More testing with different antennas... seeing what is possible

All of the testing, I have performed to date for the array set has been on 20 or 40 meters with DX Commander poles with vertical wire elements and a radial field. I have used Callum's 7m Signature 9 and expedition poles to support the elements and they worked like a charm. Callum was gracious enough to design two kits for sale on his website to support the arrays. I am doing some additional development with those kits and will have a manual available for putting together the proper elements for the array. The Dx Commander kits are amazing and I am ecstatic with the performance. (Links: DX Commander 2-Element Phased Array Hardware Kit (30m and 20m) - DX Commander Antennas, DX Commander 2-Element Phased Array Hardware Kit (40m) - DX Commander Antennas)

While I was at Dayton at Hamvention, I was speaking with Steve Deines, the founder of Alpha Antenna. Steve and I were catching up as we had not seen each other in a while. During the conversation he asked what I was up to, and I told him about Performance Z Arrays. He was intrigued by what I was doing, and we began to speak about some of his new vertical whip antennas and other kits he produces with Alpha.

Steve and I decided to do some co-development work and I have been testing his 17.75ft whips (Link: SS17+ VHF UHF HF Ham Radio Antenna) with the phasing system. I have two 17.75 vertical whips with eight 5meter radials on each vertical that are spaced 17ft-4in apart. This provides a quarter wave spacing for 14.200MHz where the verticals are tuned. Look for a video on my "From the Hamshack" YouTube Channel (FROM THE HAMSHACK - YouTube) on the great performance of these whips with the phasing system very soon.

I was operating SSB and had a station in Southern Louisiana at 5/3-4 signal with the array facing his direction (SW) and when I turned the array NE he went into the noise. ON TX stations copying me were seeing a 2 to 3 S unit reduction in my signal when the array was turned towards and away. The other advantage of these whips over a vertical wire, is the thickness of the element. The fact these elements are very thick provides more surface area then a wire and hence the antenna is broader banded, although the DX commander DX-10 wire is fairly broad banded as well.

These Antennas collapse down to a small form factor and deploy very easily. I did not guy these, and there are pretty stable. These would make a great POTA (Parks on the Air) set-up where you cannot guy masts. The fact they are adjustable helps, as you can quickly tune other bands, change the spacing and phasing cables and be back on air without having to take both antennas down to change the elements. At this point I am going to make a set of cables for 17, 15 and probably 10metrs and do some follow on testing with these antennas as well as the DX Commanders.

I am waiting for the end of July for the 34.5ft whip kits (link: SS34+ Vertical VHF HF Antenna (Pre-Order) from Alpha to be released to test those on 40 and up... my guess is they will need to be guyed at 40m.

Off to do more testing and make some phasing cables...

Best 73 for now...

John, NJ4Z

Alpha Antenna Stainless Steel 17.75ft vertical whips for 20m