Using the ATAS-120A Portable - Ground Mounted with Radials

Рет қаралды 7,284

Күн бұрын

In this video I try using the Yaesu ATAS-120A antenna by itself, not mounted mobile! I chose to use a ground spike with eight 12' ground radials. See for yourself how it works! I ran 50 watts for a quick CW Parks on the Air (POTA) activation at Tuskegee National Forest K-4451 on 1/3/24.
Gear Used in this Video:
Radio - Yaesu FT-891:
dxengineering.com/parts/ysu-f...
Aluminum Side Rails for the FT-891 - 918 Products:
www.etsy.com/shop/918Products
Antenna - Yaesu ATAS-120A:
amzn.to/3qGek7d
Antenna Mount - Ground Spike
www.ebay.com/itm/176081401585
Radial Wire - BNTECHGO 24 Gauge Silicone Wire (Red)
amzn.to/3RNJm6A
Coax - ABR Industries ABR240-UF with Red Sheath
abrind.com/shop/cable-builder...
CW Key Base - Steel Bench Block
amzn.to/3NrWLA3
CW Paddles - Bamatech BaMaKeY TP-III
www.bamatech.net/morsetasten/...
Battery - Powerwerx Branded Bioenno 10Ah:
powerwerx.com/bioenno-blf-121...
Zipper Pouch for Accessories
amzn.to/48j6txo
Field Notes Graph Paper Notepads
amzn.to/47gKS7l
My Favorite Logging Pens
amzn.to/44dBK1K
Notice: The Amazon links above are affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, I may earn an affiliate commission.
Chapters:
Intro - 00:00
The ATAS - 00:25
Ground Spike - 02:18
Radials - 03:39
Setting it Up - 04:03
Tuning 40m - 04:50
30m & On the Air - 06:00
Results - 21:30
Summary - 22:54

Пікірлер: 52

@Swamp-Fox 6 ай бұрын

Having options is always nice. It may not be the best portable antenna, but it obviously works! Certainly better than no antenna.

@w4arb 6 ай бұрын

No doubt! It’s really pretty good for what it is. And seems to work mounted this way just as well as it does mobile. I had the pieces to do it so I had to try it! Messing around with different gear is one of the most fun things about ham radio.

@N4KRX 6 ай бұрын

Fun experiment! I wasn't expecting much, but I am pleasantly surprised with the decent results. Although not a top performer, the ATAS-120 offers excellent convenience for mobiles and apartment dwellers. And now possible POTA outings. Like they say, do whatever you can and, "Just get on the air!"

@w4arb 6 ай бұрын

Absolutely! The antenna that will get you the most contacts is the one that gets you on the air. 73!

@oldsplendor 6 ай бұрын

Hi Aaron! I use this ATAS 120 on my FT-710. It's not the best antenna but it's an easy to use antenna for beginners like me. 73 from Vienna

@w4arb 6 ай бұрын

It’s a cool antenna for what it is!

@tpobrienjr Ай бұрын

Also works with ATAS-100 and FT-100D. Thanks for the pointer.

@k2wo1 6 ай бұрын

Nice job Aaron. Nice experiment. 73, George K2WO and Happy New Year!

@w4arb 6 ай бұрын

TU & Happy New Year to you, 73!

@EricSolomon-op8ti 2 ай бұрын

VERY helpfull New General Just got the ATAS & placing as Hood mount (pickup)

@w4arb 2 ай бұрын

Congrats on getting general! & enjoy the ATAS. It’s a great mobile antenna.

@W4EMB 6 ай бұрын

Outstanding!!

@w4arb 6 ай бұрын

It was better than I expected!

@Mr3bairs Ай бұрын

Aaron, really enjoy your content. I have an ATAS 120 sitting in the box in my shack for about a year now. I think I will do some back yard and park work with it. I live in an HOA and my original thought was to put a tri mag mount on my truck and run coax into my shack. I have been using an HOA buster with great success, but this gives me inspiration to maybe put it in our shrubbery. Just have to figure out where to put the radials. Keep the videos coming. 73, Jeff KA9MIC.

@w4arb Ай бұрын

I’m sure it will work! It’s a pretty versatile antenna.

@n1bsbri 6 ай бұрын

Nice quick activation video Aaron. It's a very similar configuration as the Gabil GRA-7350T which you have used successfully many times so I'm not surprised it works. It would be interesting to try it with an elevated tuned radial.--n1bs

@w4arb 6 ай бұрын

Thank you sir! I’m sure it would work better with elevated tuned counterpoise wire(s). But all in all, it worked pretty well.

@RW-ce8kp Ай бұрын

Excellent video and great contacts. Setting up my ATAS 120 in a similar fashion. 73 and hope to hear you on the bands. AE4X

@w4arb Ай бұрын

Thank you! It’s a versatile antenna. 73!

@donausmus4281 5 ай бұрын

I have an ATAS 120 on my Ram 2500 with a FT 891. It requires a lot of body panel and panel to frame bonding. Since I have it on the front left on a Diamond mount I have a null in that direction. I alligator clipped on 2 - 33' radials to the mount and it helped even it out directionally.

@w4arb 5 ай бұрын

Good advice!

@luisfigueroa3300 6 ай бұрын

Hi Aaron, I tried using my ATAS 120S on my truck but it did not ground well. I use the antenna with my SUV and it does a fantastic job. I’ll just have to keep on trying. If you can use it with radials then I know I have to do a better job of bonding it to the truck. I have a really good bonding system on the SUV and been using it for many years without issues. Once again, thanks for the new video. 73

@w4arb 6 ай бұрын

It’s all about the grounding! I was surprised that it worked as well as it did on the ground but pretty fun experiment. Won’t be my go to antenna though because it’s not possible to pack it up small. 73!

@russbrown194 6 ай бұрын

I have a similar situation with my two vehicles. Solved it by using a faraday cloth. Works superb on both vehicles.

@joekrepps 6 ай бұрын

I must be doing something “wrong”, HiHi! My ATAS is on a 3 magnet mount on the roof of my Outback wagon. I don’t bother with 40m because I know it’s not really efficient. However, I’m at 64/100 towards Mobile DXCC in less than 2 years of occasional driving. Nothing bonded or grounded. All SSB at 5w-50w. QRZ logbook current under WB3CFN. 73!

@allenbryant 4 ай бұрын

I've tossed around the idea of using a mount on the roof of my house and using resonant radials for some of the bands to see how that would work. Maybe when the weather is nicer in the spring.

@w4arb 4 ай бұрын

I bet it will work quite well!

@ae4xo 5 ай бұрын

I may try that

@w4arb 5 ай бұрын

It works better than I expected!

@WD4DAN 5 ай бұрын

I pretty much always have to bump it up or down after the auto tune finds a match. Use the up and down in the menu to fine tune it, or if you have a mic you can key the mic and while keyed use the up and down buttons on top of the mic to fine tune the antenna. You can get better than 1.5:1 for sure

@w4arb 5 ай бұрын

Thanks Dan! I always forget about the up and down buttons on the mic. Guess that gives me a reason to plug in a mic 😅

@w4id676 6 ай бұрын

Good timing on the video. Due to HOA restrictions I am thinking about using this antenna in the attic with a faraday cloth for ground. Would appreciate any input. TU de Tom W4ID

@w4arb 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching! It’s really not a bad antenna and would be great for an HOA environment. Even outside in a garden bed, it’s small enough that I doubt anyone would notice it. 73 and good luck!

@mmcnew1 6 ай бұрын

I’m curious how this would perform using metal window screen or faraday cloth instead of radial wires. There a a few channels here on YT (like KB9VBR) who have experimented with that method with good results, using other verticals like the Wolf River Coil and the PAC-12 I believe.

@w4arb 6 ай бұрын

I would expect it to work well! Personally I prefer radial wires but I know folks have had good results with the other. 73!

@dandypoint 3 ай бұрын

Good test. I have done very similar tests, but with my Hustler mobile antenna. I don’t think the ground spike does anything if you have the minimum number of radials. I get identical results from my antenna whether it is on a ground spike mount (stuck in the ground) or on my C-clamp mount on a picnic table. The spike makes a very high resistance contact with the ground. The radials ( if the minimum number) make a good capacitive connection (connection through low capacitive reactance) with the ground. Adding the high ground spike resistance in parallel with the low reactance ground really does nothing (in my opinion). My opinion was formed with 60 years experience as a ham and 40 as a EE. Not that I am necessarily right but that’s the background that contributed to the opinion.

@w4arb 3 ай бұрын

That’s really good information! Makes a lot of sense. Thanks for sharing!

@c-k-h 6 ай бұрын

8 (16') radials and a tripod with a 6' PVC extension. Difference after 8 radials (tried up to 16 of them) was insignificant. Required a lot of area... my dog has no concept of a radial.

@w4arb 6 ай бұрын

Very cool, it works pretty well for what it is! 73

@brianve7jyd943 6 ай бұрын

wonder how it wud work on a G90 altho im told by people that have a lot more antenna experience than I that being so far north verticals dont work well because of the low angle to the horizon and that efhw - long wires and such are the best choice -- well see i guess - good video thanks 73

@w4arb 6 ай бұрын

It’s an antenna for convenience, but it works great for what it is! MFJ makes a controller than lets you use it with any non-Yaesu radio. But a nice wire antenna will definitely outperform it. Physics says so 🤪

@brianve7jyd943 6 ай бұрын

@@w4arb lol ok thanks

@TheShawna1 Ай бұрын

You know i have one of these sitting in my shed I Made a breakout box for it so i could run it with any radio Make! I was originally using an Icom Ic 730 HF set with it from the early 80s .I,m going to try and use my new QMX QRP radio with it and see if that will work it But i think i will go with a 7 foot aluminum 5/8" diameter spike mirror mount at the top and weld a round plate at the bottom with screws for radials see what that gets me?jim KB1PFL 73'

@w4arb Ай бұрын

I’m sure you’ll make contacts with that setup!

@JoeMcCohn 17 күн бұрын

Szkoda, że nie ma testu na FM i SSB. Nie znam nikogo kto stuka na CW.

@w4arb 17 күн бұрын

I understand! I will try to summarize. On a ground spike with 8 radials, it tunes successfully and performance should be similar to a mobile installation. Adding more radials would certainly improve performance further. It's worth trying it out on voice modes if you have one, I think you'll be surprised by how well it works. 73!

@JoeMcCohn 17 күн бұрын

@@w4arb Dziękuję za odpowiedź!

@garylanders1470 Ай бұрын

QRL, really?

@w4arb Ай бұрын

Is there a question in this comment?

@lawrence3242 2 ай бұрын

Can’t you afford a tripod for your camera? I live in an HOA and use this antenna on my patio roof with a window screen as the counterpoise.

@w4arb 2 ай бұрын

That’s a rude way to say you don’t like my camera angles 😅 I’m not a videographer or aspiring emcomm youtube star, I’m just ham radio operator. I keep it simple or I won’t do it at all because I don’t actually enjoy the video part. I just like the community of sharing with other ham radio operators. Back on topic - Cool way to install the ATAS! Good results?