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| Reviews Summary for Hustler Vertical |
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write your own review of the Hustler Vertical.
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K7BEX
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Rating: 5/5
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May 28, 2008 14:56
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Three in One
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I am using the tri-band VP-1 adaptor with the 15, 20 and 40 meter resonators attached. They were easy to tune and work remarkably well. I have them mounted on the upper side of my motorhome just above the transceiver location. They are on a SSM-2 stainless mount with a MO-1 54" mast. I do remove them from the mount while traveling. This is a very inexpensive solution to my needs. I have worked many states from the east coast to Hawaii in the couple months I have owned them.
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N5UV
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Rating: 4/5
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May 26, 2008 14:28
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Still a good ant. for the price you pay....but
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I recently went over to the TX Bugcatcher that K5BUG makes on his own...even went out to Caddo Mills, TX to meet him in person to get the antenna, and a 2nd. time to troubleshoot it. Once you get the thing going, it is hands-down the best mobile antenna you'll ever own...
But even then, I'm still going to continue to use the Hustler ant. for 10/15/20m...it's a good, all-weather mobile ant., fairly broadbanded, and very durable. It has gotten me through 2 OQP and 2 TQP contests, so it definitely pulls it's own weight.
I will say though that knowing what I know now, I will be making some mods...the plan is to add an inductance-match coil between the ground and center-lead terminals to get a better impedance match. And I need to strip off some paint where the ant. is located to make a proper ground. One thing I have noticed (on the Bugcatcher) is that once I get a REAL ground, the antenna is much more efficient, has a higher Q, and a lot of my RFI ignition noise goes away...again, all projects in the future to keep the Hustler going as a day-to-day or back-up antenna.
If you are just getting started and only have $100 to work with, then this is the way to go.
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W4KVW
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 18, 2008 18:02
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VERY GOOD CHOICE
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I use the Hustlers on the 22 inch mast one at a time on my 2007 DODGE Quad Cab with a bed stake mount & they work GREAT.Along with the ICOM 7000,LDG AT-7000,& the Hustler antennas I think my mobile setup is a WINNER!Great job Hustler! }:>)
Clayton
W4KVW
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CT1IDW
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 14, 2007 07:53
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Pleased
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Bought the whole set (10 t 80) at a flea market for 50€.
It works quit well, managed to put in the log YO, RK, KG2 and OZ8 with 20W on 20m.
Of course the ground is welded to the chassis.
I was surprised by the number of stations listened, for the quality and durability of the kit.
Compared with other verticals I own it's the best by far.
73 de CT1IDW
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KE7FD
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 6, 2007 12:40
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If you want to make mobile contacts, this is the one.
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I had been using an Opek but when it failed on a recent road trip, the Hustler was a no-brainer. When the Opek failed on this trip I took advantage of being in the area of Texas Towers where the guys there got me set up with a Hustler using 40/20//17 meters for around $150. Not all the coverage as the Opek, but if you can't get out with it what does that matter?
The Hustler worked much better although I did have to guy it very well from two different points (see my review for it). It was a spose's nightmare: on the right-rear of my Grand Cheorkee, fully extended with three resonators in the air, I used gray PVC (stronger than ABS and white PVC) with nylon rope inside to hold it fast, the guys were both tight and rigid to the roof-rack. It withstood high winds, rain and glaring stares from other drivers but it allowed me to work stations 1,500 miles away.
Bottom line: Buy a Hustler. They work and they're cheaper than motorized base-loaded antennas.
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KE5GFJ
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Rating: 4/5
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May 24, 2007 06:18
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One of the best I have used
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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The Hustler was one of my first mobile antennas and it worked great. I also own and have tried Bug Catchers, Band Spanners, and the ATAS 120A. I don't think any of these others can hold a candle to the Hustler for mobile signal strength. My everyday, over the road antenna is the ATAS 120A. But when it broke recently I pulled out the old Hustler, installed a 20 meter coil on the short mast and mounted it on a four mag mount. I tuned it up on my metal patio table then stuck it on top of the car. Wow! I had a lot better recieve and a bigger transmit signal than the ATAS by far. I will still use the ATAS because of the multi bands and auto tuning. But if I really want a big mobile signal I'll stick the Hustler on the roof. And the great thing about these is you can buy them cheap on the used market.
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WX9DX
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Rating: 0/5
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May 3, 2007 02:41
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Antenna Not so good!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought a Hustler with all the coils when I got my Yaesu 100D in 2003.
The 40 meter coil right away turned dark Brown and ran Hot even though the swr was very low, as did the 80 metrer coil. @ 100 watts BTW... It worked poorly on 75 meters, and everyone was calling it a Hustler Dummload antenna. Well I decided to not waist another $300 pluss dollars on junk like this, and did go to an antenna shootout in Indiana. There I did learn about what to buy and what not to buy.
If you are going to buy a $1000 radio why not buy a garanteed antenna for $400 or more to work on your vehicle without any problems? First of all you need to go to a Shootout I can tell guys. Stop settling on a crummy antenna on your vehicle and waisting good money on a Hustler!
You buy great antennas for your Home! Then why not your Truck or Car? You don't use a Hustler on 20 meter DX do ya? HMM? Well most of you don't. LOL:) You use a nice big beam with a rotor and the works. Then why niot a good antenna for your car or truck. I don't understand you people! You settle on a poor preforming antenna on your vehicle and not at home.. HMMM?
Go to KJ9T's web site and find out what a real antenna for a vehicle is like!
http://kj9t.150m.com/index7/index.html
Jimmy:)WX9DX
http://userweb.eosinc.com/prairieland/WX9DX_pg1.htm
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WA0KAQ
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Rating: 4/5
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Apr 9, 2007 15:36
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I'm a long-time Hustler user.
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I’ve used a Hustler mobile antenna since I bought my first used one in 1965 along with a Heathkit HW-12 radio. The long metal mast folded in the middle, and I clipped the stingers to the rain gutter on my 1958 Ford. I broke a couple of 75-meter stingers on pull-throughs, but other than that I had no problems with the antenna. Once I loaned a coil to a fellow ham, and since he never returned it and left the state with it, he must have liked it too.
In about 1994 I bought the long fiberglass mast, as the metal one had a lot of miles on it and the joint where it folded was getting loose and affecting the SWR as it moved.
One of the smartest investments I made was the Hustler QD-2 mount. It is a simple task to unhook the whole antenna when not in use. Put the antenna in the car or pickup, and there’s no rod waving in the wind behind you. I have standard resonators for 40, 20 phone, 20 cw, 15, and 10 meters, and the super resonator for 75 (which I admit is a chunk). I normally operate 40 and 20 meters, so the big 75-meter resonator seldom is on the rod. The unused coils fit under the back seat of my Ford F-250, along with a couple of mag-mount VHF antennas tuned for APRS and 2-meter phone.
I also have a mount on the tongue of a utility trailer I’ve used for ARES activities, and it incorporates the bottom stud of the QD-2 mount. Like one of the other fellows mentioned, it takes only seconds to pop the antenna onto this mount for portable emergency or field day work.
I lost a 20-meter coil off an RV one time due to a rough highway. Now I put a lock washer on the mast where the coil connects.
Are the Hustler mobile antennas the best? No! I’d love to try a High Sierra or some other fancy mobile antenna, but I’m on a fixed income.
Is the price right for me? Yes! Some would argue that the price goes up as more coils are purchased, and this is true. However, that price has been stretched over many years.
Are they durable? Yes! I've never had a coil fall apart, or water get inside one.
Do they work good enough for my purposes? Definitely! I’ve worked most of the US counties running the Hustler mostly on 20 meters, and there has been some DX from time to time as well (England, Italy, islands in the South Pacific, etc.).
Will I continue to use them? Yes! I've already got the major coils. In fact, I’m planning to set up a new mobile station this summer, and eventually, when the sunspots come back, I will be buying coils for 17 and 12 meters.
In a nutshell, the Hustler antenna has given me a lot of good service through the years.
Bill, WA0KAQ
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W4KPA
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 3, 2007 11:30
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Good value -- good performance
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I reviewed these about two years ago, and I stand by what I said then. These are great mobile antennas for the money. With constant exposure to the elements and overhangs at McDonalds, they won't last forever. But when a resonator goes bad, $20 replaces it. They beat a hamstick hands down, and they're a lot more practical than a bugcatcher.
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K3UD
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Rating: 4/5
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Feb 3, 2007 06:51
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Good value and performance
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I purchased my Hustler HF mobile antenna at a hamfest in 1965. I was 14 and could not drive. I knew that there would be a day when I would want a HF rig in my car. The Hustler along with 5 resonators was available for $20 and I jumped on it. I started to use it in 1967.
I had an SBE-34 with about 50 watts output in the car and the Hustler worked much better than my expectations. For almost 40 years I have used the same antenna. I had to replace the 40 meter resonator a year ago. Not bad.
I invested a few bucks in the multi resonator adapter and found that it made life a bit easier. the resonators are very easy to tune and although the antenna now looks like a chicken foot, the performance is good and I have three bands I can use without stopping and changing resonators.
The Hustler is really not in the same league as a screwdriver with a 9 foot whip or an 11 foot Bug Catcher, and it was never meant to be. I have tried various versions of the Ham-Stik style of mobile antennas and found that the Hustler was better in every case.
I recently found another Hustler with a complete set of resonators at another hamfest for $35. A tremendous bargain in my book. Easy to mount and dismount, easy to tune, Decent mobile performance, relatively low cost and stamina for the long haul. IMHO it is hard to beat.
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