Buddipole users: let's hear your story

[Moleculo]

I've been looking at the Buddipole antennas for quite some time as a means for setting up a portable antenna while RV'ing, jeeping, or even hiking. I'm currently looking at the Mini-Buddipole package as something that might make a nice package with the new Elecraft KX3.

So who else has used the Buddipole antennas? Let's hear your stories about the antenna and where you've used it.

 

[gamegetter]

Well i like what i see although i have never used one. I can see where in an rv park it would be nice to have say over a long wire and tuner for ease of set up.

 

[Moleculo]

I'm actually considering the Mini-Buddipole setup: Mini-Buddipole. That looks like a fun thing to fit into a day pack for trips into the mountains or even local campgrounds and parks.

 

[De_Wildfire]

I don't own a Buddy Pole but I was talking to a station on 10 meters from the UK and he was giving me a 5/5 with his Buddy Pole. My Imax 2000 and his Buddy Pole was enough to talk for about 10 minutes when the propagation as in there.

 

[W5EDF]

I have a buddiepole and really like it. Didn't get to make many contacts, but the few I made I got good signal reports back. All 10 meter. I think at one point I picked up a station over in Japan.

Just be careful with it. Gust of wind hit my portable setup before I got my guy wires in place and it all slammed into ground breaking both whips.

 

[Happy_Hamer]

I just bought the Buddipole Deluxe Package.

First off, the website says the most common thing to happen to new customers is they do not guy the setup on their first time and the buddipole will fall and break the whips. :sad:

You would think then they would INCLUDE the guying kit then?

I also ordered the 6 meter yagi kit.

Now that it finally stopped raining here in the midwest, I will set the antenna up, show some pics and try it out on different bands.

 

[f-250ford]

I like mine one thing you have to watch out for is cross threading the soft aluminum.

6 meter beam in the house.:tongue:

 

[Happy_Hamer]

Well, I was getting anxious too set up the buddipole so I could try it out. The weather here would not cooperate though.

Rain and wind, yeah I'm a fair weather portable operator LOL

So I set up the buddipole in the garage and hooked the analyzer.

Using the recommended setting in the directions gave me great results.

2 meter to 15 meter was easy with 1.2 to 1.6 SWR.

17 and 20 meter was where it started getting difficult to obtain an acceptable SWR. The metal rails in the garage door and rails the door ride on was causing my difficulties. I would rotate the dipole and it would improve then go "wacky" as the other end came near the steal rails again. It would be 2.4 in the best position in the garage, I barely rotated it and it would go to a 3 to 4ish SWR. I waited for the weather to clear long enough to get the antenna in some open space but that didn't happen.

I have every reason to believe if I was in a more open space the SWR would "fall" into place for 18 mHz and lower.

I did not even try 40 meter (7 mHz) as I am sure it would have been worse.

I made videos of the different set up for each band, I am trying to make it into one video then will post it.