As I continue experimenting with portable HF operating, I recently added the Radioddity HF-010 portable antenna to my station. After spending time using an end-fed half-wave (EFHW) antenna supported by a telescoping mast, I was surprised by just how simple and convenient the HF-010 was to deploy.

One of the biggest advantages of the HF-010 is the setup time. My EFHW setup requires assembling the mast, securing guy lines, raising the mast, and deploying the wire antenna. I love my EFHW but it takes about 15-20 minutes for me to set it all up by myself.

The HF-010, on the other hand, can be deployed by myself in under 5 minutes. The antenna is compact, portable, and requires a lot less effort to set up in the field.

In addition to being easier to deploy, I found the HF-010 performed a lot better than my current EFHW setup. Signals were stronger, tuning was straightforward, and overall operation felt more efficient.

Using the HF-010, I was able to make additional FT8 contacts and continue building my digital mode experience. More importantly, the antenna helped me achieve a major milestone in my amateur radio journey, making my very first SSB voice contacts!