| KK4OBI |
Rating:  |
2024-08-07 | |
| Still my go-to antenna after many, many years |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
It started out as EFHW 8010 but was too long for my lot. I called Danny and he said "Just cut it in half". I did. It worked for my home station. Never worked 80 meters.
In summers we traveled in a motorhome to get out of the Florida heat. For that I used an ICOM 7000, a 12 meter Spider pole and an antenna analyzer. Needless to say but that antenna has been up in a lot of different ways.
There no tuner in the radio. On the rare times I wanted to adjust tuning I could shorten by running a loop through a tiny iron toroid or lengthen by using a telescoping whip at the transformer box end.
One trick that I used was to have an attachment point at middle of the wire.. the node at 20 meters . With the 39 foot Spider pole that made a near perfect 20 meter dipole out of the horizontal wire and the vertical wire adds good low angle gain to the right and left of the horizontal wire.
We live in Iowa now. The motorhome is gone. The radio is an ICOM 7300 but... the EFHW 4010 is still up, over the house on the Spiderpole. I now also have a 17 meter vertical and an EFHW 8010. The EFHW 4010 almost always is the best antenna.
After all these years I still really like it. |
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| KK9H |
Rating: |
2024-08-06 | |
| My Go-To portable antenna |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| A few years ago I bought an EFHW-4010 to use as a portable antenna when we go on vacation in northeast Wisconsin. The place we rent has two trees about 100 ft. apart and the antenna is strung between them at 45 ft. with a 75 ft. run of RG-8X. When I first tried it, 40M resonated around 6.85 MHz and the other bands resonated near their lower ends so I started to shorten the EFHW-4010 by folding the far end back on itself. Eventually at about 1 foot, 40M resonated around 7.1 MHz and 20 and 15 exhibited under 2:1 SWR throughout each band. On 10 the 2:1 SWR bandwidth covered from 28.0 to 28.9 MHz, so I stopped there. On 40 I can go up to 7.3 MHz and be right at 2:1 so basically all bands can be operated without needing an antenna tuner. As for performance, it has been excellent. I like to operate CW, Phone and FT8 and I also like working DX. In this configuration it works beautifully with my Icom IC-7100. This year right after putting it up I called CQ on 15M FT8 and no less than five JA stations immediately called me back. Then I went on to work multiple HL, BY and YB stations. The EFHW-4010 works very well on the other bands too and it is easy to put up, take down and store away. What more could you ask from a portable antenna? |
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| K7KDE |
Rating: |
2024-07-26 | |
| Very pleased with the fantastic performance |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I recently replaced my Chameleon EMCOMM II wire antenna with the MyAntennas EFHW 4010-2K and have observed a major improvement in performance - especially for DX.
First off, the EFHW 4010-2K is a solidly built antenna - better built than the EMCOMM II which is also a well-built antenna.
I live in a space-restricted QTH at the top of a fairly steep hill covered in ivy and blackberries that a host of critters - deer, squirrels, raccoons and pikas - like to traipse around on. Basically, I was getting worn out trying to maintain the radials that are needed for the EMCOMM II. The EFHW 4010-2K requires no radials, handles more power than the EMCOMM II, and I had read that the resonant EFHW 4010-2K is more efficient than the non-resonant EMCOMM II.
The old antenna was installed as an inverted L with a 25 foot vertical segment and a 35 foot horizontal segment running more-or-less North to South with the horizontal end sloping down to a height of 20 feet. I have installed the new antenna in the same configuration but with a 32 foot vertical segment and a truly horizontal segment of 31 feet with no lowering of the horizontal end. And the improvement is significant with a lowering of SWR values on 40m and 20m from 3.3:1 and 1.8:1 down to 1.8:1 and 1.3:1 respectively, with an SWR of 1.5:1 on 15m and SWR values less than 2:1 below 29MHz on 10m. But the real improvement is my ability to finally make contact with stations in Europe! With the EMCOMM II, I was able to make contact with stations in most of the US as well as stations in the Caribbean and in Central and South America. That still holds true with the EFHW 4010-2K, but now I am able to make contact with stations all over Europe - Finland, France, Belgium, Bulgaria, and Italy for example - stations I was never able to receive at all with the old antenna. And even though I wasn't able to break through the pile-up, I was able to receive stations in Bali, Indonesia, a station in New Zealand, and two stations in Australia the past couple of days! Needless to say, the new EFHW 4010-2K is performing significantly better than the EMCOMM II.
I'm not sure how much of this improvement relates to the better efficiency of the EFHW or the additional height of the horizontal segment, but I would highly recommend considering the resonant EFHW 4010-2K over the non-resonant EMCOMM II if you live in a space-restricted QTH and you're looking for a significant improvement in DX capability. |
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| K2MK |
Rating: |
2024-02-19 | |
| Solidly built and easy to tune |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Feb 2024 Update
With the solar cycle improving I had my 2nd consecutive year during the ARRL DX contest where I made over 800 search and pounce CW contacts with this antenna. I had to replace the wire element in 2022 because I foolishly left the antenna up in the tree during a tropical storm. The wire didn't break but it was so hopelessly entangled with the branches that it was impossible to extract in one piece. Danny offers a replacement wire kit which was easy to install. I was then surprised when I used my analyzer to adjust the wire length and discovered that it was already optimized for the bottom of each band. I think I cut off perhaps 1 or 2 inches at the most.
The passive end of the antenna is about 32 or 33 feet high in an oak tree and the transformer end is near the ground. It is a great antenna that I highly recommend.
12/10/2019 Update
I was able to elevate the high side of the antenna on my oak tree. The high end was previously 19 feet. It is now 30 feet. I anticipated an improvement but it was far greater than I expected. From Florida, running 100 watts on CW and RTTY, I had difficulty making contest contacts with Europe on 20 meters at 19 feet high. Yes it was possible with the typical European power-house stations at 19 feet but at 30 feet height I am now able to work most of the European stations heard on 20 meters. I would rate European DX on 40 meters as poor to fair at 19 feet but I now rate it as good at 30 feet.
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This is my second end-fed four band dipole. I had success with another brand four band and was intrigued by the different multi-band system employed by MyAntennas’ four band. I live in a HOA restricted community so I secretly deploy my antenna on contest weekends. The transformer box is mounted to a tree (cord and pulley system) and the end insulator secured to a plastic tent peg in the ground. I’ve only been able to elevate the transformer end to 19 feet. Performance is very good. I am able to work lots of stations with 100 watts. DX can be challenging, however, I’ve worked a fair amount in a short period of time primarily on CW and RTTY.
My tip for tuning is to use a portable analyzer and slowly cut away wire while monitoring the 40 meter band SWR. Stop cutting while resonance is still below 7.0 MHz. At that point carefully review the SWR over the entire range of each of the four bands. Then very carefully trim a little at a time until the SWR on all 4 bands is acceptable to you. As you make small changes be sure to review the full effect on all 4 bands. Don’t get aggressive. Take your time.
Construction is excellent with several available mounting options on the transformer box. MyAntennas’ multi-band approach coils up 2 feet of the antenna’s radiator on a small PVC tube not far from the transformer box. This has a side benefit of shortening the overall length of the antenna by approximately two feet compared with my other four band antenna that uses three wire stubs. SWR results are very good and similar to that of the other antenna. No antenna tuner is needed.
Pre-purchase questions were quickly answered by the company owner, Danny. I wondered whether the overall wire length was long enough for CW band edge tuning. Danny decided to add two feet of wire to the overall length to allay my concerns. This turned out not to be necessary as I ended up triming off a total of 43 inches from the antenna to meet my needs.
Three benefits of interest to me helped me in my decision to make this antenna my first choice. They are: multiple mounting features on the transformer box; a slightly shorter overall length; and a cleaner antenna to wind-up after use due to the lack of wire stubs on the radiator.
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| WB2LQF |
Rating: |
2022-05-19 | |
| Fabulous Performance! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
My original review appears below the dotted line. It was made in 2017, five years ago.
In May 2022 I decided to buy a brand NEW EFHW-4010 to replace it. I wanted to try a different configuration and I figured the old unit was probably aging. I SHOULD HAVE SAVED MY MONEY - The old matchbox, after five years, was in perfect condition! But at least now I have a backup, or one to take to the field.
Back to the NEW configuration. I copped the concept and the drawing from the MyAntennas' website for an "inverted L/horizontal L'. I had decent trees in the right places. I'm still living in the same townhouse with the same restrictions and the same HOA "permission" granted in 2017. This new configuration eliminated the fiberglass mast, put the antenna higher and made it less visible. A win for me as well as the HOA and my neighbors.
The vertical run goes from my rear deck straight up to a tree limb at 30 feet; the next run is horizontal to another tree for 20 feet and there is a 90 degree bend between the vertical and the horizontal. The third and last horizontal leg is 17 feet and the angle between the two horizontal legs is only 75 degrees.
Well, what a pleasant surprise to discover that this arrangement has resulted in lower noise, better coverage and consistently stronger SNRs. My original installation was closer to the house and I needed to use a 2.5 inch Mix 31 toroid with 8 turns through it to tame RFI. I was able to eliminate it in this new configuration.
I can't say enough good things about the EFHW-4010. It's been my ONLY antenna for five years and it has satisfied my every need from QRPp at 100 mW to my maximum power out of 110 watts. Please note: I only operate HF CW. This is one solid, consistent, well designed and well built performer.
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I live in a townhouse community with antenna restrictions. Since 2010, I've been very successfully operating QRP with a doublet in my RF friendly attic managed by an SGC autocoupler. No complaints BUT I've wondered how an outside antenna would compare.
I received permission last month to install a low profile wire antenna outside. My home is two stories with both and upper and lower rear decks and there is a 30 foot high pine tree about 40 feet away. This was a perfect setup for an Inverted "L" antenna.
I chose the 63' long EFHW-4010 and ran it from the tree top to a fiberglass pole on the upper deck and then sloped it down to the matchbox mounted on the lower deck.
Clearly, I had a "Perverted" L instead of a standard geometry "L".
The darn thing works just great! Resonance is right where it should be and I've been receiving consistently good reports in spite of the poor HF conditions. Getting the antenna out and away from the house really does make a difference. I'm a happy camper.
At first I was picking up more noise than the attic antenna but a Mix 31 2.5 inch toroid with 10 turns of coax through it and mounted NOT at the matchbox but right before the transceiver took care of the noise problem.
The only further change I am going to make is to replace the #18 insulatde wire with Wireman 534 #28. I already called the MyAntennas company and was told this would be no problem. My reason for doing this is to further lower visibility. My plan is to just replace the original wire from the end insulator back to about a foot from the coil. I'll just cut and solder.
In summary, operating under present "poorer" conditions, I'm hearing more stations and hearing them with a lower noise level. On transmit I am getting very good reports for my QRP station. This antenna is a clear winner for my situation. I'm good on 40 through 10 and use my K2 internal ATU where the antenna is not resonant. |
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| KD2YQP |
Rating: |
2022-05-05 | |
| Outstanding antenna! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I'm a new Ham and got my first HF radio and was looking for a good antenna that was easy to use and would provide good results. After doing a bunch of research, I ended up deciding on this antenna from MyAntennas. After finally receiving the antenna and installing it, I have been nothing short of amazed by it. I have the transformer box attached to the corner of my house at 15 feet and the other end of the wire slops up to about 25 ft, so it's basically a horizontal wire with a gentle slope up. In 2 days of using it so far, I have reached over 6 countries with my furthest contact in Japan at over 6,700 miles away, where I was given a 5x7 signal report!!! This antenna is amazing and has surpassed my expectations! |
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| KD0VE |
Rating: |
2021-09-28 | |
| Excellent antenna that performs as advertised. |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
Used for portable (RV camping) ops. Delivers the advertised claim of not needing a tuner. Measured SWR in an inverted V config with apex at about 30' was 2.0 on 40M and increasingly better on 20,15 and 10M. Worked Europe from MN on 20m barefoot. After initial testing added a coax coil choke about 6' from the transformer due to common mode RF issues which eliminated the problem.
End fed performance was comparable to resonant dipole on 20M installed with same config. Easier to set up portable than dipole as only one horizontal radiator has to be strung. Worth the money. |
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| W2UOY |
Rating: |
2021-06-01 | |
| Best bang for the buck: EFHW-4010 |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| For years I used a Hustler vertical with good performance but after using the EFHW-4010 I have totally switched to it. It is so quiet, I can hear stations I never would have heard on my vertical and I get excellent reports and DX. I run a kilowatt with no tuner with this antenna. Bang for the buck, you can't go wrong. If you can't hear them, you can't work them! I also use LMR-240 type coaxial cable for low loss and it can handle my amp with no problems. |
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| KD2JF |
Rating: |
2019-12-26 | |
| Big signal for a simple wire antenna |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
This is for the EFHW-4010 2K. As others have said very easy to install. Transformer is mounted on a side of a tree 3 feet above ground and ground wire is about 4 ft long. A Radioworks line isolator is installed at the midpoint of the coax feed. The antenna is hung in an inverted V. After reading that an inverted V fed at one end is a low angle radiator on the harmonics I can atest this is true. This set-up is a great DX antenna and on 40 i'm getting "great signal" reports. After cutting off 1 foot of wire my swr on 40M is 1.2:1. It is also a very quiet antenna and in my location much appreciated. I'm sold on the engineering behind EFHW and also bought the 1K version for portable use.
Update: I just compared my other antenna (GAP 20M Monobander Vertical) to the End Fed Inverted V with a station in europe: S2 on the vertical and S5 on the My Antennas V on 20 meters.
From K1RF:
"But a key characteristic that does change is the radiation pattern on each harmonic. This IS affected by where the half-wave is fed."
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| W6RQ |
Rating: |
2019-12-09 | |
| still working well |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
Update to previous review. Now that I've had more experience with the EFHW-4010, I'm even more pleased with it. Thanks to helpful advice from Danny E73M (designer of the antenna) and Brian K6BRN, I relocated the far end of the antenna so that the wire is now mostly not going over our house. It is now up about 30 feet, and mostly over the side of our yard. It is now under 3:1 SWR on 40, 20, 15, 12, and 10m -- so my ICOM 7300 ATU can tune it on all those bands. On 30m and 17m, it is under 10:1, so the IC-7300's "emergency tune" mode can find a match. The antenna works FB on all bands for which it was designed, and I have some DX contacts on 30m and 17m.
One thing I have noticed is that the transformer core may get hot if you TX for a long time using a digital mode like FT8 on 40m at 75-90 watts, and if it gets too hot it will no longer function properly (you will notice the SWR slowly starting to increase). If that happens, stop transmitting and give the antenna transformer core a rest and when you resume, lower your power. If you transmit for too long with an overheating tranformer core, you can permanently damage the magnetic properties of the core. The EFHW-4010 is rated at 1kW ICAS, but your mileage may vary, especially depending on the particulars of your installation (like any metal objects in the near field of the antenna that can detune it). If I had known about this, I would have got the EFHW-4010-2K, which is only $20 more and is rated for up to 2kW-ICAS. |
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