CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna™
Covers 6m, 10m, 11m (Citizens Band), 12m, 15m, 17m, 20m, 30m, 40m, 60m & 80m
Mobile – Portable – Base Station
Description:
The CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna™ is a revolutionary antenna that stands at a mere 8.5 feet tall and contains a unique trap coil design. This antenna is ideally designed for mobile, portable or base station purposes were limited space is a concern.
This antenna is a lightweight antenna system with 11 BANDS of capability including: 6m, 10m, 11m (Citizens Band), 12m, 15m, 17m, 20m, 30m, 40m, 60m & 80m. The CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna™ can also operate on the 70cm, 1.25m & 2m BANDS (144Mhz to 500Mhz) but is primarily a HF antenna.
Unlike other multiband antennas, the CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna™ requires no changing of switches, jumpers, coils, etc. Our simple screw together two-part system makes the CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna™ easy to manage and store.
The CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna™ is a Super-Flexible Whip. This advantage allows the antenna to withstand extreme shock from obstructions without breakage or failing.
To function properly this antenna REQUIRES A TUNER (RECOMMENDED) OR A 9:1 BALUN.
Heavy Duty Antenna Spring for Mobile Setting
IMPORTANT: No matter if it’s for military, commercial or for amateur radio use, mobile antenna springs are very important! At 102” long the Chameleon V1 HF Multiband Antenna is certainly not above that rule. In fact, EVERY Chameleon V1 owners MUST have a Heavy Duty Spring for antenna up to 102” to prevent any breakages and damages that could occur to the antenna mount and the vehicle.
Heavy Duty Antenna Spring Example NOT INCLUDED
Every CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna™ system shipping includes:
Shipping Kit
- 1 X 3/8-24 Mount Bar ***
- 1 X C Clamp 2"
- 25 Feet of 20Ga Counterpoise with 3/8" Ring Tongues for portable use
- 1 X Steel Tent Stake 8" to hold the Counterpoise
- 1 X CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna™
- 1 X CHAMELEON V1 BALUN 9:1
With these accessories you can easily to clip the CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna™ on anything including: BBQ’s, fences, wooden benches, pipes, tripods, masts, steel angle brackets, trailers, stairs, balconies, etc. It will also facilitate your portable DXpedition. It's literally a "Plug & Play" device.
*** It is very important to highlight the fact that the provided 3/8-24 Mount Bar is NOT designed to be used on a Mobile setting when the vehicle is on the move. It will not provide enough ground for the antenna, stability and safety for your car and the antenna. Be sure to use an appropriate vehicle mount that will support antenna up to 8.5’ like a Ball Mount.
CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna™ Specifications:
Size: Overall length approx. 8.5’
Frequency Range: 80/60/40/30/20/17/15/12/11/10/6M + 2M/1.25M/70cm (144MHz – 500MHz)
Wave Propagation: Omni-directional
Max Power: 350 Watts (20 Gauge Copper Wire)
Connectors: 3/8-24
Low angle take off on higher band
Provide extensive receive frequency coverage
TOP QUALITY waterproof Brass & Stainless Steel joints
TOP QUALITY Fiberglass Core
TOP QUALITY Heat Shrink 3:1 for maximum protection
Require a Tuner (Recommended) or a Balun 9:1
CHAMELEON V1 BALUN (UNUN) 9:1
Balun UNUN 9:1
Description:
The CHAMELEON V1 UNUN 9:1 is a wideband impedance transformers with an impedance ratio of 9:1 used in high-frequency (HF) circuits to match the impedance of the CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna: UNbalanced to UNbalanced (UNUN).
The wideband V1 UNUN 9:1 impedance transformer consists of a toroidal ferrite core wrapped with a trifilar transmission line, with the wires isolated by means of an enamel film. This combination of design elements of conventional and transmission-line impedance transformers creates a true wideband component.
This UNUN avoids the high frequency limitations of conventional magnetic transformers since the windings are arranged such that winding capacitance and inductance form a transmission line free of resonances.
The CHAMELEON V1 UNUN 9:1 is directional so it needs to be installed in the following manner. The red tip of the UNUN should be plugged to the antenna while the other one is attached to the transceiver. This should provide a better SWR and reduce the static noise. Coax cable length also influences the SWR, so a longer coax cable will do better with the SWR than a shorter one. The UNUN also needs to be setup as close as possible to the load (antenna).
The CHAMELEON V1 UNUN 9:1 allows the antenna to perform to its full potential and reduces the stresses on your equipment. Some tuner models and the antenna position/location can greatly influence the SWR of the Chameleon V1 Antenna.
UNUN 9:1 Diagram
Balun 9:1 (UNUN) Setup Schematic
CHAMELEON V1 UNUN 9:1 Specifications:
Max Power: 350 Watts (20 Gauge Copper Wire)
Connectors: SO-239 Chassis Mount
Waterproof for outside use
BASE STATION SETTING
Basic Setting Example:
Base Station Setting Schematic
K4GIV Base Installation
MOBILE SETTING
Mobile Setting Positions:
Mobile Setting Schematic
KJ4CSI Mobile Installation
PORTABLE SETTING & SWR
Basic Setting Example:
When using ONLY the UNUN 9:1 + counterpoise well grounded with the help of the tent stake, the Chameleon V1 Antenna should be usable on most bands. Now results will depend of the ground quality. When used on ground of poor conductivity, such as desert, frozen snow, ice or mountain and rocky area the SWR can be higher. So multiple counterpoises should be used. When the Chameleon V1 is used on ground of poor conductivity as mentioned above, a number between 4 and 6 counterpoises should be used to ensure a good SWR.
On the following example the counterpoise was grounded on a grassy area. It is important to notice that the counterpoise wasn't hanging down but was kept straight with a nice tension provided by the tent stake. Trying to keep the counterpoise as high as possible from the ground will make a difference on the results.
On the picture below we can see details of how to install the Chameleon V1 on a DX-Pedition with the counterposie installed. (Notice the tension on the counterpoise)
The following picture shows the tent stake keeping a nice tension on the counterpoise.
The following SWR reading has been done with the use of about 35' of Coax Cable RG8X. An excellent RigExpert AA-500 was used for the reading.
BAND -- SWR
80M ---- ABOVE 6
40M ---- 1.7
30M ---- 2.9
20M ---- 1.08
17M ---- 2.1
15M ---- 1.7
12M ---- 1.9
10M ---- 1.6
6M ---- 5.0
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