Author Topic: I'm ready to get a Buddipole, I think.  (Read 19040 times)

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DragoSapien

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I'm ready to get a Buddipole, I think.
« on: February 10, 2015, 09:18:19 PM »
I finally have the money to get me something for my go box. Im about to get me the Buddipole Deluxe package along with the 80m coil. Is there any other antenna out there I should consider. Iv seen the screwdriver dipoles, but cost way to much for me.

Tevin

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Re: I'm ready to get a Buddipole, I think.
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2015, 06:57:43 AM »
I finally have the money to get me something for my go box. Im about to get me the Buddipole Deluxe package along with the 80m coil. Is there any other antenna out there I should consider. Iv seen the screwdriver dipoles, but cost way to much for me.

What else you consider depends on your priorities. The Buddipole is expensive for what you get (and it's just average as a performer), but hardly anything can top it for portability and ease of deployment.

The big thing I don't like about the Buddipole is that the connector on the antenna side is two banana plugs into a coax (it's shown about 2:30 into the video on their website). It's a de facto proprietary connector that will not work with any other antenna. Not such a big deal, until it gets lost or broken...then you have to buy another one from Buddipole, or make something on your own. You cannot just unroll some coax with PL-259 connectors on each end and go. This feature also limits you to a 25 food feed line unless you are willing to use a female-to-female PL-259 adapter to extend it...and accept the insertion loss. I think this is a horrible design decision on what is otherwise a well thought out product. There is no reason they cannot use a PL-259 like every other HF antenna in the world.

Misgivings aside, it's the ultimate "grab and go" antenna.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2015, 07:14:24 AM by Tevin »

Tempstar

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Re: I'm ready to get a Buddipole, I think.
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2015, 07:46:09 PM »
What Tevin said. Works O.K., but not a lot of bang for the bucks. An EMCOMM II thrown into a tree does better. Just my 0.00058 cents....
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Tempstar

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Re: I'm ready to get a Buddipole, I think.
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2015, 07:51:38 PM »
Sorry, can't leave this one alone. Get this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MFJ-347-Double-T-Pipe-Mount-With-SO-239-Build-A-80-6-Meter-Mini-Hamstick-Dipole-/141288811873?pt=US_Radio_Comm_Antennas&hash=item20e5782d61

And 2 hamsticks for each band you want to work, and have enough $$$ left over for a good vhf/uhf mobile......
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DragoSapien

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Re: I'm ready to get a Buddipole, I think.
« Reply #4 on: February 11, 2015, 08:53:21 PM »
Will that work?????  Two ham sticks turned into a dipole. I didnt know they would work together like that. Have you tried this before?
COOL!!!!!!!!  I like this idea.

Tempstar

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Re: I'm ready to get a Buddipole, I think.
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2015, 05:10:55 AM »
Yep, ran one on 40 for a while. I had it on a tri-pod so it was a lot of NVIS, and I could drop it down to about a foot off the ground and go ground wave to a station a mile away. Worked better than my buddi-pole (not slamming a buddi-pole, but it was given to me and I gave it to someone else), but remember it is a compromise antenna and without height above ground you're still going to be very local unless the bands are wide open. Height is Might. For about 60 bucks you can get on the air with a low loss system that has no transformers.
"Preparedness is a lot more than just buying stuff"

DragoSapien

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Re: I'm ready to get a Buddipole, I think.
« Reply #6 on: February 12, 2015, 06:37:35 PM »
I'm sure glad I asked about this before I spent all that money. For now I'm going with the ham sticks. ;D

Tevin

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Re: I'm ready to get a Buddipole, I think.
« Reply #7 on: February 12, 2015, 07:16:21 PM »
Will that work?????  Two ham sticks turned into a dipole. I didnt know they would work together like that. Have you tried this before?
COOL!!!!!!!!  I like this idea.

LOL The "poor man's Buddipole" (hamstick) is what I use as a porta-tenna. I clamp mine to a PVC pipe, then clamp the PVC to a tripod (which you can also get from MFJ) and B-A-Z-I-N-G-A! You're on the air. It does not look too slick but it works surprisingly well.

The downside: It can be a bit unwieldy in the field and is not anywhere close to being as light and portable as a Buddipole. It's definitely not a backpack antenna. Changing bands is a pain. Requires some patience and technical skill to initially set up and tune. Once this is done you should be ok.

I'm not trying to talk you out of a Buddipole. But it's very important to know what you want and what you're willing to give up to get it. All portable/mobile antennas come with compromises and tradeoffs. You're not going to get 100% of what you want even if you do have the money.

In my case, I was willing to give up some portability and ease of setup in exchange for lower cost and better performance. But that's me.


« Last Edit: February 12, 2015, 07:23:49 PM by Tevin »

ghrit

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Re: I'm ready to get a Buddipole, I think.
« Reply #8 on: February 12, 2015, 07:30:55 PM »
If I understand all I think I know, the hamstick solution will be single band where the Buddipole deal can be multiband.  If so there would be some advantage to throwing the money at it.  I don't yet know enough to be sure where the tradeoffs are.
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AD

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Re: I'm ready to get a Buddipole, I think.
« Reply #9 on: February 12, 2015, 09:07:25 PM »
DS

Explain how you will use the antenna?  Home, backpacking, vehicle...

I started out with 2 antennas. 

A 20 & 40 meter Par End Fedz.  Each monoband and they dont need a tuner.  i talked around the world with 100 watts and spent ~$100 for both. 

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/hamwire/4456.html

I live in a HOA amd have to hide them in a pine tree.

I backpacked with them and would take them to the park on weekends, toss one end in a big tree and used them as a sloper.

Then when I could afford a tuner, i bought on and a G5RV which allows me to work many bands.
So it depends on how you want to use it.
The only dumb question is the one that did not get asked!!

DragoSapien

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Re: I'm ready to get a Buddipole, I think.
« Reply #10 on: February 12, 2015, 11:13:28 PM »
I live in West Texas in the Chihuahuan Desert. Not very many large trees out here to hang anything from which is why I'm looking for something that can stand on its own. I have an rack mount ARES go box and want to be able to set up just about any where I might be needed. Being able to go from the ranch to ranch after a bug out is another reason for finding something so portable. Being able to communicate and hear news around 300 miles away is really all I'm shooting for. Regional communications.
« Last Edit: February 12, 2015, 11:15:52 PM by DragoSapien »

spacecase0

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Re: I'm ready to get a Buddipole, I think.
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2015, 01:23:26 AM »
use the 10M hamsticks and a tuner right at the feed point and you will get pretty good multiband performance from the hamstick dipole
antennas are all tradeoffs,
it is just a matter of what you can deal with,
and enough things have trade offs like "works better at lower price"

AD

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Re: I'm ready to get a Buddipole, I think.
« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2015, 09:43:55 AM »
Space

What freq/swr are you getting out of the 10m dipole?

DS

I use these army fiberglass poles for hoisting my G5RV up to ~30 feet.   I know guys in Texas that use these for their perm HF dipole set up.
http://www.militaryfieldgear.com/cborhamraanp.htmli
There are many other sources for these.  Make sure you look for fiberglass NOT the Alum versions!!!!


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Military-Issue-Camo-net-Radar-Scattering-Woodland-Camouflage-Support-System-/251830189127?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aa23fbc47

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2054436.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XMilitary+Camo+Net+Fiberglass+poles.TRS0&_nkw=Military+Camo+Net+Fiberglass+poles&_sacat=0


Depending on the height, you will need guy wires.  They can come with plates you put in between the sections to attach them for stability.

You can buy or make(if you weld) a base plate with the correct dia pipe stub to fit the ID of the pole and then place(drive over) with a car or truck under the wheel to hold the base.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALL-CAR-TIRE-ANTENNA-HOLDER-FOR-HAM-RADIO-MILITARY-POLES-ALUMINUM-FIBERGLASS-/191502989240?pt=US_Radio_Comm_Antennas&hash=item2c9677b7b8

On dirt I drive a Closet (hanger) pole into the ground(depth depending on the soil) and leave 6-18 inches sticking out to slide the poles over.

One Christmas in my HOA I did this in the front yard and hung my dipole from it draped like a Christmas tree shape amd told the neighbors that I was going to string up Christmas lights.

It was a homemade 10 meter dipole and i talked around the world on that for 3 week.

For local comms(ie NVIS) you can use these to erect a horz antenna closer to the ground so your take off angle is buring the clouds which will give you the coverage you need. 

Practice with others and their set up will be needed to figure out set up vs diatance vs freqs vs time of day it would take to make it work.   

There are also telescopic fiberglass poles that extend in sections and lock in place with a twist. 
http://www.jackite.com/index.php?cPath=41_44
« Last Edit: February 13, 2015, 03:21:48 PM by AD »
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spacecase0

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Re: I'm ready to get a Buddipole, I think.
« Reply #13 on: February 13, 2015, 09:40:52 PM »
Space

What freq/swr are you getting out of the 10m dipole?
with the tuner it was near perfect,
never tried without the tuner on any other band than 10M
the 10M band is nearly 1/4 wave for the hamstick, so it has very good SWR

There are also telescopic fiberglass poles that extend in sections and lock in place with a twist. 
http://www.jackite.com/index.php?cPath=41_44
I have an LDG S9 and it is quite nice for setup and total take down
it works well on all the bands if you have a tuner with it (I usually use the LDG one I have)
I set mine up with a trailer hitch mount and use a 35 foot strip of copper foil and the car as the ground
the ones linked look about the same, (if that is what you were going to use them for, and not a mount for some other antenna )

DragoSapien

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Re: I'm ready to get a Buddipole, I think.
« Reply #14 on: February 13, 2015, 09:52:03 PM »
Who makes the ham sticks and where's a good place to get some? All I see on the net is E bay and Amazon.