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Reviews For: PAR Electronics, Inc EF-10/20/40

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : PAR Electronics, Inc EF-10/20/40
Reviews: 92MSRP: 59
Description:
The EF-10/20/40 replaces the EF-20/40. Physically identical to the EF-20/40 (39' overall) it adds 10M operation. 25W power limit. No tuner is required.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.LnRprecision.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15925
W2LP Rating: 2007-05-05
Great for 60 meters Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased the PAR EF-10/20/40 as a stealthy easy to install antenna. It worked just great for contacts on 40, 20 and 17 meters but I wanted to run more power on more bands so upgraded to the Buckmaster OCF (another great antenna).

I found that I really needed an antenna tuned to 60 meters as the tuner in my TS-2000 doesn't work there. I then remembered reading that the EF-10/20/40 was capable of working from 10 to 60 meters by just replacing the radiator wire with one cut to the correct length, I contacted Dale by email to see if I could purchase some of the same 18 gauge black poly-coated wire as he uses on all the EF antennas for this purpose. He offered to make up a wire ready to install and trim for a very reasonable cost.

Two days later I had it in hand and put it up, trimmed the wire to nearly 1:1 SWR across 60 meters and WOW! I was talking all over the country from my QTH in NY with great signal reports and have had quite a few DX contacts as well also with good reports. Although the matchbox is only rated for 25 watts continuous I have had no problems running this at 50 watts SSB of course.

I have it configured as a sloper fed from the highest point (attached to my house). It has an exceptionally low noise level and works well as a receiving antenna on many bands. I think it's the perfect antenna for 60 meters, even though it's not advertised as such.

Dale is also the perfect vendor to deal with -- instant email responses, super fast shipping, very reasonable prices and superb products.



AG7C Rating: 2007-02-19
EF-10/20/40 and my K2, a really good pair. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Great service from Dale at Par Electronics. Ordered my EF-10/20/40 with a BNC connector instead of the standard SO-239. Antenna arrived quickly and I installed it in a tall pine tree nearly vertical for testing. Works great with my K2 which I use mostly barefoot on the digital modes. All I had to trim was the 40mtr tip, removed 4.5 inches. I will be carrying extra pieces of wire to quickly change to monoband operation on other bands that the matching unit allows. Excellent addition to the portable antenna kit and works very well at the home QTH.
KB4WJA Rating: 2007-02-08
Easy to Tune Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My EF-10/20/40 came in the mail yesterday. The plan is to use it portable with my K1 for the Fists Sprint this weekend. Tuning was very easy. The 20 meter portion was right on out of the box. 40 meters was 1:1 quite a bit below 7000. I took about 6 inches off the 40 meter stub. now 1:1 at 7060. I had it up about 50' with the coax feeding at the apex. This configuration was not shown in the manual but I called Dale and he said it would work fine. Made one contact in MO (I'm in NC) with a 599 report.
KE7HTQ Rating: 2007-01-31
I was skeptical but ... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I am skeptical by nature and have tried a lot of different antennas. I live with an HOA and the best I could fine was the HiSierra screwdriver antenna. Then I bought the YP-2, works great but you have to dismantle it to change bands.
Today I was offered to buy an EF-10/20/40 new in the box. At first I refused but then I asked if I can try it first. The OM who is selling it never tried it.
I put it vertical on a 32 ft fiber glass telescopic pole extended to about 20ft (L shaped).
On 40m it is too long and on 20 it is on 14.265. as I didn't buy it yet I didn't wnat to cut it, so I tried as is and called CQ with my SG-2020 and 20W SSB. First no answer, poor band conditions and I thought 'another crappy antenna' and was ready to quit but than I got a call from John W0PKO in Missouri (from Phoenix, AZ). I was amazed. We had a nice qso despite the QSB and poor band conditions. No radials, SWR 1.2, no RF feedback. That's a keeper. I don't know how he does it but it works.
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.
NU3H Rating: 2006-06-11
Excellent Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have been using the EF-10/20/40 for several months and can report that I am very pleased with this antenna!

It is installed as a sloper and is suspended from a tree limb up about 65 feet. 40 meter tuning was done with an swr meter-- 20 and 10 needed no adjusting-- and was easy to do. Mechanically, it is well made.

Preformance is excellent. I was using a 40 meter inverted V fed with 450 ohm feed line and 100 watts. Rarely even heard DX. Even with the 25 watt limitation, I can work DX consistently wwith the EF-10/20/40 -- especially on CW.

The End Fedz series are often considered temporary or portable antennas, but I don't think there would be a problem if they were used as a permanent antenna. Also, the antenna is difficult to see. Even close up it blends in with the background. For hams with deed or other restrictions, it might provide just the antenna they need for "covert" operations.

Customer service from Dale is all that others have said it was - GREAT!

Just purchased an EF-20 and will write a review on that antenna when I have used it for a while, but I have a pretty good idea as to what the results will be-- Another 5 rating.

My only suggestion would be that Dale bring to market that long rumored 100 watt version of the EF-10/15(?)/20/40.
VE2FET Rating: 2006-05-08
What the Doctor Prescribed Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Excellent! I have 2 monobander, one EF-20M and one EF-30M as well as the multibander EF-40/20/10.

The monobander at the moment are rated 100W and the multibander is rated 25W.

Played with them with the MFJ-259B Antenna Analyzer... Just perfect! Install it horizontal, vertical, angle... and it works! Also, with the multibander, you can use it on any bands between 60M and 10M just by replacing the wire with a 1/2 wavalength wire for the band... I tried it, works! No counterpoise!! No need, it's at resonance at 1/2 wavelength. NO TUNER REQUIRED. Love it! (can you tell?) The multi band gives you gains as well on the upper bands. It goes direct with a SO-239/50ohms.

What I love of the 1/2 wavelength end fed antennas is that you get your coax close to your window and the antenna wire goes away.

It's also perfect for portable operations! 1/2 lbs. Comes with instructions and all the necessary parts you expect.

Got excellent service with all my emails/questions etc... I ordered direct from them. Check their website.

Bottom line... it works perfectly.
AK0M Rating: 2006-03-15
Great product! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've used the PAR Electronics EF-10/20/40 (and an EF-20/40) for over a year now, and been very pleased with its performance. I primarily use it for portable contest operations with my FT-817 or IC-703, generally supporting it from a 32ft Telepole and using it in a vertical configuration with the last 6-8ft drooped away from the Telepole. The antenna is quick and easy to set up, requires only one support when used as a vertical, and needs no counterpoise. Performance on long haul contacts (about 700-800 miles or more) is as good and generally better than any other vertical I use. On shorter paths, you need to reorient the antenna for more horizontal polarization to get optimum performance.

I do get some fluctuations in resonant frequency as I pull the feedpoint away from the mast, but they are generally not a problem and possibly due to the mast material. I've also found that you need to be careful not to let the wire wrap around the mast, as this adds inductance and lowers the resonant frequency. I made this mistake when originally tuning up the antenna, and cut the wire too short.

Since there are so many ways to configure this antenna, some care is prudent in the installations you do. I give careful consideration to the azimuth and elevation patterns I need for each particular operating event, and then model the various antenna configurations using the demo version of EZNEC. This is quite easy to do, and can surprise you with the results. Keep in mind that the maximum current in this antenna is 1/4 wavelength from the feedpoint. Being able to reorient this antenna easily is a real plus for tailoring your radiation pattern.

I recently used this antenna from the Bahamas (C6ASB - see www.ak0m.com) and had good results on 40 and 20m. I also built a trapped version for 30/17m that I used with an EF-20/40 matchbox. And I also built a 20/15m trapped version that I used for daytime operation during the ARRL DX CW contest. All worked well.

Finally, you cannot beat the customer service from Dale. He responds to all queries quickly (he must work 24/7!) and is very responsive to technical questions. This is a quality and well-supported product.
VK2NZ Rating: 2006-01-15
The Best QRP/Portable Antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
No contest.
I had the 20/40, that was excellent.
This is fantastic, it will tune 80m to 10m with my home made ATU, the tuning is broad also.
Using the IC-703 on first shout, Northern India on 17m, Kazakstan on 20m, U.K. stations on 80m at all times of the day.
Remember, this is 10w with the antenna slung from the top of a 13m fiberglass fishing pole as a sloper, with no ground or counterpoise.
I know its not feasible to make a 100w version, but just imagine if Dale could pull that off !!!
No other portable HF antenna can touch this.
NONE of them, I'm aware some people hold these other antennas in high-regard, but they are all generally electrically short, and you never get a free lunch.
So this is the one if you are an Elecraft, 817 or 703 user.
Well done again Dale, now for that 100w version eh !!!
N4ABA Rating: 2005-10-27
Excellent QRP antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I backpack and hike, and take my 817 with me. Had been using a tuner and dipole, but saw Dale's ad and decided to buy one. Works great....I also carry a piece of wire cut for 17m to hook to the matchbox....that works great as well! Much lighter than my original setup. A piece of fishing line, a collapsing type fishing pole and I'm on the air. Heh...if there's no one on the radio, I just go fishing afterwards!