[Elecraft] Outbacker vs. buddipole etc.

[Mike Morrow]

Michael wrote:

>I have one of the Alpha Delta Outpost tripod systems

It is my very great misfortune to have one too.

>and it works very well. 

Have you compared its performance at the same location and time with a simple $2 dipole?  I have many times at several locations, and it is an **extremely** poor performer compared to the dipole.  In that respect its just like nearly all "portable" verticals, except that the AD/Outbacker folks try to hype the tripod base as some sort of magical capacitive coupling system to ground.  Like all snake oil pitches, this seems to have a ring of plausability.  But in truth it doesn't really work in most places.  Maybe it would on a saltwater beach, though.  Too bad that's about 500 miles away from me.

>...it is made from heavy duty aluminum with stainless steel
>hardware so it will certainly last a lifetime.

I'll concede that.  It is mechanically very well made.  More's the pity that its price-to-performance ratio approaches infinity.  One can easily sink more than $500 into the Outbacker Outpost abomination combination.

Portable vertical HF antennas with poor ground systems at best show that it is often possible to make contacts with the poorest of antennas.   TANSTAAFL!

73,
Mike / KK5F