| TERRY_PERRY_EX_W3VR |
Rating:  |
2009-06-15 | |
| Very good product. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Light in weight, well constructed and very practical in design for portable operation. Bought the deluxe kit from Budd at Ham Com, Plano, TX this past weekend. The Buddipole is quick to set up, and extremely easy to tune. You will not need an analyzer once you learn how to set it up. Configure in horizontal, or vertical dipole.
Budd and Chris are great people, and ambassadors for portable HF operations. Hope you are reading this Budd, great to meet you at Ham Com.
W3VR |
|
| KE7TIV |
Rating: |
2009-05-04 | |
| Seems to work great |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
Over the past few weeks I've been able to play with my Buddie Pole Dipole antenna. The radio used is an FT-857D at 100 Watts. The first outing was to high point west of Portland, OR. I made a few contacts, one in ON Canada on 20 Meters and a nice rag chew in TX. The next real test came where the John Day river dumps into the Columbia River. We were camped along the John Day rive, in a hole. Contacts were made in CA, TX, and Cayman Island.
I did use a MFJ Antenna SWR meter to tune the antenna. The suggested tuning was a bit off on the high side of 20 Meters.
I plan on getting the longer whips. We'll see how that works. |
|
| ON4YVO |
Rating: |
2009-04-27 | |
| Very compact. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I got my buddipole second hand from another HAM. I read a lot about the antenna before I bought it. At home, I installed the antenna in my garden in Landen (JO20NR) in aprox. 15 min. I connected the FT-897 and the LG897 tuned the antenna in a few seconds on 40 meter. The first contact I made was on 40 meter. I drove the LG897 only with 50 watt and made a contact with an ON3-station located in Frejus (S-France). I got a S5R4. |
|
| KB3NSW |
Rating: |
2008-11-20 | |
| Sturdy ,reliable , up in minutes es feather light |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I am very green in the hobby. I am a full time mom and the first Ham in our family. After researching for a great portable ant. I purchased the Buddi for the PA QSO party. I set out solo as a rover. It proved to be a great antennae !!Up quick (10 min) , sturdy ,with easy directions. I DX alot: at home I have the KLM 6,NVIS, Voyager, G5RV and Buddi.The Buddi allows me to be portable with this new passion. For me it operates phone es CW from 2M to 40M es 80M with a few modifications(wire). Feminine while walking on the unbeaten path I must be proficient and reliable. The Buddi is all that and more.Perfect for Emergency Communcations too!!Tip..I use a SWR Analyzer to tweak all ants.. |
|
| IZ1ELQ |
Rating: |
2008-09-28 | |
| Airsosoft test Buddypole |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
On 13 september, at Praglia near Genoa in Italy, at 800 mt. s.l. during the airsoft national competition called "Jolly Roger" (200 people in competition), the belonging ones to the club "The Big One" IZ1ELQ and IW1PTX, responsible for the communications, have decided to try on field the buddypole, for security communication between headquarter and teams in competition, on 40mt, and to receive weather fax, with SCS Ptc II usb.
The assemblage of the antenna with mast has been easy and fast, and in 8 minutes inclusive the tuning with MiniVna, we were on air.
In two days, with terrible weather: cold with strong rain, wind, fog, has not had the least problem, assuring the communications 24 hours a day, and without the least problem to the buddypole.
The dismantlement has been fast even more, and despite the bad meteorological conditions, in which has operate, has been enough to dry and to clean the component parts the antenna to make to perfectly return her new and ready to be employed immediately.
We have been very satisfied from the practicality of use, from the simplicity of the assemblage, from the dimensions and from the weight reduced when is gotten off, from the sturdiness and facility of tuning, all characteristics that have convinced us to adopt her as principal antenna of station during our competitions.
We attach some photos of the test.
We make you our compliments for the good quality of your product, we are to your disposition for possible explanations.
|
|
| NA0AA |
Rating: |
2008-09-20 | |
| Very useful indeed |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
NOTE: BP now makes an adaptor from the Versa-Tee to a standard painters extension pole thread, which makes masts pretty easy and not too expensive.
Accepted as what it is: a very well integrated multi-band portable and free-standing antenna, I think it's an excellent product.
I have the BP deluxe package with the TRSB, 80 meter coils and long whips [$$$$!]
I have had decent results with mine for more than a year now, and have used it with both 20 watts and 100 watts. While many claim good results QRP, my experience has not been that good - and it may well be the operator, not the antenna.
At 100 watts, I find it works well. I have had good results both as a vertical and dipole configuration.
As noted, tuning is critical. I spent some time with my MFJ analyzer to nail down coil taps for my favorite bands and the necessary TRSB settings. With the 80 meter coils, the 20 meter band is full-band under 2:1, but at 40 it's a bit sharper and 80 is very tight, as is to be expected for an antenna only 24' overall. Since I normally operate a very narrow slice of 80 when portable, it's easy to get that setting down. I also use a small tuner to trim as required.
What makes the package sweet to me is the totally free-standing nature of the beast - you can be up and operating in 15 minutes once you have pre-set your coils, and nary a tree or other tall item needed.
I just got back from a trip to Yosemite and used the BP to make 80 meter NVIS contacts between 200 and 400 miles away, with the 8' mast. This is pretty much a sweet spot for Emcomm HF work, so will be helpful if I need to support this in my work with RACES.
Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not agree that the workmanship on the entire antenna kit is superb.
You certainly can spend less. |
|
| KO4DXF |
Rating: |
2008-09-20 | |
| The Buddipole Rocks! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
After I purchased my ft-817 I purchased a cheap Buddistick clone called a P1 portable. I tried for weeks to make a contact, any at all on hf. No luck. I sent it back. I then purchased a Buddipole. My first contact was at 10:00am est from my home in west central Florida. I was able to check in on the Cars Net 7.251 while driving a huge 5 watt signal (SSB) through my Buddipole. I was so excited I forgot to write down the call sign on the ncs but I believe he was in Tennessee. I was looking for an antenna that would fit in my backpack and could make contacts of the nvis variety. I wasn't looking for an antenna that would talk to the world but everyone I spoke with especially the old pros told me it was nothing more than a dummy load. Not one of them looked at what my operating needs consisted of or that maybe I wasn't looking to sit on my butt all day but actually wanted to get outside and and still make contacts as well as have a very nice nvis outdoor emergency antenna. The only thing that I think I will ad to my backpack shack is an amplifier like the HfPacker amp for when I need a little more push.
To all the old guys who told me that I needed to use 100 watts and get an antenna as high as the sky or if I really want to get on the air shut up and learn cw I have on thing to say. YOUR ALL POOPIE HEADS!
Thanks to Chris and the staff at Buddipole for being so helpful and for putting up with my constant barrage of questions. I have all the confidence in the world that as I learn more about Ham radio and my skills increase I will continue to say I LOVE my Buddipole.
VInce ki4hsk |
|
| N0FPE |
Rating: |
2008-08-29 | |
| Has worked fine |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
For what the antenna is it works fine. A very portable multiband antenna for field use. I have never found it hard to tune. A SWR meter or an antenna analyzer makes things a breeze. Mine has never tipped over using my homemade drive on mount. Customer support in excellent. Maybe a bit pricy but well built. I have used mine in both the portable setup and at a rental house for a while. Sure its not a 6 element tribander at 70 feet but it does work. wire is nice but not as easy to setup when u have limited mounting points.
|
|
| WA4JM |
Rating: |
2008-08-29 | |
| Save Your Money and Buy Wire! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
We used this antenna for FD 2007. Instructions were vague, tuning was a pain and we had to place sand bags on the mount to keep it from blowing over. The bottom line is, wire is cheap and works. Save your money. This antenna is a dud. Anyone pleased with the performance of the Buddipole has never used an antenna.
----------------------
Earlier 3-star review posted by WA4JM on 2007-06-24
Borrowed one for FD 2007. Tuned up OK on 40 meters but performance was marginal. Tried other bands with like results. After it blew over in a light breeze ( no real way to anchor it)we moved it to the roof about 15 feet above ground and got some improvement. Sick of the results we opted for a ground mounted $99 Hygain el-cheapo vertical witg some wire laid out at the base. Thank got we brought the Hygain or we would have been dead in the water. |
|
| K0KNX |
Rating: |
2008-05-05 | |
| Too much fiddling |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I've had this antenna over a year and I'm a portable type of guy but I just end up spending too much time fiddling around with this antenna. Some situtations it tunes up no problem, but in in others I have problems. One never knows what is causing the high SWR. Sometimes it's reacting to something closeby or the antenna turned a bit, etc. It's not "tank built" and I have snapped 2 whips by it falling over. The antenna does work but it can be high maintenance at times. Bud is great on customer service but I decided to just stick with a lightweight resonant dipole and a slingshot. |
|
