Summer Camp Portable: 160-6M HF Vertical Antenna, Go Kit

von Greyline Performance 31. Mai. 2021

Greyline Performance Antennas

Campground Portable: a 28’ Greyline Vertical and 40 Watts in the Sawtooth Wilderness

The 28’ Greyline was so quiet on every band up on that high ridge, with what seemed a reflection of signals off the giant granite mountain to the east. Ham radio is so fun again.

If we could hear them, we could work them!

By Jon, KL2A/7 · Memorial Day 2021

At Greyline, we get long lists of emails, many asking for more examples of summer portable operation. Here’s one from last summer that showcases camping and RV travel operating. It applies to DXpeditions too: the antenna breaks down into 4’ sections and slips into a ski bag. I’ve taken mine from high mountains to ocean villas. Here are my short notes from the mountains of Idaho, one smoky fire-season weekend.

KL2A portable camp in the Sawtooth Wilderness with the 28 foot Greyline vertical

September 13, 2020: Sawtooth Wilderness near Stanley, Idaho.

Packed up my ski-bag ham radio go kit, including the Greyline HF vertical, and headed for the mountains of south-central Idaho, north of Sun Valley in the Sawtooths.

KL2A/P ski-bag portable station:

Greyline 28’ OCF Vertical Dipole
Icom 7610 transceiver at 40W
LDG RT-100 remote tuner at the vertical
Vibroplex Code Warrior Junior CW paddle

As luck would have it, there was a four-hour CW sprint — the NAQP (North American QSO Party) — Saturday night, just about the time I would land at a campground. These contests are very popular and the bands are full of activity for all four hours. I was excited to give the antenna a high-mountain-air test run, with lots of guys to try and work.

Arrived at the campsite amid a smoke bank coming in from WA/OR. It’s fire season, but the signals won’t mind. Such a super quiet location, and it took a while to find. Most spots were below a hill along a river; this one was along a ridge-line way up there.

Built the station in about 20 minutes and started the radio about halfway into the contest. Once on the air, I felt pretty loud considering half power or less at 40W. Almost everyone I called heard the signal. Wow.

“Almost everyone I called heard the signal, and they were indeed loud.”

The Suburban at camp; the 12 volt supply limited power to 40 watts
The Suburban’s 12V did not allow full power, so 40 watts was set.

The antenna is a 28’ Greyline HF vertical. At 35 pounds total I easily maneuvered it and tied it to a stump 75’ or so from the truck for the night. The included 3’ PVC sleeve and the ground-support section below the base insulator (not part of the radiating element) put the top at about 27’.

The base of the 28 foot Greyline with the LDG RT-100 remote tuner beside it

This antenna system’s order of parts: from the antenna, the ladder line transitions to the PL-259 adapter, which plugs straight into the LDG RT-100 remote tuner a few feet to the left of the pole. Then the RF choke — seven slip-over ferrite beads on the coax, on the radio side of the tuner — then 75’ of LMR-400 to the Suburban. That’s it.

That’s the choke rule in action: at the feedpoint with a shack tuner; on the radio side of the tuner when the tuner sits at the antenna. Your RF System, end to end →

Operating position inside the Suburban with the Icom 7610
Cockpit: Icom 7610 at 40 watts.

The cockpit inside the Suburban was roomy and comfortable enough. Noted for next time: a tent, table, and chair.

Power: from the truck’s 12V outlet I got 40W out without tripping the Chevy’s breaker. The heater was on low to keep the fan noise down and the fingers warm.

Operation: 40M and 80M were hopping, full of CW signals from coast to coast. It felt like I was looking down on all of them from up there. So quiet compared to home. The tall granite peaks around me seemed to be reflecting signal in my favor — it certainly felt louder than my home QTH below the hill. Transmit and receive were both better from this rural high outpost.

“I could hear everything and everyone on the bands!”

W1–W4 signals filled 40 and 80M CW, and I worked the East Coast easily on both bands with 40W — not something I’d managed yet from the lake house with 100W. You have to hear them, right? Having guys hear me easily was a treat. Amazing what a quiet location and a high takeoff will do.

In the end I logged 140 QSOs in about 90–100 minutes on the air. My fingers were a little chilled, the mosquitoes were really trying to get in (some apparently did, judging by the itchy fingers on the way home), but it was all so very worthwhile. What a blast having a real antenna on the air once again.

The NAQP CW sprint is the “best four hours in radio!”

Bonus: tuned the bands at sunrise before packing out of camp. It was cold in the tent — 28°F at sunrise, and still smoky.
+ Found PJ4A (NN3W at the Bonaire station) on 20M in WAE SSB.
+ A 40M tune found W6YA working YF8HVY. A very quiet QTH in the mountain country.

W6YA + YF8HVY, 40M CW DX at sunrise

PJ4A (NN3W), WAE SSB 2020

In summary: just about any decent antenna at a great location will work well for you. In my case, a wire in a 50–60’ tree would work in a similar fashion to the Greyline vertical (we’ve tested it). The difference is that the Greyline goes up where there is no tree. I hope you find great adventure on the bands this season and your antenna serves you well. Have a great summer — we’ll look for you on the bands.

73, KL2A/7

From an owner: “I dug a hole in the back yard to please the wife, poured concrete, and then she says, ‘It’s beautiful, let’s put it in the front yard.’ I dug another hole.”

Greyline says: Sorry about the extra work — but how cool that the XYL wants it in the front yard, just where you wanted it in the first place. Good on you, sir.

CQ CQ, calling all Greyline owners

Will you share your DX adventures with us? Please send a picture or a YouTube video of your shack, your antenna, or the bands coming alive on your Greyline. We’d love to share your story with our peers around the world. Send us your story →

Ham Radio is fun again! Pass it on… 73, Jon KL2A · 435-200-4902

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Worth every penny!

I added this tilt mount on my older (2.25") 28' flagpole and I couldn't be more pleased with how well it works for me. I can now drop down or raise my flagpole by myself in about 5 minutes in each direction. This mount is an engineering beast with how well it is constructed! Previously I had to wait and get another person to help lift the base out of the PVC pipe and help lower it hoping that it came down as planned. Going up was even more of a challenge getting the base into the hole and raising it back up. That's 33 feet of wiggling aluminum and not so easy to manage even with two people. With this mount I don't even give it a second thought about doing maintenance or lowering it for an impending storm. It's straight coming down and going back up with no overshoot. Or worries. This is an excellent investment in both time and money!

Gary, coming from someone who's flown one of our early 28-footers for years, that means a lot. Thanks for the upgrade and the kind words. — Jon KL2A

Aperture makes a difference

I find that the added 4 feet makes a difference, along with the 9' whip and tilt base. Signals are stronger on receive, and my transmit reach appears to have extended based on signal reports. Still adding many DX contacts to the log! Looking forward to getting the aluminum cap for the 2" to whip transition. I believe that will help as well.

Christopher, the extension, the whip, and the tilt together are the full aperture system, and your log shows it. Thanks for taking the time to write this up. — Jon KL2A

Size Does Matter!

I was already happy with my DXF24 flagpole, but adding the 4' extension made a great thing even better! My setup is the 28' flagpole with the tilt-over base, 1:1 balun at the base with 40' LMR400 to my KAT500 tuner in the shack.

My first week after adding the 4 foot extension (a super easy job with the tilt-over!), I logged RI1FJL on 15m and P29YY on 17m, and discovered I could now make QSOs on 80 meters. I hadn't made a QSO on 80 meters I moved into this HOA community 21 years ago!

If I had room for the 9' whip on top, I would add that next and probably gain 160 meters. But this current flagpole setup is giving me 80 thru 6 and tons of QSOs, all with convenient band switching from my shack. Yes, it's fun again!

Tom, 80 meters for the first time in 21 years, from an HOA lot — that's the whole case for aperture in one line. RI1FJL and P29YY in the first week didn't hurt either. Thanks for the report, and see you on 80. — Jon KL2A

Doesn't get any easier

I've had my 24ft flag pole for about a year and each time I wanted to do any maintenance it required another person and even then as we get older it's a task and a half. The installation of the tilt up base was to easy. As described by others, loosen the three bolts, remove the second one and up or down is a cake walk. I always had a little wobble at the ground when the wind blows so I fashioned a shim from some aluminum flashing, shaped like a shoe horn and now it remains straight up in the wind. I have some experiments planed which I will now be able to do without help from another person.

Bart, no second person, no ladder, maintenance on your own schedule — that's exactly why the tilt exists. Thanks for the shim tip too; it's gone to our shop. Enjoy the experiments. — Jon KL2A

Game Changer

It’s not the weight of the antenna - it’s the fulcrum. Before the tilt up base it was a two person job. Now it’s a very simple operation to raise and lower the antenna. Great addition, especially in Eastern North Carolina where severe weather is abundant.

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Summer Camp Portable: 160-6M HF Vertical Antenna, Go Kit

Campground Portable: a 28’ Greyline Vertical and 40 Watts in the Sawtooth Wilderness

The 28’ Greyline was so quiet on every band up on that high ridge, with what seemed a reflection of signals off the giant granite mountain to the east. Ham radio is so fun again.

If we could hear them, we could work them!

“Almost everyone I called heard the signal, and they were indeed loud.”

“I could hear everything and everyone on the bands!”

CQ CQ, calling all Greyline owners

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