Beer DX Paradise
what more could a man want hi hi
Scroll down the page to find five more answers. 
Ahoi
Pom
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Itās a design where the system losses add to the radiation resistance to achieve a good matchā¦
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I gather that the recommended config for the vertical version (buddistick) is to use one quarter wave radial, elevated. Then the errors in the tap position on the coil can be compensated by lengthening and shortening the radial. It is kind of a dipole fed near ground, with one half vertical and the other half lying near the ground. No big surprises that it doesnāt work too well. Adding a second radial would at least cancel out the radiation of the first radial.
It should not be necessary to have dozens of radials. Two quarter wave radials for each operating band should be sufficient. Keep the ends of the radials insulated from ground as the ends are a high voltage point.
73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH
Radials?
But some of my best DX has been with one!
No radials though. Just the vertical section and the horizontal section which is length adjusted for best match.
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And, as I remember from watching you, for a degree of directivity.
I think of it as an inverted V rotated in the vertical plane.
Hereās my two penny worth on experiments Iāve been doing whilst on lock down. The antenna Iāve used is a Ventenna, used it for years but primarily itās initial form is ground mounted. Iāve had mixed results similar to yours, however during a few experiments I raised the antenna off the ground onto a small table and added 3 tuned radials approx 18 inches off the ground. It was not until I used just two tuned radials 18 inches off the ground that the antenna transformed itself into behaving as Iād hoped. In fact got my KX3 out and had a picnic whilst working many stations in Europe on 20 meters ssb with 5 watts. Why have I been wasting all these years.
Once the WX gets a little better I will do further work but it concludes that proximity and soil type have an effect on all antennas especially multi band antennas such as these. By the looks of it you have centre loaded your configuration which is better as most of the radiation is in the first part of the antenna.
If I were you I would experiment. Clamp it to a fence post, experiment with 2 to 5 feet off the ground and see how practical it would be to replicate once back out in the field. Iāve just ordered a Buddistick, MFJ 1979 and without using the coil I will have a 20 meter antenna that I can use on quite a few frequencies up to 6 meters (I hope). I have a Decoratorās pole to mount it on.
We are all after the same thing, practical, lightweight, efficient, quick to deploy multi band antenna. Iām coming to the conclusion that you have to pick whatās best for the circumstances and surroundings of where you are going as all antennas have their uses. I was always taught you get out what you put in to resonant antenna. I only have a small backpack so I cut my cloth accordingly and my pocket. My advise experiment, experiment, experiment and practise before you go on your next expedition. Have fun along the way and let us know how you get on. 73 Mike
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Your cheating being near the sea 
am I jealous you bet I am.
I love seeing posts like these irrespective of where they are as we share a passion and the same fun.
Should we start a new collective BYOTA - Back Yards On The Air cause during lockdown thatās all Iām doing. 73 Mike
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The Buddistick is a vertical, the rotary loaded dipole is the Buddipole. (Buddi dipole).
I made my own version back in the fall which I put on a painterās pole. Quite a few POTA activations with it, but none for SOTA. I Itās a bit heavy after adding the pole and tripod. Itās in the backyard right now and got me on the air while I was renting in town.
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I live in RV so no big antennas for me, I have my Buddistick (the real McCoy) set up on 30meters with 4 radials on the ground, not allowed to raise them, and vertical works FB, especially FT8 late in the evening running 10 watts I work otherside of the world. Not too bad for a simple vertical!
Iām guessing biggest drawback to a vertical are the radials and people stepping or tripping on themā¦
73
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Pretty much. Radials to trup over. Difficulty getting it tuned, and it never tunes to the same point from summit to summit either. I still have my Buddi-Stick. I havenāt touched it in years. In 2011 I discovered the Alex-Loop Mag-Loop antenna. Easy to tune, 40m - 10m, goes from backpack to CQ in under 5 minutes, hops from band to band in under 15 seconds.
Then W4OP made an even better loop. 60m -10m, otherwise about the same as the Alex-Loop. I was going to use my Buddi-Stick for Bicycle mobile. But I have also given up on that idea. The Buddi-Stick will probably sit on the shelf until I doe and one of the kids has an idea for it.
Vy73 ā Mike ā KD5KC ā El Paso, TX.
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During lockdown Iāve experimented a lot with various antennas. I have a selection gained over the past 20 years and my tests, stress my, show that I get better results when the verticals (Buddistick and Ventenna) are raised off the ground. Using a single elevated tuned radial to an electric fence post for the Buddistick and two for the Ventenna. When mounted on the ground I needed more radials to get the SWR down to an acceptable level. This may not be ideal for all situations, also made a selection of resonant EFHW to go with fibreglass pole, Came across this vid as a simpler, safer and faster deployment when using poles The Fastest and Easiest Way to Deploy a Fiberglass Mast - YouTube. Iāve made an effort to reduce trip hazards as much as I can and Iāve found there is not such thing as a single antenna that does it for all locations etc. Itās all about fun and accepting the odd disappointment, wish you the best of luck with your activations. Iām still in lockdown. 73 de M0AZE Mike
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I have four guy lines attached to the top of the largest section of my tall mast. Peg them out in a square, put the section upright and make sure the guys are tight, and add a short bungee loop and three pegs close to the base to make sure it doesnāt slip sideways. Then raise the pole. Same idea, but lighter and less to carry.
For my shorter poles I have a four-way guying collar with guys attached that rests on the top of the second section, but that means pre-extending the mast and making sure the first two sections are really firmly extendedā¦
Indeed. Iāve opted for the āthrow a line into a treeā approach on heavily wooded summitsā¦