"Just OK Mini" 20 meter antenna - 20m - COMING SOON

The "Just OK" Mini Antenna is an ultra portable antenna for use on 20m (14Mhz band). It is a ridiculously small 20m antenna that packs up to about 6-7".

We were vacationing in Florida in an airbnb with a balcony and really wanted to play radio. Unfortunately, there were no options for deploying one of our normal full sized antennas. That was when this ultra-portable "Just OK Mini" Antenna was born!

This antenna is a vertical antenna with a loaded base. It works by using an extendable whip that is just 7" when collapsed and extends to about 5' (1.2 meters). The loaded base allowing it to be used for the popular 20m band without a tuner, by resonating on 20m and matching to your radio. It has a built in ground connection so that you can use it with the many popular QRP radios that don't have easy ground connections. You can also mount it just about anywhere, as it also features a standard 1/4" tripod connector for connecting to any standard tripod or tons of mounting options from Amazon.

This is not a perfect efficient antenna. Actually, it is far from it. We call it the "Just OK Mini" because it is Just OK but gets the job done. It might be the only antenna you can deploy in some situations. This might be a compromised antenna, but it allowed Becky to make a contact from almost 5k miles away in the Netherlands and Mike to make contact with England.

This antenna was created by us, the HamRadioDuo, for the way that so many of us love to operate. It works with the popular affordable radios such as the QMX, QCX-mini, and G90, including the ones with no tuner and no easy ground connection. We love inexpensive gear and wanted something that would pair well on price also.

This is the tripod we use for our camera and have been using for the antenna. There are lots of options for standard 1/4" tripod mounts, including ground spikes, on Amazon.
https://amzn.to/3JU3vYj

Why You’ll Love It

• Pocket‑Sized Portability
  You can bring this with you anywhere and deploy without space requirements..
• Tripod‑Ready
  Screw it onto any standard tripod mount—small tabletop tripods, rugged camera tripods, or even a simple ground‑spike base. There are tons of options on Amazon (see link above).
• Built‑In Ground Connection
  A dedicated ground lug makes it a breeze to attach the included 13 ft radial bundle. Perfect for radios without a chassis ground point (hello, QCX Mini!). No extra adapters needed.
• Tuner‑Free Operation
  Factory‑tuned to the lower portion of the 20 m band, you can be on‑air instantly. Want to slide up the band? Just shorten the whip a hair—no external tuner required.

Why You Might Not Love It

• Not very efficient
  Like any of these types of antennas it is highly compromised. That means it will turn your QRP signal into extra-QRP. It may have a low SWR, which will make your radio happy, but that doesn't mean you are getting all the power out.
• No tuner needed, but you'll want to use an analyzer
  You'll want to bring an analyzer with you for a quick check and final tune by adjusting the whip before each use. The frequency where the SWR dips can change significantly based on the environment – how far it is from the ground, if you are near metal, and even how close you are. Also, compared to a full sized, efficient antenna, the useful bandwidth is very narrow, so you'll want to make sure the dip is where you want it.

Key Features

• Ultra‑compact design: 7 inches retracted, ~40 inches fully extended
• Tripod mount base: Standard ¼‑20 thread fits any camera or survey tripod
• Ground lug: Secure connection for included 13 ft radial set
• No‑tuner needed: Pre‑tuned to CW portion of 20 m; fine‑tune via whip length
• Lightweight: Weighs just 3.8oz—ideal for backpacking, biking, or minimal‑kit ops

Specifications