Hustler G3-144 MHz Base Antenna

[MOGA]

I'm in the market for a two meter vertical antenna to be mounted on a portable mil-surp mast. The station will be used as an emergency/expedient comm post when away from home. I've narrowed my interests down to a few brand/model choices given my budget and size requirements and the G3 is in the final running, yet I know nothing about it directly. I know its at the upper limit for size that's ideal for my needs and it seems quality manufactured. Generally customers are very happy with the larger and more expensive G7-144, but there seems a lack of reviews on its budget minded, smaller cousin. What say you all? Has any one put this antenna to paces? I could always buy a second unit of the antenna I use at home and call it safe, but what would be the fun in that? Then again, I'm not in the business of throwing $$$ down the drain so a little assurance that the thing works wouldn't be bad.

 

[kb0nly]

It's an "ok" antenna but not really what your going to want for performance in an emergency situation. It's a 3db gain unity antenna, not much better than a 1/4w as some have reported in reviews of it on Eham.

I would look at the Comet GP series of dual band antennas, or even a Jetstream model. I have a couple Jetstream dual band antennas here, a good knockoff of the diamond series. Both Comet and Jetstream have antennas in the price range of the G3 that will outperform it.

 

[MOGA]

Thanks for the suggestion. Can you please mention specific models from Jetstream or Comet to review at the G3 price point?

The feature that I like about the Hustler is how well constructed it seems. No flimsy aluminum rods that fall out at inopportune moments or file cabinet thin L-brackets. How well a system is put together is a top concern. I'm not solely basing my design decisions on decibel ratings. They tend to be exaggerated after all.

 

[kb0nly]

Comet GP1, about the same gain on VHF but also a dual band.

Jetstream JTB2, 6db on VHF 8db on UHF. Only $60 from R&L Electronics 800-221-7735, i have one on the tower now, great antenna for the price.

Jetstream JTB3, 4.5db on VHF 7.2db on UHF. $44.95 from R&L Electronics 800-221-7735, i have one of thes on the tower also, right now its just being used for the scanners until ARMER gets up and running and i need 800Mhz here.

 

[MOGA]

Thanks for the suggestions kb0nly. I'm researching each of them now. Need to do something soon cause the weather is way too nice to play radio from the inside.

 

[MOGA]

Super sweet tower kb0nly! I'm surprised that your neighbors didn't raise a holy funk about it seeing as how it seems that you live in a urban area. Man, someday I'd like a setup like that way out in the hills somewhere where its nice and quiet. Until then, I'll have to suffice with a car battery, a UHF/VHF station, and a vertical on a mast for those sunny days.

Liking the JBT3 very much btw. It looks like a perfect fit for my needs.

 

[kb0nly]

I have very cooperative neighbors, and a rental to the one side of me, so nobody really worries or complains much. We don't have any tower ordinance here, don't even need a permit for one yet, but that may change someday thanks to people putting up shoddy installs for HDTV antenna's. Engineered correctly no problem, but i have seen some that had nothing more than bolts or brackets holding them to the eave of the house and some concrete blocks for the base, yikes!

Thanks for the comment!

 

[MOGA]

Super sweet tower kb0nly! I'm surprised that your neighbors didn't raise a holy funk about it seeing as how it seems that you live in a urban area.

Looks can be deceiving. I wouldn't call your QTH urban by any stretch, lol.

I have a HF rig that i haven't bothered to attempt to connect because there's no space for a decent antenna. I live in a dense urban area, have no mature trees on my lot, and can't get the minister of the Interior to ok anything resembling an antenna on the outside of the house. I've thought of stringing a dipole or something up in the rafters of the attic but that thought isn't very comforting. So there it sits, waiting for the day that I have the space to get it online. I can only say I wish I had your neighbors.

 

[hockeyshrink]

Compromise hf

Looks can be deceiving. I wouldn't call your QTH urban by any stretch, lol.

I have a HF rig that i haven't bothered to attempt to connect because there's no space for a decent antenna. I live in a dense urban area, have no mature trees on my lot, and can't get the minister of the Interior to ok anything resembling an antenna on the outside of the house. I've thought of stringing a dipole or something up in the rafters of the attic but that thought isn't very comforting. So there it sits, waiting for the day that I have the space to get it online. I can only say I wish I had your neighbors.

I feel your pain. I live in an apartment, but have access to a small garden. The landlord turned his head to the 2 concrete base masts I have erected for an 18' 10m and 2m/70cm verticals (10' and 20' up, respectively), but running wire for HF is a challenge. There is no way I can attach wire to the house and a wire in my single tree would be too much.

There is a wood fence that runs around my yard and into my upstairs neighbo'rs yard with a straight 78' run that is 6' high on the yard side, but varies from 8' to 10' on the street side (there is a drop on the other side).

ANYTHING I do here is a compromise solution and I will never work the world from this location, but I decided to try running wire along the top of the wood fence as stealth as possibe. I tried a GSRV JR and it worked on 20m, but only on 20m. I really wanted 40 and 80 as well. I tried an OCF "Windom" design, but it was just too long and winding it around the fence proved unworkable.

I found an end-fed from EFAB Antenna Solutions, the EFAB-MAX. It's 66' long and comes built with the electronics sealed in a box. I secured the box to a post, rand out the length along the top of the fence, made a quick coax choke (per instructions), and hooked up the PL259. I did add 1 counterpoise wire along the bottom of the fence.

It works...not great, but it gets me on the air. I have an internal tuner that will load 160 through 10 easily. I regularly check into a 40m net here on the east coast with no problem. I have made 20m contacts regularly into Europe and the Caribbean.

I know everyone says end-feds suck and are not much better than a dummy load, but this one at least gets me on the air. It is not optimal, but it is the best I can do for my situation.

Can you find a discreet 66' run?

Just in case, here's their site.

End Fed Antennas

73
'shrink

 

[kb0nly]

Looks can be deceiving. I wouldn't call your QTH urban by any stretch, lol.

I have a HF rig that i haven't bothered to attempt to connect because there's no space for a decent antenna. I live in a dense urban area, have no mature trees on my lot, and can't get the minister of the Interior to ok anything resembling an antenna on the outside of the house. I've thought of stringing a dipole or something up in the rafters of the attic but that thought isn't very comforting. So there it sits, waiting for the day that I have the space to get it online. I can only say I wish I had your neighbors.

I remember when the first tower went up, that spring once all the antennas were one i literally had people stopping in the middle of the street to look and even take pictures... At first i thought oh great someone is going to complain, but nothing came out of it.

My one neighbor has a garage/wood shop behind my property, originally it was part of my property but the previous owner sold him about 70ft of the lot for his garage/shop to be built. Anyway one day i was outside and he was complaining that there was this weird noise that was interfering with him listening to paul harvey on the am radio. I figured great he is blaming me, but i asked if i could hear the interference. Walked in the shop, saw the radio, and a wireless weather station next to it. Asked him when he got the weather station as it looked new, he said just a few days ago, asked him to move it, noise went away, problem solved. After that all i get is smiles and waves, no worries.

During the storm season i also end up being the guy they watch, if i'm outside looking at the sky with a radio on my belt they wander over and ask whats going on. Two years ago i was standing out in the yard looking at the sky, one neighbor asked if a storm was coming, i said yeah and a bad one too, good chance of large hail. He ran home to put his new car in the garage, about a half hour later we had softball sized hail! Once again i was the one getting the smiles.

So its all about keeping the peace also.

There is plenty of compromise antennas for HF, even a basic wire dipole hidden up in the attic an a tuner is better than nothing. Performance is better with bigger and better antennas, but operating with what you can is the key!

 

[MOGA]

Just wanted to give a quick update:

kb0nly, R&L has just gotten the JTB3 back in stock Monday. It's on its way. Will update when I have a little quality time with the antenna. I have a good feeling that I'll be reporting back with accolades. Thanks again for the rec.

Hockeyshrink, if you can believe it, I have the space for a 66' with just enough left over to be sure. I really want something that I encountered that is resonant on 40 and 15m to start. That project is still a month or two off cuz' I need by element 3 still, but I've picked back up the study and I'm pleased to say that its going well. I also thank you for bending my mind toward thinking positively about the potential for my qth.

 

[hockeyshrink]

Just wanted to give a quick update:

kb0nly, R&L has just gotten the JTB3 back in stock Monday. It's on its way. Will update when I have a little quality time with the antenna. I have a good feeling that I'll be reporting back with accolades. Thanks again for the rec.

Hockeyshrink, if you can believe it, I have the space for a 66' with just enough left over to be sure. I really want something that I encountered that is resonant on 40 and 15m to start. That project is still a month or two off cuz' I need by element 3 still, but I've picked back up the study and I'm pleased to say that its going well. I also thank you for bending my mind toward thinking positively about the potential for my qth.

Mind-bending is my business!

You will like the JTB3 for sure, and just keep thinking "out of the box" about an HF antenna. Do a little experimentation...that's why its a hobby! A Vulcan friend once told me "there are always possibilities."

Good luck on element 3!

Dump & chase! Dig it out!!

'shrink

Edit: Be aware the current question pool for the General class exam expires next year (6/30/2011), so to ensure your study questions reflect the actual exam questions, git 'er done now!

 

[kb0nly]

The JTB3 is a good antenna, so good in fact that they keep going out of stock!!

I talked to R&L on the phone about a week ago about other things and i mentioned to the guy that he needed to order in a hundred of them to keep stock. He told me no kidding he sells them by the dozen. Good antenna for the money!