Buddipole

Has anyone had any problems flying with their Buddipole? Headed to Europe in July and plan on carrying it on. Thoughts?

So I’m really thinking about the ft710 for my first HF radio. But I also have a question.
Is it dumb just to get this much radio to take to POTA and use it in my back yard?
I’m hesitant to put up a permanent antenna. My house was built in 1969 and I’m about 95% sure my house ground is basically my water intake pipe in my basement.
So my thought is get the 710. Get an EFHW for parks and maybe a buddipole for my backyard — and just use it on my back patio. Sadly it’d sit when it’s 16 degrees out in the winter.
I just think this radio looks incredible…

Happy Easter to you all. I thought I’d make a quick post to see what you all have for a mobile HF rig and what modes you all prefer. I have a G90 right now with a BuddiPole antenna. The antenna is awesome! Quick and easy to set up and I can always get an excellent SWR from 40m to 10m. The G90 is just ok in my opinion. Seems alright for the limited CW I have done with it and SSB works fine although limited to 20w. Data for me has been atrocious at best. Even with a digirig it only works intermittently. So I was curious what you all do with your own rig. Maybe get some ideas for what I’d like to do next. Take care and be safe out there! -73

I picked up a (used) Buddistick PRO Deluxe at a hamfest yesterday in Orange, TX for a deal. After I got home, it took me forever to find wtf I did with my antenna analyzer. I legit went through my email looking to see if I'd sold it or loaned it to a friend and forgot --- but when I finally found it (it's always in the last place you look!) I proceded to measure the antenna on different bands. I managed to make about a dozen or so contacts from my KX3 in short order. BUT... I gotta say... after eyeballing the Buddistick for years, it truly is a well-designed and put-together system. Compared to other portable operating systems I've used, this thing is a dream. There's just a couple of tiny, super trivial improvements that could be done, but by-and-large it was a pleasure to put up, operate, and take down. The bungee/shock-cord on the legs that hold them into the versa-tee? chef's kiss.
I'm really looking forward to taking it camping. Well done, Buddipole.
Improvements/tweaks:

• More coil clips. (one for each band, ideally)
• Laminated cardstock cheat sheet for which color tap and counterpoise length.
• Velcro spot in bag for holding coil instead of elastic band that won't last.
• Counterpoise knob should be bright color or captive. Seems very easy to drop in some tall grass, never to be found.
• Make connector on counterpoise a fork/spade rather than O/ring/eye to slip under the knob (reducing chance of dropping it)

Everything else, spot-on. Bravo.

I'm looking for very high-quality RG-8X with PL-259 connectors. I really love the quality of...

• Consolidated Wire Coaxial Cable Assemblies, but they're only RG316 on DX Engineering and no PL-259 connectors.
• Buddipole's Coaxial Cable - MILSPEC, but, again, only in BNC.

What other companies make great quality cables?
Thanks in advance for your reply!

I'm planning on taking a long road trip across the US Southwest in April, hike, and camp. I'm looking to boost my gear a bit to make more reliable contacts with Winlink gateways to drop an email now and then to my loved ones.
I have: * Xiegu X5105 (5W) * 6-80m EFHW Antenna * A little embedded Linux PC * A 24000mAh 12v DC battery
I'm planning to do some tests in the local deserts (I am in SoCal), but curious for some advice as this is my first real field trip.

• Can I expect to hit VARA Winlink gateways that are within a few hundred 100km out QRP? Here in Los Angeles the noise floor is such that I either need to use a ground loop or use a high angle of takeoff to hit extremely local gateways (like 10km away)
  
• Should I consider a different antenna, perhaps a a Buddipole? Or, any advice for how to string the EFHW in relatively flat desert?
  
• Should I choose a different Field Ops digirig radio altogether and run 10 or 20W?
  
• What other advice might you have?
  

K0JRH
Edit: clarified range I'm seeking

i’m looking at the buddipole deluxe for a portable antenna and I can’t find any reviews on it. Is it worth the 400 dollars?

K-1735 Fenwick Island State Park 20M

Ironically, there’s a post in this subreddit with this exact title, but the OP was looking for a dual band antenna, so neither option played.
I picked up my General and Extra just over a year ago and I’m finally looking in to dipping my toes in HF. I was looking at picking up one of the Buddipole kits, but discovered the existence of the MPAS 2.0, and lack the knowledge to make an informed comparison between the two.
My living situation dictates flexibility in installation; I currently live one place with zero antenna restrictions, but expect to move within the next month, to another place with no restrictions. With any luck I’ll be there for almost a year, but then expect to move again. No idea what that move will get me into. That cycle is likely to keep up for at least 3-5 years before I hope to establish something more permanent.
Since a permanent shack is out of the question for now, something that is easy to move around is critical, which takes me the next step to maybe using it for mobile activations, I just saw there are almost 500 SOTA peaks in my county, with only about 10% of them ever having been activated.
I’m also open to other suggestions; I have zero experience building antennas, and the knowledge to match, but I love the idea of ‘doing it on the cheap.’

Hello - I'm looking for a mast for setting up a temporary GMRS repeater.
Use case - short duration camping trips when tree antenna placement is not an option. It will be placed in an optimal location (height is might), off the beaten path (minimize chance of walking off), and left for the duration of trip.
Antenna will be Ed Fong's DBJ-UHF (GMRS) with 25' of FSJ2-50 coax (total weight of 3.4lbs/1.5kg).
Desires:
- 20'-30' in height
- collapsible to less than 4' and not too heavy (hike up a hill without a trail)
- easy to raise and securely guy with one person
Current contenders:
- DX engineering fiberglass mast - borderline too long when collapsed
- WiMo HD fiberglass mast - concerned about sections remaining extended and durability
- Buddipole Mast - I like the readily available tripod, but for the cost, would be tempted to just get a full antenna kit - which gets pricey.
- Mastwerks - the cats meow, but pricey - is it really that much better?
Any other recommendations?

Anyone familiar with setting up a Buddipole deluxe? Looking for some tips from experienced people. Thank you.

Hey all, I'm new to HF and just bought a Xiegu G90 20 watt radio, with a buddipole portable antenna that I have setup indoors. I believe I have the antenna dialed in pretty well, with low SWR on receive. I am able to hear people from all over the country, but these people don't seem to be able to hear me. I've noticed high swr when transmitting. The transmit power is set to 20 watts.
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Are my expectations of this radio unrealistic because of its 20 watt transmit power? Is the transmit power too low?
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Any leads in the right direction are appreciated!

I have a Buddipole that's configured as a dipole right now for 10 meters.
My analyzer is showing my SWR as 10+, and so is my radio meter.
I've checked the continuity throughout the antenna, and it has zero resistance from the tips of the cable to the whips. Coils, whips, and other parts seem to be in good order.
The only time my SWR goes below 10 is if I wrap my hand around the positive coil.
No clue what to do next. 😐
Thanks in advance for your help!

For anyone interested in joining and saying hello to some kids - 10 - 20 years old.
Our location will be Berwick, Victoria, Australia -- ~ 25kM SE of Melbourne
QF21
Supervisors VK3LOL and VK3AVI
Station will be...
#1 IC-7300 on 7.125+/- QRM and 14.225 +/- QRM Beaming north to VK1, VK2, VK4, PNG, Indonesia, Philippines and Japan. Compromise antenna (Buddipole) Entirety of the Airleague evening - ~ 7:15pm to 8:45pm AEDST
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#2 2/70 portable (Yaesu VX-7R or Wouxun KG-UV9DPlus) on repeater VK3REC (147.175 / 123Hz tone) until ~ 7:50pm (WIA broadcast begins at 8PM and EMDRC net / checkins follow.) If repeater is in use we will consider alternatives, possibly the GGREC repeater (VK3RGW 431.425 / 91.5Hz tone) if we can hit it.
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#3 IC-705 on 146.450 FM simplex -- or -- 144.150 SSB -- or -- 144.725 DStar simplex Possibly 2M only (slim Jim) may wrangle a 70CM antenna.
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I'll have my hands full but will try to monitor this thread and edit this post with updates.

I've been kicking around the idea of portable HF for a while now. This post is a bit long but I would appreciate some thoughts on setups or anything that is glaringly wrong..
Here's my situation:
I live in an apartment, but with patience and experimentation have been able to do pretty well on HF digital and CW. Less so voice, but successful QSOs aren't impossible. As it so happens, my apartment is a 15 - 20 minute walk from a large nature preserve that is also used for POTA activations occasionally.
Here is what I want to do:
I would like to have a setup that I can put into a backpack and comfortably walk down to the park, setup, and operate for a couple hours, then pack up and walk back home. I'm partial to CW, but would love to try voice and digital as well. Because of the size, weight and power requirements, QRP radios are appealing, but I don't know how successful I will be with 5-10 watts. I know if I do a POTA activation people will be looking for me (K4SWL has a lot of impressive videos working POTA pileups qrp), but if operating outside a POTA activation will lower power still be successful? My girlfriend is also really encouraging me to put together a setup I can also bring to her house when I stay over. I also enjoy SWL outside the ham bands. So even if I don't make any contacts, I can still enjoy my time.
I would likely sell a few radios to help defray costs, but that's a different subject.
I went to a local HRO and played around a bit with display rigs, but there are more options out there.
Radios I checked out:
IC 705 - I liked this one a lot. Coming from a 7300 and 5100, it felt very comfortable. I like that it has a battery pack in addition to accepting a 12 v source. Having 6/2/70cm is a nice plus bit not a priority. A real charmer.
IC 7100 - Played with a display unit, but I think this is discontinued? Again, really comfortable. A few pounds heavier but also capable of 100 watts. VHF/UHF a plus but not needed.
FT-891 - I want to like this radio for the size and 100 watt output, but the screen, menus and overall navigation felt less intuitive and refined. Probably would work just fine, but left me kind of cold
Other radios I'm interested in but haven't used:
IC 7000 - Out of production, 100 watts, still expensive on the used market.
Lab599 TX-500 - QRP radio, looks solid. Read a mixed review. Not really sure without using first
KX3 - The holy grail of QRP rigs. 15 watts out. Expensive, but beautiful and great reviews. Currently unavailable new.
KX2 - Same as above minus 160 meters and in a smaller package. A bit less expensive.
G90 - A bit more power. Have not seen one in person. Don't know much else.
I know that I do not want to lug around my 7300 or similar full sized HF radio
Antennas - I'm leaning towards verticals for ease of setup:
Chelegance MC-750 - full size 1/4 wave at 10-20 meters, plus a loading coil for 40. I saw a video by K4SWL who seemed to have great success with it.
Wolf River Coils SOTA Special - A couple of local hams seem to really like this.
Super antenna - Smaller size, generally good reviews?
Buddipole? Ham Stick? Not sure.
I'd like something that can be easily adjusted to resonance and not needing a tuner.
Thanks for reading and any ideas.

Also what are your favorite beach vacation antennas? Anyone think I should get a Buddipole?

Hello all,
I picked up a Xeigu G90 recently and I'm thinking of taking it with me when I go on vacation in a couple months. Flying to the other side of the states, hoping to get some more contacts across the pond, working FT8.
I have a buddipole currently for field work. It's great but is a bit bulky for air travel, especially since I don't check luggage. Plus, it would never make it past TSA.
In looking at portable options, it looks like a long wire run around the room (not practical) or a mag loop antenna is my best bet. The "Wonderwand Loop" looks promising, as it's a self contained system that plugs in directly to the radio and does not need a support to hold the loop up. My other option is an "Alex Loop". Both collapse into a compact size for travel. The only downside of the Alex is it needs some form of support to hang the loop from... though I suspect blue tape on the window may suffice or a plastic coat hook off a door? Tripod or a pole isn't an option. The G90 puts out 20w but both of these antennas max out at 10w.
Does anyone here have any experience with these or can recommend something better? Something easy to setup inside a room? Something that can handle the full 20? Most importantly, something that can fit in a carry-on bag and make it past TSA. The G90 has a built-in antenna tuner, that (according to reviews) can tune a wet noodle into a great antenna.
And yes, I do realize that I'm talking about a low power radio, on a compromise antenna, in a highly noise compromised environment. I have read that upper levels and exterior views can help mitigate that to a degree. Allegedly these antennas are fairly directional and that can help mitigate as well. I primarily work FT8, so the weak signal nature of that medium may help. I've seen some videos of people making good phone contacts from hotel rooms with a mag loop, so I have hope!
It's probably a long shot at best, but I needed the radio anyways to fill-in for my main one that's in the shop for the next 1.5-2 months and it's the right price point for a travel system.
Thanks in advance and 73
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TL;DR version:
Looking for recommendations on portable HF antennas I can take on a plane and easily setup in a hotel room, preferably without any exterior support.

My Elmer friend gave me quite a haul of unused kit, including some pieces to a buddipole that he received from an SK. I have a friend with a buddistick kit, and it seems to me all I’m missing is a mount to feed it, radials, some coil taps, and a better whip. I would like to know if any of you fellows know of an easy way to get these coils on the air. I don’t think it would be affordable to supply a mount from buddipole, as the parts are quite expensive from there. If there are cheaper alternatives, I’d love to hear about them! Interested in a semi-permanent apartment balcony setup, for SSB POTA chasing and digital.
73 de a new General
A photo since my client doesn’t post text and pictures in one post: https://imgur.com/a/nZPBxXs