Thread: Hustler 5BTV finally

After what seems like forever I have my ham radio antenna up. I still have a few things to do, but the end is in sight. I need to add another bag of quickcrete and a ground rod to finish it up. So close I can taste it!

Great! Are you going to bury the ground radials?

73,
Paul

I haven’t made my mind up on that yet. I may use it as is until spring and make my mind up then based on its performance.

The radials will help a lot. Just use some landscape staples. If that is grass, cut it low, staple the wires down and the grass will hide the wires. You can mow right over the wires. After about a year you wont even know they are there. The grass will hide them. Lets plan on giving it a try. Send me a PM on a SUNDAY OR MONDAY and we will see if we can work each other.

That goes for all you HAMS. PM me and id be happy to work ya or try.

I’ll probably wind up having to set it down again. We hooked an analyzer to it and it was good on all bands, but after I connected to the radio the SWR for 75/80 meter portion was too high. Also I’ll wind up having to put down radials, at the moment it’s not hearing a thing. I’ll do a factory reset on my HF rig just to rule that out, but it shouldn’t have change from the old antenna.

I never did get 75/80 running at this house. I found it way too noisy and the band chatter sounded like 11M. Not what I wanted to hear. My SteppIR goes as low as 40m but it's just a rotating Dipole. No Gain.

Bet that comment will throw non-radio enthusiasts. Yes, 80m is lower than 40m.

BTW, When you used an analyzer, did you use a stub of coax, or the full length going to the shack? You know that is going to make a difference when you include the velocity factor, loss, and length. Always test at the shack. Full length. or close to it.