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Reviews For: HUSTLER 4BTV

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : HUSTLER 4BTV
Reviews: 114MSRP: 119.99
Description:
4 BAND TRAP VERTICAL ANTENNA
Product is in production
More Info: http://WWW.NEW-TRONICS.COM
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
151144.8
NC6P Rating: 2005-02-12
good for the buck Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Here is my 2 cents. I read the reviews, they seemed great. Guess what, this antenna is great. It took me awhile to tune it. Not the antenna's fault. MINE. It is located on top of a roof in San Francisco. To take it off and on of a roof mount with the wind from the Pacific Ocean, well that is not quite cricket. Would take a lad over the side for sure, almost did. So, I ground mounted it with radials to align it. Put it back up on the roof when King Neptune was resting and guess what? It works pretty good! I am located in San Francisco which has houses back to back.(no room to mount anything without the Kaiser's consent) I also have a dipole which is not much off the ground. So, sometimes the dipole might give a better signal, however for DX, the Hustler seems to always bring the signal in 3 or so S-units higher than the dipole. I have my measurements of the antenna as installed on the roof should that help you. Please feel free to drop me a line if I might be of assistance. Nc6p@arrl.net Looking forward to working you, best regards, Dave, NC6P
M3IKQ Rating: 2005-01-09
Perfect for my QTH ..... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The antenna pieced together well. I stripped one clamp making sure it was tight - easy replacement.
I have mine mounted 6 feet a.g.l with 2 radials per band.
No messing around, SWR as follows:

21.001 ..... 1.2:1
21.150 ..... 1.4:1
21.449 ..... 2:1

14.001 ..... 1.2:1
14.150 ..... 1.4:1
14.300 ..... 1.8:1

7.001 ..... 1.4:1
7.050 ..... 1.2:1
7.099 ..... 1.2:1

Being an M3 licence holder, I don't have access to 10m so no readings taken there.
Quick test this afternoon gave me 5/9 contacts around EU with 10 watts .....

I'm happy enough with that.
WA0TML Rating: 2004-12-02
A real workhorse antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought my 4BTV when I was stationed in West Germany in the early 80s. With it I worked 135 countries and 25 states. I had it mounted on the roof of our apartment building (about 3 stories high). It never let me down - most contacts were with 100 watts. There were 4 radials per band 10 - 20 and 2 radials on 40. No one ever noticed the antenna and it worked great.

When I returned to the States I used this same antenna mounted 20 feet off the ground mounted on a mast attached to the side of the house. I added the RM-80S resonator at this time. There were 4 radials per band 10 - 40 and 2 radials on 80. Even with this modest setup if I could hear them generally I could work them. This antenna saved the day many times on 40 meters.

Recently I temporarily ground mounted the antenna for a contest, the yagi was not functioniong properly. Running QRP I worked 100 plus contacts and contacted 31 states in a short 6 hours of operating. Even running QRP if I heard them I most generally worked them. I only had 2 radials for one band.

The antenna went together quickly and is easy to mount. I have to insulate the mounting bracket from the masts or I have nothing but trouble. It packs up easily and is good for temporary locations. I took this antenna with me when I was assigned to Pine Bluff Arsenal during Desert Storm. No problem with ground mounting outside my base housing and no one ever complained about the antenna, it just sort of blended in. Worked great again and I regularly worked Europe and Asia.

In summary - this is a great antenna that has never let me down. For me it does not do well without radials but add just 2 radials, per band, and the world is at your fingertips. I plan to permanently ground mount this antenna and then phase it with a 6BTV for 80 meters.
HEC11 Rating: 2004-06-01
Great ant. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I put mine together a couple weeks ago and the assembly went just fine with all the parts being present.I put mine on the garage roof up about 20 ft. to the base of the ant.and used 4 radials for the 40 meter band and 4 radials for the 20 meter band. I live in the country so my wife didn't complain to much.I used the mfj 259 analyzer to tune it but it wasn't even needed.I put it up as directed and never had to change a thing.The swr is 2 or below and in most cases under 1.5 on 20 and 40 meters, as this is what I primarily bought it for,haven't even checked the other two bands.I have a carolina windom 80 also and this hustler is either equal to or in some cases better than the windom.In all fairness to the windom which I do like it is only up 34 ft. and should be up 45 ft. or more.If you want any type of performance from the hustler by all means use radials if you don't you will be using half an antenna.They say verticals are noisey ,this has not been the case with this one,but like I said, I live in the country.
Herb,
kb1lbp
M3MRR Rating: 2004-05-31
Generally pleased with the antenna Time Owned: N.A.
I recently purchased this antenna and based the decsion to purchase due to my very small garden, specs and price of product. The antenna arrived well packaged and complete with all parts. I had some horrible problems with the aluminium poles not quite sliding together and had to 'file' them into shape. Once this was done the antenna assembly was very easy. To my surprise, no tuning was required and the antenna is resonant on all stated bands. Therefore even with some initial assembly problems, I am pleased with the product as it performs exactly as stated. My advice for others is to check the poles slide easily before hand so you don't have the same problems I experienced when trying to slide them out.
V73NS Rating: 2004-05-03
Needs hardware upgrade. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have used these in the past and they always perform well. I was given one when I was a Novice and wore that one out. Now I have another and have only one complaint about it... the hardware. This applies to the 4, 5 and 6BTV.

Half of the supplied hardware is either steel or low grade stainless. The steel washers and screws were easy to spot. The lock washers look like stainless, and are, but a very low grade of stainless and slightly magnetic. You should always check your hardware with a magnet. Toss em and hit the hardware store for real stainless hardware. They are not the first company to skimp on good hardware and not the last.

Take a magnet with you... you want the TOTALLY non-magnetic hardware!
I live in a harsh marine environment where things don't rust... they dissolve!

Time spent repairing something is time taken away from operating!

Neil
V73NS
K0RGR Rating: 2004-04-15
Good skyhook Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've put up a lot of these and they are very effective when roof mounted with adequate radials, though maybe not the most attractive thing ever (still better looking than most of the competition).

I've had some luck with the 5BTV's as well, but never met a 6BTV that actually worked.
KS4WJ Rating: 2004-04-15
Great Bang For the Buck Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have worked the world with this antenna. It is one of those "too good to be true" antennas. It just seems that something so simple to put together and elementary in design with the supposed lossy traps would be a bad performer. Not the case. I don't need my antenna tuner on 10, 15, or 40 but do use it a bit on 20M. For 100 dollars, you can't beat this antenna which I have ground mounted with about 12 radials thus far out. Got first one in '95 and loved it. Got another one again after 6 years out of hobby.

Unquestionably, the best performer for the price despite the "traps".
AH6FC Rating: 2004-04-07
very good antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
After trying to use steathy wire antennas, I took a chance and erected a 4BTV. I'm in antenna restricted area and have had to use something I can "hide." Painted desert beige the 4btv dissapears into the horizon of desert perfectly. I've worked about 70 countries with 100 watts and no radials, ground mounted. I used a Butternut in Hawaii and it didn't perform half as well as this one. I'm very pleased. Just bought a 6btv so I can get on 80 mtrs as well. Maybe try phased verticals.
WL7GQS Rating: 2004-04-05
Great experiences Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have been in and out of Ham radio a few times, but my first antenna when I was a novice (WL7GQS) was a 4BTV Hustler. I had a cw-only Johnson Viking Navigator QRP transmitter with only two crystals -- one for 40 meters and one for 15 meters. Despite my limitations, I made hundreds of QSOs during poor solar conditions, hitting every continent, including Antarctica. A 130 mph williwaw (local circular windstorm causing great damage) broke the bottom aluminum section of my unguyed Hustler, which I replaced quite inexpensively and easily with a piece of schedule-40 pipe. Try to break THAT! hihi