W3EDP antenna

[K0MU]

I've used the W3EDP antenna design and it worked OK.  Even though I don't have deed restrictions, it's fun to experiment with cheap wire antennas.

Anybody out there use the W3EDP?  (google it)

Jay K0MU

[K0MU]

How to make a 4:1 balun:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lYY7nkKrWo

[K0MU]

Forgot to add that I don't think it is even necessary for the 17 foot "counterpoise" to even be parallel to the main antenna.  It is used to move a voltage node a few feet away from your tuner.

Jay K0MU

[N3JBH]

How to make a 4:1 balun:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lYY7nkKrWo

Not so sure i call that a balun...

[K0MU]

Agreed... not much of a balun... but it's inexpensive and probably is better than nothing.

Probably better to use a toroid. 

But, my point is that I'm trying to encourage amateurs to make their own antennas instead of buying a commercial antenna.

Jay K0MU

[ROB1955]

I've used the W3EDP antenna design and it worked OK.

Jay,

the W3EDP is almost the same design as the chameleon zepp antenna. The only difference is the length:
87' for the W3EDP antenna vs 75' for the zepp antenna.

73 Rob

[K0MU]

I've used the W3EDP antenna design and it worked OK.

Jay,

the W3EDP is almost the same design as the chameleon zepp antenna. The only difference is the length:
87' for the W3EDP antenna vs 75' for the zepp antenna.

73 Rob

You forgot the other difference (which is significant).... price....   most hams likely have enough wire around the house to build a W3EDP for free.

Jay K0MU

[ROB1955]

You forgot the other difference (which is significant).... price....   most hams likely have enough wire around the house to build a W3EDP for free.

Jay K0MU

Jay,

price is indeed important but you already invested some good money in your rig why not on the antenna? It's a simple question of personal choice. I bought several antennas from those guys (chameleon) and I can only tell you that their customer service, performance relative to a compromise antenna which is fantastic (for what they're) and the unmatched build quality were enough good reasons for me to become a return customer. To understand that quality you need to at least hold one of their product in your hand and deal with their customer service (if ever needed).

When my brother in law opened his Christmas gift few weeks ago (a chameleon hybrid) he couldn't believe the level of quality and the build precision of the unit. It is far beyond you'll ever expect for an antenna. He only had to remove the unit from the box place it on his truck and fire the radio. The whole operation took about 5 minutes and he was already on the air and never touched the unit again. He was like my daughter with her new Apple computer.

You pay for what you get and quality is quality. Now I understand why my daughter wanted an Apple computer for Christmas. She had the same arguments that I've about antennas concerning quality, easy to use and reliability of a product. I don't know if you ever tried an apple mac book but it works the first time you plug it in the wall, it never crash and it's so easy to use and performs great. Well that is the same experience that my family and friends had with the chameleon products.

They're very innovative at chameleon and they're taking a lot of heat because of it. They're challenging the status Quo and I which that more companies would try to do the same thing because the hobby of ham radio is lagging far behind and it's dying slowly. We're getting submerged by Chinese junk everyday and we can't even accept or encourage a successful company building ham stuff here in the US.

73

Rob

[K0MU]

Rob:
What is your call?
73,

Jay K0MU

[W9FIB]

Rob,
I am all for supporting American companies, BUT, they need to also be competitive. On a tight budget the difference between a 300 dollar item and a 100 dollar item that does the same thing is incredibly important. BTW where do you think many of the components inside almost all electronic devices assembled in the USA are made? It certainly is NOT in the USA.

Stan

[WB6BYU]

The W3EDP was simply a wire length that could be matched using the link-coupled
output of the typical ham rig of the time when used with a specific length of
counterpoise.  The length didn't really have anything to do with the radiation
patterns, and it certainly wasn't intended for coax feed - rather for the case where
the antenna was attached directly to the transmitter.

I wouldn't expect such an arrangement to be less than the 3 : 1 SWR that some
built-in autotuners will match, but most wide-range tuners should handle it, so
there isn't a lot to recommend that specific wire length over other options.  It
will radiate as a random wire antenna, and the pattern won't be any different
than if it were a few feet longer or shorter.


I suppose in that regard it is similar to the Chameleon antenna- it's a wire that
can be matched on several bands with a tuner.  If the original W3EDP were still
around we might hear a lot more advertising hype for it, and wonderous claims
about DX worked (like the later Gotham antennas), but it remains modest and
perhaps a useful approach for those still running link coupled output stages.
At least it doesn't have pretensions to be something it isn't - the Chameleon
is technically not a Zepp except around 9, 18 and 27 MHz where the wire is
a multiple of half a wavelength.  (On 18 MHz it would have a high feedpoint
impedance due to the half wave feeder, unlike the original that use series feed
with a quarter wave feedline.)  But, as G6XN pointed out, while a Zepp feed
isn't necessarily a good way to get a wire to radiate, it isn't a good way to
prevent it from radiating, either.  With enough RF flowing on wires some
is bound to get radiated and make contacts regardless of the length you
choose or how much of the radiation actually takes place from the feedline.

So, sure experiment with it and see how it works for you.  Then try another length
of wire and see if it works any better or worse.