EFHW is a magnificent antenna - I have been using them for about 10 years, both commercial and home-brew. When I had my Steppir yagi up, I used an EFHW as a spotter antenna to find DX before turning the SteppIR beam to the direction of the DX. I moved to another country in Africa 5 years ago where I do not have a tower....but I have acres of space and large trees. I only use EFHW antennas from my new location - terrific !
Hi Peter, I've been using an EFHW for some years now, I wound a transformer, connected 20+ metres of wire and mounted it as an inverted V to fit the garden here. It tuned up easily during trimming. I am very impressed with it. I can work the world with 5Watts and various digimodes (not ft8 😉) I do get noise on 40metres, but that's the same on all antennas I've tried. It's performance really did surprise me. I highly recommend sceptics to try one, As you say, They'ĺl be converted! Best 73 de Mark GØUSL
Hi Peter. I'm currently using a 40-10m EFHW made by HyEndfed antennas. I have it in an inverted L configuration, but with the feed point furthest away from the shack, as has always been the case with any end fed that I've used. I have had no noise issues etc. with it, and I'm always amazed by its performance. I would definitely recommend this antenna and believe you me, I've tried a few over the years! 73s!
My favorite antenna for the base as well as portable, home brew end fed running across two met roofs as the ground plane works better than the fan dipole. Great video mate.
I really appreciate your videos Peter, so I was very interested in what EFHW antenna I shouldn't be using and got quite a chuckle when you revealed the answer. I have two commercially manufactured EFHW from Myantennas and have been extremely pleased with them. I believe those antennas may have a 56:1 unun instead of the 49:1 unun that you mentioned. All I know is that they work! Thanks again for a great video. Cheers. Bill N3EDO.
I have an EFHW that "shouldn't work". I moved my shack from my unheated garage for the winter into a spare bedroom in the house. The antenna is a TennTenna in the attic window (20' above the ground) between the storm window and a screen. The 24 gauge wire goes through the screen and down to a tree about 5' off the ground. 25' of coax goes from the feed point, through a hole in a closet ceiling and to the rig. Without a tuner I have sub 1.2:1 SWR on 10m, 15m and 40m and sub 2:1 on 17m , 20m, 30m and 80m. I've worked 3000+ miles to the west, south and east.
Peter thanks for "heading" us on the right way again. I am mad about efhw's. I have one for my QTH radio and one for my 5Watt QRP field radio. Easy to make yourself and very easy to deploy in the field. Enjoy your day. 73
Peter. SO TRUE ! So very very true. I run an Enfed halfwave here, 40 meters long.. in straight line. Bar 80 meters it works like a dream. Feedpoint 3.5 meters above ground. Endpoint 9 ,eters above ground the 991A tuner lovesd it and since i mainly work digital, the VSWR on 40 meters a about 1.05 to 1. and between that and 2.2 on orther bands. Never had one before and now will never part with it. It came from the Netherlands... Hyendfed antennas. I just hung it up... never bothered to june it. See my WHISPER reports from NZ, Aussie Land, Tahity, Hawaii, Alaska, Antartica, Falkland Islands and every other nook and cranny on the planet. ALL DONE WITH 200 Milliwatts or less !!! with the Harry Harrison Zachtek transmitter. To those who haven''r tried one ? Peter has said it better than I ever could.v Try a REAL Endfed and Dump the brain one. Best to all. Albert. EI7II.
I wholeheartedly agree with you Peter. I've been using various home brew EFHW, both portable and in my garden, and I experience excellent performance and reports. I have a 12 meter tower, but don't feel the need to complicate things by installing a beam, the EFHW is that good. I have a QTH in my condo in Toronto as well and managed to rig up an EFHW in a very compromised situation and I still get excellent results.
Hi Peter, this is one of the big problems with social media and forums, it's full of people with EFHW's in their heads. I've come off quite a few groups because of vitriolic comments and general unsubstantiated BS.
EFHW is especially good when its length is equal 2xWavelength. Then it has strong gain lobes in certain directions which virtually sets it on par with a 3-4 element yagi. With my ~40m long EndFed from MFJ in three months I worked SSB from Ukraine all continents apart from Australia. Mostly on 20m band with not the best passing conditions. SWR ranges from 1.0 to 1.7 on 80m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 10m bands. I used it without any tuner at all.
Lots of folks used to (and still do) slam the G5RV design, as well. Ignoring them, I used this type of antenna for over 30 years with great results. Ham radio is all about experimentation. The point being that you'll never know how well something works (or not) unless you try it.
I have an EFHW for a WSPR beacon that fell down during a windstorm. It's sitting on the ground. And I still get WPSR spots from all around the world every day on it. It's been siting on the ground of our backyard for nearly a year now, and I've been too lazy to throw it back up into a tree because it works.
I use 2 efhw antennas on my property. I have a 53 footer for north to south and a 74 footer for east to west. They allow me to talk around 2,000 miles during band openings.
Hi Peter, On the whole I agree with what you say 'But'.....: In the early 80's I did have a lot good contacts and success with a long wire. I was lucky to live next to a farmer’s field and he allowed me to run it to his barn, at the other side of the field. The wire was 264 foot long pointing south. Tuned using a motorised ex' aircraft tuner that used a Z match type circuit. During this time I enjoyed daily and regular contacts with South Africa, occasional contacts with South America and the Falklands prior to the Falkland’s war.
I've made my own 49:1 EFHW with 154 feet wire it in U shape in my back garden the EFHW box is 1 feet from the ground no ATU need it it works very well the best contact was Indonesia over 6,000 miles and Australia couple weeks the best contact I've ever made. I am making different EFHW I like experimental on antennas.
Totally agreeing with your comments about the irrational fear some have of EFHW. Take a standard half wave dipole (but the delta matched or gamma matched version of it with one wire going end to end & no cut in the middle)... disregard how it is fed & just consider how it radiates... basically as a half wavelength long piece of wire.... ZERO difference from an EFHW (if you ignore the feed of that).... basically one is the other just tickling the middle for a dipole or tickling the end for an EFHW (& OK the feed impedance is different between the two but the feed doesn't impact the radiation).
The only problem I have ever had with my EFHW is that it ran over the metal roof on my house which caused some problems with tuning. Other that, it was pretty great. I now use a 44 foot doublet that is about 30 feet out away from my house and it is amazing.
Howdy, I'm using an EFHW in a horizontal L, N-S and E-W, at 6' above the ground on my white vinyl HOA fence. The antenna feed point is 8' from the house on a metal fence post. It looks flat across the bands less than 1.8 and tunes easier than my verticals. I'm at 5200'. When it gets 35mph plus wind I lower the versicles and use this one. Interesting to see how others config theirs.
I’ve done POTA with both an EFHW & a ground mounted vertical with radials. I’ve found that the EFHW is a lot easier to deal with. 4 bands without having to retune or use a tuner. They both work well but my only problem is there’s not always a tree around to string up the EFHW or the state park doesn’t allow things to be strung up in a tree. So a mast must be deployed and that creates its own set of problems with nothing to hold it up.
For sure conditions matter, but I guess I'll have to tell those ops at the Southern tip of Chile, and over on Reunion Island, and Asiatic Russia, and Japan, from Ontario, that those 100Watt QSOs on my EFHW didn't happen.
Nice video indeed Peter. So in my garden I have a DX Commander multi-band (1/4 wave), a magnetic loop and an EFHW across the garden (this is about 22m in length with a couple of traps, and will give 10m - 80m, I cannot recall the make this evening, but I might have purchased it from your good self). I have a Diamond CX310 switch and it is really interesting to checkout all three when on the radio. Overall the mag loop is fun but performance (TX) not that great, but the EFHW and 1/4 wave vertical fight for top place. So much so, that when doing some SSB I will find one contact is better on one antenna, and another contact is better on the other. So the point you make is really valid, you need to have the antenna before you pass comment. Mark, 2E0MSR.
People confuse the EFHW using a half-wave wire (duh!) and a 49:1 or 64:1 transformer, with a random wire antenna using a 9:1. The latest will indeed cause all sorts of problems. The EFHW however is great.
Until I watched your excellent videos on the EFHW antenna I had never tried one, (Although I had used “random wire” antennas with a 9:1 at the feed point), mainly because I had always heard/read how terrible they were. But thanks to you I have now enjoyed the use of the EFHW as a portable antenna operating QRP on its resonant bands without the need of a tuner. Thanks again for all your great videos that can even teach an old fart like me a thing or two about HAM radio ! 73 de Dan WD4DB
I converted my NVIS EFHW to a Inverted V, I used SS guy wires instead of rope, I realize now that was a mistake, but it worked out well for me. It went from multi band to around 600 miles . To intercontinental on 20M. I now get reports of 20 over 9 from 1800 miles away with 1.0:1 over entire 20M band. All other bands now are terrible, but I don't really care. I have verticals for 10M, 6M, 2M, 70cm that work great for my area.
EFHW is a magnificent antenna - I have been using them for about 10 years, both commercial and home-brew. When I had my Steppir yagi up, I used an EFHW as a spotter antenna to find DX before turning the SteppIR beam to the direction of the DX. I moved to another country in Africa 5 years ago where I do not have a tower....but I have acres of space and large trees. I only use EFHW antennas from my new location - terrific !
Many thanks John.
Hi Peter, I've been using an EFHW for some years now, I wound a transformer, connected 20+ metres of wire and mounted it as an inverted V to fit the garden here. It tuned up easily during trimming. I am very impressed with it. I can work the world with 5Watts and various digimodes (not ft8 😉) I do get noise on 40metres, but that's the same on all antennas I've tried. It's performance really did surprise me. I highly recommend sceptics to try one, As you say, They'ĺl be converted! Best 73 de Mark GØUSL
Good video and yes we used to hear this all the time back in the 1970’s and I have been using them that long.
Hi Peter. I'm currently using a 40-10m EFHW made by HyEndfed antennas. I have it in an inverted L configuration, but with the feed point furthest away from the shack, as has always been the case with any end fed that I've used. I have had no noise issues etc. with it, and I'm always amazed by its performance. I would definitely recommend this antenna and believe you me, I've tried a few over the years! 73s!
Sounds great!
My favorite antenna for the base as well as portable, home brew end fed running across two met roofs as the ground plane works better than the fan dipole.
Great video mate.
I really appreciate your videos Peter, so I was very interested in what EFHW antenna I shouldn't be using and got quite a chuckle when you revealed the answer. I have two commercially manufactured EFHW from Myantennas and have been extremely pleased with them. I believe those antennas may have a 56:1 unun instead of the 49:1 unun that you mentioned. All I know is that they work! Thanks again for a great video. Cheers. Bill N3EDO.
Hi Bill, great to hear from you. Yes 56:1 is an option and I will check it out some time to see if there is any improvement.
I have an EFHW that "shouldn't work". I moved my shack from my unheated garage for the winter into a spare bedroom in the house. The antenna is a TennTenna in the attic window (20' above the ground) between the storm window and a screen. The 24 gauge wire goes through the screen and down to a tree about 5' off the ground. 25' of coax goes from the feed point, through a hole in a closet ceiling and to the rig. Without a tuner I have sub 1.2:1 SWR on 10m, 15m and 40m and sub 2:1 on 17m , 20m, 30m and 80m. I've worked 3000+ miles to the west, south and east.
Peter thanks for "heading" us on the right way again. I am mad about efhw's. I have one for my QTH radio and one for my 5Watt QRP field radio. Easy to make yourself and very easy to deploy in the field. Enjoy your day. 73
Peter. SO TRUE ! So very very true. I run an Enfed halfwave here, 40 meters long.. in straight line. Bar 80 meters it works like a dream. Feedpoint 3.5 meters above ground. Endpoint 9 ,eters above ground the 991A tuner lovesd it and since i mainly work digital, the VSWR on 40 meters a about 1.05 to 1. and between that and 2.2 on orther bands.
Never had one before and now will never part with it. It came from the Netherlands... Hyendfed antennas. I just hung it up... never bothered to june it.
See my WHISPER reports from NZ, Aussie Land, Tahity, Hawaii, Alaska, Antartica, Falkland Islands and every other nook and cranny on the planet. ALL DONE WITH 200 Milliwatts or less !!! with the Harry Harrison Zachtek transmitter.
To those who haven''r tried one ? Peter has said it better than I ever could.v Try a REAL Endfed and Dump the brain one.
Best to all.
Albert. EI7II.
When I was a amateur radio operator in the beginning, my first antenna was an infield zap! It worked well on all bands!KA2HOI😊
I wholeheartedly agree with you Peter. I've been using various home brew EFHW, both portable and in my garden, and I experience excellent performance and reports. I have a 12 meter tower, but don't feel the need to complicate things by installing a beam, the EFHW is that good. I have a QTH in my condo in Toronto as well and managed to rig up an EFHW in a very compromised situation and I still get excellent results.
Great that you can get on the air even with restrictiond
Hi Peter, this is one of the big problems with social media and forums, it's full of people with EFHW's in their heads. I've come off quite a few groups because of vitriolic comments and general unsubstantiated BS.
EFHW is especially good when its length is equal 2xWavelength. Then it has strong gain lobes in certain directions which virtually sets it on par with a 3-4 element yagi. With my ~40m long EndFed from MFJ in three months I worked SSB from Ukraine all continents apart from Australia. Mostly on 20m band with not the best passing conditions. SWR ranges from 1.0 to 1.7 on 80m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 10m bands. I used it without any tuner at all.
Lots of folks used to (and still do) slam the G5RV design, as well. Ignoring them, I used this type of antenna for over 30 years with great results. Ham radio is all about experimentation. The point being that you'll never know how well something works (or not) unless you try it.
I have an EFHW for a WSPR beacon that fell down during a windstorm. It's sitting on the ground. And I still get WPSR spots from all around the world every day on it. It's been siting on the ground of our backyard for nearly a year now, and I've been too lazy to throw it back up into a tree because it works.
Don't be lazy, get that antenna back up. 🙂
Cleverly put Peter.
I use 2 efhw antennas on my property. I have a 53 footer for north to south and a 74 footer for east to west. They allow me to talk around 2,000 miles during band openings.
Hi Peter, On the whole I agree with what you say 'But'.....: In the early 80's I did have a lot good contacts and success with a long wire. I was lucky to live next to a farmer’s field and he allowed me to run it to his barn, at the other side of the field. The wire was 264 foot long pointing south. Tuned using a motorised ex' aircraft tuner that used a Z match type circuit. During this time I enjoyed daily and regular contacts with South Africa, occasional contacts with South America and the Falklands prior to the Falkland’s war.
I've made my own 49:1 EFHW with 154 feet wire it in U shape in my back garden the EFHW box is 1 feet from the ground no ATU need it it works very well the best contact was Indonesia over 6,000 miles and Australia couple weeks the best contact I've ever made. I am making different EFHW I like experimental on antennas.
Thanks for sharing.
Well said!!! My 40m EFHW works great!!
Totally agreeing with your comments about the irrational fear some have of EFHW. Take a standard half wave dipole (but the delta matched or gamma matched version of it with one wire going end to end & no cut in the middle)... disregard how it is fed & just consider how it radiates... basically as a half wavelength long piece of wire.... ZERO difference from an EFHW (if you ignore the feed of that).... basically one is the other just tickling the middle for a dipole or tickling the end for an EFHW (& OK the feed impedance is different between the two but the feed doesn't impact the radiation).
The only problem I have ever had with my EFHW is that it ran over the metal roof on my house which caused some problems with tuning. Other that, it was pretty great. I now use a 44 foot doublet that is about 30 feet out away from my house and it is amazing.
All I've got at the moment is 20m of wire clipped to a 7ft garden fence with a Mat40 tuner , till the weather gets better .
Howdy, I'm using an EFHW in a horizontal L, N-S and E-W, at 6' above the ground on my white vinyl HOA fence. The antenna feed point is 8' from the house on a metal fence post. It looks flat across the bands less than 1.8 and tunes easier than my verticals. I'm at 5200'. When it gets 35mph plus wind I lower the versicles and use this one. Interesting to see how others config theirs.
Hi Jack, that is a great message for others to read where there are antenna restrictions.
I’ve done POTA with both an EFHW & a ground mounted vertical with radials. I’ve found that the EFHW is a lot easier to deal with. 4 bands without having to retune or use a tuner. They both work well but my only problem is there’s not always a tree around to string up the EFHW or the state park doesn’t allow things to be strung up in a tree. So a mast must be deployed and that creates its own set of problems with nothing to hold it up.
How well put, wonderful, and good ole British humour ole chap, Thank you Peter, vk4jdj
You are very welcome.
Here here….. my inverted V EFHW on 80m works a treat! Antenna “theory” in HAM land is often as much about myth as it is fact. 73 de VK2AOE
For sure conditions matter, but I guess I'll have to tell those ops at the Southern tip of Chile, and over on Reunion Island, and Asiatic Russia, and Japan, from Ontario, that those 100Watt QSOs on my EFHW didn't happen.
All very true! What a good video. The EFHW is a good antenna. I know, because I actually use one. Thanks, Mike.
It sure is!
I use a 40-meter endfed, in fact, it works better if you feed it down the garden and not at the house.
Nice video indeed Peter. So in my garden I have a DX Commander multi-band (1/4 wave), a magnetic loop and an EFHW across the garden (this is about 22m in length with a couple of traps, and will give 10m - 80m, I cannot recall the make this evening, but I might have purchased it from your good self). I have a Diamond CX310 switch and it is really interesting to checkout all three when on the radio. Overall the mag loop is fun but performance (TX) not that great, but the EFHW and 1/4 wave vertical fight for top place. So much so, that when doing some SSB I will find one contact is better on one antenna, and another contact is better on the other. So the point you make is really valid, you need to have the antenna before you pass comment. Mark, 2E0MSR.
Hi Mark, thanks for for sharing and supporting the Channel.
People confuse the EFHW using a half-wave wire (duh!) and a 49:1 or 64:1 transformer, with a random wire antenna using a 9:1. The latest will indeed cause all sorts of problems. The EFHW however is great.
Can you use TWO wides on the end fed, to cover all bands? All the Best! 73 DE W8LV Bill
Thank you for this video! ... well spoken ;) vy73 from Hamburg/Germany, Dietmar, DL4HAO
Until I watched your excellent videos on the EFHW antenna I had never tried one, (Although I had used “random wire” antennas with a 9:1 at the feed point), mainly because I had always heard/read how terrible they were. But thanks to you I have now enjoyed the use of the EFHW as a portable antenna operating QRP on its resonant bands without the need of a tuner. Thanks again for all your great videos that can even teach an old fart like me a thing or two about HAM radio ! 73 de Dan WD4DB
Great to hear from you Dan and glad the EFHW is working for you.
I converted my NVIS EFHW to a Inverted V, I used SS guy wires instead of rope, I realize now that was a mistake, but it worked out well for me.
It went from multi band to around 600 miles . To intercontinental on 20M.
I now get reports of 20 over 9 from 1800 miles away with 1.0:1 over entire 20M band. All other bands now are terrible, but I don't really care. I have verticals for 10M, 6M, 2M, 70cm that work great for my area.
I was wondering about height above ground for EFHW?, enjoyed the video
Any height! I used one last week at around 3m.You need to adjusdt length as a low antenna goes LF so you need to shorten it slightly.
first😊
Hi Peter, Im a relative 'noob' to the hobby but you're quite right. Particularly for top band I've found the efhw to be excellent. MI0MCZ