After my QRP/Portable QSO with a Japanese station, I was contacted by Hiroshi JL1KLK who asked if he could mention my post in his blog. I obviously consented. In his post Hiroshi shows the similarities between his QRP operations and mine: we both have glasses, we both wear caps, we both are middle aged, we both operate near the water, we both operated standing. There was, however, a difference that stood out: I use an MLA, while he uses a vertical antenna called GAWANT.
Since I always desired a portable vertical I decided to look into it and eventually build my own. But what is the GAWANT? After some research, I found that it is design somewhat popular in Japan.
Technically, it is an half-wave vertical end-fed in a FT817-friendly package. After asking, Hiroshi very kindly provided me all the details with this wonderful document:
In it, I discovered that the original designer, Ariga JF1QHZ, named it after his native Shinagawa-shuku neighborhood.
I already had everything I needed to build it, except of course for the 2 meter long telescopic rod and the case. The former was acquired at buddypole.com for $8.50 and the latter was designed and 3D printed by myself. You can check it out at Thingiverse, if you wish.
The GAWANT is ofter used directly on the front BNC of the FT817. I find this impractical because the rod will come uncomfortably close to the operator’s head, and also because the leverage force expressed on the connector appears to be too much. I prefer attaching it to the rear SO239 connector, by means of a right-angle PL259 to BNC connector. I am not excluding the idea of redesigning the case in order to address this particular usability aspect.
The first test of the antenna was in my backyard (these days it might be better to stay home…) and the results were encouraging: in just a few minutes during the WPX CW contest I made 3 contacts: Texas, Europe and Africa. Not too bad!
Here are some more pictures:
Will I switch from using Magnetic Loops to Vertical end feds during my operable operations? Probably not, still the GAWANT is a very nice – super portable – HF antenna that I now have available. Given the cost of making it (I estimate less than $20) I think everyone should build one!
Many thanks to Hiroshi-san for providing all the information, and to Ariga-san for the design!