| WA4JM |
Rating:      |
2016-11-02 | |
| Still Performing Great! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
It has been more than 7 years since my last comments about the 4BTV. I recently took it down, wiped all the green stuff growing on the antenna (I live in Florida) with a Mr. Clean wipe. Then I tightened any loose hose clamps, put it back up, swept it with the MFJ analyzer and found everything well within range <1.5:1 on all bands. NOTE: This antenna is ground mounted with 8 radials of various lengths. My plan is to lay more down this winter to get the number to at least 32.
So...I tested the antenna on 15 meters during the CQ DX Contest and managed to work 5 DX stations within 10 minutes. If I could hear them they could here me.
This is a very good antenna for those with or without limited space. Take your time and make sure you have radials attached BEFORE you worry about checking the SWR. You will be happy with the results.
Also, for some reason it is not as noisy as my dipole that runs parallel with power lines.
73, WA4JM
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Earlier 5-star review posted by WA4JM on 2008-12-27
I came into possession of a used 4BTV. Considering the age of the antenna, I was impressed with the quality of the construction. You always take a chance on used stuff but I downloaded manual, tweaked the lengths and was pleasantly happy to find that the antenna came into spec rather quickly. The antenna is ground mounted with only two radials per band. Anyone living in Florida knows that the ground conductivity sucks big-time so am adding more wire.
I found the performance to be excellent for DX. For local contacts on 75 meters I still use wire.
This is a great antenna for those on a budget and living in CCR Hell.
73, John
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| K7DXT |
Rating:      |
2016-09-09 | |
| Best Deal Going if Set up Correctly |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I've always wanted to love verticals but have never been able to get one to really work well. They are cheap, easy to put up, and have a small foot print. They don't get the neighbors too excited, and can work a variety of bands…all in one small package.
But my real life experience has been mediocre at best…and that only on maybe 10 or 15. Forget it with 40 meters…until now. We moved onto a 50' wide lot about two years ago that had too many obstructions for me to use my typical set up of multiple inverted V antennas.
I had purchased a new 4BTV from DX Engineering a year or more prior but never set it up. About a year ago, I built a shed/ham shack in the back yard that had a metal roof. I decided to mount the 4BTV at the apex of the roof (about 15' up), and I ran between 2 and 4 cut to frequency radials for each band that come off and down at a slight angle from the base of the antenna. I suspect the roof itself is working as a nice ground plane in addition to the radials.
It was a pleasant surprise to hear great reports back on 40 meters. I also had an end fed wire antenna up and swapped back and forth. Everyone said the vertical was much better.
The only problem I'm having is that it doesn't seem to 'hear' as well as it talks. On the 'High Noon Net' on 40 each day, I can barely hear the net control, but they tell me I've got a great signal. On 10, 15, and 20, it really seems to do well too.
It doesn't seem to me that one vertical is all that much greater than another, and I don't think you need to spend $500 to get one to work. Verticals just seem to be compromised antennas from the get-go, but they can be made to work, and work well under the right conditions. AM broadcast stations have been using them for the last century. |
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| WA4KNT |
Rating:      |
2015-11-12 | |
| A new 4BTV install |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
After being held into inaction by weather and real life, I finally got my new 4BTV up in the air, using the DX Engineering tilt mount. Due to my space limitations, it is attached above ground to a vertical pipe and limited radials. I still have to tune the antenna, but after checking the antenna with my analyzer, found all bands marginally usable right out of the box!
This installation has the traps for, 10, 15, 17, 20, 30 and length for 40. The only real fly in this out of the box condition, is 40 meters is about 500KC long! The others are also a small amount long except 15m. It is just a small amont short. I hope to get the tuning done shortly, but I must say that my antenna's traps were very close to being on frequency. Thanks DX Engineering.
I may add more comments after the tuneup is finished. The quality and ease of building by one person went very well.
Les, WA4KNT |
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| VE6ND |
Rating:      |
2015-01-22 | |
| Quality at it's best |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Just installed another one, three radials per band, not perfect but it works.
I've had several of these since the 70's however the trap design is better than it was, as the old formed taper eventually cracked under fatigue.
I'm not getting why people are retuning the traps to an extent where you have to adjust all parameters.
Every one that I installed only required adjusting the length of the tube sections or the counter poise.
Either you have the traps upside down (which I've seen) or some other factor. Either way you are doing something wrong.
Only thing is, they should include penetrox faith the antenna.
Great antenna, with a proven design for almost 50 years, only Mosley and Newtronics can say that.
73's
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| K9RE |
Rating:      |
2014-11-21 | |
| A Best Buy! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I just installed a new 4BTV and couldn't be happier with the performance! This is my second one. I finished the installation in the middle of the November phone SS and had a blast working stations from coast to coast; FL to BC, Maritimes to SD and everywhere in between on 40-10m. Most stations came back to me on the first try. I could hardly believe how well it worked!
My new 4BTV is ground mounted and I decided to get serious about radials this time after reading articles by Rudy Severns and Jerry Sevick. I got the DX Engineering radial plate and some of their accessories to make the job easier. You can install the antenna without one, but the plate makes for a neat and efficient installation that's easy to work on. I also got the S/S hardware package, U-bolt, Never-Seez, and Penetrox to protect everything. Mounting the plate about an inch above ground keeps it out of the dirt and makes attaching wires a breeze.
Currently I am using 24 radials of various lengths. I have eight 10 footers and sixteen 20 footers. I will be adding another eight 15 footers. Why the odd lengths? Partly to accommodate the limitations of my QTH and partly to help ensure the system works efficiently on all bands.
I used the manufacturer's instructions for the dimensions, but I followed the recommendations in the DX Engineering manual in other respects. The manual is really well written and I highly recommend getting a copy. My installation has a low VSWR at resonance on all bands but it approaches 2.5:1 at the upper band edge on 40. The other bands are pretty flat right across. So far I have not changed any of the settings as the antenna works well enough as is. When warmer weather comes I may do some tweaking.
My first 4BTV lasted for many years, but I never got good performance out of it because I wasn't aware of how important it is to install a radial system. Stations came in strong and I would call them back, but they never heard me. Putting in a good radial system makes all the difference!
I like the construction of the Hustler 4BTV. It's rugged and comes with S/S hardware. I prefer it to the Hy-Gain 14AVQ, which I have also owned, for two reasons. It's a little taller, which to me indicates it will be slightly more efficient, and the trap covers are made of better material. I had a problem with the Hy-Gain trap covers splitting. The Hustler traps are much better in this regard.
This antenna is an "oldie but goodie"-- it's a good value and a great performer if you install it with an effective ground system. |
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| N4SJW |
Rating:     |
2014-10-31 | |
| Good antenna |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I had our club's 4BTV up in my back yard for several weeks and compared to my 170 ft horizontal loop, it did quite well and at times did better. I had it tied to a fence post and my radials were abt 100 ft of chicken wire attached to the split rail fence. Worked abt 20 countries and noise level was interestingly lower than the horiz loop.
My only concern is the spider assembly and "tubes". They are quite flimsy and I knocked off 2 of them in normal setting up and lifting the antenna. They are held by a 6-32 screw with very little surface area. When I took the antenna down after about 6 weeks in dry climate (Denver metro area), one of the screws was already starting to show some corrosion. I will likely buy a 6BTV in the near future to avoid the spider assembly issues. The 4BTV is good antenna and value. I have no hesitancy in recommending it. |
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| W2LTD |
Rating:      |
2014-10-03 | |
| Great value |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
| I have this antenna ground mounted near the house(there was an existing pipe which once held a dish...saved me some effort) With about 20 ground radials. I've hit Belize, Canary Islands, Brazil, Cuba, Spain, and several western states on 10 meter SSB with no problems. Fairly easy install IF YOU FOLLOW DX ENGINEERING INSTRUCTIONS. This antenna was recommended by a friend and it sure was a good choice. |
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| W2UIS |
Rating:      |
2014-07-28 | |
| Update |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| The replacement 4BTV has been installed ground mounted without radials. Using the recommended dimensions SWR is 1.5 or less on all four bands. First contact at 10 watts was with a station in Germany. Very pleased with the results. |
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| HA7WX |
Rating:      |
2014-07-27 | |
| Good and quality product |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
Hi Everyone! Not to mention the price, which is -even with european taxes and customs duties- spot on .
To make it short: difficult to find that level of quality for the money spent.
As a previous reviewer told: take your time. And read the manual and use your (or borrow one) antenna analyser. I have the chance to have a tape not only in cm but in inches too. I followed the intructions and corrected a little bit using my MFJ-259 analyser. SWR is 1.0 to 1.2 on those band areas of interest. Only 40m band is where i could not get the best out of the antenna but if you have a look at my qrz page, you'll find out why: i have no room to put as much 1/4 wave radials as i want and as a matter of fact i could not lower the resonance enough, and the antenna is at resonance on 7250 and should be 100 khz downer at least. No matter i am using the radio's built-in tuner to correct the SWR.
So is it performing? Yes, maybe not a yagi. But i have 5 bands (i added 1 radiator next to the antenna for 17m and it works).
Would i recommend it? Sure!
73s de ha7wx chris, catch ya on the bands! hi hi. |
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| AA4BQ |
Rating:      |
2014-06-15 | |
| Bird house stealth |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
This also appeared years ago in QST when I first built it.
The bird house is made of light weight corrogated plastic and then painted. It's quite attractive and as a plus, it rests flatly on top of the capacitance hat to hide that. To complete the disguise, a non-functional pulley is visible at the top of the vertical and imitates the ones commonly seen on Martin poles to raise and lower the house for seasonal cleaning. This justifies the "half-mast" appearance as well. It has been up 12 years and works great down by the water and over a buried system of radials. It's a very good antenna for DX in my opinion.
73
AA4BQ.
(Sorry guys, I have no design plans available. I just drew it out and hot-glued it as I went. It weighs about a pound or less.
http://www.astrosurf.com/luxorion/qsl-tower-assembly2.htm
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