What is the maximum power you can put through the Fara-J?
- We have tested these up to 60W digital and have had no issues. They can handle 100W SSB. The reasoning behind the antenna being able to handle more power than a wire is that there are many many wires that act not only as RF radiators but also as heat radiators and the faraday cloth is able to dissipate heat much more efficiently than a insulated thermal mass such as a wire presents to the system.
Can you use the 2m antenna on 70cm?
- Yes you can but it is not very good at getting out. Any dual band antenna is a compromise and I have chosen to have band specific antennas. Here is a test I did recently on the 2m antenna on the 70cm band.
What connectors do I need to add to my HT for this antenna?
- Most HT’s have a SMA attachment for the antenna. Some female and some male. Here are my recommendations for the adapter(s) to use:
- SMA to BNC Kit where you get every option possible https://amzn.to/3UNvs6S
- SMA Female to BNC female for the clean look with strain relief to your HT https://amzn.to/4hJCW
- SMA Male to BNC female for the clean look with strain relief to your HT https://amzn.to/4j5TcN5
What coaxial cables do you recommend?
A BNC coaxial cable either RG8 if you will have the antenna more than 10′ from the radio or RG316 if less than 10′(this is a smaller lighter cable but can be lossy at lengths past 10′)
Coaxial deep dive for those wanting to squeeze out every last dB out of their radios:
First, adapters to use for the low loss coaxial cable:
- SO239 PL239 to BNC https://amzn.to/4m3LEg5
- SO239 PL239 to SMA https://amzn.to/3GQ8VTfI would recommend either 50′ of ‘LMR-400 with PL-259 connectors’ or ‘Messi & Paoloni Hyperflex 13 with PL-259 connectors’
- Here is the Messi cable https://www.gigaparts.com/messi-and-paoloni-hyperflex-13-coax-cable.html (Make sure to choose the PL-259 connectors and say 50′ would likely be enough)
- Here is the LMR-400 https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-016994
These are the 50′ lengths but you can find longer at the stores the links are at
To get the antenna up in the air…The throw rope I would recommend to get the antenna up into a tree: https://amzn.to/45ni4fU
The pole people have been using with the antenna is the 7.2m one here https://amzn.to/44mW2Ja (the top section will likely be too weak to support the antenna and a coaxial cable so know that the last couple sections of the pole will likely not be worth attaching toHere is a couple tables of why the recommendations above and what you can expect from them:
Physical Considerations
- RG58: 0.195”, approximately 1.5–2 lbs per 50 ft
- LMR400: 0.405”, approximately 4.5–5 lbs per 50 ft and will take up more space as it is about 0.4″ in diameter
- Hyperflex 5: Approximately 0.2”, 1.5–2 lbs — same handling as RG58, but better loss
If weight and flexibility matter, Hyperflex 5 or 7 are excellent middle grounds.
Here are expected losses for lengths:
I heard that these antennas are tunable. Is that true?
- Yes it is more for the 2m and 6m antenna than the 70cm and GMRS versions. Here is a quick video on how it is done: