X-Tenna End Fed Half Wave Switchable Multi Band Antenna

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Жыл бұрын

Is The X-Tenna The Most Versatile End Fed Half Wave Antenna Ever? A 49:1, 56:1, & 64:1 Switchable EFHW Antenna, All In One!
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Пікірлер: 83
@dxporker
@dxporker Жыл бұрын
I got one and I love it. I have one because he’s making them and the other company seems to not be. 😉
@MrStanwyck
@MrStanwyck Жыл бұрын
I feel your pain. I got tired of waiting for a Packtenna EFHW to be in stock. I made my own end fed half wave for doing SOTA.
@BradSnyder1
@BradSnyder1 Жыл бұрын
Very nice looking antenna Mike. Thanks for sharing it with us!
@alvarogaitan2529
@alvarogaitan2529 6 күн бұрын
Another fantastic fantastic video from Jamison God bless you Jamison you are number uno
@EdwardGriffin
@EdwardGriffin Жыл бұрын
Not only a good review of this antenna, but also showcases what a good unit the Rig Expert Stick Pro is as well. Thanks Mike.
@hankfox4170
@hankfox4170 Жыл бұрын
I had the same thought. Understaning that there was some "camera magic" involved, it's still a lot faster across multiple bands than my NanoVNA (which I love!). Think I'm going to pick one up.
@t.j.speakman7723
@t.j.speakman7723 Жыл бұрын
Thanks Mike, Always good stuff from your videos
@Zach-K7FC
@Zach-K7FC Жыл бұрын
I need to play with mine more, I had some weird initial readings and didn't take the time to tune it. Thanks for the motivation to take it with me next time and tune it.
@kingdick4508
@kingdick4508 Жыл бұрын
Another honest review from a guy we can all trust. Mike always tells it like it is, good or bad. Thanks dude, and 73, de NH7TR
@UABFWSS
@UABFWSS Жыл бұрын
Got one a couple weeks ago, works fantastic. Surprised how nice & low the swr #'s are across the board.
@michaeledmonds3027
@michaeledmonds3027 Жыл бұрын
Half the price of a Packtenna, plus three-way transformer, great build....and available! Just received mine before Dayton. Thanks for the review!
@OttoDestruct
@OttoDestruct 3 ай бұрын
Thanks for this Mike! I was looking for a light, packable antenna for POTA/SOTA. Just ordered and mentioned your channel in my note to X-Tenna. 73!
@Philip-KA4KOE
@Philip-KA4KOE Жыл бұрын
I just made my own EFHW from scratch. My measurements came out to 19.92 meters and it's killer on 40-10m. I remembered this video and checked after the fact....when I was trimming I didn't remember your measurement. 49:1 ratio and T240-43 toroid.
@DaveW6OOD
@DaveW6OOD Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the vid. I got one of the 49:1s (older model in blue) and the Switchable red one a while back. I would feel bad about not getting a Packtenna as an obvious inspiration to this, but they are always out of stock when I try to buy them. It also let me easily experiment with the 49-56-64:1 option questions. That unique variation makes it a worthwhile product in my view. My tuned result is dead nuts on target either way. Your tuned result is a perfect CW antenna. It's like having 3 different switchable tweaks in one great antenna.
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
Yeah I hear ya. That's about the only complaint you'll ever hear about PackTenna is availability. It's just a side project for him. He's got a regular full time job. When he has them he has them, and they go quick. Only way to know is to join packtenna.groups.io/g/main
@rickhartnett3971
@rickhartnett3971 Жыл бұрын
Great review, thanks a lot!
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
You bet!
@user-xr5se2ib6g
@user-xr5se2ib6g Жыл бұрын
my next antenna for field days
@ryankc9oza118
@ryankc9oza118 Жыл бұрын
I ordered one after seeing ham radio dudes review. Havent got to try it out yet. But arrived quickly
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
What are you waiting for?!?!
@ryankc9oza118
@ryankc9oza118 Жыл бұрын
@K8MRD RADIO STUFF farming season. Gotta plant the crop, so it can grow, so can harvest it, so can sell it, so have money, then take money and buy radios. 😉
@PendejoRyan
@PendejoRyan Жыл бұрын
I have one and used on 15M and got Scotland and UK. Great antenna
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
You sure did
@thed8229
@thed8229 Жыл бұрын
I've had mine for a year & done multiple QRP POTA activations with it. I made up two counterpoise wires for it with banana plugs. Works like a champ. Zero complaints. K0ATV
@jasonk7jwn229
@jasonk7jwn229 Жыл бұрын
Mike, Video looks crispy sharp. Did you get a new camera? Great demonstration. 💥👍 73 amigo.
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
Nope. Same old iPhone I've been using but thanks.
@dougdunlap5889
@dougdunlap5889 10 ай бұрын
good stuff
@gregmihran8616
@gregmihran8616 Жыл бұрын
That "multi-tap transformer" is fantastic and definitely differentiates this look-alike antenna! I'm amazed no one else has leveraged that concept. I've always said I'd love a variable transformer for my homebrew antennas and was going to build one but I just may experiment with this. See you again on 10M FM soon buddy 😀 73 KJ6ER
@PendejoRyan
@PendejoRyan Жыл бұрын
Waa hoooo!
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
Woo-hoo!! Maybe if you were using one of these instead of your predator antennas you would have heard me calling park to park yesterday!
@gregmihran8616
@gregmihran8616 Жыл бұрын
@@hamradiotube LOL Mike! Well ... maybe if YOU were on my PREDator antenna, you would have heard me on a P2P yesterday! Wooooo hooooo brother 🤣 73 KJ6ER
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
@@gregmihran8616 no way. I was on the ATAS. Couldn’t have been my end.
@timmanwell2538
@timmanwell2538 Жыл бұрын
Great vid, as always, Mike. So in the end, what length of wire did you end up with??? 73, Tim
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
You didn't watch the video. Otherwise you would know.
@royanderson7021
@royanderson7021 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the quick review! At $65, it seems like a good deal at face value. I found the instructions about as clear as mud. I'm a relatively new Technician (< 1 yr) and am thinking this is a good addition to my POTA gear. Questions: Do I need a counter poise? Instructions mention counter poise but unclear if needed or not. Do I need a choke on the coax like other EFHW's? Would really appreciate a follow-up video on actual performance in the field. Enjoy your videos. Learning a lot! Thanks!
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
Once you know a little more about antennas it'll make more sense. Don't worry. We all start at the beginning. Typically you shouldn't need a counterpoise. I have never found the need to use one. Your coax will usually act as the counterpoise. As far as a choke, it depends. It's not a bad practice to just always use one, but I'd say I use one maybe 50% of the time at most when out in the field. I will most certainly be doing an on air test as soon as it's not raining here. Believe me I want to get it on the air!
@K4TMO
@K4TMO 8 ай бұрын
Thanks for the great review. What is the portable mast you’re using in the video? Would it also be strong enought as a portable pole for a OCF dipole and alike?
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube 8 ай бұрын
This is the PackTenna 10 meter telescopic mast. And honestly it would depend on how heavy the dipole is. So maybe, but probably not. Not the top section at least. You'd probably need to connect the antenna and then collapse the top section or two back down, which I'm not a fan of doing. TN07 makes a great 32 foot mast I just did a video on that would probably be better for what you're doing. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/j8qJqqV-pse0hWw.html Or check out Spiderbeams. They have really strong masts as well.
@peterdekeles.
@peterdekeles. Жыл бұрын
great video. I know you said he was out of stock. Will you put link in once he has a supply?
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
www.etsy.com/shop/XTennaAntennas?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1452354877
@Philip-KA4KOE
@Philip-KA4KOE Жыл бұрын
N9SAB makes a great EFRW. Great video
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
I've heard good things but never used one.
@Philip-KA4KOE
@Philip-KA4KOE Жыл бұрын
​@@hamradiotube OK. How much power is rated for the Xtenna?
@Sean-AI7EQ
@Sean-AI7EQ Жыл бұрын
Could you linear load the end of the EFHW to get 40m where you like and see if 10m tunes better?
@vicmiller7191
@vicmiller7191 Жыл бұрын
so about 65 feet of wire, which is about what most endfeds need. Looks like a nice little portable antenna. Thanks for the review. 73 Vic de KE8JWE
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
You bet
@Trent28888
@Trent28888 Жыл бұрын
The 60W might be because of the slide switch between the taps but how long was ur coax Mike?
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
Who knows? This particular run of RG-316 was about 50'
@davidryeburn6446
@davidryeburn6446 Жыл бұрын
Does this thing have a choke anywhere along the coax line? The reason I ask is that (a) the fact that the antenna wound up being a bit shorter than expected despite the SWR dip being at the very low end of 40 m, and (b) the relative independence of SWR on which of the three iimpedance ratios you chose, and (c) the way the SWR flattens out at a relatively low value instead of continuing to rise as you go further and further off resonance in the higher frequency direction, all make me suspicious that something is very lossy here. Lossy antennas can have beautiful SWR but they don't radiate that well. If as I suspect there is no choke, it would be interesting if you added one, and re-did your measurments. Will the antenna still want to be so short? Will it still not care all that much which impedance ratio you use (it ought to need higher ratios at lower frequencies and lower ratios at higher frequencies since harmonic resonances usually have lower impedances at the high voltage/low current ends than the fundamental resonance)? Will it still flatten out the SWR curve once it gets up to 3:1 or more the way it did? I predict it's going to make QUITE a difference, but please do the experiment and let us know. Of course there could be another source of loss. Three that I can think of are (a) a poor quality toroid, (b) poor choice of wire to wind the toroid, perhaps too small a gauge, and (c) lossy capacitor across the low impedance winding of the matching transformer (if such a capacitor is being used). David VE7EZM and AF7BZ
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
Nope. But I very rarely use a choke on any of my other EFHW's like the PackTenna and my PackTenna is as perfectly tuned as one could ask. I'll be curious to see what happens with a choke in line. I'll try it out when I do an on air test with this antenna and if there's anything worth reporting, I'll include it in the video.
@FrankTheTank
@FrankTheTank Жыл бұрын
What are some of the different use cases of switch from a 49:1 to 56:1 or 64:1?
@PendejoRyan
@PendejoRyan Жыл бұрын
I fiddled with mine and it changed the SWR changed slightly with each configuration. I guess it all depends on which one gives you the best SWR? I may be wrong though. In fact, I'm probably wrong.
@PendejoRyan
@PendejoRyan Жыл бұрын
On a side note, I ran 100w into it for an hour or so with zero issues
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
If you actually watch the video Frank, you would see what it does.
@MattPatterson1411
@MattPatterson1411 Жыл бұрын
Found this antenna on Etsy the other day purely by accident. Thought it was a neat idea so I picked one up. Haven’t had a chance to play with it yet. The idea that it’s a PackTenna rip off is coincidental at best. I mean if you mount anything on a similar type wire winder it’s gonna look like a PackTenna.
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
Yeah but show me an antenna that had that design before PackTenna.
@MattPatterson1411
@MattPatterson1411 Жыл бұрын
@@hamradiotube valid point
@longtonailtrdwtr8715
@longtonailtrdwtr8715 6 ай бұрын
How is 1.59 SWR on one band considered bad but on 10m 1.74 is not terrible? Does one band require a better SWR than another? I just operate under the notion that anything below 1.7 is G2G. Am I wrong?
@ocsrc
@ocsrc Жыл бұрын
Is an inverted L 66 foot antenna just for 40 meters, or Can you do 80 meters as well ?
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
An inverted L is just a way of deploying an antenna. You can do it for whatever band you want. As far as I know it's just a more practical way of setting up an antenna when you start do get down to the longer frequencies like 80 meters. I've done it with my DX Commander at field day.
@232nate
@232nate Жыл бұрын
Thank you for the video. I couldn’t watch the entire video. I saw that antenna and it didn’t make sense to me. Just couldn’t bring myself to buy it. I am a PackTenna fan and I seem to compare everything antenna to the PackTenna.
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
PackTenna for the win brother!
@full_metal2452
@full_metal2452 Жыл бұрын
Cool but isn’t the tuner your are using like 3-$400?
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
I'm not using a tuner. I'm using an antenna analyzer to analyze the antenna. But yes, this one is in that ball park.
@45auto
@45auto Жыл бұрын
Use an $80 NanoVNA. It doesn't change the antenna.
@johnb6084
@johnb6084 Жыл бұрын
I just got one of these antennas. The ripoff is why I bought this one. Mine is resonant on the phone portion from 10-40, 1.1-1.6 with around 63' plus or minus in the 49:1 position. I didn't trim, wrapped the excess on the winder.
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
Hmm, that's interesting. I wonder if having the excess wire around the wire is loading it up to some degree?
@johnb6084
@johnb6084 Жыл бұрын
@K8MRD Idk, thought it was a little short too but just did pota on 20w and worked great.
@HAMRADIODUDE
@HAMRADIODUDE Жыл бұрын
Nice results. I agree, there's a lot of different experimenting. The other day for example, I went out to a beach to operate radio. Typically my end fed halfway visit a sloper configuration at about 3 ft off the ground at its lowest point. But at the beach I was only about a foot off the ground. Using the switch really helped get better standing wave ratio for the bands I worked. That was nice instead of having to try to add wire or remove wire.
@bassangler73
@bassangler73 Жыл бұрын
I agree.....You want a half wave!!!! He is acting like its a long wire
@johnpawlicki1184
@johnpawlicki1184 Жыл бұрын
The switch is on the high voltage side of the transformer. Not a good idea. IMHO
@paulsengupta971
@paulsengupta971 Жыл бұрын
I was thinking that. I was wondering what the switch was. As someone says above, maybe that's the power limitation, though personally I tend to limit an FT140-43 to 50W SSB. 240-43 for 100W.
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
Well I'll let you know if it blows up when I get it on the air lol! All it's doing is changing where the winds of the toroid are tapped. Just don't touch it when transmitting.
@royurick
@royurick 9 ай бұрын
But every time I try to buy a Packtenna, they are ALWAYS out of stock. So who cares if its a packtenna clone? I cant buy the original anyway because they dont seem to actually make them anymore.
@W4TRI
@W4TRI Жыл бұрын
I can see it's a total rip off but with different features and better performance! :)
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
Mmm, I wouldn't say better performance quite yet. I haven't gotten it on the air. Plus, my PackTenna is tuned as perfectly as you could ask for on all the same bands we tested in this video without being resonant at or below the bottom of the bands. I was able to get it resonant in the middle of the bands and it's still great on 10 meters too. There is a very good reason the PackTenna is one of my top 2 favorite antennas.
@W4TRI
@W4TRI Жыл бұрын
@@hamradiotube Well I've enjoyed mine for a week. Never heard of a Packtenna before but I'm sure they are good too. As for ripping off a design neither is the first to do this.
@FrankTheTank
@FrankTheTank Жыл бұрын
But, wait. HOW long was the antenna. you gave us some make believe believe units, not good ol AMERICAN units.
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
Imperial is stupid. Get a metric tape measure. What are our ham radio bands???? They sure as hell ain't in yards.
@wildbill1
@wildbill1 Жыл бұрын
Cool video mike. I might have to purchase one. I like the adjustable impedance match. Kinda of strange that in his directions he didn’t know the proper wire length to use on a half wave and was giving non resonant lengths
@hamradiotube
@hamradiotube Жыл бұрын
I thought so too, but fortunately it still worked.
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