Thread: One step closer

Two days ago I ordered a Hustler 5BTV Ham Radio antenna, which means I’m one step closer to being back on the air! (Betcha can’t tell I’m excited lol) The antenna is scheduled to be delivered today, COD! No, I didn’t ask for 2 day shipping, it was shipped ground from Denver. Ham Radio Outlet is the only place is the only place that I know of that will ship COD.

This is the first HF antenna I’ve purchased new, and only the 2nd new amateur radio antenna. (The 1st was a dual band mobile from Larson).

Do any of the hams on board have any experience with this antenna or one like it? Did you put out radials? I cheated a bit and downloaded the installation instructions and radials & RF chokes are talked about. What did you use for the choke form?


https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-003357

Gasman, I understand your excitement. A new antenna is big fun. Just realize what
you're getting, and don't expect more than is reasonable.

The effectiveness and efficiency of a vertical antenna is almost entirely dependent on the quality of the "ground" beneath it. If the "ground" is less than perfect, the
antenna, over all, becomes more of a compromise. In other words, if your "ground"
is no good, then there's very little that you can do to make the antenna better.

Earth "ground" is seldom optimal. The more conductive, the better. In most
installations, LOTS of radials are required. Commercial broadcast antennas have as
many as 360 radials, each of which is as long as the antenna is tall. Unless you can
erect your vertical in a salt marsh or within a wavelength of salt water, you need as
many radials as possible.

You can improve your "ground" by using elevated radials, but there's no getting
around it: you need radials...as many as possible. For a 5BTV, that means at least
one resonant radial per band.

An RF choke can be used to prevent reflected radiation on the feedline, but they
don't compensate for a lousy "ground"....they just make it easier to match the
50ohm output from your transmitter. You can easily make a choke by using loops
of coax at the feed-point.

Then there's the losses in the traps. And corrosion at the section joints. All up,
a vertical antenna can work well if properly constructed, but don't believe the
manufacturer's hype. Yes, you can use it with only one radial per band, but it won't
work too well.

The best performing vertical antennas I have ever used "on land" were single band,
1/4 wavelength long, with 3 or more elevated radials. Any antenna used for DX will
be improved by being in or near salt water.

There isn't much salt water in Oklahoma, so you need to think about radials: lots of
them if they are buried, not so many if elevated. But don't get me wrong: any
vertical will work, but it will work a LOT better with a proper "ground."

Let's hear how it works out for you. Send me a PM, if you like.

73,
Paul

I wonder how a steel hay rake wheel above ground, along with the below ground radials, would work? Ive got a pair that I inherited from Dad. Just a crazy thought.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthoped...-rake-neat-old

Im with Paul 100%. A vertical needs radials. The more the better. Im my opinion a minimum of one the length of the 1/4 wave per band the antenna has in four directions. If you mount it on the roof wire can be strug across the roof and tacked down. A pipe radial system around the bottom like a spider will work but not as well as wires everywhere. It is the minimum needed in my opinion.

I had a 43ft vertical in the backyard at one time and used a tuner with it. I had over 100 wires stretched out around it 8n all directions in different length to the bands and used long staples to hold them down to the ground. The antenna end was a metal plate with a big hole 8n the middle for the antenna to go thru into the ground for mounting and a large braded strap from antenna to plate for the ground connection. Many holes around the outside 9f the plate for wires to connect too.

1/4 wave length radials. Little short ones wont work very well.

After a few months the grass grew up and the wires were hidden. Mowing right over them was not an issue. I recomme d a balun at each end of your feedline. But made by coiling the coax onto a form. Simple. 6 inch pvc pipe with 6 to 10 wraps is all you need. As was said, its just to keep rf out of your shack and running down the outside of your feedline.

Save the antiques for display. Lots of wire, fanned out evenly around the antenna
base, is better.

Get some Penetrox and apply it to all the tube and trap joints. That will prevent
corrosion and may even make your antenna "quieter". Available at DX Engineering.

DX Engineering also sells a real nice radial attachment plate, which saves a lot of
hassle when connecting multiple radials. It worked like a charm for me in Tonga.

https://www.dxengineering.com/search...rder=Ascending

Buried radials should be as long as possible, but their exact length isn't critical.
Just put out as many as you can. Elevated radials need to be cut to 1/4
wavelength...at least one per band.

Have fun with your new toy!

You beat me to it paul. I found the radial plate at DX engineering too. it makes it much easier to attach radials. 1/4 wave is a minimum length. It's a ground system, it's not an exact science so the length doesn't have to be exact. Buy 500ft of wire and start stringing them out everywhere, in every direction. If you don't have the room, string them out straight as far as you can them bend them along the property line.
I also recommend a ground rod next to the bottom of your antenna that is connected to the plate and antenna. And for extra, a ground rod 10ft out in four directions connected by 6 gauge wire to the plate or antenna. I know that is 5 ground rods but you're trying to do the best you can with a vertical. At least one at the bottom!

I remember my first vertical. Antron 99. Said it didn't need a ground system. But they sell one as an add-on. HUH, I tried it with and without and with making a big difference. Even my CB antenna (Shockwave) has ground radials. Set between 10m and 11m. Its on top of the roof, on a 10ft roof tower. You can see the balun at the bottom.

Welp, I’ve got the 5BTV in my hot little hands. It’s difficult to not tear into it like a kid with a Christmas present �� on Christmas morning, but I’ll be good. I’ve got one of my HS classmates coming up sometime next week. He’s been a Ham longer than I. I’ve had water and phone lines marked so we won’t dig into one.

Funny story - I’d been interested in Amateur Radio since I was in my early teens. I’d read how they would help out during disasters etc, but had no clue how to go about becoming one. (Ah the days before smart phones and the internet). That was probably the late 70s. 20 plus years later I was going through some tough times with my eyes when a friend who was old enough to be my Dad called to invite me to a meeting. Thinking it would at least get me out of the house I accepted. Imagine my surprise when he turned out to be President of the Ham Radio club....and that 3 of my schoolmates were hams, and another fellow from Church was a ham, and that 2 of my schoolmates’ Mom & Dad were both hams. (The two schoolmates were brothers). Here all this time I knew a lot of them, but not one had thought to mention their hobby.

My story...
Ive been a truck driver all my life. I got tired of having a bad rx and tx and most the time had no clue as to why. Some times a radio did well, then take 8t to another truck and it sucked. Burning them out or they stop working and i bought a new one. After a while i had a big box full of these cb's.

We had a real electronics store in town, not just radioshack (cell phone shack now) so i went in and started asking questions about fixing them and to understand more about it all. The guy tols me to go down stairs and see Skip and Henry. I went down and found Skip. Told him i wanted to fix my radio. He offered to fix it for a fee but i said no, i want to learn and fix myself. He told me it takes years of school to understand electronics and he wasnt going to school me.

I kept going down stairs for a few weeks asking questions and finally Skip said "if you really want to learn, prove it by getting your Ham lic then come back and see me". A month later i walked in and showed him my lic. And started asking even more questions. Now about Ham radio and how it works and what i needed to enjoy what i just got myself into. He hooked me up with an ht and got me on the air. Then sat me down and started teaching me how to fix radios.

3 months later, i out ranked him in Ham lic. A year later my station was bigger than his, and two years later i started fixing CBs for all the trucker in town. It paid for my Ham equipment and has now paid for most of my razor stuff too.

CB repair is now next to no buisness as drivers want to run the modified 10 meter radios and i refuse to fix those. I will tell them i will un-modifiy it then fix it if they show me a lic from the fcc.

So wanting to learn to fix my CB got me hooked on Ham radio. Now days the CB is in the truck still but its for rx when something happens on the road in front of me. Other than that, its not used. Too much bs happening i dont want to listen too on 11m.

Originally Posted by Gasman

My story...
Ive been a truck driver all my life. I got tired of having a bad rx and tx and most the time had no clue as to why. Some times a radio did well, then take 8t to another truck and it sucked. Burning them out or they stop working and i bought a new one. After a while i had a big box full of these cb's.

We had a real electronics store in town, not just radioshack (cell phone shack now) so i went in and started asking questions about fixing them and to understand more about it all. The guy tols me to go down stairs and see Skip and Henry. I went down and found Skip. Told him i wanted to fix my radio. He offered to fix it for a fee but i said no, i want to learn and fix myself. He told me it takes years of school to understand electronics and he wasnt going to school me.

I kept going down stairs for a few weeks asking questions and finally Skip said "if you really want to learn, prove it by getting your Ham lic then come back and see me". A month later i walked in and showed him my lic. And started asking even more questions. Now about Ham radio and how it works and what i needed to enjoy what i just got myself into. He hooked me up with an ht and got me on the air. Then sat me down and started teaching me how to fix radios.

3 months later, i out ranked him in Ham lic. A year later my station was bigger than his, and two years later i started fixing CBs for all the trucker in town. It paid for my Ham equipment and has now paid for most of my razor stuff too.

CB repair is now next to no buisness as drivers want to run the modified 10 meter radios and i refuse to fix those. I will tell them i will un-modifiy it then fix it if they show me a lic from the fcc.

So wanting to learn to fix my CB got me hooked on Ham radio. Now days the CB is in the truck still but its for rx when something happens on the road in front of me. Other than that, its not used. Too much bs happening i dont want to listen too on 11m.

My first brush with radio communications was through my Dad. He was what was known as a “legal eagle”. He had his CB license before they were giving them away. (His call was KCX-5628 and he went by “Big Red” before big red chewing gum came along). He had an old Cobra Cam 88 with a Turner plus 2 mic for a base station. I was maybe 6 or 7 at the time. He worked late and I would talk him home on that base station. (I found it after he passed, would love to have it gone through and back in operational order just because) Shortly after the FCC started giving the licenses away he packed everything away and that was that. I couldn’t get him interested in becoming a Ham, he was through.

Antennas interest me for some reason....

I haven't built one for my radios yet but this is one I have done for my TV.

Works better than any store bought one I have tried.