Hamstick Dipole 20m

I have wanted to try a hamstick dipole for a while.  In doing the research the conventional wisdom was that 20m and less would work, 40m was iffy, and 80m was just a dummy load.   So I decided to start my project using on the 20m band.   I acquired the MFJ-347 dipole adapter and a pair of MFJ-1620 hamsticks.   I put it all together and mounted it to my portable mast (painters pole) and started tuning.

I tuned, tuned, tuned and tuned some more.  It took a while.  You adjust the hamsticks by shortening and lengthening the whip portion of the hamstick.   I thought it should be linear but it was not.  I would change the length, but if you went too far, the resonance point would always move below the band.  Eventually I found that the magic length was 38 inches. With the whips at 38 inches, SWR at 14.070 (the PSK frequency) was 1:1.37.   The SWR at 14.300 was 1:2.3.  At this point might still be able to get closer, but wanted to give it a try.

I put 100' of RG8x between the radio and the antenna, Extended the mast up to 16' and started trying to find some one to talk to.  The bands were busy, but immediately I found someone.  I responded to II9Ps CQ and he responded right back.  On 14.268 he was 5x9 in Tallahassee and was transmitting from Sicily.   Can't argue with this.   I claim success.

The chart from the rigexpert AA54 is below.   The hamsticks seem flat enough throughout the band.  definitely usable.

I was hoping that the antenna would also work on 10m, but no such luck.  SWR off of the charts.  On the other hand, the SWR was 1:3 on 6m.  I will have to explore this some more.