Portable HF antenna

[xtatik]

Another operator was using my setup and he was able to get Lithuania with only 5w!

Jon, let me guess.....Jonas, LY5A? He also runs a special event station each year as LY1000A. He's got a great antenna array.

 

[xtatik]

Here's another portable option for multi-band use. http://www.n6bt.com/n6bt-Bravo7K-1.htm

Tom, N6BT is essentially the original designer of the cap-hatted dipoles like the TW2010 mentioned in this thread. He once owned Force 12 antennas, who were the first company to produce this type of antenna in their "Sigma Series".
http://www.texasantennas.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=93&Itemid=55
He sold the company, and it is now owned by Texas Antennas (aka, Texas Towers). His antennas function well but don't have quite the fit and finish I'd like. Their kinda' fussy and require a bit more assembly and tuning. They use common SS hose clamps for assembly...more akin to a permanent assembly.... Didn't dig that idea.

 

[SP Jon M3]

Jon, let me guess.....Jonas, LY5A? He also runs a special event station each year as LY1000A. He's got a great antenna array.

Yep, you guessed it!

 

[gary in ohio]

here is a link to an article on my portable system along with portable antenna system posted a while back. http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/31558-transportable-station?highlight=mast

 

[chris snell]

If you care about quality, you can't do better than the Buddipole. For the low bands, you're probably better off with wire (as some have mentioned) but for 10/15/20/30, the Buddipole is incredible. I suggest not buying the full deluxe package but instead, piecing one together a la carte. Get the Versatee, a four-section military whip, their balun coax cable, the mini coil (not listed on the website), the TSRB, and the painters stick adapter for the Versatee. They also make an adapter for a camera tripod to hold the Versatee and this is good if you hike because you can use a monopod as a combo hiking stick/antenna mast. You'll want some radials; you can buy good ones from Buddipole or make your own.

These parts will get you a powerful, durable HF antenna that assembles in seconds and packs down to almost nothing.

 

[xtatik]

If you care about quality, you can't do better than the Buddipole. For the low bands, you're probably better off with wire (as some have mentioned) but for 10/15/20/30, the Buddipole is incredible. I suggest not buying the full deluxe package but instead, piecing one together a la carte. Get the Versatee, a four-section military whip, their balun coax cable, the mini coil (not listed on the website), the TSRB, and the painters stick adapter for the Versatee. They also make an adapter for a camera tripod to hold the Versatee and this is good if you hike because you can use a monopod as a combo hiking stick/antenna mast. You'll want some radials; you can buy good ones from Buddipole or make your own.

These parts will get you a powerful, durable HF antenna that assembles in seconds and packs down to almost nothing.

Actually. between the Buddipole and the TW2010...I'd say the build quality and performance of the TW spanks the Buddipole. I've owned and used both.
First off, the Buddipole is a PITA to set up by comparison and does not deploy in seconds. It's fast, but nowhere near as fast or as simple as the TW. If the Buddipole gets toppled by the wind...you get to start over. That is, if it survives the fall. In most cases it won't, and one of the needed components will be beyond field repair. It needs to be guyed in order to be stable in many of its configurations. Secondly, unless you're happy with its performance in an elevated vertical configuration (as a Buddistick), you won't ever be happy with it. Unlike ground-mounted verticals, elevated verticals require tuned radials in order to work properly. Most antenna gurus would suggest a minimum of two tuned radials, but four give a better radiation pattern. These would need to be staked out evenly and ideally should descend from the feedpoint at about 45 degrees in order to maintain a decent impedance. They could also serve as guylines. Of course, being an elevated vertical means the radials will need to be shortened or lengthened each time the vertical radiating element is shortened or lengthened for use on different bands. Also, when set up in a loaded horizontal dipole configuration (its standard dipole deployment), proper theory would require you to have it much further off the ground than the height afforded by their mast system. As an example, for 20m operation it would need to be at least 33 feet off the ground (1/2 wave) in order to fully function as a half-wave dipole. If not, it won't radiate as a dipole should and becomes what is known as a "cloudwarmer". It would be very difficult to accomplish this in the middle of a desert? Doing so in a forested area would require a good amount of work as well. And, ideally here in the States, you would want it to be hoisted in an east-west orientation. Sometimes the trees will accomodate, sometimes not. Thirdly, the components on the Buddipole are not able to handle higher outputs if someone wants to run QRO.
In my experienced opinion, the only benefits delivered by the Buddipole are that it is both lightweight and packs down efficiently. This isn't a trivial point and the the Buddipole does this brilliantly. If I were backpacking the antenna, this would be more important. Antenna efficiency on HF is important to me, but if I were willing to compromise performance for these transportable/packable aspects AND was only interested in digital or CW operation where a less efficient antenna might suffice...then, and only then, would I consider the Buddipole.

 

[DaveInDenver]

You make valid points Randy. I considered a Buddipole. The price put me off, as did the reasons you list.

I ended up buying a Ventenna HFp to fulfill my commercial vertical itch, sometimes one ends up above treeline here in Colorado and this guy works well for this. Scree and rocks work FB, either stacked on it's base with no guy lines in mild wind or holding the guy lines. It's multi-banded but not super conveniently, it's something of an erector set that you configure for different bands. The upside is that it's a decent performer for what you get. Band changes take a couple of minutes and it covers 80m up to 6m.

When I plan to stay where they're trees, I use a 44' or 88' doublet made from 26AWG ribbon cable and a Elecraft T1 tuner (I run QRP, a FT-817). This works well enough for me, although all configurations favor high angle since my feedlines (as they are) ended up about ~25'. But no matter, with a 20' fishing pole or mother nature's towers I can be up and on the air in a few minutes and mutli-banded. I think dipoles and doublets make better portable antennas since you do not have to count on radials or particular ground characteristics to work.

 

[Mash5]

Dave, Thanks for bringing the HFp to my attention. The more I looked at it the more my infatuation grew. They are only in the next town over and long story short I picked one up and have found it fits the bill nicely. I didn't get the 80m coil but I may yet. I find the build quality good but not super. The heat shrink on a couple of the elements for instance was over cooked and had holes exposing the labels to weather. I will not comment on how it works as I'm new to HF and don't have anything to compare it to but I will get back once I get a few uses on it on how it holds up.
This and a 20m/40m dipole and I should be able to get on the air anywhere.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Yeah, I'm happy with the HFp. It's not a slick commercial build, but the guys making them aren't a big shop either. I believe it's two hams in San Diego. They are super nice and helpful, though. My only issue, and it's minor, is that the pigtail for the feedpoint is a little flimsy, works fine though. I made a BNC pigtail anyway and so it's a very minor gripe. It will tolerate 100W SSB without an issue, BTW.