All-Band Vertical Antenna Construction and Performance
Building and evaluating a 67-foot vertical wire for multi-band HF operation with impedance matching.
Description
WB8LZR details the construction and initial field results of a multi-band vertical wire antenna, designed to complement his existing horizontal loop for improved DX on 80 meters. The antenna utilizes a 67-foot vertical wire, configured as a quarter-wave radiator on 80m, and employs a 1:1 current balun for RF isolation on 80m, 30m, and 17m. For bands like 40m, 20m, and 10m, where the wire acts as a half-wave or full-wave radiator, an additional impedance transforming unun is integrated to manage the significantly higher feedpoint impedance and voltage.
The author notes the vertical's performance as a receiving antenna, observing reduced noise compared to his main horizontal loop, particularly on 80m, and even hearing some long-path signals the loop missed. Initial QRP contacts, including a 1-watt QSO with a VP2 station on 30m, demonstrate its transmit capability. While the radial system is currently rudimentary, the project outlines practical considerations for multi-band vertical deployment and impedance matching.