Hello from KQ4TAY. The Chameleon EMCOMM antenna is a fantastic wire antenna. It is extremely easy to set up and use as a portable antenna for Parks on the Air (POTA). The antenna wraps up easily. It fits neatly with my Xiegu G90 and battery in the Apache 3800 case I use for POTA.
The antenna’s radiating element can be configured for several different types of deployments. In this post, I test various configurations and show the results with the HAMRS logging software mapping features. I will continue to update this article as I have tested more configurations, so be sure to check back.
The inverted V configuration: The inverted V is formed by elevating the center point of the radiating element wire. This lifts it off the ground, and the wire then forms the shape of an inverted V. The height of the V is not super important, but I usually aim for at least four feet. This largely depends on the height of things nearby.
You can use fence posts, tree branches, etc., for this purpose. I also sometimes use a large extension pole. It is a 28-foot painter’s pole with a Craftsman light tripod as the base. The pole is also useful for other wire configurations. We will explore these configurations further. This is particularly helpful if no suitable objects are nearby to raise the wire.
Below on the left is an image of the Chameleon EMCOMM in the inverted V configuration using my home-brewed pole. The image on the right shows a mapped log. It records the contacts I made from park US-11995 in Port Royal, SC.
I used my G90, a 20-watt HF radio, on 20 meters. As you can see, the inverted V configuration provides nice omnidirectional propagation near and far.
The L configuration: Many people use an inverted L, but I tested a regular L. I have about 32 feet of the radiating element wire, about four feet off the ground, extending to the pole. The wire then goes straight up the pole 28 feet. It was a windy day, and I used the edge of a garbage receptacle to hold the tripod in place. This testing also took place at park US-11995 in Port Royal, SC.
I used my G90, a 20-watt HF radio, on 40 meters. The L configuration seems to favor the distant edge of the propagation, lacking performance on the local side.
More configuration testing will follow in the coming weeks. Sign up below for updates on future posts.
Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section below.