Homebrew Buddipole vs Homebrew Buddistick

As a follow up to this thread:

I fabricated a Buddistick and have used it on my last 3 activations. I have to say that empirically the Buddistick out performs the Buddipole. I am getting better signal reports, I am getting lots of contacts on 40M where before I was getting 1 or 2 if any. Tuning it is easier as well, as all you do is roll out the radial to the proper length.

The only drawback of the stick over the pole is that radial. I have done a few summits were there was not enough area to roll one out. In that case the pole has it over the stick.

What I am going to do is make one mount that can either be stick or pole, and tune one of the whips for the pole to work as a stick. This should cut down a bit on the weight of carrying them both and give me what I need for all summits.

I am still going to work on getting full size antennas up, but I think for right now the Buddistick is as good a compromise as I can get.

Hi Mike, with the Buddipole they have a part that they call the “Versatee” which according to the site when used with molded pins allows you to create any dipole configuration you want (including L shaped). This is what I would have thought would be a good use of this type of antenna system - i.e. have one side of the buddipole as a vertical and the other half horizontal as a single radial. Would give you the added bonus of some directionality (reduced performance in all directions other than that the horizontal section is pointing in). So if you had QRM/QRN in one direction, point the “radial” away from that direction or if you wanted to favour a different direction, point the “radial” towards the desired direction/path.

Matt
VK1MA

How high is your Buddistick feedpoint?

Interesting remark here about the L antenna.

Will have to remember that and take a compass when I finally get my inverted L out to play when looking for North american and Australia and take my great circle map with me when on sota provided there is the room to play.
Mine is quite long being about 8.5m up the vert leaving 13.5m on the Hoz side of it. Going to configure way I have got the 12m onto me  8m vertical thus only having 10m running off on horizontal leaving bit more playing around room.

     What I did was in line of the vert antenna wire was lose 3m on a 35cm  Long 25mm wide  plastic pipe loosely wrapped around the pipe and not like in tightly coiled other wise 40m no tune in like. Making the wrapped wire a CM  apart. Thus then pipe can be pulled off that stand and rest of antenna can be wrapped around the pipe for storage and pulled off when required.

This be the pipe with all antenna wire wrapped around it for the 1/4w 40mb vert

  This is my heath Robinson Duel antenna  portable kit including the 1/2W 40mb 22m wire antenna on the reel. Yet to be improved and refined as that yellow cord caused me lot of problems and will be changed to a better 5.5mm cord a nice orange one support line. So Joe public can't miss it.

Best laugh they tune into all bands I have at hand including 80m 40 20 15 and 10m. And best of all they tune in well low getting maximum out with minimum reflection. and of course my pride and joy the 9:1 Unun .

Before I forget also have a 12m counter poise :smile:
Karl

The feedpoint of the Buddistick is about 6 foot off the ground with the radial going out and terminating about 2 foot off the ground. I use an arrow for the radial, I just stick it into the ground and put the radial wire in the nock.

With the Buddipole I use a PVC “T” and stick the whips in the sides. I am going to get an “X” and fashion the Buddistick coils to fit the top, then tune of of the coils for the pole to work as the stick and I will be able to use either or…hopefully.

For now, I am just using the Buddistick and picking summits that I believe will allow me to roll the radial out.

Thanks Mike, you are mounting your antenna higher than me. My feed point is probably about 18in above the ground.

You’re welcome.

This is a pic from two activations ago. I just try to strap the painter’s pole to something nearby, if I can’t do that I can guy it with some stakes I bring along.