Extended Double Zepp NVIS Antenna.
Extended Double Zepp Antenna for NVIS operations.
Views expressed in this Amateur/Ham Radio Antenna project are those of the reporters and Correspondents.
Accessed on 12 November 2025, 2124 UTC.
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Russ Roberts (KH6JRM).
https://simplehamradioantennas.blogspot.com.
Extended Double Zepp NVIS Antenna Calculator
The measurements below are for building a Extended Double Zepp Near Vertical Incident Skywave (NVIS) Antenna. The Wire Size can range from 16 AWG to 12 AWG. The larger the wire, the wider the bandwidth.
The antenna is constructed much like an ordinary Dipole antenna but with 5/8 Wavelength Elements matched with an added Impedance Matching Section of balanced feed line. The Matching Section is 450 Ohm Open Wire Feedline and is a compromise impedance between the 5/8 Wave antenna elements and the feed point, A 4:1 Current Balun. The Balun on the end matches the 450 Ohm Open Wire Line into a 50 Ohm Coax Cable. The antenna as fed, matches reasonably well into a 50 Ohm Coax Cable Feedline.
A Ground Reflector can be added to enhance NVIS Propagation at frequencies below 10 MHz where NVIS Propagation is useable. The Ground Reflector can be a single conductor or several in parallel spaced a few feet apart. Hardware cloth or "Poultry Screening" is an option too. Several antenna / reflector elevation options are shown that enhance the NVIS launch angle, antenna pattern, and propagation. This antenna is a great NVIS performer if you have the room for it.
Please note: The calculations are approximate, so some exact antenna length and matching section length adjustment may be necessary. Dimensions will change slightly due to antenna height and ground conductivity variations...and Keep The Antenna Away From Power Lines. They are good at turning you into "The Squirrel in the Substation".
Please note: NVIS Propagation is only useful at frequencies below 10 MHz.
| Extended Double Zepp Antenna | NVIS Antenna Height | Ground Reflector | ||||||||
| Element Length Ft (B) | Matching Stub Length (C) | Total Antenna Length (D) | 1/8 Wave (E) | 1/10 Wave (E) | 1/20 Wave (E) | Reflector Length (F) | ||||
| 160 Meters | ||||||||||
| 1.8 | 350.00 | 57.22 | 700.00 | 65.00 | 52.00 | 26.00 | 735.00 | |||
| 1.9 | 331.58 | 54.21 | 663.16 | 61.58 | 49.26 | 24.63 | 696.32 | |||
| 2 | 315.00 | 51.50 | 630.00 | 58.50 | 46.80 | 23.40 | 661.50 | |||
| 80 Meters | ||||||||||
| 3.5 | 180.00 | 29.43 | 360.00 | 33.43 | 26.74 | 13.37 | 378.00 | |||
| 3.6 | 175.00 | 28.61 | 350.00 | 32.50 | 26.00 | 13.00 | 367.50 | |||
| 3.7 | 170.27 | 27.84 | 340.54 | 31.62 | 25.30 | 12.65 | 357.57 | |||
| 3.8 | 165.79 | 27.11 | 331.58 | 30.79 | 24.63 | 12.32 | 348.16 | |||
| 3.9 | 161.54 | 26.41 | 323.08 | 30.00 | 24.00 | 12.00 | 339.23 | |||
| 4 | 157.50 | 25.75 | 315.00 | 29.25 | 23.40 | 11.70 | 330.75 | |||
| 60 Meters | ||||||||||
| 5.3305 | 118.19 | 19.32 | 236.38 | 21.95 | 17.56 | 8.78 | 248.19 | Ch1 | ||
| 5.3465 | 117.83 | 19.26 | 235.67 | 21.88 | 17.51 | 8.75 | 247.45 | Ch2 | ||
| 5.3665 | 117.53 | 19.21 | 235.07 | 21.83 | 17.46 | 8.73 | 246.83 | Ch3 | ||
| 5.3715 | 117.29 | 19.18 | 234.57 | 21.78 | 17.43 | 8.71 | 246.30 | Ch4 | ||
| 5.4035 | 116.59 | 19.06 | 233.18 | 21.65 | 17.32 | 8.66 | 244.84 | Ch5 | ||
| 40 Meters | ||||||||||
| 7 | 90.00 | 14.71 | 180.00 | 16.71 | 13.37 | 6.69 | 189.00 | |||
| 7.03 | 89.68 | 14.66 | 179.36 | 16.65 | 13.32 | 6.66 | 188.33 | |||
| 7.13 | 88.42 | 14.46 | 176.84 | 16.42 | 13.14 | 6.57 | 185.68 | |||
| 7.16 | 87.99 | 14.39 | 175.98 | 16.34 | 13.07 | 6.54 | 184.78 | |||
| 7.18 | 87.80 | 14.36 | 175.61 | 16.31 | 13.05 | 6.52 | 184.39 | |||
| 7.3 | 86.30 | 14.11 | 172.60 | 16.03 | 12.82 | 6.41 | 181.23 | |||
| 30 Meters | ||||||||||
| 10.1 | 62.38 | 10.20 | 124.75 | 11.58 | 9.27 | 4.63 | 130.99 | |||
| 10.15 | 62.07 | 10.15 | 124.14 | 11.53 | 9.22 | 4.61 | 130.34 | |||
| 20 Meters | ||||||||||
| 14 | 45.00 | 7.36 | 90.00 | 8.36 | 6.69 | 3.34 | 94.50 | |||
| 14.1 | 44.68 | 7.30 | 89.36 | 8.30 | 6.64 | 3.32 | 93.83 | |||
| 14.2 | 44.37 | 7.25 | 88.73 | 8.24 | 6.59 | 3.30 | 93.17 | |||
| 14.23 | 44.29 | 7.24 | 88.58 | 8.22 | 6.58 | 3.29 | 93.01 | |||
| 14.3 | 44.06 | 7.20 | 88.11 | 8.18 | 6.55 | 3.27 | 92.52 | |||
| 14.35 | 43.90 | 7.18 | 87.80 | 8.15 | 6.52 | 3.26 | 92.20 | |||
| 17 Meters | ||||||||||
| 18.07 | 34.87 | 5.70 | 69.74 | 6.48 | 5.18 | 2.59 | 73.22 | |||
| 18.11 | 34.79 | 5.69 | 69.57 | 6.46 | 5.17 | 2.58 | 73.05 | |||
| 18.17 | 34.68 | 5.67 | 69.35 | 6.44 | 5.15 | 2.58 | 72.82 | |||
| 15 Meters | ||||||||||
| 21 | 30.00 | 4.90 | 60.00 | 5.57 | 4.46 | 2.23 | 63.00 | |||
| 21.1 | 29.86 | 4.88 | 59.72 | 5.55 | 4.44 | 2.22 | 62.70 | |||
| 21.2 | 29.72 | 4.86 | 59.43 | 5.52 | 4.42 | 2.21 | 62.41 | |||
| 21.3 | 29.58 | 4.84 | 59.15 | 5.49 | 4.39 | 2.20 | 62.11 | |||
| 21.45 | 29.37 | 4.80 | 58.74 | 5.45 | 4.36 | 2.18 | 61.68 | |||
| 12 Meters | ||||||||||
| 24.89 | 25.31 | 4.14 | 50.62 | 4.70 | 3.76 | 1.88 | 53.15 | |||
| 24.99 | 25.21 | 4.12 | 50.42 | 4.68 | 3.75 | 1.87 | 52.94 | |||
| 10 Meters | ||||||||||
| 28 | 22.50 | 3.68 | 45.00 | 4.18 | 3.34 | 1.67 | 47.25 | |||
| 28.5 | 22.11 | 3.61 | 44.21 | 4.11 | 3.28 | 1.64 | 46.42 | |||
| 29 | 21.72 | 3.55 | 43.45 | 4.03 | 3.23 | 1.61 | 45.62 | |||
| 29.7 | 21.21 | 3.47 | 42.42 | 3.94 | 3.15 | 1.58 | 44.55 | |||
| 30 | 21.00 | 3.43 | 42.00 | 3.90 | 3.12 | 1.56 | 44.10 | |||
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