[Elecraft] The Zepp is gone...new goal for Pacificon

Wed Oct 8 22:20:01 2003

Trev,

I have two antennas - a full sized G5RV and a Butternut HF9V.  I love my
Butternut!  It's not the first vertical I have ever owned; but IMHO, the
best one I have ever owned.  It will tune all the bands I'll ever need;
and a lot of times I can hear stations better with it than on the wire.

It's ground mounted and I have sixteen 25 foot radials arranged in a
half circle as the antenna is pretty close to my property line, close to
a chain link fence.  I also have the chain link fence included in the
radial system.  It wasn't too, too bad to tune and was a chore made much
easier by borrowing a friend's MFJ antenna analyzer.  The radials were
easy to install, too.  I took 14 gauge insulated wire, wrapped a long
gutter nail in a loop of the wire every three or four feet and pounded
them into the ground on top of the grass.  By the next spring, the grass
had grown over the wires and now you can't even see them anymore.

I used to own a GAP Challenger at my old QTH; but I was never very happy
with it.  I like the Butternut as it was easier to put together, is a
very low maintenance antenna; and is a lot less "whippy" than the GAP
was.  A Nor'Easter would blow through New Jersey and I would be fearful
that the GAP would fall over or snap in half.  The Butternut has gone
through 75+ mph winds here during hurricanes Floyd and Isabel and it
didn't give me heart palpitations to watch!

Hey, at the same time it's not a panacea.  I know a yagi on a 50 foot
tower would blow away the Butternut.  But my wife will NEVER let me put
up a tower (sigh!) so I have to use what I can.  The Butternut gives me
good preformance at a good price.  I got DXCC Millenium using it without
breaking a sweat.  And I've used it in a few ARS Sprints and have been
very happy.  Last night I plugged my K1 into it and worked Indianapolis
on 40 M and got a 20 over 9 report using 4 watts.  Is it all the
antenna?  Heck no, I know the propagation has to be there or all the
aluminum in the world will get you nowhere.  But for my money, the HF9V
is a great performer and I recommend it without hesitation.

73 de Larry W2LJ - Vivat Morse!

[email protected]
http://www.qsl.net/w2lj

ARRL Lifemember  QRP ARCI #4488     NJQRP #47
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