openduck

Personal Site of Dr Peter Hannay


HF Wire Antenna Build and Test

I had been working on getting a HF wire antenna assembled for some time, there were a number of issues in getting this atenna built and erected. These were primarily attributed to my location, I am in a small villa in an urban area. I determined that I could erect the antenna in my courtyard, with a wire extended down the side of my home.

The images below show the configuration of the antenna, it was not ideal as I was unable to get the wire tight due to the layout of my home. Future designs will attempt to take this limitation into account.

The base of the antenna, 9:1 unun, feedline, squid pole, and ground spike are visible.
The base of the antenna, 9:1 unun, feedline, squid pole, and ground spike are visible.

The upper section of the antenna, squid pole and a portion of the long wire are visible.
The upper section of the antenna, squid pole and a portion of the long wire are visible.

The extent of the antenna, the squid pole and long wire are visible.
The extent of the antenna, the squid pole and long wire are visible.

I made use of a home made 9:1 unun based on vk6syf’s design. The unun reduces interference and helps to match the impedance of my antenna to that of my transceiver.

9:1 unun based on the v1 vk6syf design
9:1 unun based on the v1 vk6syf design.

I checked the VSWR of the antenna using a NanoVNA which was kindly provided by VK2AFD. It appeared as though 20M, 15M, and 10M would be usable. However, my license limited me to operation on 15M and 10M.

Screen of nanovna showing VSWR chart which indicates 10.31mhz - 30.89mhz are below 2:1
Screen of nanovna showing VSWR chart which indicates 10.31mhz - 30.89mhz are below 2:1.

I managed to make some contacts both locally and in Indonesia via FT8. Using WSPR I was able to reach over 15,000KM with my signal reaching EA8BFK in the Canary Islands.

FT8 QSOs

DateTime (UTC)CallsignFrequencyModeLocationCountry
22/9/20228:08YC1JEL28FT8OI33sdIndonesia
22/9/20227:46YC0HLE28FT8OI33isIndonesia
22/9/20227:32VJ6X28FT8OF78waAustralia

WSPR Contacts

Note: The 40M contacts were made using a different antenna.

Map of WSPR contacts made
Map of WSPR contacts made.

TimestampCallMHzSNRDriftGridPwrReporterRGridkmazMode
2022-09-22 09:14VK6HAX7.040095-150OF78vc5VK4CTQG62jv3603912
2022-09-22 09:14VK6HAX7.040096-160OF78vc5VK7AAEQE3630081242
2022-09-22 09:14VK6HAX7.040100-100OF78vc5VK7BOQE38mo29621202
2022-09-22 09:14VK6HAX7.040093-200OF78vc5VK2RGQF56mc32831042
2022-09-22 09:14VK6HAX7.040129-260OF78vc5VK6DVOF78wa121402
2022-09-22 09:14VK6HAX7.040095+40OF78vc5VK7JJQE38lr29521202
2022-09-22 09:04VK6HAX7.040095-100OF78vc5VK7JJQE38lr29521202
2022-09-22 09:04VK6HAX7.040096-16-1OF78vc5VK7AAEQE3630081242
2022-09-22 09:04VK6HAX7.040097-200OF78vc5VK2AMAQF5432611072
2022-09-22 09:04VK6HAX7.040128-250OF78vc5VK6DVOF78wa121402
2022-09-22 09:04VK6HAX7.040115-250OF78vc5ZL2NEBRE68xl51951192
2022-09-22 09:04VK6HAX7.040096-220OF78vc5VK5FQ/WPF95gc21331052
2022-09-22 09:04VK6HAX7.040095-210OF78vc5VK2AMF/1QF44pu31121062
2022-09-22 09:04VK6HAX7.040096-220OF78vc5VK3KHZQF22pe27591122
2022-09-22 09:04VK6HAX7.040095-230OF78vc5VK4CTQG62jv3603912
2022-09-22 09:04VK6HAX7.040095-180OF78vc5ZL2005SWLRE68mx51271182
2022-09-22 09:04VK6HAX7.040096-130OF78vc5VK5WAPF95ig21481052
2022-09-22 08:52JA5NVN14.097180-340PM74ec1VK6HAXOF78vc75921972
2022-09-22 08:52VK6BMT14.097106-17-3OF78ve0.1VK6HAXOF78vc91802
2022-09-22 08:50VK3QN14.097131-170QF22fr5VK6HAXOF78vc26812742
2022-09-22 08:46VK6HAX21.096088-181OF78vc5VK4CTQG62jv3603912
2022-09-22 08:46VK6HAX21.096058-42OF78vc5VK7JJQE38lr29521202
2022-09-22 08:46VK6HAX21.096089-170OF78vc5AI6VN/GBL10rx11011712
2022-09-22 08:46VK6HAX21.096089-230OF78vc5AI6VN/ABL10rx11011712
2022-09-22 08:46VK6HAX21.096089-280OF78vc5AI6VN/KH6BL10rx11011712
2022-09-22 08:46VK6HAX21.096089-200OF78vc5VK3KHZQF22pe27591122
2022-09-22 08:46VK6HAX21.096097-230OF78vc57L4IOUPM95wr7928202
2022-09-22 08:46VK6HAX21.096090-210OF78vc5BM2KVVPL05vc637062
2022-09-22 08:46VK6HAX21.096089+61OF78vc5VK5EMEPF95hd21411052
2022-09-22 08:46VK6HAX21.096186-270OF78vc5VK6DVOF78wa121402
2022-09-22 08:46VK6HAX21.096110-310OF78vc5PH4RTMJO31ai140433132
2022-09-22 08:46VK6HAX21.096109-190OF78vc5JA7KBRPM95ws7932202
2022-09-22 08:36VK6HAX21.096099-250OF78vc57L4IOUPM95wr7928202
2022-09-22 08:36VK6HAX21.096089-230OF78vc5AI6VN/GBL10rx11011712
2022-09-22 08:36VK6HAX21.096186-270OF78vc5VK6DVOF78wa121402
2022-09-22 08:36VK6HAX21.096081-250OF78vc5NH6VBK29cw11019722
2022-09-22 08:36VK6HAX21.096100-200OF78vc5BX7ABRPL02en607552
2022-09-22 08:36VK6HAX21.096088+30OF78vc5VK5EMEPF95hd21411052
2022-09-22 08:36VK6HAX21.096089-250OF78vc5VK7TAZQE38np29681202
2022-09-22 08:36VK6HAX21.096057-70OF78vc5VK7JJQE38lr29521202
2022-09-22 08:36VK6HAX21.096088-150OF78vc5BM2KVVPL05vc637062
2022-09-22 08:36VK6HAX21.096089-180OF78vc5VK3KHZQF22pe27591122
2022-09-22 08:36VK6HAX21.096088-190OF78vc5VK4CTQG62jv3603912
2022-09-22 08:26VK6HAX21.096109-170OF78vc5JA7KBRPM95ws7932202
2022-09-22 08:26VK6HAX21.096088-200OF78vc5VK4CTQG62jv3603912
2022-09-22 08:26VK6HAX21.096090-221OF78vc5EA8BFKIL38bo152102792
2022-09-22 08:26VK6HAX21.096089-260OF78vc5AI6VN/GBL10rx11011712
2022-09-22 08:26VK6HAX21.096089-200OF78vc5BM2KVVPL05vc637062
2022-09-22 08:26VK6HAX21.096187-270OF78vc5VK6DVOF78wa121402
2022-09-22 08:26VK6HAX21.096092+80OF78vc5VK5EMEPF95hd21411052