Recently, I purchased a 1/4 wave telescopic whip antenna from China. This 5.6 meter stainless steel telescopic whip comes with a sturdy base featuring M10 screws, an aluminum ground spike, and a 5-meter ribbon cable for the radial system. Here, I’ll share my setup process, modifications, and thoughts on its performance.
Initial Setup and Observations
Out of the box, I was impressed by how quickly I could get on the air compared to my EFHW antennas. The whip was easy to deploy, and the aluminum ground spike provided good stability. However, the SWR on the higher bands was not good using the original 5-meter radials. This prompted me to experiment with different radial lengths.
Modifications to the Radial System
After some reading and experimentation, I decided to cut the radials down to 2.5 meters each. Following the advice that more shorter radials are often better than fewer longer ones, I also increased the number of radials simply by splitting the ribbon cable one more time. This change made a significant difference. The resulting performance from 20 to 10 meters has been consistently excellent.
Additional Considerations
While this antenna performs admirably, I did encounter some areas for improvement:
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Common Mode Choke: I initially noticed some RFI issues, which is a common problem, but it was resolved by adding a common mode choke at the base of the antenna.
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Connector Modification: I did not modify the connector yet because I did not find a BNC chassis connector with an adequate drilling pattern. The original SO-239 connector remains in use for now, although I plan to replace it when I find a suitable alternative.
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Base Weight: The base of the antenna is solid and provides great stability, but it’s a bit on the heavy side. While this adds durability, it also makes the setup less portable than I’d like. For those with machining skills, creating a lighter base might be an interesting project. However, it’s worth noting that when the whip is fully extended, the mechanical stress on the base is significant, so it’s better not to make it too flimsy.
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Ease of Deployment: The antenna is incredibly easy to deploy, making it ideal for quick setups during portable operations. The telescopic whip extends smoothly, and the radials are simple to arrange, especially with the ribbon cable design. However, there are no pre-marked positions on the whip for each band, so you will need to experiment initially and carve or draw marks on the whip to quickly adjust it for different bands.
Final Thoughts
I’m extremely pleased with this antenna. It’s a great balance between performance, portability, and cost. With a lightweight design, quick deployment, and reliable operation across multiple bands, this whip is an excellent choice for portable or field use.
Base: 136 g Ground spike: 67 g Whip: 267 g Radials: 42 g
Total: 513 g
