Looks like I have an opportunity to purchase a Butternut HF6VX 80-10
vertical with the CPK counterpoise for maybe $340 for the whole thing.
Seem like a reasonable thing to do? Decent antenna? Otherwise I have
my 80 meter full wave loop at about 50 feet. I'm assuming the vertical
would outperform the loop for DX on 75 and 40 meter bands.

-Chuck
W1CEW

On 16 Nov 2005 16:42:30 -0800, "Chuck W." wrote:

Looks like I have an opportunity to purchase a Butternut HF6VX 80-10
vertical with the CPK counterpoise for maybe $340 for the whole thing.
Seem like a reasonable thing to do? Decent antenna? Otherwise I have
my 80 meter full wave loop at about 50 feet. I'm assuming the vertical
would outperform the loop for DX on 75 and 40 meter bands.

Hi Chuck,

The bottom one or two bands of multiband verticals tend to be
disappointing in performance - or so report many to this forum.

If you do get it, don't take the loop down.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Hi Richard,

Yes, I've been very pleased with the loop, worked about 30 or 40
countries in the last year on it, mostly on 20 and 18 meters, but it
does well on 40 as well, being fed with balanced line. According to
EZNEC it does well on 15 and 10, but with the current sunspot cycle who
knows. With the all-too-few openings on 6 meters this summer, I did
have some pretty good luck, though I could tell the yagis could hear
quite a bit more than I could.

73,

Chuck

Yes, the lowest bands don't work so well on the Butternut, but you
should be able to find a used one for considerably less than that
price. (I've been seeing them go used for $75-$125).

I've had a Butternut HF6V on my roof for some years now, which wound up
being about 15 feet above the ground, with one radial for 80M, and
about four radials for 40-Meters (and the higher bands). I've had this
antenna at five different locations over the years.
Using it, I've made 5BDXCC (plus 30M DXCC). I only have about 185
countries on 80-Meters with it, and only about 260 countries on
40-Meters with it. Then there's 160-Meters - only about 40 countries so
far.

Some day, I hope to have a real antenna for the lower bands. Right now,
the Butternut is down since there's some building construction going on
at my home, and all I have up now is an 80-Meter Inverted-Vee, which is
now my "all band" antenna. It's up about 25 feet above ground in the
center, five feet above ground on the ends, it's fed with 450-ohm
ladder line. Sometimes it takes me four or five calls to get through
some of the pileups! (H40 on 80-Meters, KH5 on 20M RTTY, etc. in the
last week).

YMMV.....

LJ

On Wed, 16 Nov 2005 19:42:30 -0500, Chuck W. wrote:

Looks like I have an opportunity to purchase a Butternut HF6VX 80-10
vertical with the CPK counterpoise for maybe $340 for the whole thing.
Seem like a reasonable thing to do? Decent antenna? Otherwise I have
my 80 meter full wave loop at about 50 feet. I'm assuming the vertical
would outperform the loop for DX on 75 and 40 meter bands.

-Chuck
W1CEW


HI Chuck,

Don't know about 80 & 40 but it will help fill in the nulls in the loops
pattern on the upper bands also.. I'm with the other commentor though
don't take the loop down.
73 Dave
KC1DI


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Looks like I have an opportunity to purchase a Butternut HF6VX 80-10
vertical with the CPK counterpoise for maybe $340 for the whole thing.
Seem like a reasonable thing to do? Decent antenna? Otherwise I have
my 80 meter full wave loop at about 50 feet. I'm assuming the vertical
would outperform the loop for DX on 75 and 40 meter bands.

If it is a used antenna, that seems overpriced. You can buy a new
one for less than that (without the CPK). You can easily make your own
radials for much cheaper.

I've used HF6V's at several qth's. It's a good antenna on 40 if you
have enough radials. On 80 it's not that great. But it will be useful in
addition to the loop.

Tor
N4OGW