A portable vertical without radials

I’ve used numerous portable antennas over the years.  Doublets, dipoles and end fed antennas work well but require space and supports.  My magnet loop works, but includes a heavy tripod, takes time to set up, and doesn’t hold up well in wind.  Counterpoises and radials that are part of vertical antennas take considerable space and present tripping hazards.

I still use all of these options sometimes but most recently have tended toward verticals.  I have Diamond center-loaded monoband whips that I use on my SUV but also work satisfactorily on a park bench or table.  A somewhat modified Buddistick setup also works in such situations. Both require a counterpoise though I’ve also used Farraday cloth as a ground plane.  Either can be used with a shortened counterpoise when necessary and although this is a compromise, they tune nicely with the KX3/KX3.

 But when I don’t want to mess with radials/counterpoises and supports, my favorite antenna currently is a 31’ Jackite collapsible pole with 30 feet of wire wrapped loosely around it and a 9:1 unun at the bottom, fed by at least 25’ of coax that also serves as a counterpoise.  Four short guys secured with tent stakes support the pole. Sometimes I bungee strap it to the post on a cabin deck. 

The 31 ft Jackite fiberglass pole was designed for windsocks but is often used by amateurs for an antenna support. It is made in the US and available directly from Jackite or from Amazon for around $120 shipped. The 9:1 unun I’m using is from Nelson Antennas on eBay, though I’ve also used a homebrew one designed by EARC in Hawaii following  these directions.

A variety of antenna lengths are possible.  I use 30’ and when loosely wound around the pole, it allows the unun to rest a bit above the ground.  A few turns around the pole also keep the pole from bending and the wind from whipping the wire around. Fed with at least 25’ of coax, both my KX3 and my IC-7300 with an external tuner load up well and make contacts.

Everything but the mast fits nicely into a plastic amo-style box, so it is relatedly compact to carry.  A 31’ pole isn’t exactly stealth, but at least it doesn’t take up much ground space. My pole is green, though it is also available in orange if you want to make a statement or give warning to low-flying drones.  It also comes in black.

The orange device strapped to the pole is an inexpensive grade rod level with horizonal bubble level from Amazon that helps me keep the pole straight.  Rope loops through an adjustable clamp at the top of the first section of the pole provide connection points for the guy ropes.

The matchbox is clamped to the pole with a custom 3D printed mount made by an Etsy seller (M4designs3d; search for “Spiderbeam 10 meter LDG unun balun slip-on mount” on Etsy.)

Of course, when the situation calls for it, the matchbox and wire can also be used as a horizontal or even an L-shaped antenna.  The information with the Nelson Antenna matchbox recommends it be used as a kind of inverted sloper, with the matchbox at the transmitter and the far end elevated, and that is another possible configuration that I have used successfully.;

All in all, it is a simple and versatile antenna for portable or stationary use.