HF Vertical Antenna Suggestions!

[N1SQB]

Hello All!
I am interested in purchasing an Hf vertical antenna. I dont want to get into why vertical and not something else. Right now,vertical is it for me! That being said, what is the best antenna out there for RX/TX on 160-10 meters? Im not interested in a particular band more than the other. I want to at least be able to talk on all of them within reason. For now, I will be using 100 watts max power. Height, elevation is no problem. The Gap Titan DX has been suggested as one possibility. I'm open to ALL suggestions as this is a big expense and I dont want to rush to judgement here!

Thanks!

 

[kb5udf]

Hy-gain Hy-Tower

You might check out the Hygain Hy-Tower, since you say height is now object.

 

[eorange]

Hustler 5BTV

I've been using a Hustler 5BTV vertical for almost 1.5 years. It's a trap antenna, meaning it has components that automatically "turn on and off" to help the antenna resonate at whatever frequency you're transmitting on.

I would say it's a solid performer. I have it installed with no radials. It does NOT cover 160m, although I can receive on 160m (never tried to transmit). I've used it for phone and PSK31 on 80m, 75m, 40m, and 20m using anywhere from 5W to 200W PEP with no problem. I have also received on 10m.

With this setup, I've done PSK31 to Venezuela and phone to Portugal. Based on band conditions at the time, I've done no better or worse than anyone else out there, except for the guy using a beam at 200 feet! The overall profile is pretty unobtrusive.

If you Google "Hustler 5BTV", you'll find mods for the WARC and 160m bands. I've not done those.

Bang for the buck ($180), you won't go wrong with the 5BTV.

Hope this helps!

 

[N1SQB]

Wonderful Guys Thanks!
I will be installing a 55' tower sometime next year. I just want a vertical for now! If it works out,I will stick with a vertical. We just recently moved into our home and Im itching to get an HF antenna set up! The height at my new home is @ 430ft above sea level AT GROUND LEVEL. You can imagine why Im dying to hit the airwaves!

Thanks Again!

Manny/N1SQB

 

[jonny290]

Get a GAP vertical if you don't want to mess with grounding.

I thought "I'll just hack it and install a ground system" and bought a 1/4 wave vertical.

500 feet of AWG 14 THHN wire later, I still do not have an adequate ground system and cannot get out on it.

From what I hear the GAPs are vertical dipoles and should have the ground plane issue nicely sorted.

 

[RocketNJ]

I'll second the Gap. I have the Titan DX. Covers 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 30, 40, 75 meters. Mine in mounted on my fireplace chimney and does not need any ground radials. It does have a counterpoise wire loop (part of the antenna) located at the base of the antenna.

Here's a link to the Titan.
http://www.gapantenna.com/titan.html

One thing you will find with a vertical. They'll work fine on 40 meters and up, but on 75 meters my trap dipole about 25 ft in the air outperforms. Also the vertical will have a higher noise floor than a horizontal on 75.

 

[prcguy]

I had a GAP Titan and it was a great dummy load. At the time I had an SGC tuner feeding about 35ft of wire end fed in an inverted V config with the apex at 18ft above several ground wires. This is a classic cloud burner for lower bands and I bought the GAP for a low angle DX antenna. The GAP assembled and matched very nice, just like the manual says but the SGC tuner and random chunk of wire outperformed the GAP on every band, including local 10m vertical polarized stuff. I have since spoken to many other GAP owners who were able to compare their antenna side by side with other antennas and the GAP just doesn’t work very well. If you get one it will hear things and you will talk to others but at a big compromise.
prcguy

 

[zz0468]

I wouldn't waste my time on a Gap antenna. That built-in counterpoise just doesn't look adequate. I can't see how it could possibly perform well. I, too, use an SGC tuner. It feeds an open wire fed dipole, and works on all bands - including 160 meters and the entire 80 meter band. You could fabricate a vertical dipole of some sort and use an autotuner.

 

[jonny290]

I wouldn't waste my time on a Gap antenna.

You could fabricate a vertical dipole of some sort and use an autotuner.

.....

 

[zz0468]

.....

Is that a rousing endorsement, or a rebuttal!?

 

[kb2vxa]

Hi Manny and all,

Don't let them fool you, all verticals need radials or they are dummy loads! Here's a notion, two verticals for the price of one. Since the commercial antennas suck at best above 40M you should concentrate on an elevated ground plane for 20 and below for a low vertical takeoff angle good for DX.

Guess what, a 55' tower makes an excellent vertical for 160, 80 and 40M and you can put other antennas on it without upsetting the apple cart. Since it takes a lot of typing and fills up lots of space, here's not the place to get into a construction project. Just wire me at warren@kb2vxa.net and I'll tell you how to make the tower into a grounded vertical folded unipole. AM broadcast stations use this design to pack a half wave radiator into less than a quarter wave of tower height and get a low radiation angle for greater coverage watt for watt. You know what that means for hams, right? Yup, low angle = DX!

When it comes to a good radial system my broadcast engineering know how has that covered too. Your whole property can become a radial field and your house sitting in it doesn't matter but we'll get into that "off the air" too, it's another chapter in the book.

 

[eorange]

Don't let them fool you, all verticals need radials or they are dummy loads!

Ain't true! Radials help a lot, but aren't always necessary, even more so if you can't find a way to bury 30 to 60+ foot wires in your yard.

I am getting out just fine w/o radials. Sure I could probably do better with them.

 

[k9rzz]

As always:

http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/13

+ radials, radials, radials!!

Good DX,

John K9RZZ

 

[w0fg]

I have a Butternut HF9-VX that's been up for nearly 20 years. 'Worked over 200 countries on CW with a Yaesu FT-757 barefoot at 100 watts. Having 50 buried radials definitely made all the difference.

 

[N1SQB]

WOW WOW WOW!
I asked for comments and boy did you guys comment! I have a lot of food for thought! I am really taking my time with this because after all,it is a very EXPENSIVE investment not to be taken lightly! I dont want to buy something that will end up being a "dummy load" in the end. Thanks to all of you who replied. I mean it! I have known my way around VHF/UHF for years. HF is a horse of a different breed!

Manny/N1SQB

 

[jay427]

Crushcraft R7000, no radials, mounted 8'-0" above the ground on a 4x4, 75 feet of ok coax feeding it, lots of trees around it, been up for 6-7years, running 100watts.

Lots of contacts on PSK and SSB, not the strongest singal but it works for me, made a good contact in Italy this past saturday on 17m.

only good for 10,12,15,17,20 and 40, I think there is a add on for 80 though.

I use it for SWL to, also works good there.

I would buy another one in a heart beat.

Like I said they are better antennas but for a simple install and lazy install its just waht the doctor ordered.

good luck

Jay

 

[zz0468]

I have a Butternut HF9-VX that's been up for nearly 20 years. 'Worked over 200 countries on CW with a Yaesu FT-757 barefoot at 100 watts. Having 50 buried radials definitely made all the difference.

Yep! Look at what the broadcasters do. They HAVE to get out right, or they lose money. 120 or more radials are typical on the vertical antennas they run. It's expensive and damned hard to maintain, but it's worth it because it DOES make a difference. Anything less is a compromise, and that means transmitter power going somewhere besides free space where it belongs. You end up with antennas having negative gains (100 watt transmitters with a 20 watt erp). It happens more often than not with compromise verticals. Good luck!

 

[k9rzz]

Crushcraft R7000, no radials, mounted 8'-0" above the ground on a 4x4, 75 feet of ok coax feeding it, lots of trees around it, been up for 6-7years, running 100watts.

Hey, that sounds familiar!

Mine: 18 feet of telescoped aluminum tubing mounted on an 8 ft 2x4, six 18 foot radials,fed with open wire feeders (window line) and an antenna tuner. I tune it up with a MFJ antenna analyzer and it works well _anywhere_. Makes a great SWL antenna.

If you can, get the base up off the ground. It will reduce ground losses, improve efficiency, and require fewer radials.

John K9RZZ

 

[gcgrotz]

As Warren said, you need the ground. It's not rocket science. In broadcasting it has been studied and documented for probably 75 years. It may work without them but it WILL work better with.