Who ever thought an end fed dipole (an interesting contradiction) would be a reality. When I was building dipoles in Brad’s back yard when we were 13 or so I wish it had been this easy. I would like to share what I feel is one of the easiest antenna solutions that is available in amateur radio today. (photo credit: univ radio)
Par End Fedz are commercially available end fed antennas that are fed with 50 ohm coax. Between Neil and myself we own five of these antennas. The match box at the end of the wire is where all of the magic happens, and that’s why you and I can’t just go out and build one. Tuning is as simple as any dipole you’ve ever built, requiring you to trim a little if needed. It sure is nice and simple to erect a resonant piece of wire that is fed at the end. Prior to me erecting an end fed 20 meter dipole, I had three times the amount of coax run that I do now. It has certainly saved me there.
A well documented plus is that the service from Dale Parfitt, W4OP is excellent. If you decide to order from him and have any questions, his emails are timely and informative. He’s personally answered every question I’ve had about his products (I also have a 6m loop from him). Another plus is that antenna wire is extremely stealthy, and you have a lot of options on how to conceal your coax if you so desire. Mounting options are up to you – vertical, horizontal, L shaped configuration, sloping, and other ideas are possible.
A big downside of the antennas is that you can not use a tuner to use them for higher bands. This could cause the coax to radiate and destroy the matchbox, which is the last thing you want to do. So in my case, I decided to erect a second one for 15 meters. In this photo, you can see the two wires coming out of my vent on the eave of the house. Between the two match boxes, there is about 4 feet of space. They do V out from each other, so there is greater than 10 feet or so separation at the end. They play just fine with each other, no changes to SWR.
You’ll also see in the attic that the feedpoints are inside, not subjected to the weather and I don’t have to seal them up! Another nice plus.
I also own two other end fedz that aren’t up at present. One is a 40m version that I took down when the G5RV went up. The other is the EF-10/20/40 – which is a QRP multiband version for those three bands. 25 watts max through the matchbox, and it has a coil near the end to help you get on 40m. It’s about 33 feet, and performs well on 20/40. Haven’t had an opening on 10 to really be sure. Have operated portable with it and set it up here at the house for ops from time to time.
Looking for a good monoband resonant antenna for your favorite HF band? Or looking to get on a new band that you aren’t on? This is an excellent way to go. Check out Par Electronics website, Universal Radio and HRO. Give them a try.
You can see a close up picture of the load coil in the 10/20/40m version as well as the matchbox in this photo album belonging to N4NI.
