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Reviews For: Buddistick Portable Vertical

Category: Antennas: HF Portable (not mobile)

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Review Summary For : Buddistick Portable Vertical
Reviews: 63MSRP: $125.00
Description:
Designed as a multi-band, portable antenna for 40m - 10m, the Buddistick™ is an excellent performer with any rig up to 250 watts.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.buddipole.com/buddistick.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00634.7
W5GW Rating: 2011-05-08
Ok, but a throw-in-the-tree dipole is a cheaper alternative Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I knew going in this was an antenna with convenience, good materials and nice packaging more than efficiency.

I also like the convenience of not needing two or at least one point to attach a dipole, which is my preferred way to go in portable QRP. Sometimes there are no trees or places to attach a dipole.

After modeling this on EZNEC I still liked the idea of a nice compact antenna despite the loss in efficiency over a dipole. It works best if you can get it high and more than one radial (yes I call it a radial despite what the literature says), but will still work even at low heights with just the included radial. The coil taps were machined wrong or something and the plugs would not go into them. A bit of reaming with a drill bit solved that issue.

I had built a homemade buddipole from pvc and a couple of Radio Shack telescoping antennas and had had good luck with that design as well.

I can get it usually within a 2:1 SWR just by listening to the background noise and then fine tune it with the SWR meter in my IC-703.

It is not the only portable antenna in my arsenal, but is pretty good.
N5IVZ Rating: 2010-11-14
5 X 9 WOW! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Had the pleasure to finally run my Buddistick with a special event station, USCG Station South Padre Island, K5C, celebrating 220 years of USCG service to our nation. I set up the buddistick on the mess deck of the station which is about 15 feet up along with my TS 570D at 60 watts... It performed absolutely great! a lot of 5 by 9 reports and it was a real pleasure to set up and use... to keep it from blowing away(had a front blow in), i put the antenna in a bucket with pieces of brick...it worked! looking forward to using it again...tunes up easily by ear...
W0CKI Rating: 2010-11-04
Works great Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
It takes a bit of work and tuning. Mine has a feedpoint 8 feet above the ground, tip about 19 feet above ground. I have had consistent good results on 10-20. The service and advice from Buddipole is fantastic. If you want to work portable or as I am, in an HOA, antenna police, this is a great choice.
K9MGY Rating: 2010-06-26
Easy Set up, Easy Tune!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is a great antenna!!!! In the first hour I was using it I made five contacts, all 5x9!!!! I don't have an SWR meter, so I tuned it by ear. The tune by ear method works very well!!!! This is a great portable antenna!!!
M0WZM Rating: 2010-04-18
Worth the money Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I started with one of the cheaper "base loaded" verticals but wasn't impressed. The Buddistick is slightly more expensive but is in a league of it's own. Tunes very easily and the construction quality is first class.
I use it with a FT-817 and a LDG auto tuner- excellent.
N0MUD Rating: 2010-03-27
excellent antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Only problem I have ever had was winds blew mine over and bent an element. I ordered a new one plus some extra parts that were new to Buddipole at the time. I've never had any problems tuning the antenna to my FT-857d. I like the way it packs up into a small package for traveling. Mine is under the bed in my camper. If you need a small antenna then this will fit the bill. It's easy to set up and tune. Just have to remember to anchor it down and it won't blow over.

Go ahead and buy one you will like it. The Buddipole people even showed up at the HamCon in Estes Park, CO and they were very professional and answered all questions put to them. They even sold out of all the antennas they took to the HamCon.

73's Mike, NØmud
N2TXV Rating: 2010-03-27
It works but missing parts Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I received the Buddistick Deluxe just in time for an EMCOMM event I was to participate in. When I opened the carrying bag I noticed I was missing the mounting kit, one coil clip and two clip pins. I called the company and was sent the missing parts. When I gave the antenna its first test drive I realized there was no soft touch knob to anchor down the mounting it to the veritical clamp. I used a nut and home brewed a mount to get on the air. During the event someone accidentally walked into the antennna and destroyed the telescoping whip. I just went on their website to order a new whip and noticed the deluxe package should have included two telescoping whips and I only received one with initial purchase. If you are going to buy from Buddipole take time to inventory every item and make sure you get what you pay for.
WD0BC Rating: 2010-02-27
RAVE SECOND REVIEW Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Having tried this antenna with 50 watts for my first review it was truly an adventure to use it from deer camp last fall on just 5 watts.

After four days of miserable wet rainy snowy weather, MISSOURI after all, I got a chance to set up.

Assembly as always short and sweet. Camera tripod and antenna and counterpoise near the fire. Yaesu 817 in my lap and a 7ah battery under my chair and a small paddle.

Worked about 7 station stateside, some kind of a contest. THEN I heard him, OX3XR in Greenland! A REAL QSO, not just 599 but chatted about hunting camp and their Caribou season and hunting there for two months.

I was so happy that I jumped over the fire and went to the camper and got a Moose Drool barleypop to commemorate the contact!

Will say that the guys around the fire were not impressed, "how do we know that was Greenland".

RARE! HELLO YES and on my BUDDSTICK !!!!

BUDDSTICK IS GREAT IN MY BOOK.

Give it a try THEY WORK!
K5UNY Rating: 2009-09-02
I sold mine!!!Really hated to! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had a Buddistick since around April of 2008. After swearing at it a bunch of times and lovingly caressing it a bunch of times the swearing at it took over and it got sold. I would tune the 'stick up in my backyard, yes away from trees and the house, get the Swr down to 1.1:1 on 40-30-20 and move that same swr up or down the band with an adjustment to the radial wire. GREAT!!! The next weekend It would get assembled out at the barn or at the park or in my backyard and the swr would be thru the roof. Cleaned all joints with a wire brush, sprayed with DeOxit reassemble and still a high swr. The good swr was not repeatable which is not a good thing when you pack up and op portable.
After many episodes of this process I gave up, this 'stick isn't worth the frustration it caused me. Budd tried to be helpful with suggestions etc but nothing seemed to work. My HB pvc based Buddistick works just fine,as do my EFHW wires. At least now my Blood Pressure stays normal. Just my experience and not saying the product doesn't work for some or is not a good buy. For me it was a boondoggle.
TERRY_PERRY_EX_W3VR Rating: 2009-06-08
Very simple and functional. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Light, portable, inexpensive, and works well for what it is. Can be tuned without an analyzer.