Is this the worst antenna for portable use? - Comet HFJ-350M Toy Box

Could be...

 

I get good results with a MFJ Big Stick with it's coil, or a Wolf Creek Coil with 17.5' Telescopic whip. Pretty much the same type of antenna with either one but the Wolf coil seems more heavy duty to me. I have not had to use any thing larger when 25' radials many times I just don't use radials an rely on my 3 foot long tripod legs acting as them.

Other times I just put the Coil and 17' Whip on the back of my truck's steak mount 3/8-24 and use the Truck as the counterpoise. I even have done that while at a pick-in-ick table with a coax extension.

 

WHY OH WHY do people keep wasting time and money on these air cooled dummy loads???
Just because you see 50 ohms doesn't mean it will radiate any further than the next zip code. Use a dipole!! Don't have a tree? bring one with you in the form of a light weight collapsible mast. A wire dipole made with #16 or #18 wire is very light weight as well..........

 

Anything that is not resonant for the band your transmitting on is a dummy load..

 

"Is this the worst antenna for portable use?"

YES

 

YEP!!

 

Incorrect! A dummy load would be resonant for the band you were transmitting on.

 

None of my antennas are resonant. I use a tuner and ladder line. They work fine.

 

You do know that the Chinese have been bootlegging that antenna? The original had Japanese instructions. It works as I had one for quite a while. Had no issues with tuning but I ran a counterpoise per the original instructions but any small antenna needs a counterpoise. Didn't see that in the video though.

Chances are you bought a bootleg.

 

Yes your correct but all your doing is conning the radio in to seeing 50hms.. a wet peice of string will tune up with a tuner..

 

No the worst antenna is the one you left home while trying to do a summit. :-\

 

Frankly if he does antennas like he solders I have little faith in him figuring it out. Never mind making a video.

 

Not quite in the same class as the "Toy Box" antenna, I've used the MFJ-1820t 20m whip multiple times to make DX and VA-to-West-Coast contacts (from one mountain top, I made 2 contacts to CA, 1 to Oregon, and 1 to France in the space of 20 minutes). It's not a resonant dipole, but it works and essentially turns my KX2 into an HF-capable HT.

Chris

 

With the moniker "Toy Box", what could possibly go wrong?

And whose derriere is climbing that rock face?

 

Not true in some occasions