[Elecraft] Buddipole vs. tuner and wire

[David Yarnes]

Brian and All,

Wire and a tuner is always good, particularly if you can get it up high 
enough.  And, it's cheaper!!!!  But I think a Buddipole could be a good 
choice unless you know in advance how you would be able to raise a wire 
antenna adequately to get good results.  I have a Buddipole system, and like 
it very much for many portable situations.  But I will tell you that more 
often than not I use mine as a vertical (like the Buddistick).  I almost 
always get better results using the system vertically, primarily because 
it's hard to get a Buddipole up high enough to really be effective.  Of 
course, it would be nice if you could raise the system up somewhat even if 
you do use it vertically.

The other advantage to wire and a tuner is that you can use it multiband 
more easily, assuming you also use balanced feedline.  With a Buddipole (or 
Buddistick) you have to keep changing the coil settings to change bands. 
That might be a hassle.  And if you do opt for the Buddistick idea, don't 
hesitate to use an extra rod or two under the coil, and a longer top section 
too.  And use more radials than they suggest if you can.  Any or all of 
these will give you better results usually.

I just got my June QST yesterday, and Rick Littlefield (a well known QRPer) 
has an article on a multiband wire antenna that is off center fed.  And it 
uses coax.  But to do so, you have to pass on the WARC bands--those bands 
always present a matching problem for coax fed multiband antennas.  The G5RV 
is a case in point.  There's a little work involved in constructing Rick's 
antenna, but once you do it, it looks like it would be fairly easy to 
transport.  I've never used an OCF antenna, but there are lots of good 
reasons to do so.

Dave W7AQK

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brian Lloyd" <brian-wb6rqn at lloyd.com>
To: "elecraft Reflector" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 9:57 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] Buddipole vs. tuner and wire


>I am heading out on a bit of a DXpedition in a month and will be  dragging 
>the K2 along with me. I will be in St. Kitts (V4) and  Dominica (J7).
>
> Thinking about antennas, I was planning to take my SGC-231 tuner and  some 
> wire but am also looking at the Buddipole (which Elecraft sells  so that 
> makes it on-topic here :-) as an alternative.
>
> Would anyone care to comment on wire/tuner vs. Buddipole?
>
> --
>
> 73 de Brian, WB6RQN
> Brian Lloyd - brian HYPHEN wb6rqn AT lloyd DOT com
>
>
>
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