More on the 2-band EFHW Vertical Beam

I did not have time to get the traps built for the 2-band EFHW vertical beam antenna before the start of the 2023 CQ WPX contest. I instead made this a linked antenna with a slightly longer 10m element. Both 10m and 15m show directionality howver the EFHW matchbox could not achieve a perfect match on 10m. It was close enough to use the antenna tuner to bring it to a match without difficulty. This is a good antenna for use when some level of gain and front to back rejection is needed. It is simple to setup for portable operation and only needs a 6.5 foot radius and no radials for operation.

Improving this antenna will require the use of the traps to prevent having to take the whole thing down to change bands. I am also exploring how to best match this preferably with a dedicated 2-band matchbox that does not require adjustments. Changing direction can be facilitated by adding a couple of additional mounting stakes at the desired bearings. It is fairly easy and quick to move the reflector element to a new position without taking the whole thing down.

I used this antenna this weekend on the CQ WPX contest with very good results running QRP. More on that on an upcoming post.