As for the single radial, we have been using that for years on the Buddistick. The radial should slope down from the feed point and the end should be about 3 feet (1 metre) off the ground. We call it a "Lazy L" and you will find that the strongest signal will be in the direction of the radial. Yes, if you want an omni-directional antenna you will need more radials. But at QRP levels, there's something to be said for the directional aspect of the single radial. There is a free download on the BuddiPole website that documents this better than I can explain it. I think its called "Buddipole in the field" and they have a section on the vertical.
Yes. 100%?????? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot????. 32-36% should be sufficient. LOUDER with a poor signal does not make you STRONGER.
100% Mic Gain.....Being LOUDER does not make you STRONGER with a poor signal! On a 1/4 wave you do need another 1/4 wave. Add a 1/4 +5% radial and that will make a big difference. 100% MIC GAIN OMG. GDX 73
Like writing in capitals and using strong words? The average output will rise when the mike gain is more open, nothing wrong with that in case of QRP. When QRO all things change. He did a great job, ... with his Honda.
Yes and the important thing is to watch the ALC. All audio reports we very good with 100% Mic gain for both DX and local QSOs.
PDOJBV. Thank you. I don't know how long you've been a ham, but a 1/4 wave WITHOUT another 1/4 wave is tough, especially on QRP. I've done plenty of QRP phone (SOTA etc) and NEVER (excuse me again for typing loudly), had to use anything other than 36% MIC GAIN (excuse me again for typing loudly). Your MIC GAIN (excuse me for typing loudly) is NO (excuse me) solution. Looking at his setup, frankly, he would be better off using his vehicle as another 1/4 wave, and NOT NEED 100% MIC GAIN. Oh, shoot, I did it again (LOUD TYPING). My apologies. SORRY I'M SURE THAT WHEN WE SPEAK I'LL TURN MY TYPING DOWN.
Mic Gain at 100%… for all of you that were surprised, the first 4 seconds of the video we ear “The audio sounds great no complaint” and we can see at 10 secs. that the Mic gain is set at 100% with no compression. There might be better settings but it did work properly.
Some thoughts about your antenna. A single radial wire as you deployed it on the ground will give some gain towards that side. If it were secured to a pole or stake so the wire was above the ground this would give 2 to 3 dB gain that side. The 17 ft. radial could be reduced to only 6 or 7 ft. by using a loaded radiator such as a 20 meter Hamstick or such. This makes fine tuning easy and has the extra benefit of adjusting SWR by adjusting angle. Two opposing radials give a circular radiation pattern and, if off the ground, make tuning easier. Strangely, if the vertical radiator is longer and the radial shorter the SWR will be lower. Around a 60/40 vertical/radial ratio is surprisingly good.
Thanks KK4OBI, This was my 1st experiment, tweaking both was tricky, I will sure spend more time when the weather warms up to find the best lengths.
Excellent video. It's always nice to see people having fun with simple setups. I use a similar setup with 6 radials and a telescopic whip for 6-20m. It is very effective to South America and Europe from the Eastern US.
