RF Guru

VerticalVortex an active E-Probe for the LowBands (160M-40M)

Name: VerticalVortex an active E-Probe for the LowBands (160M-40M)
Brand: RF Guru
Price: 279.0 EUR
Availability: InStock

€279,00 EUR

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Tax included.

Options 6M 35mm OD Marine grade aluminium (2mm thick) No pole

Product variants

Quantity

All our products are handmade, and fulfilment times may vary depending on order volume. Please allow 2–3 weeks for your order to be completed and shipped.

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Included

VerticalVortex
RVS Mounting Plate
Optional 6M 35mm marine grade aluminium pole
Protective cap for the aluminium pole
Bias-T 13.8V F-Type to SMA
Short SMA to BNC Cable
10M INTSAT-170-ELITE 75Ω coax cable with 2 F-Type Connectors

Optional

RVS Ground Peg (inc. F connector bulkhead) and RX RF Line Isolator

The VerticalVortex is a state-of-the-art HF Low Bands e-probe antenna engineered for exceptional signal reception across 160-40M.

The VerticalVortex is an omnidirectional antenna optimized for ground-wave and vertically polarised signals. It requires minimal grounding—just a simple stake or rod is sufficient—and delivers excellent performance.

At its core is a high-performance MMIC, ensuring exceptional sensitivity and low-noise operation. With a frequency range spanning 4 kHz to 30 MHz, the VerticalVortex is specifically designed for the low bands!

Peak Sensitivity Angles for Ground-Mounted 6m VerticalVortex:

Band	Frequency (MHz)	Wavelength (m)	Height Ratio (6m/λ)	Estimated Peak Elevation Angle
160m	1.85	162	0.037	10–25°
80m	3.6	83	0.072	15–30°
60m	5.3	56.6	0.106	20–35°
40m	7.1	42.3	0.142	25–40°

QRO Protection Circuitry

The VerticalVortex includes a robust multi-stage protection circuit, making it highly resilient in environments where high-power transmitters are nearby. In field tests, it withstood 800W CW at a 6-meter distance without any degradation or damage. The circuit uses a fast-response solid-state TX detector based on the TLV3011 comparator, which senses high RF fields and instantly activates a miniature rela to short the front-end to ground via a fast-switching transistor and high-current relay path. Additional clamping protection is provided by a combination of gas discharge tube, fast TVS diodes and transient suppression Zeners. This ensures that the sensitive input stage—based around the low-noise MMIC—remains well protected. For added peace of mind, a back-to-back diode limiter and RF inductor further cushion the input.

Included

10 meters of coaxial cable (INTSAT.110.Elite), a Bias-T with an integrated line isolator, an SMA-to-BNC adapter cable, and an open-ended PowerPole cable for easy integration.

Placement

Place the antenna away from buildings, power lines, and other sources of electromagnetic interference (EMI) for optimal performance.

Grounding

Connecting the braid of the coaxial cable to a good earth ground is highly recommended for the VerticalVortex. Proper grounding significantly improves the VerticalVortex's performance by reducing noise and stabilising the received signals.

Common mode choke

In noise-prone environments, adding a common-mode choke on the feedline can further enhance performance.

Improved Reception Above “Effective Ground”

Enhanced Electric Field Pickup:

The metal roof acts as a ground plane, which enhances the electric field strength in the vicinity of the probe. This improves the efficiency of the E-probe in capturing signals. To enhance coupling add 4 radial wires of 80M long.