|
New to Ham Radio?
My Profile
Community
Articles
Forums
News
Reviews
Friends Remembered
Speak Out
Strays
Survey Question
Operating
Contesting
DX Cluster Spots
Propagation
Resources
Calendar
Classifieds
Ham Exams
Ham Links
List Archives
News Articles
Product Reviews
QSL Managers
Site Info
eHam Help (FAQ)
Support the site
The eHam Team
Advertising Info
Vision Statement
About eHam.net
|
|
You can
write your own review of the Butternut HF2V.
|
K8YC
|
Rating: 5/5
|
May 20, 2007 17:07
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Very Good Performer
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
After 11 years of DXing, all I needed for 5BDXCC was 74 more entities on 80m. I "managed" to eke out my first 26 entities on 80m by "fooling" my R-7000 to work on 80m. CC&Rs forced me to become a member of team vertical. A friend had an HF2V sitting idle in his garage and loaned it to me. I installed it in early December 2006 over 8 shortened radials in a location about 20 feet away from my R-7000. I was somewhat worried about interaction between the two, but on a 1/4 acre lot, that's what you deal with.
In the three months ending with the ARRL International DX SSB contest on 4-March-2007 I had moved my entities worked total to 108. As of 20-May-2007, I have 93 confirmed and I am awaiting my last seven QSLs any day. The antenna works! It is excellent on 40m, too. I do run a linear amplifier. The pundits say, "Verticals radiate equally bad in all directions." Aha, but they also radiate at low take-off angles. So, running 800 watts driven by my 100 watt exciter provides me 9db of gain over what I'd get from a barefoot exciter. Once again, when you've been given lemons, make lemonade!
The April 1985 issue of QST (Technical Correspondence) cites a neat little modification to the HF2V (or HF6V for that matter) which allows you to switch the antenna from 80m to 75m while sitting in your shack. This provides excellent flexibility to be where the DX is. (A copy of this article is also reprinted in the ARRLs "Vertical Antenna Classics" handbook (c) 1995-1997).
If your situation sounds like mine, and you're dying to get on 80m, you can't go wrong with this antenna. E-mail me if questions.
|
|
NK8A
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Nov 20, 2006 13:27
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
very good vertical
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
|
I HAVE USED THE HF2V ELEVATED AND GROUND MOUNTED. I AM NOW USING THE HF2V GROUND MOUNTED AND IT WORKS GREAT WITH 26 RADIALS THAT ARE AT LEAST 20 FEET LONG. WHEN I USED IT ELEVATED I ONLY HAD ABOUT 6 RADIALS AND PERFORMANCE WAS POOR. NOW USING THE HF2V GROUND MOUNTED I CAN WORK ANYTHING I HEAR ON 40 AND GET GREAT RST REPORTS. WITH A TUNER IT WILL TUNE ON 20, 40,80, 30, AND 160 METERS. FOR ME ,THE HF2V "HEARS" BETTER THAN MY G5RV AND IS A LOT QUIETER.
|
|
VE6LB
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Apr 2, 2006 13:50
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Exceeds Expectations
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
I've used the HF-2v, especially on 160 and 80 for several year. It consistantly exceeds my expectations!
|
|
K1YPB
|
Rating: 4/5
|
Feb 9, 2006 13:17
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
A very good antenna
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
|
I have had very good fortune with my HF2V. Of course... it needs radials - it won't operate properly without such. Have about 60 some odd 14 gage solid copper radials made from Romex of various lengths to fit the location (an urban lot) and I've been able to work Brazil from Massachusetts on 75 ssb. It takes some "tweaking" of the little coil on the bottom to get 75 in, but a little patience will render a match where you want it. A tuner will handle any slight miss match from there off frequency. I found construction to be simple, and quality of materials was acceptable. Of course it needs to be guyed - no problem in any of the winds or storms we have had here. I would have given it a "5" if the mounting design(base) was better, say similar to Cushcraft.
|
|
NB2A
|
Rating: 1/5
|
Jan 28, 2006 16:40
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
junk
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
I cannot believe the other reviews on this antenna if you can call it that for the price! Most of the mounting holes did not line up as stated by someone else. In fact one screw near the top snapped on me because of that. One section was not even labeled luckily it was the only ONE that was not!I have put many antennas together this one took me many hours.My 5 element tri-band yagi went to together quicker! It has poor instructions actually. You end up jumping from one completely different part of the antenna to another! if it was not for the parts breakdown on the rear page showing a complete diagram I would have not been able to finish it.The SWR is terrible across both 40 and 80 and in fact with or without radials it stinks!
I tend to think also with the way the stress is right on the fiberglass insulator near the coils the first strong wind will take this right down! Even with some type of guys!The most troubling part was that section and the clamp not being shown as to how to exactly where to mount the capacitor for tuning! The picture on the diagram was not close enough to see detail!
I think ultimately I would have been just better off putting up an inverted V or loop much cheaper and less time consuming and less parts. Oh yeah I have lots of extra hardware left wonder where it goes?LOL
The only reason why I gave this a 1 is to have some pity on the makers!
|
|
VE3IOS
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Jan 25, 2006 09:24
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Excellent
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
|
What a great antenna, performs excellent. Very well made with the bottom two sections double walled for strength. Good instructions and very easy to tune to 1:1 SWR. I have mine guyed and run 20 quarter wave radials for 75 meters. This is a great DX antenna if you want something that will get the job done in a small space and at a good price. I run 700 watts into mine and can work anyone I can hear. And I can hear plenty on this vertical.
|
|
ZL4JB
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Oct 18, 2005 14:37
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Very Surprised with the Results
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
|
I got a used HF2V from my father. He had no luck with it. I hooked it up and after a little tuning got it up and running. It covers the entire 40m band and about 50kHZ of the 80m band. I am extrememly surprised at the results on 40m! I havne't really used it too much on 80m yet. I never know there was so much DX out there, and I had no problem working it either with 100w. I worked a contest soon after erecting the antenna and worked had my own pileup into Europe (from New Zealand). I can't say enough about this antenna. I reckon the antenna is 10-15 years old, and I am sure it has many more years left in it. I attached it to a post about 5' above the ground and I think that helps steady it. I wouldn't want to have it up without any support. I think it also is not too obtrusive, for people that worry about the neighbours. It does blend into the sky quite nicely after it is up for a day or so. Excellent antenna, I am very, very happy with it.
|
|
KO1H
|
Rating: 5/5
|
May 9, 2005 15:44
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Great 40m Antenna
|
Time owned: 6 to 12 months
|
Well Im real pleased, Ground mounted over lots of 1/8-1/4 wave radials and it rocks. Broad banded and plays well. Cant wait til the fall when I get the second one secured and get them phased.
de John ko1h/qrp
|
|
NU4B
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Feb 10, 2005 20:31
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Excellent Anrenna
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
|
I have owned a HF2V for 20 years and it has been a great antenna. Used mine with the 30M kit, ground mounted with radials. Easy to tune, Never had a problem.
|
|
W0VX
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Sep 12, 2004 03:31
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Excellent Low Band DX Antenna Solution
|
Time owned: 6 to 12 months
|
I am very pleased with the performance of this low profile antenna. My HF2V is ground mounted with 30 each 33 foot long radials. I also have the 30MRK 30 meter kit and the TBR-160-S 160 meter kit. DX performance on 80, 40, and 30 has been consistently better by 1 to 2 S-Units than my tower mounted 80/40 and 30 meter inverted V antennas. The 160 meter performance is what you would expect from a 32 foot vertical but I am able to get in the 160 meter contests with a respectable signal.
From a hardware standpoint, the aluminum tubing, coils, and door knob capacitors are top quality. Assembly was very quick and easy. All the parts were properly machined and de-burred. Unlike some commercial antennas I have had in the past, all the predrilled holes lined up perfectly.
Tuning to minimum VSWR was easily done in less than 15 minutes by simply following the instructions. Using an antenna analyzer at the base of the antenna significantly speeds the tune up process but it can also be done using a transmitter and standard SWR meter.
VSWR on 30 and 40 is well below 2:1 across the entire band. The 80 meter 3:1 bandwidth is about 50 KHz. Remote switching of a coil tap using remotely controlled relays moves the 50 KHz bandwidth form the CW to the SSB portion of the band.
Bandwidth on 160 is small but bandwidth and radiation resistance can be significantly improved with top loading. I temporarily install 4 each 25 foot long top hat wires for the 160 contests. As on 80, the resonant point can also be moved around the band using relay controlled selection of various coil taps. It isn’t a perfect antenna on 160 but it is an excellent choice for a city lot. It does work significantly better than brute force tuning my 80/40 inverted V to 160.
An unadvertised feature of the antenna is that it is low profile and reasonably neighborhood friendly. Mine is installed in the middle of my back yard and it is hardly noticeable from the front of the house. With a bit of dark green paint and it would completely blend into the trees and be very difficult to see. Like the QST and CQ ads say, “Every ham needs at least one!”
|
|
If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions about Reviews,
please email your Reviews Manager.
|
|
|
|
|
