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Reviews For: Hustler 6BTV Vertical

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : Hustler 6BTV Vertical
Reviews: 160MSRP: 189.99
Description:
6btv
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.new-tronics.com/main/html/base_hf_6_band.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
33.71604.6
K1LEM Rating: 2017-06-07
Great and Better Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I am rewriting this review because the other had typos. I have had the 5 BTV ground mounted for about 2 weeks. So far with 450-500 watts I score 19-20 db out of noise even on 80 meters, where of course the short physical length make the antenna less effective.
The great reviews I have read about this little antenna certainly are real. Last night one cq on low end 40, I am heard from Ireland to the Southern Island of New Zealand. You can be that.
KG5RJR Rating: 2017-05-04
Love this antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This was my FIRST vertical and I've LOVED every minute of having it on the Air so far. Tuning it was a bit of an ADVENTURE but with some help from Elmer's in the area got it on the air and have worked 80-10.

I do have plans to obtain the ADD ON band kits to add additional bands to this as well.

Used DX Engineerings Omni Tilt, makes bringing it down in bad weather GREAT! Also would recommend their Choke and Radial Plate for this.
W3JRD Rating: 2017-04-21
Great Results Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I'm a new ham, and I did a lot of research before buying my first HF antenna. I settled on the 6btv because of the value and multi-band performance. I am not disappointed. I purchased the tilt base and radial plate from dx. The Hustler is installed at ground level (plate on a wooden 4x4 in concrete) with about 31 random length radials. I found that 4 radials got me on the air; 20 radials was outstanding; when I went to 40 radials, I actually saw higher SWR and reduced band performance. I'm back down to 31 radials and have no plans to add more.

Even with these poor conditions (so I'm told... new, remember), I have made almost two-hundred, solid contacts over the last few weeks. This includes many DX contacts as well. Now, the antenna is a bit 'noisy' at times, but I think that is to be expected with the vertical polarization. I usually hear stations just fine above the noise floor.

I have limited options for a dipole/doublet until I convince the neighbors to allow me to use their trees.

Oh, one last note... When I first assembled the antenna and installed it (followed the instructions exactly), the antenna was resonant on the low portion (sometimes below) the 6 bands. Also, SWR was high. I disassembled, cleaned the mast connections w/a scotch brite pad, applied connective grease, and re-assembled as short as possible. Since then, I get everything on 20, and 40. 80m is narrow, but I get what I need to be satisfied. Haven't tried the other bands, but they show SWR <2.2:1 across the entire band.

Highly reccomend!!!
AMLANC Rating: 2017-02-12
Stinks Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
It was my very first HF antenna. Don't know if I had a bad piece or not but it sucks really bad. It's ground mounted and the soil quality is pretty good, I have 4 radials. But still the reception is very poor and noise floor is more like a ceiling. I bought a CrankIR portable and it's a 1000x better antenna although it's just a tiny portable and gets a lot lot more stations in. Complete waste of $200
W8NIC Rating: 2016-11-24
Every ham should have one Time Owned: more than 12 months.
8 years and still performing. Resonant on all except 75/80 meters but the manual tuner solves that with ease. I've used it with and without ground radials and did not really make a big difference.
All in all a very good performer, very very low maintenance required.

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Earlier 4-star review posted by W8NIC on 2008-05-02

I've had this antenna for 4 months now and it will occasionally out perform my g5rv both incoming and out going. However, I was a little dissapointed when tuning it, it took a few hrs to get it somewhat resonant on all 6 bands. Hustler should have the measurements ready for the consumer or even make it resonant out of the box. Other than that, when the ant. is tuned, it performs really well, especially with ground radials.
KE4EX Rating: 2016-11-02
works perfect... 8 years Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Ran across a couple reviews, so here's mine.
Ground mounted 100 ft. From my house.
6ft. Pipe shoved into the ground with my tractor.
10 ft copper ground rod.
2 raidials per band, cut to length.
Additional 30, 25 ft raidials.
Used only for cw, and digital (psk, rtty,olivia)on a dedicated Kenwood TS2K. Dedicated computer. Pictures of station on QRZ.
Have WAS digital 9000 plus and counting.
Take a peak at Eqsl.
73 ke4ex

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Earlier 5-star review posted by KE4EX on 2009-09-27

I have had this antenna for five years.
I run it on CW, PSK most other digital.
I ran it for two years gound mounted.
No problems what so ever, little weak on 75.

Last month I added some radials #12 wire, two cut for each band plus 10 at 33'. After a tweak on SWR adjustment, she is rocking. At the time I also marked my final adjustments, took it apart and cleaned the puppy.
I have worked all states cw. I have worked all state PSK minus HI and west by god.
If you get one used you will be very pleased...
73
N8FQX Rating: 2016-11-01
6 BTV Installlation Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
many owners of the 5-btv and 6 btv are saying the same thing that I've experienced. Ground mounted with as many radials as you can fit does a great job. Try to avoid underground AC power and cable wires as these will cause noise on some bands.
It took me about 2 weeks to put out the radials which turned out to be around 550 feet total but it was worth it.
KE2RR Rating: 2016-10-26
Ground mounted Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I installed this last week and without ground radials, it was working great on all bands. 80 is very narrow, 40 is super, 10, 15 and 20, all about the same. 1.1 to 2.6 SWRs. Worked all over Europe and Africa, from Germany in the first 3 hours. Worked into the states, from Germany with a good report of 5/5, not bad for 100 watts, ground mounted. Hope to get radials installed soon. Followed the instructions, took less than a hour to put together and 15 min. to put up. Hardest thing was driving in the pole 6 ft into the ground.
K8IDW Rating: 2016-09-25
Excellent Time Owned: more than 12 months.
been up for 10 years now. 80ft behind tghe house, ground mounted with the dx enginerring radial plate. I have 60 radials, 60ft each. no treeline for over a 1/2 a mile in any direction on our 3 acres. been working 40dx with this and LOVE it. actually I love it on all bands. 73 W4IDW
VK8DN Rating: 2016-09-19
Good product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought the Hustler 6 BTV with the DX Engineering 17m add on kit, RADP - 3 radial plate and TB -3P tilt base mount. hardware and RG 213 coax assembly and assembled everything by myself over a weekend.

Instructions supplied by DX Engineering made assembly of the antenna including the 17m add on kit simple. Tuning was a breeze and the tilt base plate proved to be worth its weight in gold.

Day one involved 2 hours work digging the hole for the mounting post, digging a trench for the coax and cementing in the mounting post.
Day 2 took about 4 hours for me to fit the radial plate, a VFCC - H05-A, and the tilt base plate to the mounting post, assemble the antenna, connect the coax, fill the trench, lay 24 radials and tune the antenna.

The quality of the 6BTV is excellent. Very easy assembly and installation by one person over a single weekend.

I have added another 20 radials over the past few weeks and performance is improving. Works as least as good as my Butternut HF2V on 80 and 40, does well on 30 and seems to do at least as good, if not better than my inverted V at 30' on 20 and 17m.

Thank you DX Engineering for your excellent service and speedy shipping once again.

Peter Dawson VK4VW