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[KG7NTP]

I'm researching on what kind of antenna I should get when I go on the road. I have a travel trailer and would like to connect the antenna to the A frame portion at the front of the trailer and run coax into the bedroom where I want to have my radio. It seems the Buddipole is a easy put-up and take down antenna.
Is there anyone out there using this antenna and if so what kind of results are you having?
73
Roger KG7NTP

[K6AER]

The Buddipole question is totally antidotal. Compare it to a full size ¼ wave vertical you will find the efficiency is probably 13-15 dB less efficient. Now if you cannot put up a larger antenna then this is what you have to run with.

I have worked 7 states with a dummy load while repairing amplifiers but I would not say the dummy load is an efficient antenna.

Your target considerations are:

•   Antenna efficiency.

•   VSWR across operational spectrum.

•   Mounting mechanics.

•   Power handling capability.

Good luck with your choice.

[W0CKI]

 I have experience with the Buddipole and the Buddistick. You'll make contacts but, you'll spend tons of your time setting it up and tuning it. It will be especially difficult if you try to put it in an elevated position that you can't reach easily. It's meant to be on tripod that you can easily reach and use your tuner. That, you MUST have always within reach. Any frequency change may require re-tuning, band changes, whole nother world.
I had better luck with the buddistick as it is easier to tune. The pole also works but the tuning can be hard, both ends need length adjustments and can be fussy. You also need to correctly tap the coil or, coils on the buddipole.
Once I got mine figured out, I made many contacts especially on 20 and 15. I never did figure out 40.
If you were to use it as a field ant for portable use I would say, go for it. If I understand this planned install, look at other options.
GL, Gary W0CKI

[AI5BC]

Perhaps a different idea. Get yourself a portable telescopic antenna mast, as tall as you can handle safely. Set it some 80 to 90 feet from trailer and use either a EFHW or 73-foot Random Wire. Works really well and you can pretty much pick what direction you want to favor.

[W4FID]

I had the complete Buddipole set up. It is very well made and they are very good people to deal with. However it is very hi Q/narrow bandwidth. So you will be tuning it A LOT/OFTEN. Like any short antenna it will have seriously reduced performance. But so will all the others -- like hamstick dipoles, dipoles with coils to shorten them, etc. Just be aware -- they work but don't have expectations beyond reason and physics. We camp/travel often. See my W4FID/p bio. A simple telescoping mast and a vertical wire and a tuner will be easy enough to set up. A tube/bracket on the toung of the trailer is all you need if all you run up the mast is wire. The trailer frame may be enough "ground" or a couple random counterpoise wires may help. Remember there will be high voltage on the ends of the wires -- same as the Buddipole. Also there are numerous loop antennas that can be easily/quickly set up on a tripod and some of them have remote tune options so you can sit in the camper and change the freq easily.

[WA3SKN]

There is nothing "wrong" with a Buddypole antenna, but is that your best option?  Do you have any plans to operate while moving... or are you just planning portable but parked operating?

-Mike.

[K5LXP]

The buddipole/stick is a solution seeking a suitable problem.  The responses here so far are pretty indicative of what you can expect - it's a complicated, bulky, heavy, expensive contraption that you will spend more time messing with than making contacts with.  It "works" but per N6BT Everything Works.

Been playing the portable HF game for about 3 decades now, from QRP backpack ops in mountains to car camping to Class A RV.  The answer is nearly universally a wire antenna, the only question is how much and how high you can get it out there.  The end fed half wave (EFHWA) is my usual solution deployed in whatever shape I can fit, from straight vertical up a 120ft ponderosa pine, a flat top across some junipers or an inverted vee from a fiberglass kite pole.  Half wave dipoles, G5RV's and other horizontal wires work great if you have the real estate but often in campgrounds and out on hikes you don't have the room or resources to deploy full size antennas like these.  I can carry a small matching transformer and some wire in a ziplock sandwich bag, and have it deployed and on the air in a few minutes.  I don't stay in RV parks very often but for those I use a painter pole clamped to the ladder that can hold my V/U j-pole and suspend a wire of some flavor, either vertical, sloper or vee.  I have a storage tub with all manner of coax, window line, wire and paracord so no matter where I end up or what band I need to be on, the solution is in that tub. 

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM

[AI5BC]

Seeing how your performance goal is so low, why spend that much money on something that works piss poor at best. Must be a ham radio operator thing to overspend on poor performance. You would be better off with a couple of Ham Sticks mounted on top of the trailer, or even a screwdriver antenna. At least the trailer will have a decent counterpoise. Cost less, will work better, but still poor performance perfect for hams.

[KB1GMX]

I view the buddipole as the Erector Set of antennas.
As such you can build and loft good or terrible.
Its a sorta universal solution but most is left to the user.

Keep in mind the idea is good but short elements even
on 20M are going to be twitchy to tune.  Longer element
are fragile and awkward.  Plus you still need height.

My goto is also a multiband EFHW .  I use a PAR EF40/20/10
I've had for years. They are available from Vibroplex now.
At 40ft long (and 25W max) its a fine antenna.  IF you need
100W capable the longer 67ft EFHWs for 40/20/15/10 are
a good way to go.  Either way they can be put up as Vertical,
Inverted L, horizontal flat top, or  inverted V.  One of those and
painters pole or other collapsible pole and something can
be worked out.

For a vertical anything less than a 1/4wave tall is going to be poor
and radials are a must or enough metal (truck or trailer)  under it
to work only ok.  Also if the location is noisy it will pick it up the
best.

IF all else fails a dipole cut for the band is about as cheap and
easy as it gets.


Allison

[W1MOW]

When we started traveling in our travel trailer again, about 9 years ago, I bought an Alpha Antennas 80-6 Meter vertical. (The PVC version of the FMJ.) It is quick to put up, and I thought would be less conspicuous. I got WAS, and 89 DXCC with it during the last cycle.

A few years ago I built a version of the MFJ Octopus, after buying one and seeing how bad it was put together. I use 4 pairs of Hamsticks,  (40, 20, 17, & 10) the advantage over a buddipole (Which I 1st looked at.) was that you do not have to retune it everytime for a band change. (If I had to do it again, I would just buy a Chameleon Spyder.)

This New England camping season, I added the ARRL EFHW kit, with a 43' fiberglass pole in an inverted "L" configuration. Surprisingly it worked very well.

I use an FT-450D, Xiegu G90 & X6100, with a MFJ manual tuner, when needed.

Gary W1MOW