| KD8M |
Rating:     |
2017-04-03 | |
| It works |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I am a new ham, and just retired from military communications. This was my first antenna, and it came to me as part of a "turn-key" used ham shack. I have an IC-7000 with an LDG AT-100 tuner. The antenna pretty much "hits" all the ham bands in the 80m - 10m bands it claims, as per a RigExpert 1000 antenna analyzer. However, all of the "spikes" in the analysis are very, very sharp V-shapes into the less-than-2.0 range. This means that on either edge of the frequency range, the SWR climbs to 6:1. The tuner generally pulls it into range, but there are some edge frequencies that are SWR > 5:1. For example, on the 10m band, I stay 50kHz from either edge of the band.
I contacted Danny via email a couple of times; his answers were short and direct, "see the FAQs". While I did miss one line in the FAQs, the other two were not really addressed. Find your local club's Elmer for better support.
I really wanted to get into 160m and 60m, so when I found the MapleLeaf QSO-King, that covered all the ham bands from 160-6, I was skeptical. Dang it, I wish I'd found it first! Bruce Beckett is very patient and helpful and saved me a lot of angst. Everyone says this antenna sounds MUCH clearer and more powerful. |
|
| NZ5L |
Rating:      |
2017-03-09 | |
| easy to set up, works well. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| This antenna works. How, I don't really know, as it's an endfed with no counterpoise required. Just run your coax to the matching unit, and string the wire as high as possible, perhaps over a pine bough as at my qth. The matching unit may be considered as a remote matcher with no moving parts or adjustments. I think with some rigs you could get by without a tuner at all, but as some bands approached 2:1 I use the built-in autotuner for a perfect match. It plays on every HF band except 60, and so far the results have been good - surprisingly so. If you only can put up one antenna, this should be considered. |
|
| NO9E |
Rating:      |
2017-03-04 | |
| HP takes a KW and works on 160m |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
I have EF 8010HP installed as a sloper from 20 to 100 ft. It has a usual directivity of sloper and the signal strength is usually below my flattops and above my verticals. But it is much easier to erect than the flattops and it does not require a wideband tuner for multi-band operation.
SWR on 80m is strongly dependent on the length of coax but usually < 2:1. Working causally, no problem at 1.5 KW level. SWR on 160m is < 3:1 and at 100W the antenna is heard by reverse beacon network at a level a few db below high inv L with many radials. Another ham tried it at 500W on 160m and reported no failure.
The box is the same for the 4010 and 8010 versions; they differ by the length of wire only. |
|
| K6BRN |
Rating:      |
2017-03-03 | |
| Excellent En-Fed Wire Antenna |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
This is a review for the MyAntennas EFHW-8010-1K, designed by Danny Horvat and I’ve attempted to add some information not contained in other reviews.
There are three versions of the -8010, each designed to work at different power levels:
EFHW-8010P (200W ICAS)
EFHW-8010-1K (1KW ICAS)
EFHW-8010-HP (1.5KW ICAS)
EFHW-8010-2K (2KW ICAS)
All versions cover 80/40/30/20/17/15/12/10M, and as previous reviews testify (including by the ARRL’s QST magazine), do it very well. Why so many? In a nutshell, Danny has been continuously improving the power handling of his EFHW antenna products based on customer demand, and still offers the lower power versions at reduced cost, giving you and me more capability vs. cost flexibility in purchasing. Not that any of the versions are expensive – all are currently under $200, with the lightest versions more towards $100.
Generally, end-fed, half-wave antennas with built-in feed-point matching networks are limited in power handing for a number of reasons, for example: 1. Voltages (and impedance) are at a maximum at the end of the wire and the matching network must handle ever higher voltages as the power input rises, 2. All matching networks have some loss, and a 1 db loss at 100 watts input represents about 20 watts going into heating the magnetic contained in the transformer. These magnetics are often relatively small toroids with limited thermal mass, and because they are generally enclosed in a weather-tight plastic box, usually have a very poor thermal path to outside cooling. So they tend to heat up at higher power levels, and once the magnetics reach their Curie temperature, generally 155 to 250 degrees C, they (temporarily) lose their properties, antenna SWR soars and transmission has to cease until the cores cool. Running CW QRP or SSB up to 100W, this problem is unlikely to happen. But if you prefer higher power or higher duty cycle modes, then this may become a frustrating problem. In my viewpoint, it’s the main weakness of this antenna type.
MyAntennas addressed this problem in several ways. Matching transformer losses have been reduced well below 1 db on the latest 2K versions, magnetic thermal mass has increased and the Curie temperature of the core material has been pushed upwards. In short, the transformers generate less heat, have slightly more thermal dissipation area, a higher thermal mass (takes longer to heat), and can get much hotter before losing effectiveness.
So – what does this mean for the EFHW-8010-1K? I’ve found no problems running SSB into the antenna up to 500W (simply have not tried higher power). When running RTTY with a series of long continuous transmissions, 200W is the practical limit, or lower if the TX period exceeds about 1 minute. Remember that the rating of this antenna is 1KW ICAS (Intermittent Commercial and Amateur Service) and RTTY is continuous – a brutal test of an amplifier and antenna system. Even my Mosley TA-33-MW Yagi, a famously robust design that has been an industry benchmark for decades, is only rated at 600W RTTY, whereas its SSB rating is 2.5 KW.
I’ve put up and used two EFHW-8010-1K antennas, plus an EFHW-8010HP and even an EFHW-4010. I also have a new high-power EFHW-8010-2K on the way, because I’ve been working more with RTTY and would like to fully explore the 500W RTTY limit of my Quadra VL-1000 at QTH#1 on 80M. Each antenna has been installed in a different configuration: As a linear horizontal half-wave, a horizontal-V (due to space limits and yard safety) and as a bent-L. They are very easy to install due to their built-in matching network (no ladder line and remote tuner required), end feed (way more convenient that a center-feed) and very small size and weight when handling or transporting. No additional “counterpoise” has been necessary nor has a feed point ground, though the ground is recommended. I also use one of the antennas as part of my travel kit, which includes a Yaesu FT-991, and it transports easily, sets up in minutes and just performs.
Contrary to some almost hysterical on-line claims by armchair pundits who have NEVER used these antennas, I’ve had zero problems with RF on the coax shield or in the shack – in fact, in a recent measurement (I became curious) I measured 35 mA maximum outer shield current (near the antenna feed point – is that REALLY a problem?) at 50W TX – no added external counterpoise (other than the shield) and no ground at the matching transformer. Nor do they seem particularly sensitive to coax length. An RF choke at the feed point is neither needed nor recommended (by ANYBODY), but I do use one at QTH#1 (CMC-154-3K), which oddly enough, allows the EFHW-8010-1K to resonate well enough on 160M to make quite a number of contacts. It’s not rated or very efficient on that band, nor can it handle much power – so I consider this an unexpected bonus of the antenna configuration.
Are these antennas ideal? No. My Mosley TA-33-M Yagi consistently out-performs the EFHW-8010-1K wire antenna - by 12 db or so on 20M TX (depends a LOT on conditions) judging from recent informal A/B tests I’ve run using PSK Reporter reception reports as a metric. But then, the wire antenna is much lower (22 vs. 36 ft.) and is in a nearly omni-directional configuration. So much depends on installation, too. The wire does far outperform the (higher) CHA-250B vertical on the same lot, and appears slightly better than the Comet’s predecessor, a Hustler 6BTV vertical (deceased in a wind storm). Regarding DX? Well, I’ve been able to nail South Africa (10K+ miles), South America (6K+ miles) and others with the Mosely TA-33… and with the West EFHW-8010-1K, TOO. So it works well enough, particularly when conditions are right. From the East Coast (where it is my ONLY antenna), Europe booms in regularly.
The payback is that the EFHW-8010-1K is inexpensive, almost trivial to transport, put up and use, adds additional band capability the Mosley TA-33-MWARC does not provide and has no “bad habits” that I can detect, other than limited power handling (improved in the later HP and 2K versions). And it can and is bent into a compact shape to fit into my small beach home lot, tightly surrounded by other 2-story homes. I’ve had similar experiences with this antenna in a friend’s installation and in use it at two other QTH’s on the East Coast. As other reviews have noted – it just works. That’s my experience, too.
Best Regards,
Brian – K6BRN |
|
| AD5VM |
Rating:      |
2017-02-03 | |
| Finally! |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
Okay, I know Danny will be the first one to say there's nothing magic or special about his antennas. But, show me where anyone has ever sold an antenna that is:
1) End fed with coax
2) No funky hanging matching wires (Par)
3) Handles 1kW+ power
4) Full size on lowest band
5) Resonant on EVERY band but not 'broadband'
The last one is the most important. There are plenty of antennas that either require a tuner (Chameleon) which means you are loosing some unknown amount of power in the feedline, or they magically have a VSWR of 1:1 on every frequency which means it's a resistor in a box with a wire that may or may not radiate anything depending on 47 variables.
Danny has done the hard work of designing an un-un and a radiator that just goes resonant AT and only at the ham bands. Sure, any of us with a network analyzer, a few miles of wire, an assortment of toroid cores and coil forms and a year of free time could have done it. Thank goodness all I had to do was send him some money!
I have mine up as a flat-top at 50 feet between two tree-tops (thanks youtube pneumatic PVC cannon!) it's ungrounded and has a few turns in the coax at the feed point to reduce common mode and provide a strain relief point.
It's so satisfying to get a 59+10 signal report and then to say 'antenna here is an end fed wire in a tree'
I get great signal reports on EVERY band, break pile-ups on the first call, I feel like a big gun station. (and I WAS a big-gun at my last QTH) I know I know, it's a full-size dipole on 80 meters, and performs like one, but on the higher bands, it sometimes performs much better than a full-sized dipole, as it should, in some directions. If your antenna is two or three wavelengths long, and nothing is heating up in the system, it stands to reason there is probably a nice gain-lobe somewhere.
I'm not a new ham who's amazed at what a wire in a tree-top can do. My favorite antenna system is a giant horizontal loop at least 600 ft long, up at least 50 ft high and fed with 600 ohm ladder line which is matched using a balanced double-L network. I'd take that over a stack of beams on a tower any day. This is the very next best thing, at a fraction of the cost and effort.
I can't recommend this antenna highly enough. |
|
| K1WDY |
Rating:      |
2017-01-20 | |
| Great Antenna |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
| This is my first HF antenna. I set it up as an inverted vee, with the apex about 80 feet high over a tree branch and the ends about 10 feet high. I have very low noise and have made contacts to 23 different countries with 100w (most of those using SSB). I operate mostly on 40m and 20m with no tuner (the SSB area of 80m has too high SWR to operate without modifying the length or using a tuner). I would recommend this antenna to anyone wanting a multi-band wire antenna. |
|
| K5YNC |
Rating:      |
2017-01-01 | |
| A Great Antenna |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| There are so many choices when deciding on a HF antenna. As a new General, I could not make that decision. Space was not an issue since I have 100 acres, but since we run a business on site, having an antenna out of the way of nosy customers was a must. This antenna fits the bill... easy to install, and great on the air. Excited to hear what I had been missing. Great product...looking to purchase an additional one for camping...this antenna is THAT EASY to hand up! |
|
| KG5BJV |
Rating:      |
2016-12-01 | |
| Amazing performance! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Amazing performance! I’ve been using a Superpole DP2 portable dipole for a long time now at 14ft high off the ground. My antenna works well for a shortened antenna, but for 20 meters and lower contacts are few because of the low height and power 5 watts,my radio is the Yaesu FT817ND.
I wanted to have an antenna that I could set up and take down quickly,and would work on all HF bands without needing a tuner and have to take down and adjust every time I change bands. This antenna fits all the requirements and Swr is low on all bands except on 20 meters and 80 meters but within workable limits. I have the high end at 14ft off the ground at the rear of my house sloping down where about 3/4 of it is 6ft off the ground at the front of my house. Under poor conditions I’ve made several contacts on 20 meters and contacts on 80 meters that have been difficult before. Two contacts one to Oregon 15 meters and one to Florida 20 meters my signal was S9+!! never given that to anyone before! I’ve worked three new country’s Nambia on 20 meters sent 5/1 Anguilla on 17 meters 5/6 and French Guiana on 20 meters 5/7! So what more can I say? I wish I had known about this antenna earlier I would have bought this instead of using a small compromise antenna for HF. Under poor conditions works excellent can’t wait to submit another review when band conditions are good but that may be a while!
Anthony Thorpe KG5BJV thank you 73. |
|
| WU9P |
Rating:      |
2016-11-29 | |
| Great Antenna, Great Service! |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
| The antenna has performed very well for me and at only 25 feet. It receives well and I typically get very good signal reports. The SWR readings taken with my MFJ-269C from 80-10 meters were consistent with those advertised. This antenna is very easy to install and comes at a great price. Very stealthy to if that’s a concern. Delivery was fast and customer service is excellent. Danny is a great person to deal with. If you are a rag chewer like me and you plan to operate your station at high power levels, then I would highly recommend either the MEF-310-2K or MEF-320-2K. |
|
| N6YFM |
Rating:      |
2016-11-27 | |
| Very Nice |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
My only HF antenna was a comet H-422 rotating dipole, which works well on 10,15,20, and 40m.
I was really interested in trying out 12, 17, 30, and 80 also. So a friend convinced me to try one out. I guess it really does not get any easier than this. There is really no right/wrong way to put it up. It is all shades of grey.
If you don't have a long property, fold it back.
It you can't get up high, use it lower.
Just string it from one end post to another in some fashion, and the antenna will work.
Naturally, a tower and a directional beam would do better. But I don't have that. So this is great, and I am having a ton of fun on the new bands. And Danny, the owner who makes and sells the EFHW-1080, is super great on customer service and customer support.
It's also a great antenna for travel and field use. You can carry it in a brief case and toss it up in almost any configuration to get on the air.
Enjoy,
Neal
|
|