CHA LEFS
Page 3
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing and using the Chameleon Antenna
TM
Lightweight End Fed Half Wave Sloper (CHA LEFS).
The CHA LEFS is a six-band, no-tuner, High Frequency (HF) antenna for use on the 40, 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10 meter
Amateur Radio Service (ham) bands.
Its’ minimalistic design and lightweight components
, shown in plate (1), are
intended for the serious backpacker and outdoor adventurer use. Leave the tuner and SWR meter at home
–
just
bring a radio and a pair of boots!
Plate 1. CHA LEFS Antenna.
The CHA LEFS is designed for the trail. The sturdy line
winder with integral high-efficiency impedance
matching network transformer, ultra-thin 20 gauge
PTFE antenna wire, and Micro 90 paracord enables
highly portable six band operation without the extra
bulk of an antenna tuner. Setup is quick and easy and
the antenna will operate without a tuner or
adjustment on the entire 40, 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10
meter ham bands. The antenna can also be used on
30 meters with an antenna tuner. When ready to be
packed, the CHA LEFS
doesn’t take up much space in
your backpack
–
it is only eight inches long, four
inches wide, and weighs only 1.5 pounds. The CHA
LEFS is perfect for backpackers, hikers, bikers,
campers, and survival communication. The CHA LEFS
is also configurable to facilitate Near-Vertical Incident
Sky wave (NVIS) communication. Antennas built by
Chameleon Antenna
TM
are versatile, dependable,
stealthy, and built to last. Please read this operator’s
manual so that you may maximize the utility you
obtain from your CHA LEFS.
HF Propagation
HF radio provides relatively inexpensive and reliable local, regional, national, and international voice and data
communication capability. It is especially suitable for undeveloped areas where normal telecommunications are not
available, too costly or scarce, or where the commercial telecommunications infrastructure has been damaged by a
natural disaster or military conflict.
Although HF radio is a reasonably reliable method of communication, HF radio waves propagate through a complex
and constantly changing environment and are affected by weather, terrain, latitude, time of day, season, and the
11-year solar cycle. A detailed explanation of the theory of HF radio wave propagation is beyond the scope of this
operator’s manual, but an understanding of the
basic principles will help the operator decide what frequency and
which of the CHA LEFS configurations will support their communication requirements.
HF radio waves propagate from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna using two methods: ground waves
and sky waves.
Ground waves are composed of direct waves and surface waves. Direct waves travel directly from the transmitting
