[Elecraft] End Fed Half Wave

[w7aqk at cox.net]

Hi All,

Thanks for all the helpful, and thoughtful, responses.  I've gone ahead and 
deployed the EFHW more or less as described, and did make a few contacts 
last night just running 10 watts with the KX3.  I even made a couple of SSB 
contacts, which I don't often try and do when running QRP.  I did make it to 
the east coast (from here on the Oregon coast), so that was encouraging. 
Hi.

Some asked (suggested) I just use a standard dipole or inverted vee, which I 
often do.  It's just that I happen to have a PAR end fed with me, and wanted 
to give it a try.  This one is the higher power version, so later I may hook 
up the KXPA100 and see how it goes.  An inverted vee might have been a 
better choice, except I don't really have all that much space.  I did hear 
several European stations on 40 last night, but I wasn't expecting to catch 
any of them, and didn't!!!  Hi.

The best part of all of this tinkering is that it confirms how useful my 40 
ft. Wonderpole can be.  It certainly gives me a lot of viable options for 
getting on the air in tight places.  Of all the collapsible poles that I 
have, and I do have a bunch of them, the Wonderpole is the most versatile. 
I actually have two of them, but one is here with me in the motorhome, and 
the other is at home.  Anyway, it is the easiest, and most effective, pole 
for RVing and portable operating.  It collapses to 8 ft., so it is easy to 
transport--not a backpacking pole, but otherwise very manageable.  I've even 
used one of W6MMA's YP-3 portable beams with this pole at about 30 ft., or a 
bit less.  The top section is still 3/4 inch diameter, so I just use one of 
the lower sections with an even larger diameter, then "Armstrong it" for 
rotation.  It's a sturdy rascal!  That doesn't get me a particularly great 
take-off angle, but it works!

Dave W7AQK