|
New to Ham Radio?
My Profile
Community
Articles
Forums
News
Reviews
Friends Remembered
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
|
| Reviews Summary for Buddipole Portable Dipole/Vertical |
|
Reviews: 178
|
Average rating: 4.6/5
|
MSRP: $199.
|
|
Description: It's a dipole... It's a vertical... It fits in your travel bag!. The Buddipole™ is
more than an antenna, it's a versatile system for launching your signal.
Optimized for transmit power and proven for DX work, the Buddipole™ is the
secret weapon used by HF portable operators all around the world.
Precision engineered for maximum performance using ultra light composite
materials and High-Q coils. Zero-loss balun with Quick-Connect feedpoint.
This antenna can be used to cover any band from 40M to 2M
|
|
Product is in production.
|
|
More info: http://www.buddipole.com
|
|
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this review.
Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help
|
You can
write your own review of the Buddipole Portable Dipole/Vertical.
|
K5HSV
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Jan 28, 2012 20:58
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Great Portable Antenna
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
|
Took the Buddipole Deluxe kit and a couple of low band coils with me to Mount Magazine State Park in Arkansas (2,700 ft above sea level). I set up a vertical for 80 meters and worked a both local stations along with PA, TX, LA, MS and a few more that I can't recall. I ordered the long 9.5' whips and two extra extension arms that came in handy. Get the book, Buddipole in The Field because it will help you get started in the right direction. Once you get the general principals, setup and tuning is a breeze. However, be forewarned, if you don't read the instructions and follow them to the tee, you'll have problems with your SWR. This antenna is fun and really works well. I ran barefoot with 100 watts and got good signal reports most of the time... considering band conditions were up and down. All said, it does what is's supposed to do.
|
|
WF2S
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Dec 22, 2011 05:39
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Limited by Sunspots and Imagination
|
Time owned: 6 to 12 months
|
I took the Deluxe Buddipole to J6 for a relaxing vacation. It became a dense pileup the moment I first put out my call! The 2 element yagi on 12 meters took less than 15 minutes from unzippig the bag to final SWR check. Guyed with 3 small nylon cords, it never wavered against the winds.
At home I run BIG Optibeams and 1.1 Kw, so I am used to making Qs.
Buddipole and 100 watts gave surprisingly similar results. No mechanical failures, no issues. It was inside my checked luggage but could just as easily have been a carry-on bag. The antenna was erected as a vertical on 40 & 17 M with worldwide QSOs. On 10m, it performed the same. 20 meters and a buddipole dipole is all I needed to work JAs all evening, until I was beat ! My log is all the proof I need for this antenna.
If you want to operate away from home, this is a great antenna SYSTEM. Setting up for the different bands and the choice of vertical or dipole configuration, is virtually impossible to mess up. The book, 'Buddipole in the Field" gives theory and suggestions to speed up your learning curveand get you on the air- portable and FAST !
From my knowledge of HOAs and antenna restrictions, this will get you on the air in minutes and neatly 'disappears' when you want to QRT.
Yahoo user groups, lots of downloadable data files for antenna configurations and fast telephone support make this American Made product a winner in my book ..
|
|
KH6DC
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Dec 22, 2011 00:36
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Awesome Portable
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
Had this system for a week and made many contacts at my office. Had a LNR precision 20MH end fed and testing propagation with the NCDXF Beacons, couldn't hear anything. Same goes for JT65 where a whole day went by without any decodes. Switched to the Buddipole Deluxe where setup was a breeze, less than 5 minutes. Picked up several NCDXF beacons in the west coast USA, South America and Canada. The whole day the laptop was decoding JT65, even made several contacts. Checked propagation and it was similar to those days I used the end fed. This is an awesome system and I highly recommed getting it. JD Fort of Buddipole Inc is a pleasure to deal with and that's real customer service which some companies should learn from. Will pickup the Mini Buddipole for traveling and keep the deluxe at our HOA home.
73, Delwyn KH6DC
|
|
A65CB
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Dec 2, 2011 11:42
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Excellent
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
|
I have this antenna for a year I made lots of QSO. 10 minutes to setup, it works great.
|
|
N6WBL
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Nov 22, 2011 21:43
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Fantastic product
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
|
I picked up my Mini Buddipole up off E-bay used, and boy have I had fun with this antenna over the last couple years. I like how well made the parts are and how you can combine them like an antenna erector set. Even coming up with my own creations. But be warned, you'll start to acquire more parts to try new designs. I've done dipoles, verticals, 2 element 6m beam, 3 element 6m beam, and recently even a 2 element 10m beam. Worked mostly all DX that day with the 10m beam. Wish I would have purchased one sooner.
|
|
KB9WSL
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Sep 30, 2011 03:32
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Very good portable antenna
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
|
I recently purchased the basic buddipole, but also ordered the rotating arm kit,and the adapter for using the versa-tee with a painter pole. It works great as a portable antenna. Easy to set-up and tune. I plan on using it while camping, vacationing and for emergency communications if the situation arises.I would highly recommend this antenna to fellow Hams.
|
|
N2ATA
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Aug 30, 2011 16:04
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Overdue 2 Review
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
|
I came to FL with my Cushcraft A3S beam and assumed I would put that back up one day. In the mean time I ordered the Buddipole along with the military shockcord whip elements they sell. The A3S is still in the box and have used this dipole since Nov.'05. All I can say is it has met my expectations. It is on a push-up pole at 33 feet and to date have worked 275 DX locations with this antenna product. I use it exclusively in the horizontal position. I work 6 days a week so I'm not spending all day on the radio chasing DX. Both Chris and Budd are great guys so support is there if you need it. It's not a pile-up buster but a quick and easy get-on-the-air antenna. I use 10 thru 40 with an external tuner with low SWR readings. Order some extra clips for easier band changes.
|
|
KB5TJI
|
Rating: 5/5
|
May 8, 2011 21:25
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Excellent Antenna
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
I bought the Buddipole Deluxe package since I live in an apartment and couldn't put up any kind of antenna system. This has been an excellent choice for me. It really delivers!
My best advice? If you want to work DX with this antenna, pay careful attention to the directions that Buddipole supplies with the antenna. They give you a simple chart that tells you where to tap the coils and how far to extend the telescoping whips, etc. I also use an MFJ antenna tuner to get the match as perfect as possible. I've only been a general for a month and I've already worked stations throughout the US and Canada. I've also had QSO's with stations in Germany, Italy, Kuwait and Crete! I do have one caution. The whips are fairly delicate and will not take a lot of punishment. Be sure to guy the antenna.
|
|
W7KEW
|
Rating: 4/5
|
Apr 8, 2011 22:35
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Be gentle with it.
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
I bought a Buddipole Deluxe Package a month ago. I have to operate away from my QTH because of antenna restrictions, RFI & EMI. The first thing you must have is patience when setting up and taking down the Buddipole. If you get in a hurray that is when you will damage it. It takes me about 15-20 minutes to setup the buddipole. I get the SWR as close to 2-1.5:1 as possible then I use a tuner with my FT-897D running 20 watts. I have worked across North America on voice, CW and PSK31 with good results. This is also a great conversation piece for the walkers going by in the local park and dogs have come up to me to interrupt my QSO's at times.
Now if I could just break some 20 meter pile ups. there is a video on how to get resonance as close as possible with the Buddipole here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/buddipole
|
|
ZS6DJD
|
Rating: 3/5
|
Mar 21, 2011 10:30
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Ok but not so good
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
|
The Budi Pole fits into a small bag to carry for potable use. It is easy to put up. But once up it is very difficult to set the swr. Also if you use it as a normal diapole your signal will be poor as signal goes straight up. It works much better as a v diapole. Set up like the letter v, upright v, not inverted v. The arms wich make up the antenna also break fast. I broke two of them setting swr. Also Budi Pole swr is easly affected by other close by antennas. ZS6DJD
|
|
If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions about Reviews,
please email your Reviews Manager.
|
|
|
|
|
