Video: A full size, yet even more portable, POTA/DX antenna

MFJ-1979 & eBay whip

My go-to antenna for portable operation has become the MFJ-1979 telescoping whip. It operates as a no-compromise 1/4-wave vertical on 10-20 meters, provided I have four elevated radials.

In Lowband DXing, John ON4UN (SK) cites work done by many lowband DXers (confirmed by antenna modeling) that four elevated radials is equivalent to 120 on-the-ground radials in terms of antenna efficiency and in lowering the antenna's angle of radiation.

My own experience lacks the formality of anything that could be defined as research but I do have a logbook full of DX on multiple bands when using this antenna from parks, whether those parks are on the Florida coast or inland Colorado. Whether the rig is the FT-891 (100 watts) or a QRP rig.

The MFJ-1979 makes it easy to set up and take down this effective manifestation of a 1/4-wave vertical and is of heavy-duty-enough construction to have lasted me 5 years (and counting) in three different countries & numerous parks around the US.

There is only one problem (now solved):

Fully retracted, the MFJ-1979 will not fit into my motorcycle's side cases or top case. To take it on the bike to a park, it must be bungee-corded to the rear seat.

A look around the internet provided a possible solution in the form of the poorly named 5M/16.4FT QRP Antenna 14M-30MHz 300W HF Antenna 1/4 Wavelength For USDX Radio.

Too many words. Bad for us; good for the search engines.

I'm just gonna call it an eBay vertical.

It is simply another 10-20m 1/4-wave vertical along with a mounting spike and a coupler for attaching coaxial cable. It also includes a 10-conductor ribbon cable for use as ground radials. 

Both the vertical and the ribbon cable are 5m/17 feet long - ie, 1/4 of a wavelength on 20m.

But retracted, it's only 20" (51cm) long and fits easily into my bike's top case whereas the retracted MFJ-1979 is 28" (71cm) and does not.

Both whips are 0.7" (17mm) in diameter at the thickest part. The MFJ-1979 has 10 sections; the eBay whip has 15.

The MFJ-1979 costs $70 and includes only the whip. The eBay antenna costs $55 and includes whip, ground stake, coupler and radials.

The eBay vertical is not as heavily constructed as the MFJ-1979. Time will tell how it stands up to repeated use.

RF-wise, they are the same antenna.

An motorcycle-POTA activation today was absolutely fantastic in two ways regarding the new antenna: 2 minutes to set up and take down, and lots of callers from California to the Czech Republic.

There were pile-ups on several bands with more simultaneous callers than either I or the FT-891 could easily discern, particularly on 20 meters but also on 17 and 15 meters. 10m was not open at the time I was on the air.

See for yourself - sharp-eyed viewers will notice something "wrong" at some point in the video (which I quickly corrected off-camera!):

 

Or directly on YouTube

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