40m End Fed Half Wave (EFHW) Antenna

EFHW portable antenna for SOTA activations

Mention to anyone you are using an EFHW will prompt a discussion about the pros and cons of the EFHW versus the center fed 1/2 wave dipole. There are operators who swear their center fed 1/2 wave dipole is 2 S points better than the EFHW and vice versa. I am neutral on this subject, I have built both antennas and can confirm when they are used in the real world, on top of a mountain, neither antenna is better than the other. Choosing one antenna over another is about personal choice. The obvious difference between the two antennas is the feed point location and the feed point resistance. The EFHW is in the order of 3000 to 5000 ohms while the 1/2 wave dipole will be closer to 50 ohms in the inverted V configuration.

So why would you spend time making an…