End-Fed Half-Wave Calculator

Find the wire length for an end-fed half-wave antenna and the harmonic bands it also covers, for any frequency.

Wire length
-
Also resonant on
-

An end-fed half-wave is a half-wave wire fed at the end through a 49:1 transformer, so it needs little or no counterpoise. Length in feet = 468 / frequency in MHz. Because it also resonates on harmonics (2x, 3x, 4x the frequency), one wire can cover several bands.

Frequently asked questions

How long is an end-fed half-wave?

Length in feet is 468 divided by the lowest frequency in MHz, the same as a half-wave dipole. For a 40m EFHW at 7.15 MHz that is about 65.5 feet (20.0 m).

How does one wire cover several bands?

A half-wave on the lowest band is a full wave on twice the frequency, one and a half waves on three times, and so on. Those harmonics land near other ham bands, so a 40m EFHW also works on 20m, 15m and 10m with the right transformer.

Why a 49:1 transformer?

At the end of a half-wave the impedance is very high (a few thousand ohms). A 49:1 unun transforms that down close to 50 ohms. A short counterpoise of a few feet helps stabilise the match.