virtical antenna

[G8TXK]

Does anybody have tips or feedback on the Hustler 4BTV virtical antenna.It appears to work OK .I have been used to a Half G5RV ..Very little space!!

[w8ob]

Its a great antenna, simply put down as many radials for it as you can fit and wind a choke coil with your feedline as close to the base of the antenna as you can, and off you go. A great DX antenna

[n9vo]

The 4BTV is a very good vertical. I have had mine two years (ground mounted) and it works great. As said, lay as many radials as you can and you should see good results. I also added the kit and converted mine to a 5BTV. Bandwidth on 75 is not great but works very well. For the money, I dont think you could do much better.

[ka5s]

I used one for a few years. The 4BTV is very rugged. If assembled properly it will last a long time . However, I recommend you permanently mark the elements once assembled, to ease reassembly later.

Like all HF quarter-wave's, it is only as good as its radial system

While stationed in Texas in the late 1970's, I erected a 4BTV in a dry, limestone underlain, weed-filled field behind my dwelling. It did not work well until I had gotten up to 48 radials. Luckily, I had obtained from the property disposal yard on base a 2-mile reel of wire, so that was no problem.

Have fun!

Cortland

[GI7PIZ]

Hi Guys,

I bought a Hustler BTV-6 this year, a fantastic antenna. I've a small garden also, so down came the full G5RV.
The BTV-6 is a lot less noisy than the wire,(an S4 instead of S8-9 on 20m) and although I've no ground radials on, it's mounted 4" above the centre of the lawn, gives good results and low VSWR across the bands (10 thru 160 m), less than 1.4:1 at worst, although the tuner sorts that out. Also have 3 guys at 3/4 way up to steady all that aluminium up there!

73's and GOOD DX

Steve (N.I.)

[N5OZQ]

I have had a 4/5BTV up now almost a year, mounted on my garage roof with 2 radials/band. It is fed with RG-213 and has a scramble-wound choke at the feed point and a flat-wound choke at the rig. Each coil is 18 turns, 8" diameter. I spent a fair time getting it aligned, and am absolutely pleased with it as a multi-band, no brain antenna. Full band coverage <2:1, 40-10. Atmospheric noise is higher than my G5RV (verticals do that.) I had the 75/80 load on the top, but wind load requires guys to be safe here, and it wasn't worth it for a 50kc slot. It is nicely camo'd into a neighborhood tree canopy.

N5OZQ

[wd0gnn]

I just bought a Titan DX and have it temporary mounted on the ground in my driveway. Signal reports are 1 to 2 "S" units less than my G5RV @50 feet. The bonus to this antenna is SWR under 2:1 on 2 meters. IMHO it's a hard antenna to top as far as a vertical. As soon as I find some helpful hams it goes on my garage roof. Anyone feel like a trip to Omaha? HIHI.

Dean
wd0gnn