Here's a great emergency HF antenna for radio amateurs from Charles Kirshman (N8NK).
The antenna is a modified end fed half wave (EFHW) configured as a NVIS (near vertical incident skywave) system. The antenna provides excellent local and regional coverage with an average height above ground at 6-feet (1.829 meters).
If you can't see the video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuSpz3yqsEc.
Thanks for joining us today.
Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).
Here are some comments from Charles (N8NK):
I felt like I never gave the ‘low 40m EFHW’ antenna concept a fair chance.
Here's an example of a recent QSO using a 20m 6' high dipole: 
• Working Texas with a 6' High Ultra Lo...
Wire element: ~55' long? I'll measure it after testing
Height AGL: 6 feet
UNUN: Multi-tap
Tap used: 81:1
SWR: 1.0:1
Power: ~5.5 watts RMS
Yes, I worked a few DX contacts with it – including to the Czech Republic. Hey, I must brag while I can! The performance of a wire two feet above the ground is miserable of course. I wasn’t seriously thinking of using it for anything other than screwing around. Same thing with the ‘Variant 9’ version. And my ‘deck antenna’? That is serious boredom in action. Just doin’ my job, man… just doin’ my job (screwing around).
But today I thought to myself “No – the testing isn’t complete or even fair. I must see what a real world SHTF antenna might look like.. what it might act like.. who it can talk to RELIABLY...”
Let’s find out.
First contact to follow (I hope!)
73 TranscriptFollow along using the transcript.
• Working Texas with a 6' High Ultra Lo...
Wire element: ~55' long? I'll measure it after testing
Height AGL: 6 feet
UNUN: Multi-tap
Tap used: 81:1
SWR: 1.0:1
Power: ~5.5 watts RMS
Yes, I worked a few DX contacts with it – including to the Czech Republic. Hey, I must brag while I can! The performance of a wire two feet above the ground is miserable of course. I wasn’t seriously thinking of using it for anything other than screwing around. Same thing with the ‘Variant 9’ version. And my ‘deck antenna’? That is serious boredom in action. Just doin’ my job, man… just doin’ my job (screwing around).
But today I thought to myself “No – the testing isn’t complete or even fair. I must see what a real world SHTF antenna might look like.. what it might act like.. who it can talk to RELIABLY...”
Let’s find out.
First contact to follow (I hope!)
73Transcript
Follow along using the transcript.
