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Reviews For: PAR Electronics, Inc EF-20/40 Dual Band QRP antenna

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : PAR Electronics, Inc EF-20/40 Dual Band QRP antenna
Reviews: 24MSRP: 59
Description:
The EF-20/40 is an extension of the EndFedz monoband series of end fed half wave antennas. The EF-20/40 is 39' long, requires no radials or counterpoise and rated at 25W continuous. May also be configured for 20/30.
Product is not in production
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# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00245
M0NYW Rating: 2023-09-17
Favorite antenna for QTH Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Review for 40M/20M/10M 25watt version.

I had two of these antennas. The first by PAR Electronics and the 2nd by LNR.

Not sure who/when the upgrade on the 40M coil was done but is better.

This is a perfect antenna for those with small gardens or for field ops. I use my at home and fits my tiny garden great. It's mounted 5Mtrs high at each end with the matching box at the far end of the garden with 45feet of RG-58 coax.
I only use CW and have found the performance is great on all 3 bands, covering the portion of the band with low SWR and people are suprised when there hear what the antenna is and the power I run (Normally 5watts, sometimes 10w when needed).

I have owned this for nearly 2years and so far still in great shape. If It was to break, would have no issues buying it again!


K5DCM Rating: 2010-06-12
Fantastic !!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I HIGHLY Recommend this antenna. I use it with my Yaesu FT-817ND and love that I don't have to use an antenna tuner for the 3 bands this antenna covers.
This antenna is a great performer when there is a band opening. Just tonight I made a contact with Poland and received a 5/7 report with just 5W.
I made a number of qrp contacts and also have a confirmed (QSL) contact with the Canary Islands using this antenna.
KD5RHR Rating: 2009-08-14
Fantastic Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've been using this antenna at outdoor Club events for a few years. I keep it in a small cookie tin in the pocket of my Icom backpack, along with the IC-703, a tennis ball and string for launching it into trees, some thin coax feedline, and a 5ah battery. Every time I use it, people are amazed at the contacts I make with this antenna and people ask questions about it. Oh... it also tunes up on 17 meters, although Dale told me not to use that band for some reason. But if it works... Altogether, a very impressive QRP antenna.
NN1F Rating: 2009-02-17
AMAZING ANTENNA Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Took this antenna with me this weekend to our ski townhouse. Decided to try it spread out running from the bunkroom on the third floor to the living room on the main floor. It was just sitting on the floor and on the stairs. Got on 40 meters late in the afternoon on my KX1. Tuned around and heard a call in a contest. It took me 3 tries, but got PA3FKN, Eric, in the Netherlands. He gave me a 589 told him I was QRP and he was really suprised. This antenna is a Keeper for me. I have left it at the ski house and in the summer can run it to the trees off the deck, on the second floor of the Townhouse. Not bad from the mountains of NH to Netherlands.
I also got some stateside contacts in the midwest.
Dale has another hit on his hands.
Aron NN1F
Lincoln, NH
KU2US Rating: 2008-09-22
WOW Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Based on the reviews here on E-ham, I purchased an EF-20 wire antenna from ParElectronics. I needed a good 20m base antenna for restricted space. I place it up about 35 feet from a tree to my roof in a sloper configuration. No tuner, No wire pruning. WOW! Great SWR across the entire band. My first contact with 100w was OM5DP in the Slovac Republic.Martin gave me a 5x7, I gave him a 5x8..I am sold on these antennas. Forget about using them just for a portable set-up, they are GREAT fixed location wires too. I dont know how Dale Parfit does it, but for the price and performance, you just cannot find anything better, yet so simple..Like the quote states: "If its to good to be true-it isnt" wrong!! With these Par antennas, It IS good and it IS true..Performance, price and great customer service. I am SOLD, Sorry W.C.Fields.
G1HQK Rating: 2008-05-24
Simplicity itself... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Ordered and posted by Dale next day, arrived very well boxed with simple clear instructions. Only used it briefly thrown out of a second story window connected to my FT817, first impressions seem very good indeed. Have yet to trim as not in its final location, cant wait to try it properly, will connect up to my FT100D and stick a little more power through it and see what happens. One word of warning, nothing about the antenna or Dale, UK buyers beware I got stung by customs for £8 vat and the post office a very cheeky £8 "handling fee" considering the cost of the antenna with postage converted to a few pence over £40 and extra £16 seemed a bit steep.
KC2EQA Rating: 2007-09-17
Wonderful antenna and excellent service Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased an End Fedz 20/40 QRP antenna a few years ago. However, it did not get much use. Since moving to an apartment and being restricted as to how much antenna I could erect, I decided to try the 20/40 again. This time I read some of the reviews regarding the newer 10/20/40 version right here on eham and contacted Dale at PAR Electronics.
Dale was extremely helpful and patient with my questions. I decided to replace the radiator with a 66' wire and trim. With the help of a borrowed SWR analyzer, I was able to trim the antenna to nearly a 1 to 1 match on 20 meters and a solid 1 to 2 on 40 meters. I'm having fun making CW QRP contacts again.
It was refreshing to experience the courtesy and professionalism at PAR Electronics. Dale even helped me locate the new coated wire that they are using on all End Fedz. I certainly look forward to doing business again with PAR.
KI4OJC Rating: 2006-10-26
Great Portable success Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I took an End Fedz 40/20/10 QRP antenna on vacation to Nags Head, NC, on the Outer Banks. I rigged it from 2d floor decks about 24 ft. up, on a North-South axis. With an SG-2020, running about 23 watts, and a portable MFJ tuner, I made multiple DX voice contacts, including Serbia, Lithuania [4800 miles], Germany, the UK, and Italy, and also into TX and KS. It also reached up into NY and down to Puerto Rico, so gain off the end was better than expected. Performance with CW was comparable, although I did not attempt any European contacts. I was very pleased indeed and highly recommend this. Gain was noticably better than a slinky-type dipole I rigged E-W.
KC0VDN Rating: 2006-10-19
Really shines as a 20/40 QRP antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This antenna is fantastic for what it is designed for. It works wonderfully horizontally or as a sloper. I have it up at about 35 feet sloping to my 2nd story shack and have worked Europe, Jamaica, Canada and abt. 30 US states since June with 5 watts. What a blast! The folks at PAR are wonderful to work with. All the products are quality built and have an excellent manual as well. Perfect!
KA8SYX Rating: 2005-11-08
Nice work! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased my EF-20/40 from Universal in Reynoldsburg, OH, over a year ago for use mostly portable on business trips. Hanging it at 20' between a pair of SD-20 collapsible poles allowed me to put out and receive fine signals, especially on 20M phone with the MFJ9420 and a gel cell. I like end fed antennas, whether they need a 1/4w counterpoise or not. I bought one when I saw that the EF-20/40 didn't need one and was designed for low power and lightweight use.

As I recall, I didn't need to remove any wire from either the 20M element or the 40M tip, after the choke to obtain good SWR figures.

On the whole, I'd buy one again if I had to do it over and would recommend one to anybody looking for a versatile and efficient wire antenna. I've been very satisfied with mine. The one thing I do not like about it is that the 40M choke is heavy enough to cause the whole antenna to sag when hung in horizontal arrangement. That's not anything that reflects on PAR's workmanship or the quality of the components, so I don't count it against the review score. If I wanted to do something about it I'd replace the whole thing with the 66' wire like others have suggested and be done with it.

BTW, this particular antenna has been retired from the PAR lineup and replaced with the 40/20/10 EF. Something to do with expanding the useful bandwidth of the matchbox to enable low SWR on 10M in addition to the two lower bands.

73, Ray KA8SYX