How to get 9 ham bands from one 17' extendable antenna whip and how to set it up FAST! 

I used a mirror mount, but I made a spike from an earth rod cut in half, but cut at an angle so it was really sharp. I made radials that attach to the PL259 using a large crocodile clip. The whole spike and mount is the same length as the collapsed antenna. 73 GM4SVM

The physics never change Chuck. This will perform as well as any commercial offering. Hopefully folks can see that.

Hey Chuck! Thanks for the video! Looks like a perfect companion for a G90 with it's scan function, and tuner.

very nice, I have been wanting to get a 17' whip and make an antenna out of it

I have one on my Secret Santa list :). Another well-done presentation.

Great video Chuck. Being new, I'm not familiar with those antennas but can look them up. Top practical presentation! I will save your video.👍👍👍

Ground rod clamps of the sort used for home electrical service grounding would be an easier way to secure those radials to the stake than drilling and tapping.

I've been using the MFJ-1936TW and attaching my Wolf River Coil Mini to it with pretty good luck. Works well in small backyards (thanks HOA)

Chuck, WONDERFUL video! I literally just recently bought the MFJ whip, the very same mount, and assembled it all on a 1.5’ copper rod. Tested it briefly out in my yard here in Kentucky about 630pm and got Italy. The way you took time to show your test & measurement results is great, THANK YOU for this commitment. I would be honored to work you on the air one day. 73!!

Nicely done Chuck.

This is a great presentation! I appreciate your telling us the measurements you are using on those connectors :) I have been playing around with similar parts lately, this is super helpful 😎📻👍

I don't have the top bolt but I use the same method for pota. I have had the connector/ bolt assembly fail I carry extras and use 550 pra cord on the antenna if windy outside now. Works great enjoy

Nice video Chuck! Thanks!

super cool, Love the idea

Tnx chuck. You seem like a great guy.

Nice job Chuck, I like it 👍

Great video, thanks!

I have used that same method...the stake was about $2.85 at Home Depot. It ist heavy, but it's incredibly cheap and strong. No problem getting into the ground (depending on the size of the hammer). Good video!

Great job chuck, very nice

Viewed again after a year. I have that antenna now... I did the same with the antenna mount, but used a landscape spike - they're right next to those stakes you used at Lowes, but about 1/3 the price. And I don't have an MPAS... 73

informative... Thanks Chuck

I have been wondering about this.

Nice job time to buy some more gear this would be perfect for the RV

thanks for posting this video, it's a big help. Would ever add a ground plane to a setup like this?

Thanks!

Hi Chuck, nice video, I have been using a very similar setup, I use a piece of rebar that I mount the mfj-342 onto, then the 1979 telescopic, I also use the slidewinder coil, but not always. I use a drilled n cut piece of nylon cutting board with the center drilled to fit about the 3rd telescoping bit for guying, all sets up in 2 or 3 minutes, I dont bother with radials as the rebar is conductive and driven into the ground,.. your method is a great setup as well, whats convienent is i keep the kit in my truck all the time ready to go,.. cheers n 73 !! 👌👍 I have a few videos on u tube as well under A92GW, oh n i have wanted to add a bit of wire to get 40m, but did not try that yet, but will now. All the best mate !!

Hi Chuck. Nice video! I made something very similar with just a 1/2" diameter 2ft. piece of aluminum from Home Depot. I bent the top 6" 90 degrees in a vice. I mounted the same mirror mount you used on that horizontal part and I use it as a handle to push the rod down in soft soil. I don't have a good way to hammer it in as in your setup, but I made mine mainly for working POTA sites that have a lake or pond. I am planning to set this up in the water at the shoreline with a couple pieces of bare wire in the water for the ground/counterpoise. I've only played with the setup in the yard so far. I'm anxious to see how QRP SSB works with a water ground plane.

The star washer goes under the coupling nut. Between the nut and the nylon spacer. On bottom it can cause a short from the center to ground.

12 inch piece of rebar works great for this.

Pro tip pour a glass of water on the earth before you drive your stake and you can sink that by hand much easier. 🤓 73

It’s a little hard to find but you can get 3/8-24 all thread, not quite as stiff as the rod. Add a double female joiner like came on that Cb antenna and no drilling/tapping.

I bet one of the Chinese ATU-100 tuners would work on that from 40-10. I use one on a 5/8 wave 10m antenna and it takes me down to 80m. Is it efficient ? Not really. Does it work ? YES IT DOES. You ought to test it out to see what it will do on that 17' whip.

Nice work here Chuck! I have a dear friend named Tom in the Middle East. A92GW Who uses the MFJ 1979 antenna on a similar type mount. Without ground radials, he’s contacting people here in the states, throughout Europe, Australia, Asia and has worked North Korea with it as well. The bonus part here, he only runs at 85 W of power. Antennas like this really WORK! Great video Chuck! I’d like to use a segment of this on my channel. I’ll be sure and credit your RU-vid channel and put a description to it as well. Keep up the terrific work of advancing knowledge in amateur radio! Thanks Chuck! Larry

Instead of drilling and tapping the round stake for the ground radials, use a little larger crimp on terminals and put them on the bolts that hold the mount to the stake. I'd probably put four wires with Power Poles on the end. That way you could have four ground radials.

Thank you for showing me that I can do this. I have tried Ham Sticks and the Wolf River Coil and never could get the SWR to something that I could use. I don’t know still how to fool with getting the coil adjusted with adjusting the whip length. So, it appears to be forget the coil and adjust the whip length and forget the coil or not use it at all. I hope I understand this video. Thank you for your time.

I've used copper tube for the stake in the past, fantastic on the beach especially when used between the high and low tide marks. Loads of salty damp sand, no need for radials when using God's linear amplifier.

Cool set up. I use the mirror mount with a steel gutter nail I think it's a foot long. I have the mfj coil with my whip. Works great the nail holds well and it's easy to get into the ground. 40-6 meters does very well. Maybe the nail is for putting land scape timbers together I can't remember. It's about a 1/4 inch in diameter.

I stick a T post in the ground, mount my 18ft aluminum vertical on it ( no loading coils) slap a 9:1 unun on it Maybe a couple of ground radials ( not always needed but they will help) And hook up my radio with it's internal tuner and work 80 through 6 meters. If a tree is available, throw a wire up in the tree, quick easy and cheaper. And alot less complicated. Neat ideas you have but time consuming and costly.

Great video Chuck 👍❗️ I just got my Wolf River Coil and I’ve been playing with it too, great Antennas and I am still waiting for the CAHR EFHW do you have any update for when y’all are going to release it. Thanks Mike KV5P

Clever, versatile ground mount Chuck! 73 - KF6IF

could have saved time, and put those ring terminals for the ground radials right in the mirror mount. i did this very same thing for my wrc sb mini, which i use a 17' whip.

Thank you for the fine video. I learn a bunch! I have a quick little criticism; you should really let your opening run for at least 10-15 seconds before you rattle off your call-sign. I need to learn how to listen faster I guess?

How do you go about threading a solid metal spike?

I bought a mirror braket and the stake. The coax connector has a different size interior part that doesn't accept my PL-239. I've tried two different runs of coax. Same results. Ideas on how to fix the trouble?

I would like to try this set up. how many radials and how long for 10 to 20 Meters?

Great video. Where can you buy that telescoping 17 feet antenna? Do they have longer ones to have for 30 and 40m too? 73

I find anderson powerpoles connectors too expensive... I usually use nice and cheap bullet connectors. I make sure to put the female part on top to droop down and plug in the (male) radials into them. if someone trips over one there should be enough force to disconnect them. I like to solder and heatshrink all the connections to give extra rigidity to the connectors.

That stake is super beefy, I might go get one. I use a 3 foot copper ground rod with a mirror mount but it’s pretty wobbly, too flexible. How did you drill the end hole? By hand or or what? I don’t think I could drill that straight enough by hand.

Great setup! Thanks for the tips & demo! 73 Ed KK7SAB

Good and interesting video. I have the Wolf River Coil and want to get the 17'whip for it. I also see you have a link to a Bluetti power station and I have one as well. Have you used this as a portable power supply for your ham radio while out in the field? If so, how did you utilize it. Did you take the power supply as well and plug that into the Bluetti and then plug the radio into the power supply? Or can you find or make a connection and plug the radio directly into a DC outlet on the Bluetti? There is no problem with the radio rated at 13.8 V or the radio drawing too much current? Thanks! Gary Readore, KJ5DAN

A couple of mostly successful variations on this: Using a similar idea, I mounted the 17’-ish whip to a chain-link fence top rail that is about 4 feet high. Electrically, that rail is about 10’ each side of the mount. These rails are oriented E-W. Then, I grabbed two 25’ ‘radials’ from a buddy-pole kit I won at auction and affixed them to the mount oriented N-S. Then I extended the whip to full height. I attached a 9:1 unun at the feedpoint and ran 50’ RG-58 into the shack to my antenna tuner. It tunes, fully extended, 80 and 20 with ease, and most other bands with a little twiddling of the tuner. 40 seems a no-go, and I have not tried 160. Measurements were taken with an MFJ antenna analyzer hooked to the input of the tuner. It performs outstanding on 20 and 75. Taking the other two ‘radials’ from the buddi-pole kit, I affixed them to my iMax 2000 with N-S orientation to see if it would then work effectively on 20. The feedpoint of the iMax is only about 8’ off the ground mostly due to lot and wife restrictions. I am happy to report that the 2000 now works much better ON 20 m, and seems to work better on 10, 12 and 15. Non-scientific eval! Keep up the fantastic work! 73 de Rob, WO0WOO.

Mfj makes a kit with a coil, bracket and radials. It's like $40 more than just a whip. Mfj-2286.

Around 4:15 " I already prepared the stake" what ? did you marinade it ? LOL Great video. I am going to try this for sure. 73 KN4vvY

Did you indicate the length of your radials? If so, I missed it...tks

👍👍👊

10m🔥🥰

Probably a dumb question but how was you able to see your SWR readings on your cellphone? Bluetooth on the AA-30? I have the230 but don’t think it has the function. Thanks

How to get 9 ham bands from one 17' extendable antenna whip and A COIL!

Instead of drilling and tapping a hole just add another mirror mount and leave the insulating washer off.

I want to see the contacts you make and see the ranges you get. Getting a good SWR is one thing but getting bandwidth and range is another. A practical use with a map and pushpins to show where you made your contacts would be great to show hams if this meets their needs. Nobody needs another substandard antenna in their pile of mistakes and misfits.

Fascinating build! But I'd like to make a suggestion if I may. You have a background musical rhythm playing that is most annoying! Its totally unnecessary and irritating!!! If you loose it I will like & subscribe! Thanks.

you talk too damn fast!

Never thought about 7Mc. On this whip but I know it is capable as you indicate. Looks like a very capable setup. I also hope to hear you on the bands soon. 73 es gud DX sir! de kc5ngx