What do you use when you're out in the field and away from the shack at home and your everyday antennas? Obviously you can't bring that multi-band Butternut vertical, or that tower and beam, or that 360 foot horizontal loop out with you for that jaunt into nature with your portable QRP rig.

Personally, I have three solutions - Hamsticks on a magmount on top of the car, the PAC-12 portable vertical and wire antennas like the NorCal Doublet.  The PAC-12 is commercially available; but the NJQRP Website as a page with step by step instructions on "how to roll your own" (link below).

The Hamsticks and the magmount work well.  But they are a compromise - no doubt.  What they have going for them is ease of operation.  They are easy to keep stowed in your hatch or trunk.  They set up so fast that unless you keep this arrangement mounted on you car permanently; you can set up and start operating within just one or two minutes - easily!  However, if these are your only solution, then you have to stay put by your vehicle to operate.  And sometimes that just isn't practical; or it might be something that you just don't want to do.  Also, I have found out that these antennas work quite well for frequencies at 20 Meters or higher, Below 20 Meters you have to make sure you have good connections between your car chassis and the body for a good groundplane; or unusable SWRs might result. 

For plans on the PAC-12, click here.  The PAC-12 was a good homebrew HF antenna project. The way this antenna breaks down for portability and it's ultra light weight are what drove me to try it.  In its unassembled form the antenna is about 4 or 5 twelve inch pieces!  Assembled, it's a vertical over eight feet in height!  Jim's instructions are also super easy to understand; but the manufacture is a bit more involved.  You have to thread some aluminum rod so that the ends are 1/4 20.  For me this was no big deal, as I use taps and dies in my line of work, which requires some simple machining skills.  For the uninitiated it might seem a little intimidating and daunting; but fear not!  This is a really simple antenna to build.  The ease of use and portability outweigh any misgivings you might have about building this one. And Jim, KA5DVS gives an excellent primer on thread cutting with his assembly instructions.  Another way to go about it is to just by 1/4" threaded rods.  This will work nicely if you're still squeamish about the tap and die thing; however, it's not as elegant as using plain aluminum rods.

Pro's - An easy to use vertical.  It is a very efficient antenna; and it's design took top merits in the HF Pack antenna shoot out a few years back.  It can be used anywhere via sticking this antenna directly into the ground or by mounting it on a small photographic tripod.  I homebrewed a small tripod by taking a piece of flat steel bar stock (1/8" thick) and cut three pieces about a foot long.  I drilled a hole at each end and put a 1/4 by 1 &1/2 inch bolt through to act as a pivot and a mounting stud for the center insulator. So, it requires no mast - which can be a MAJOR consideration if extreme portability is of paramount importance to you.  It was very inexpensive to build; maybe an outlay of about $25 in materials.  All materials can be found at your local hardware store and Radio Shack. Lastly, this antenna was designed to be used on all bands 80 through 10 meters - weight is not an issue at all.  Cons- The construction is a bit involved; but if you are handy and are used to homebrewing, then it's no big deal. However, specialized tools, a 1/4 20 die and a 6-32 tap are required.  Also this antenna (like all verticals) requires the use of radials.  I use six 15 foot long pieces of speaker wire which I have all soldered to an terminal ring.  I just attach the ring to the bolt that goes through the center insulator and spread them out like the spokes of a wheel.  Not a biggie; but mention radials to some Hams and they go screaming into the night!  Lastly, at least with the homebrewed version of the PAC-12, when you want to change bands, you have to change coils.  No big deal; but again, not as easy as using a multiband wire antenna where band switching just means retuning the antenna tuner!


Summary : When I'm really pressed for time (like lunchtime at work) the Hamsticks are the best for one reason only. I can set up my station and can be calling CQ in under 5 minutes!  The PAC-12 take a bit more time - not a lot; but a bit.  When your lunchbreak is only a half hour, like mine, every minute is precious!  If you're in a situation where time is not a tight commodity, then the PAC-12 will outplay the Hamsticks.

There are a bunch of other antennas out there for portable QRP use.  These three are what I use.  Besides regular ol' wire antennas, you might want to check out the St. Louis Vertical, verticals made using lightweight fishing poles as supports (like the Black widow or the Crappie pole special).  Your options are many !!!

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