STOP Buying Antennas! Every POTA Activator Can Build THIS for Almost Nothing!

There's something truly special about packing up your radio gear and heading out to a beautiful coastal location for an evening of portable ham radio. Recently, I set up at Cocagne Cape, New Brunswick, for another exciting outing—this time putting the Rybakov antenna from Salty Walt's Antenna Book through its paces. Spoiler alert: it was an absolute blast. The Location: Cocagne Cape, New Brunswick Cocagne Cape sits along the eastern shore of New Brunswick, jutting out into the Northumberland Strait. With salt water as far as the eye can see and minimal RF noise, it's a portable ham operator's dream. The salty ground conductivity acts as a natural amplifier for HF signals, and the open exposure to the east means a clear shot across the Atlantic. I arrived in the late afternoon, giving myself plenty of time to enjoy the sea air and set up before propagation picked up. The weather cooperated beautifully—a gentle breeze, calm seas, and a golden sunset. The Antenna: Rybakov from Salty Walt's Antenna Book The Rybakov (sometimes called the Rybakov 806) is a non-resonant multi-band vertical that has become a favorite among portable, SOTA, and POTA operators. Here's what makes it tick: Radiator: A 25-foot (7.6 m) wire element on a collapsible fiberglass fishing pole 4:1 Unun: Steps down the high random impedance at the feed point Counterpoise: Four 16-foot radials laid out on the beach Tuner: An automatic tuner brought 20m down to a 1:1 SWR within seconds The whole setup took about 15 minutes from "truck open" to "ready to operate." All Night on 20 Meters With the sun dipping toward the horizon, I parked myself on 20 meters for the entire evening. Sometimes a band is just so good that there's no reason to leave it. The Rybakov was loading up beautifully, the salt water was doing its magic, and the DX was rolling in. Europe Comes Alive The first wave of contacts came from across the Atlantic: Germany – Multiple stations from Hamburg to Bavaria Italy – A great rag chew with a station in the north Spain – Solid five-by-nine exchanges United Kingdom – Stations from England, Scotland, and Wales France and Belgium – More flags for the logbook The Rybakov's low-angle radiation on 20m, combined with the salt-water boost, made for an absolute pile-up at times, with reports consistently in the 57 to 59 range. Alaska on the Long Haul One real highlight was working a station in Alaska. That's a serious haul from the east coast of New Brunswick, and making it on a wire on a fishing pole was incredibly satisfying. There's something magical about hearing "AL7" come back to your call from a beach in the Maritimes. Tropical Surprise from the Bahamas Later in the evening, I worked a station in the Bahamas—a delightful change of pace and a reminder that 20m can deliver in just about every direction when conditions are right. The Highlight: Long Path to Argentina But the absolute highlight—the contact I'll be talking about for years—came late in the evening when I worked a station in Argentina via long path. This means the signal traveled the "long way around" the planet, over the North and South poles, rather than the direct path south. We're talking roughly 25,000 miles, riding the polar regions in a beautiful demonstration of HF magic. The signal was surprisingly readable, with that characteristic hollow, watery sound long path contacts often have. I sat back in my chair on the beach absolutely grinning. A wire on a fishing pole, a small radio, salt water at my feet, and a signal bouncing over both poles to South America. That's the magic of HF. Pros and Cons in the Field Pros: Lightning-fast setup and teardown Excellent low-angle radiation on 20m for DX Low visual impact—important on public beaches Pairs beautifully with salt-water environments Cons: Some efficiency loss through the unun and tuner Performance is ground-dependent Not quite the punch of a resonant dipole on any single band For portable operations, the convenience absolutely outweighs the modest efficiency penalty. Wrapping Up As the stars came out over the Northumberland Strait, I reluctantly began packing up. The contact tally was something special: stations all across Europe, a hard-earned Alaska QSO, a tropical contact in the Bahamas, and that unforgettable long path Argentina contact riding over both poles. Not bad for a few hours on the beach with a wire on the DX Commander pole! If you've been on the fence about trying the Rybakov for portable operations, I can't recommend it enough. Grab Salty Walt's Antenna Book, build one up, and find yourself a salty beach. You won't regret it. 73 and see you on the bands! #HamRadio, #PortableOps, #RybakovAntenna