nut and bolt it to the chassis. Better still, get more pipe and encase the pole as a radome, fix the SO239 to an end cap and rivet the ring terminal through the cap for a good fit so it is air tight. Also depressure the radome by a quick squirt of body spray into the pipe, light it and seal the end. The gas will burn out inside creating a vacuum and lower the atmosphere in the radome. It will make it less susceptible to bending over time and survive wind storms as well. Also, nice video. de 2M0WHN

I spit my pan-galactic gargle blaster out all over my screen when you said that.

I get it... 'Don't Panic.' and 'Don't forget your towel!' (Damn Vogons...) 😏

I like the video. It's Mostly Harmless.

KD2SML here. I have found you need a lot more heat to solder to a mass of Brass that large, but alternatively, you can just use a spade or ring connector and screw it to the mounting holes on the panel mount. Electrically it'll be fine. I've made many antennas like that.

Great video, subbed. I've actually built several of these. I do have a tip though, use the thinner wall PVC, the schedule 40 is thick enough that it will actually slightly degrade the radiation pattern. 73's

Thumbs up for the "42" reference.

The answer is .... 42! Deep thought

Slim Jim antenna, i build it for backpacking purposes, easy to carry, you can just roll. Hand when you need it.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy...

Groovy music dude Andy UK.

Really good video Lots of things can be learned from watching it. The soldering iron looks like the one I have from RS and it is a 25 watt. I could be wrong though as most RS irons look a lot alike. The wattage should be printed on the label near the bottom of the irons handle. I use a 100 watt Weller iron for when I have to do heavy work like that and a 40 watt Weller iron when installing PL-259's on coax. On the soldering to the case/mount of the SO-239 I always use a small machine screw, inside star washer and a nylon lock nut with an appropriate ring lug (non-insulated) crimped and soldered to the shield of the coax and insulated with marine heat shrink tubing. I have never had a problem using this method. I also use a very small amount of Penatrox "A" on this connection. It is a water proofing, anti-seize, and electrically conductive compound sold in marine supply stores and online at some electronics and ham radio sites. Penatrox "A" can also be used on the threads of the SO-239 to water proof the connection as well as prevent seizing up of the PL-259/SO-239 and it makes for a better electrical connection between the shield side of the connection. Do Not use it on the center pin as it can very easily ooze out and create a dead short between the center conductor and the shield.

"which is Infinitely long, due to the view of the camera..." That's funny! Life is often based on perspective.

Here is a suggestion. For soldering connectors like the ground or center conductor of a SO239 or a PL259 try using a "jet" type butain lighter they are usually about 5 or 6 bucks at most convince stores. They will heat up the connector very quickly for soldering. I have one that works well on even 2 inch hardline.

I learned a long time ago that stripping coax with a knife sucks I use a soldering iron to thermally strip coax and a precision mechanical stripper for thin strands so I don’t cut strands.

Big dollop of Rosin flux usually does it for me with those hard to solder bits

When Soldering to your coax connector ruffing up the metal is good. I would suggest try using some extra flux to the job. Nice job. 73 k9zl

A little late (ok alot late) to the party, but on the use of your heat gun, watch the top (metal ring) of the gun with the power cord for the gun, I have melted a few cords with accidentally laying the tip of the gun on the cord. Oh, and your "crappy joke" was not crappy, it made this old hitchhiker laugh. Thanks for the Video

Don’t forget your towel.

Guess with solder goes to clean your tip prior and retin it before use, having some scrubing brass or a wet sponch to clean in between joints. Clean the spot before you solder, apply a flux, preferable the right one (pine rosin, paraffin oil, Vaseline are the basic). Having fume extraction is another and holding tools of some sort - crocodile clips on some stiff wire stuck into a board.

So ham radio is kind of like life, universe, and everything?😂

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

The answer to the ultimate question 42

could you just soldier to a eye connector and bolt it with a star washer to the base? I've heard these antenna's need to be 20ft or more up to work well, what do you think? Thanks for the video.

I like the trash can joke. Hey thanks for the post 📯

I have two Ed Fong J-poles. He says to use the thin wall PVC pipe as the schedule 40 detunes the antenna.

you really need to do a test simplex not repeater. you can open a repeater with a coat hanger.

Is a ham radio kosher?

No antenna can put out more power than put in unless it is an active one. If a gain is apparently being seen something else is being sacrificed, probably directionality.

Okay just out chillin with my ohmies. So the coax was RG 174? Haven't built mine yet but have everything except bottom connector. Attaching to top of buddy pole mast once completed. Good video. 73

Just a stupid question....the so239 has screw holes in the ground flange....why would you not just put a ring terminal on the coax ground braid and attach it with a screw, rather than heat it with a map gas torch in an attempt to solder (which would likely also require additional solder flux)?

Can I get the final numbers 🤔

If you make another or for anyone else the correct PVC pipe is 3/4 inch pr 200 psi . That is what Ed Fong specs as well designed this antenna to use. The schedule 40 pvc pipe is twice as thick as pr 200.

Can you make a video showing how to build the Ed Fong GMRS antenna?

I'm studying for the technicians license and watching videos to learn all kinds of stuff. A lot of people refer to the bands in meters and others in MHz. Its the same right?

Please make 2meter gamma match anteena Requst

But a regular j pole made for vhf also works good on uhf it's a hormonic to vhf just check the swr if you can see the frq you using is 50 ohms a antenna analyzers will show if it's 50 ohm's

Don't Panic ... I didn't cut too soon 🙂

the answer is 42. You are showing your age with that quote LOL :) Do you have your bag of fluff or your clear plastic bag containing a microscopic battle fleet?

"*"

i think you soldered your braid on the wrong side of the laDDER LINE - switch those and everything should work correctly

So I can pick up 2 meters and 70 cm… but can I have a QSO with a restaurant at the end of the universe? Asking for a friend!

42 😀

I get 42

The primary issue with soldering a Panel Socket is that it's not designed to take solder ! PL259 plug and socket @ 144 MHz is -3dbi. Read a book ! Like W. I. Orr for an example. ;)

1/137

It was 42, it's not 42 anymore.

SO-239 for 2M /70cm? Are you mad?

Could you please reduce the background noise, aka music? I don't understand the need of everyone on YT to use competing audio to get a point across? Your audience is listening intently, have you spent an hour straight listening to it? Do so before choosing the 4 second loop. I want to hear what you have to say, not wannabe composers. I'll check back. I appreciate those who wish to teach. I've taught a lot of professionals, and don't remember needing background, unless it was a damage control exercise, then the fires and flooding weren't actually simulated. People glean an awful lot aurally. Unrelated background is a hindrance to learning. Good luck.

Just subscribed. Looking forward to more videos. Especially since I'm 30 miles south of you. 73. Kd9qlk