My Buddy and Me. MY BUDDIPOLE experience!

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I purchased  my Buddipole Deluxe Antenna almost 16 years ago.  This blog is not to endorse or oppose any aspects of the Buddipole antenna system but simply my experience in using it. 

Over my many years in ham radio, I’ve owned only three commercial built antennas.  At the time I purchased my Buddipole antenna I owned a SUV and was impressed with its small footprint.  I didn’t use my Buddipole that much before going car-free after three years of it’s purchased.  Most of my Buddipole use after going car-free has been for Field Day.



Field Day 2021
Field Day 2010



When I discovered Parks on the Air in 2020,  it was time to bring my Buddipole into use other than Field Day. For many of the years of owning my Buddipole, I was never able to get any decent SWR readings on all bands. Nothing lower than 2.5:1 on any bands 40 – 10 meters in the Dipole configuration.  When I retired in 2016, it gave me more time to enjoy ham radio. During the pandemic shutdown, I took the opportunity to figure out what I was doing wrong or why I couldn't get a decent SWR reading in the Dipole configuration. 

I re-read the operating manual, enlisted help through inquires on social media, joined the Buddipole users group, purchased a Nano VNA. Still nothing under 2.5:1  I was at my wits end. I had invested several hundred dollars into my entire Buddipole Deluxe Antenna System with all of its ancillaries and was ready to sell it.

Before getting materials to package my Buddipole to sell, I re-read (KI6AWK) David Haycock’s “Brief Guide to the Buddipole Antenna System. I decided to try setting up in a vertical configuration for 40 meters and trimming some speaker wire for radials and using the Triple Ratio Switch Balun. I was thrilled to be able to achieve a SWR down to 1.5:1 on 40 meters using the TRSB with 3 radials, 9.5 foot whip, two standard 22” Antenna arms and the 18’ mast.


Triple Ratio Switch Balun

40 Meter Vertical with Radials


Then I decided to try setting up the antenna in a 20 meter dipole configuration without the TRSB using standard whips and antenna arms. I still could not achieve a SWR lower than 2.5. So I decided to check the coax I was using which came with my system. I checked with my Nano VNA and no problems. As I was disconnecting the coax from Nano VNA, I looked down the barrel of the BNC connector and noticed the center pin of the coax had disappeared. Further examination showed the center conductor of the coax had pulled away from the coax braid.  No wonder I was getting inconsistent SWR reading with this coax.



After placing a new BNC connector to the coax, re-setting up Buddipole in a 20 meter dipole configuration, I got a 1.15:2 SWR reading without connecting it to my Nano VNA. Deciding not to press my luck, I disassembled my Buddipole for another day.

Now that I was able to assemble and get my Buddippole to operate in the manner for which it was manufactured, I pulled the “For Sale” sign from it. Additionally, I found another article from (KI6AWR) David Haycock. “More on Buddipole Tuning”.   This article gets a little more in-depth with how to adjust for the resonant frequency, feed point impedance and provides a table to easily fine tune the Buddipole in a dipole configuration. From that day forward, I've never had any issues assembling my Buddipole Antenna System in any configuration from 80 - 2 meters.  I've used my Buddipole Antenna 

NOTE: I have found the best way to fully appreciate and use the Buddipole Antenna System is with the use of an Antenna Analyzer.  This tool is invaluable in fully enjoying the capabilities of the BUDDIPOLE.

Over the years I’ve used several different configurations. L-Shape, V-Shape, Dipole, Vertical, 6 Meter Yagi, and 2 Meter J-Pole.


Buddipole L-configuration

Buddipole V-Configuration




6 Meter Yagi



2 Meter J-Pole

I’ve used my Buddipole Antenna with My QRO rigs: Ten Tec Delta 580, Yaesu FT-891 and QRP rigs: Yaesu FT-817, QCX 40 & 20 Meter Mini, QDX, HB-1B and Pixie rigs


During my most recent Buddipole antenna Parks on the Air activation, I used my QRP You Kits HB-1B QRP CW transceiver on 20 meters in a dipole configuration. Below is a picture of the setup and a QSO map of the QSOs on what turned out to be a very, very chilly March afternoon with less than optimum band and solar conditions.

Buddipole POTA 
activation 3/16/24

HB-1B & Buddipole
POTA activation
3/16/24







 




    







With the above types of results I’ll be using my Buddipole Antenna systems quite a bit more

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