I tried one of these. The performance is unbelievable and MUCH better than ground mounted radials. I got SWR of 1.2 or less on every band from 20-10M. Most were 1.05 or less as measured by my RigExpert analyzer and the AntScope Windows software. A HUGE find for POTA or EMCOMM operations. Make sure to put a little crimp pressure on the spade connectors so they will allow the elevated radials to pull taught and stay off the ground. Try it, you'll be amazed. I was!
Wooo hooo! You got it right Marion! I typically measure 1.10 SWR on each band once tuned. And yes, keep those elevated reasonably taught ... it always droops a little and that's ok. I'm glad you have had success with the antenna 😀 73 KJ6ER
Oh shucks ... thanks for the kind words 🙂 I'm so pleased you enjoy my antennas, I am a self-proclaimed antenna geek and proud to be one! And so is Michael, he has an amazing channel! 73 KJ6ER
Like everyone else I think Greg is really helpful and a credit to ham radio. Had a problem getting SWR down to a good level. Reached out to Greg and he was very helpful to me in figuring this out. This is my first antenna build and I wanted it to be successful. Realized my new whip antenna was really stiff and the sections were not pulled out completely. SWR 1.06 after that. Thank you Michael for presenting these videos. KD9DWU Terry
Thanks for the informative video Michael. After the video on the big rock, I ordered the 17 foot Chameleon and built the single elevated radial. It was an enjoyable project and now, the experiment continues. One of the best channels on RU-vid for ham operators. Tom - WA4EOD
Thanks for sharing with the HAM community. I was able to get Greg's plans just after watching your video showcasing Dave's version. Greg is an amazing person who has no problem sharing his findings and accepts questions with a quick response. I find the setup and take down takes less than 5 minutes so I am really happy with that aspect. 73 my friend.
Thanks so much for your very kind words! I'm so happy you are enjoying the PERformer and appreciating both its performance and ease of deployment 😀 73 KJ6ER
@@Ammed_KN6STX Sure it would, any telescoping whip at least 17' would. While the sections are slightly different lengths, the PDF shows the measurements which would be a good place to start 😀 73 KJ6ER
Big thanks for a easy-to-follow build + how you actually use it in the field, video. Big thanks also to Greg and everyone who developed all this. Even the idea shown in your last video where he uses a white cord from the top of the telescopic whip with simple knots indicating the actual height for each band. GREAT STUFF
Fantastic Micheal, that looks like a great antenna. I think I will give it a try. I just received my FT-891 today in the mail. Thank you for sharing. I don't think I have seen you so excited about an antenna. Love it Michael.
Thanks so much for the props, I sincerely appreciate it! And Michael did a wonderful job sharing the POTA PERformer with his audience. I'm so glad you enjoy the antenna 😀 73 KJ6ER
Been using the POTA Performer for a month or so. Very pleased with the performance. I have been setting it up for omni and have repeatedly been told my signal was "booming in" - something I've never heard before!
Fantastic! I'm so happy to hear you've had success with the PERformer. I've had similar responses from hunters since I began using the antenna way back in 2021 - "You're the loudest signal on the band" is always great to hear. Since then, I've never used ground-coupled radials for my quarterwave antennas 😀 73 KJ6ER
It will work but I don't recommend running it without an RF choke. It will give you unpredictable radiation patterns, higher SWR, common mode currents (CMC) and RFI down the coax. Insert that choke in there and it will smile 🙂 73 KJ6ER
Got it up yesterday and had to put it pretty low on my deck to get it more resonant & SWR down. It certainly seems to be directional because I got a park in Oklahoma & I have never been able to hear OK on my dipole, EVER! Got a 59 report too! I heard you Michael yesterday, but couldn't break thru the pile up, so I'm going to try a few more adjustments. Thanks guys again for another great option. Just wish there were more parks around here and it wasn't 100 degrees!
I'm so happy it worked well for you - especially getting some directionality! Yes, a deck is an element of the 'near field surroundings' that could impact the resonance of the antenna, and thus the SWR. Lots of variables in the deck including all the materials and frame. Keep having fun with it 😀73 KJ6ER
Thank you for another great video. I really appreciate the walk-through and Greg's research to make this a very easy rig to put together. It is so refreshing to have videos that actually show you how to do this sort of thing as opposed to other sources that sort of wave their hands and say something like "elevate the radials but you will need to tune them" but give no guidance on the details. Jim KQ4AVP
I agree, Michael has done a great job demonstrating how to build the linked PERformer radials. If you get a chance to review the PDF, I'd appreciate your feedback on how clear it was for you to understand the model, construction and performance. These are living documents and I'm always refining to improve them 😀 73 KJ6ER
Great video! The POTA Performer is a fantastic portable antenna and Greg is an absolute class act for sharing it with the community. I'm eager to dig into the updated Dominator design he recently shared.
Awe thanks ... I sincerely appreciate the nice comment. We are also very fortunate to have Michael run an amazing channel for ham radio. Yes, take a look at the Dominator halfwave and let me know if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help 😀 73 KJ6ER
Michael has done a great job sharing the POTA PERformer and how to build the two elevated radials. I've used that antenna for almost five years for POTA (QRO and QRP) and it works so well. Feel free to review the plans and let me know if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help 😀 73 KJ6ER
Thanks for the demonstration Michael. I’m hoping the directionality will be a game changer. I’m using the 213” WRC whip with ground radials exclusively now and being able to direct my signal will be a great addition.
I expect you will have better performance with elevated radials over ground-coupled like I did. When I first designed and deployed this antenna for POTA back in 2021, I was amazed at how much better the hunters heard me. Not only do the elevated radials at 90 degrees alleviate ground losses for more radiated signal, they also give you some directivity and gain within the span 😀 73 KJ6ER
I'm using basically the same setup, except I just made a 4 16' lengths of wire cut in half and soldered alligator clips to the ends (all bundled at one end and soldered to a ring terminal for one connection to ground). So, I use the 16' length for 20, 17 and 15 meters, then shorten it to 8' lengths for 12 and 10 meters. I normally get the SWR down to 1.8 or less no matter where I'm at along with adjusting the whip length, and then I'll try to find trees, shrubs or anything I can clip the alligator ends to to raise at least a couple of the radials. Using a Yaesu FT891, a thrift store tripod I got for 6 bucks and the 17' stainless whip. I've also put a carabiner on the center shaft of the tripod at the base and use it to fill a cloth bag with rocks (plentiful here out west) and clip it on to weigh it from toppling over from wind. Or if rocks aren't available, a few water bottles stuffed in the bag work. LOL...I've bent a couple of whips from wind knocking antennas down, but stuff happens when you're a POTA activator! I've contacted Greg several times....Woo Hoo! I like the extra links and think I'll go with his idea too. Thanks Michael. Mike in AZ - ND7E
Thanks for your spin on the elevated radial system. I like how there's no one right way to do things in ham radio as you can achieve similar results by taking a slightly different path. When I've been setting up the POTA PERformer, I angle the radials towards the west, so I hope to get you in the log again soon.
Thanks, Michael, for the build video and Greg for the design. I'm always watching your videos. I'll some day build this for pota but for now I have a question about 80 meters. Could it be modified for 80? I have a Wolf River Coil Platnum 1000. I need a simple, easy to tune antenna when camping in RV and want to rag chew with brother and gang on 3755. I don't like tuning the coil, running back and forth way too much. Any ideas? Thanks John KW4CP
@@johnb.8428 Yes John, you could modify the design for 80M. Similar to what I recommend for 40M (using the WRC Sporty Forty coil), you can use their bigger coil to electrically lengthen the whip. However, you would need to elevate a long radial for 80M ~65'. While that is doable, it would require four elevation stakes along the length. Alternatively, you could just go with a single ground-coupled radial since 80M is fundamentally an NVIS band. 😀 73 KJ6ER
Thanks Greg. Are you saying I could use my big WRC and mod it somehow, which makes my vertical whip electrically longer for 80? Like the sporty 40 does for 40 meters? Sorry. I want to make sure I do this right. Then, one or two 65' ground radials elevated or on the ground. I appreciate your help. John KW4CP
You wouldn't have to modify the coil at all, just replace the Sporty Forty with a longer Silver Bullet 1000 in the the vertical portion of the antenna. For the counterpoise, it will need to be 65 feet long, so you will need up to four fence posts to support that counterpoise wire as you don't want it to touch the ground.
I just use tape measures for my elevated radials, with a ring terminal soldered to the end. Then simply extend or retract the tape measure to the band you are using. Advantages, are that it is compact, and adjustable to any length so the SWR can be fine tuned
I use the single radial version of this extensively. The dual radial variant is also known as the predator. In both cases if you can get the base of the vertical up to about 5’ off the ground and have the radials slope down to about 2’ you can improve SWR and, more importantly, lower the angle of radiation slightly for better DX.
Oh yes, when I first shared the prototype a few years ago, I called it the PREDator (portable, resonant, elevated, directional). Then I realized there was a popular CB antenna by that name so I 'rebranded' it as the PERformer (portable, elevated, resonant). In general, you should experiment with radial height and 'droop angle'. In many cases, drooping the radials down 10-30 degrees will increase the radiation resistance (the good stuff) and increase feedpoint impedance closer to 50 ohms (for great SWR). However, not all ground and near-field surroundings are equal. I've found that the 'droop angle' can vary considerably so I encourage builders to experiment. If you use my Mueller clip-to-fiberglass stake implementation as in my PDF, it's easy to slide it up and down on the stake to modify the angle. Quite frankly, I've found that 80% of the time, it works best for SWR by keeping the radial end as high as the stake will allow 😀73 KJ6ER
I guess I will have to experiment a bit more. I've been successfully using the single elevated radial 17 feet long with 213 inch WRC vertical up 4 feet at base and had to collapse the vertical down 1 and 3/4 sections for a near 1:1 match on the lower portion of 20 meter band. I tried using the same setup by adding the 2nd radial and shortening both for 20M according to the design chart, but I found resonance was above 15 Mhz with this setup with the 213" whip fully extended. I had to add some wire (had to adlib, was Ata park) to one radial to get down to 1.5 to 1. But now wondering if there's some magic to raising the base up one additional foot to 5 feet so that the radials had a slight slope down to the 4 foot fiberglass poles. Now that I'm back home, I'll have to experiment a bit more. I still made many good cw contacts with my QRP-Labs QMX.
Great video. Thank you. I've been holding back on POTA because I've been focused on getting my Extra. I finally did a couple of weeks ago. I've been looking for this type of antenna setup for POTA. Thank you again. 73's KE8VUW Ray
Thank you for this video. I wish more people would get more detailed like you did here. These build vids are very helpful. And thanks for the P2P today, Saturday, on 20M FT-4 Jim K2WPA
Right in the nick of time. It’s is so hard receiving signals in my back yard due to noise, and band conditions. Especially, on 20m. Thanks for the inspiration.
Another great video, Michael. And a great antenna design, Greg. I might trip over my own feet running to the garage to get everything I'll need to build the radials. Im sure I have everything, including the fence posts and a WRC Sporty-Forty with the 213" whip. But instead of the quick disconnect terminals, I have knife terminals that I was going to use on a linked dipole project one day. The great thing about the knife terminals is that they are non-polarized. And they are a little easier to connect together and disconnect. 73, Joe KB9RCR
I just picked up some of those exact fence posts when I realized I need a way of getting my feed point of the ground for the EFHW I've been experimenting with. On a lark, I bought four of them, which was more than I thought I needed...but now, clearly, I can find a use for at least two of them when I eventually get a tripod or some other way to get verticals off the ground that isn't my magmount (which really doesn't need radials, of course). So now that's on my list to play with 😀
My first POTA back in 2021, I used a 17' whip on a Tram Triple-Mag Mount on top of my car (no radials of course) for 20M-6M. I remember how easy it was to make QSOs with that elevated vertical configuration. Soon after, I tried the whip on the ground with 3 ground-coupled radials and felt it didn't work as well for contacts. It was that elevated setup on my car which inspired me to create the initial version of the PERformer 😀 73 KJ6ER
I just built out two sets of these. I deviated from what you did, Mike in three ways, none of the major: 1] On the Mueller ends, instead of wrapping and soldering the bare wire, I used #8 spade terminals. The idea here is that I also have a Dually dual-transformer, and I could use these counterpoises there, as well, unscrewing the spade terminal from the Mueller and screwing it down to the counterpoise lug on the Dually. 2] I used narrow enough weed-whacker line (.065") that it fit all-right in the red blade terminals. 3] Being relatively new to this work, I tested each segment and then the complete chain with my multimeter to ensure continuity was achieved (and broken) where expected. Thanks for doing this video, and thanks to @gregmihran8616 for coming up with the idea. I can't wait to put these to use!
Great antenna system. This will be great for parks with poor soil conditions. I ran into that problem a few times. This takes the ground out. I bet if I play around with this using traps on ground radials . switching bands will be even easy . This works with half and 5/8 wave vertical as well. just more work. I only have a 10 meter DX commander pole. But I made a end fed 5/8 wave at 39 feet with a 4:1 UNUN ran as sloper. This easy tuned 20/17/15/12/11/10 with my IC 7300. The common 25 FT works great vertable. 20.5 ft and 39 feet are outher length to try. The 25FT will be easy to raise above the ground and just use tuned radials with that linking system. I would like to try 39 ft Vertical as 5/8 wave . I need longer pole. The RX I got from 5/8 wave sloper was amazing. I thought my pre amp was on. My 66FT 49:1 works great but on 20 meters the 39 ft has better ears ! Now I want to try elevated radials . 73
I heard you this Friday evening. Never have you been stronger. You said you were pm wet ground but I'm not sure if permeability matters with raised radials. Awesome signal down here in SE TX. I figured you hauled along a linear amp. ha,ha.. I'm going to experiment with raised vertical with my DX commander. I'm sure one could use linked radials with 40 also. I have already the components to make the version you are using. 73 and good job.
I use a 29' length of 26gauge stealth wire ran up my 10m spiderbeam paired with my IC-705 and AH-705 tuner for my fast and lightweight pota setup. Or a packtenna 20/40 efhw setup the same way. This setup looks fun also 👍
Interesting video. Very similar to the Buddi-Pole "Big Stick Pro" in principle at I think would be a cheaper cost. I will have to try the two-radial system. Keep up the good work! 73
Got all the stuff on hand so I will put this together maybe tomorrow. Btw I just got a Chameleon SS25 whip but haven't tried it yet. Thanks for the video and info.
You will love that CHA 25' whip! I use it for my Dominator halfwave vertical antenna for 20M-10M. I believe Michael may be trying to build that antenna soon. I'm a big fan of Chameleon 😀 73 KJ6ER
This seems to be a reimagining of the Buddistick antenna. Elevated feed point and elevated radial system. The elevated radial is marked per band. Merely an observation. Best, M. (N1QGM)
@@truckinguy92 exactly right! Both radials go out at 90 degrees and are completely elevated to alleviate ground losses and create some gain/directionality. I recommend all builders to label the segments by band so they don't get mixed up. I also never use a coil (except on 40M) to minimize any radiation losses due to the coil. See my PDF for details 😀 73 KJ6ER
It occurs to me that, having built two link radials, you could unscrew the whip, connect one of the radials to the whip socket instead of ground, and have a link dipole for NVIS.
The lowest SWR that I can achieve using the Sporty Forty is 2.7 using either ground radials or elevated radials. Any thoughts as why SWR is so high? I get a 1.16 SWR with ground radials on 20 meters with just the telescoping antennas. With elevated radials 1.04 at 14.1 and 1.21 at 14.3 and X varies from -2 to 6. Your tutorial on the elevated radials was outstanding as I got exactly the expected results with no adjustments! I have tried Chameleon and Wolf River telescoping antennas, Wolf River spike and tripod mounts, and 3 different coaxial cables. I have tried 2 different Chameleon RFI chokes. One is small diameter and I thought I was reordering the same choke and the other is a very thick diameter choke. I have also tried 7 windings of the coaxial cable as a choke. One commenter said he had similar high SWR and location change was the solution. So far I have only tried it in my back yard and it is extremely dry.
This is definitely a project I’ll have to tackle in the future. I currently use the EFHW POTA-ble that you mentioned in an older video, but I’m debating on whether a whip with a counterpoise(es) works better than an EFHW. I noticed that Wisconsin stations sound way too quiet to me from Minnesota on 20 meters, perhaps 40m might be something to try for closer stations. Nice video as always, Michael. You’re a plethora of good information! ❤ de KF0QNM. One of these days I’ll have to make a trip to Wisconsin.
I'm not going to say one works better than the other, just different. I get great results in using the EFHW and the Vertical. I usually pick and choose the antenna style based on the physical constraints of the location. If I have trees or supports, I may do a wire. If I'm in an open space, the vertical may be the better choice. 20 meters is tough from Wisconsin to Minnesota as you will be under the skip zone. I do get a lot of MN stations on 40 meters though. We'll be camping on the Mississippi River this Labor day weekend, so look for me on 40m either in the evenings or morning hours. I hope to get you in the log.
This would be a perfect antenna for deed-restricted properties...put it up and take it down in minutes. Fascinating antenna system. Aloha de Russ (KH6JRM).
You're right! And it is also perfect for HOA fast deployments and take-downs. I have quite a few hams telling me they deploy the PERformer at their HOA only when they want to get on the air 😀 73 Aloha KJ6ER
When you change bands, the whip will need to be re-adjusted so that it is a 1/4 wave radiator for that frequency. The instructions in the video description have suggested whip lengths for each band.
Excellent video Michael and a great antenna design Greg! Greg, I'm going to email you to see if you have any thoughts on my alternate design that brings the base up to about 10 feet and includes 2 sloped radials. Curious if theres any advantage or disadvantage to sloping. 👍
Sure, send me an email! As you probably know, sloping radials positively impact the impedance of the feedpoint, especially on VHF/UHF antennas. I did experiment with sloping radials on the PERformer (both in my computer model and in the field) and it really did not offer much improvement. It was already too good! I found it's best to keep the radial string about 3' parallel to the ground along the entire length. But let's discuss your ideas 😀 73 KJ6ER
Our club has a BBV7, so I do have a bit of experience with it. Diamond says no counterpoise is necessary, but I think this antenna really can benefit from a good ground network. I'm not sure if elevated radials are the solution because it is a non resonant antenna, but certainly give it a shot.
I hate to say this, but you are incorrect. FT8 hurts no one, it is a 3 khz segment of the band. There is plenty of space for you to practice your favorite mode.
Great video - Quick question: when measuring the lengths of wire, shouldn't the measurement come after the first connection is made so that the stripped wire used for the connection doesn't end up making the length shorter than it should be, and then take into account the same for the 2nd connection ?
I was initially concerned about this, but quickly realized that the connectors themselves take up space, so any loss through the stripping process is gained by the additional length of the connector.
Wolf River's store is temporarily closed as one of the owners is going through some health issues. Rez Antennas makes the Recon 40 coil (but it's not cheap) and I know Chameleon is working on a 40 meter coil, but I don't believe they've started selling it.
I have been using a bosch construction tripod with a 1.5" pole through the center. I have an aluminum puck at the bottom that I drilled and tapped for 1/4 -20 stainless bolts. I have a sigma x80 antenna mounted to the pole, this antenna collapses. I have a video on my channel.
@KB9VBRAntennas great video, I want to build the radials, but I don't have the mueller clips. if I use something else that might be smaller than 1.5 inches, would I be able to make the feed point pigtail and end point pigtail longer to make up the difference? keep up the great videos thank you 73
You don't have to worry about that little difference in the clip size. In the big picture, the telescoping whip (the radiator) is your variable tuning element in the field. A small change in the radial will ultimately be made up with a small change in the whip length. Use whatever component you have on hand or works best for your implementation 😀73 KJ6ER
You can add a little bit of length to make up for the shorter connectors. But I wouldn’t sweat it too much. The 1/2 to 3/4 inch difference really shouldn’t affect things in an appreciable manner.
Hi Mike, I was thinking…since the magic carpet replaces wire radials, could you elevate the window screen magic carpet and get the same results as elevated tuned radials? KD9QMI
Yes, you can elevate a 'magic carpet' (LOL like in Aladdin) and it should provide you much better efficiency than when laid on the surface. The PERformer with 2 elevated tuned radials has a radiation efficiency of 90% (meaning 100W TX = 90W out) whereas those same 2 radials laid on the ground has an efficiency of only 30% (100W TX = 30W out). That's almost 5dB gain! This is completely due to the loss resistance associated with the capacitive coupling of radials in close proximity to the lossy ground. Now, elevating a magic carpet screen as a quarterwave radial would be a tricky build (it must be resonant), so I would stick with 2 elevated tuned radials. But feel free to experiment! 😀73 KJ6ER
Sure it would Michael, Chameleon takes great care in developing products. If u have one, give it a try. If u don't have a choke, consider the one I use from Palomar Engineers 😀73 KJ6ER
Thanks for sharing and a question. For omnidirectional how does the two radials of the POTA Performer compare to the one radial of Dave's , KZ9V, antenna?
I can't speak for Dave's one elevated radial antenna but I did a lot of computer modeling and testing of two elevated radials. If you want some directional gain between the span of the radials, you place the two elevated radials 90 degrees a part: at least 0.4 dB gain and 4-6 dB front to back. My PDF shows the computer generated radiation pattern. If you want omnidirectional coverage, you simply place the two elevated radials 180 degrees a part, opposite each other. Both my model and the infield testing has shown that configuration to be omnidirectional. When you just have one elevated radial, there is some gain in the direction of the radial, although not as much as two. It will not be perfectly omnidirectional, but I would guess the front-to-back of the radial would be relatively small 😀 73 KJ6ER
Hey Chris, yes every band change requires the adjustment of both the whip length and the elevated radials (with the non-conductive segment insert). I never recommend marking your whip because, based upon my experience in over 800 POTA activations, the ground type and near-field surroundings, impact antenna resonance. In my PDF, I encourage the operator to generally remember how many sections each band requires and tune from there with an analyzer or your rig. See my PDF for more details 😀 73 KJ6ER
Yes, the counter poise lengths are fixed, so I did make minor adjustments to the whip length to get a good match. Scribes on the whip will get you in the ball park. But ground conditions can add a bit of variability, so you will still need to tweak things a bit.
Dealing with a bit of confusion on my part - First, the use of the term "pigtail" is ambiguous. It seems to refer to both conductive wire and the 2 inches of trimmer line. Second (related) part of my confusion - When on the 20m band, does the operator use the 48" section, followed by 2" of wire, followed by the 2" of trimmer line? If I've got this right, why not just make the 20m element 2" longer? I LOVED the 40m option. Very simple and you have all of the wire with you, without additional bulk and fuss. I disagree on the idea of creating an additional hazard by elevating the radials. This makes them easier to see, rather than trip over.
In my PERformer PDF, I show 2 radial pigtails ... one at the feedpoint for 6M and one at the end to physically connect the radial string to the stake. All the conductive radial band segments connect between them. I refer to a 4" non-conductive segment to be inserted inline to terminate the radial string at that point (Michael used a 2" non-conductive segment). The 2" endpoint pigtail can be made of any material, it is just there to physically connect to the stake and does not impact the radial length. Take a look at the PDF, I think it will become more clear once you see it 😀 73 KJ6ER
@@Sagart999 yes, it connects to the mirror mount base (ground) via Mueller clip and runs 43" as the 6M pigtail to the first spade connector. Makes sense?
You could. That's what Chameleon does with their MCC vertical system, demonstrated here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5S0UZcbEYn0.html. Having used their reel and this linked counterpoise, I find the radial with the fixed links a bit faster to set up and using two wires 90 degrees apart also creates directivity.
Do you think hanging thin strips of plastic ribbon at various points across the radials would cause a negative effect on the antenna at all? Thinking they would just make it more visible to passers-by.
I agree with Michael, no impact on performance (as long as the stips are non-conductive). But I would keep them extremely light (as in thin and narrow ribbon) so it doesn't compromise the radial tautness to the end stake. A little sagging is normal, but if there is too much, it could impact performance 😀73 KJ6ER
Have you thought of using toggle switches instead of the terminal/lug system? Just wondering if that would give you enough isolation. That for your videos. N0AYE
I actually tried microswitches in a very earlier PERformer version. It certainly worked but the switches, even these light ones, weighed down the radial to increase sagging. I found inserting the non-conductive segment to terminate the radial at the band was much easier and had no impact on radial sagging 😀73 KJ6ER
Curious, trying to be thrifty with equipment and materials I already have... Any reason the vertical element couldn't be a vertically-mounted wire on a telescoping mast (like a SOTABeams or a tenkara-style fishing pole)? I like the method of linking the radials.
I also like to adapt with whatever parts I have in my junk box. The good news is that it isn't required to use a telescoping whip, although it makes adjustment a bit easier. You can receive the same results with a linked vertical element. So go ahead and try it.
At one point, I used a wire-only version of the PERformer on my 7M Spiderbeam pole for my backpack. However, there is a caveat. Since every deployment has different ground and near field surroundings, the radiator length does vary a bit. So, I cut slightly shorter individual radiator links for each band (as well as radial links per band) but also made several extra insertable segments for the radiator (e.g. 3", 6", 12") to provide some variable tuning in the field. Ultimately, I found the telescoping whip the easiest to tune so I made a backpack version of the PERformer using a 4' PVC (split with a coupler) for elevation mounted on a Chameleon ground spike. That works very well and is very easy to pack 😀 73 KJ6ER
Thanks Greg and Michael for another POTA antenna. I've been wanting to try this at home first and wondering if it will work effectively on my deck which is almost 15' from the ground to the south and pretty much ground level at the driveway to the north. House is on piers with a pretty good slope to an extremely dry lakebed. Also, I have a metal roof but it does not cover the deck. I am planning on mounting the whip on the deck rail at the 15' point and taking the radials north towards the road and east to start. What do you guys think?
There's only one way to find out - experiment! I have learned over the years that every portable installation is different and affected by near-field surroundings. But, my gut says you have a good idea to install the whip at the 15' point and run the radials out from there. Make sure it's easy for you to tweak the radials for each band change (inserting the non-conductive segment) 😀 73 KJ6ER
A better connector for this might be a "knife" connector. They can withstand alot more tension. They also have the advantage of not being directional as they are not gendered connectors. 73 KD9QEU
Thanks for the tip! Like most hams, I use what I have on hand and have always loved the Wirefy spade connectors I found on Amazon a few years ago. You crimp them but they also have heat shrink with glue for a very secure fit 😀 73 KJ6ER
Hey Dwight, it may be easier for me to help you if u email me directly, I'm good on QRZ. Do you have my PERformer antenna plans PDF? With antennas, everything affects everything. Yes, location and near field surroundings are a big factor. In California, I actually have to use less whip using the Chameleon 17' whip on 20M for 1.04:1 SWR - go figure! I'm surprised you had to use the longer whip, something may be off. I assume u cut the elevated radials as in my plans? Let me know buddy, I'd be happy to help 😀 73 KJ6ER
@@gregmihran8616 It must be the surroundings. I had the plans attached to this video and followed them to the best of my ability. I will try it in different surroundings.
You could. That's what Chameleon does with their MCC vertical system, demonstrated here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5S0UZcbEYn0.html. Having used their reel and this linked counterpoise, I find the radial with the fixed links a bit faster to set up and using two wires 90 degrees apart also creates directivity.
Michael what is the purpose of the 2" end segment after the 20m segment? Seems if you use the 2" string trim piece a conductive wire has no purpose. Thanks for the idea of using that by the way. I have a bunch laying around. For folks building radials - 18 gage you use the red terminals like you showed. I wasted some $$ buying the blue which was too big. Wouldn't pass slight pull test. Great material as always. Your videos have helped my ops a great deal. Need to get that Heil headset and build your PTT switch next. Thanks 73 KM6QAQ
The break at the end is a bit of a tough call. It does give the non-conductive insert a place to sit when you are using the 20 meter band, but otherwise you could just terminate the end of the 20 meter segment with the Mueller Clip. since this is Greg's design, I'd have to defer to him and maybe he'll jump on here and drop a comment.
The 2" endpoint pigtail (not the non-conductive insert to terminate the radial for a band change) is merely there for a physical connection to the elevated stake at the end. It does not have to be conductive just strong enough to attach to a Mueller clip that, in turn, attaches to the stake. I used 18-gauge wire in my design for the radial segments, including the endpoint pigtail. But you can use anything that works best for you. Makes sense? 😀 73 KJ6ER
Any telescoping whip that is at least 17' will work for the PERformer - it's just an adjustable radiator. Use the ft/in measurements of the 17' whip in my PDF for the 25' whip. The longer whip could get you 30M quarterwave if you're interested in that. However, the exciting use of the new Chameleon 25' whip applies to my Dominator halfwave vertical. The PDF will show you how to use it. And I believe Michael will be doing a video on that, too 😀73 KJ6ER
Very nice video on the elevated portable setup. Like to give it a try myself. What is the model Heil headset you are using? I have a Yaesu myself and would like to buy me one. Thanks and 73. ON4VP, Phil
Yes, you need to adjust the whip (to quarterwave length) and the two elevated radials for each band change. With the setup shown in the PDF, it typically takes me less than 2 minutes while I'm in the field for POTA. I use an antenna analyzer to finetune the resonance as Michael did 😀 73 KJ6ER
I computer modeled using 4NEC2, 1 to 3 radials for directional coverage and 2 was the sweet spot @ 90 degrees apart. I also modeled 2 to 6 radials evenly spaced for omnidirectional coverage and found so little difference beyond 2 that it wasn't worth the benefit to add another 2 or 4 elevated radials in the antenna package. I designed the PERformer antenna with both performance, as well as portability and deployment ease in mind. I settled on 2 radials @ 90 degrees for directional, and 2 radials @ 180 degrees for omnidirectional. It works beautifully 😀 73 KJ6ER
Why dont we speak abt PARK-performer as antennas can be used in WWFF, POTA, COTA, BOTA, IOTA, SOTA etc. Or maybe portable-performer, why to link topic into one program?
Good point! I guess I should refer to it as the 'Portable PERformer". I originally designed it for my POTA ops, but I know hams use it outside of POTA, even as an HOA antenna. Oh well, you get the concept 😀 73 KJ6ER
Thanks for the video. I think I heard myself calling “Park to Park”. How did the SWR hang in when you changed the band? Was is still around 1.18? 73 KB1LQX
Not the 4-6 dB front to back ratio gain, but the antenna will still exhibit the .4 dB net gain, which means you aren't losing anything to ground losses.
Michael is correct. During infield testing with dozens of hunters across the US, the omnidirectional elevated radials provided about an S-unit better signal than the equivalent ground-coupled radials. There's a lot of math behind it but fundamentally the elevated radials reduce the ground losses associated with ground radials 😀73 KJ6ER
No changes, this setup will work with the 25 foot whip. Since the whip is set as a 1/4 wave radiator for the band you are operating on, you will just not fully extend. For example, the whip will be set to approximately 17 feet for 20 meters, 12 feet for 15 meters, and about 8 feet for 10 meters. The extra length of the SS25 just won't be used. But, if you did extend the whip the full 25 feet, it should be resonant on 30 meters. To take advantage of that band, though, you will need to add length to the counter poise wires.
Michael is correct, no changes needed. But the extra length could get you to 30M ... so you need to add another segment to the two elevated radials to match the quarterwave on that band. By the way, I built my Dominator halfwave vertical for 20M-10M around that new 25' whip. I have the plans available for that, and Michael is going to build it soon 😀 73 KJ6ER
@@wallyheser6866 I haven't tested the PERformer for 80M but ... if I did, I would use either whip with a suitable coil (25' whip is preferred for less coil). Of course, you would have to elevate a single 66 foot radial which is a consideration. You would probably need 4 fiberglass stakes to keep it taut(ish). But it should work. Requires experimentation. And if you're really wild about it, you can elevate a second 66 foot radial at 90 degrees 😀73 KJ6ER
Michael can comment on what he's using (it could be the one from MFJ). The one I recommend for my antennas is from Palomar Engineering. It's an inline choke at the feedpoint with a high performance coax-wrapped toroid. An RF choke is required to make this antenna work well. I include a link to it in my PDF. Something to consider 😀 73 KJ6ER
I used the MFJ-915 line isolator. But they are getting hard to come by. Like Greg mentioned, Palomar Engineers makes some excellent line isolators and choke kits (if you wish to build your own). I use one of their common mode chokes to reduce noise on my home station. Otherwise ABR Industries has a very good common mode choke for sale abrind.com/shop/ferrite-assemblies/current-type-ferrite-assemblies/. The ABR is the same product that Chameleon sells, but you can save a few bucks by purchasing direct.
Anyone seen a Buddistick...? Nothing new. You can go one step further and replace Budd's vertical element with an MFJ-1979. It's a bent half wave vertical dipole.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Yes... that is the best part of the hobby Michael... experimenting for perfection. Keep the great videos coming... the youngsters in the hobby need to see the ideas that are out there so they can experiment. Who knows... maybe they will discover something we OTs can use. Best 73s Dan K1YPB - On the air since 1962
Yes, both radials are identical and are spaced 90 degrees apart for some directionality between the span. Take a look at the PDF and let me know if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help 😀 73 KJ6ER
Hey Craig, it's just an RF choke 1:1 that alleviates Common Mode Currents (CMC) and potential RFI. It also isolates the coax from the feedpoint. A ~resonant~ quarterwave should not need anything more than that 😀 73 KJ6ER
I will admit the title has a bit of hyperbole. If it didn’t, you wouldn’t watch. But, after reading the specs and data in the linked document, you still don’t believe it’s the best, then tell me what is.
LOL. The 'best antenna' is always the one that YOU use and like!. While this antenna I designed works best for all my portable ops, it may not be the best for you. It's all subjective. Maybe give this a try, you may like it. Maybe not. Ultimately, it's what is best for each of us 😀73 KJ6ER
I'm using an MFJ-915 line isolater, but they are now hard to come by. Palomar Engineers makes a complete line of common mode chokes that you may want to check out: palomar-engineers.com/antenna-products/Coax-Feed-Line-Common-Mode-Chokes-c21444165
40 meters is mentioned in the video. As for the bands below that, you're going to have to the math. Fortunately the instructions have some really good guidance to help you along.
As Michael mentioned, 40M is covered with the WRC Sporty Forty and doubling up on the 20M elevated radials. For 30M and, of course 60M and 80M, you would need a bigger coil but also need to extend the radials significantly. Those elevated radials, especially for 60M-80M, could be a physical challenge to elevate. You may be better off just using a traditional ground-coupled radial on those bands 😀 73 KJ6ER
Surely your ‘magic carpet’ should be square, not rectangular. Sew two pieces together side by side and trim the length if necessary to form that square!
