BUDDIPOLE

IN THE FIELD
by B. Scott Andersen, NE1RD
Foreword by Chris Drummond, W6HFP
BUDDIPOLE, Inc.
 Buddipole
™

in the Field
B. Scott Andersen, NE1RD
 Buddipole™ in the Field
Published by B. Scott Andersen, NE1RD. Copyright © 2010 B. Scott Andersen.
Buddipole™ in the Field by B. Scott Andersen is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No
Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

You are free:

To Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work

Under the following conditions:

Attribution. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the
author or licensor (but not in a way that suggests that they endorse you or your
use of the work).

Noncommercial. You may not use this work for commercial purposes.

No Derivative Works — You may not alter, transform, or build upon this
work.
With the understanding that:
Waiver — Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the
copyright holder.
Other Rights — In no way are any of the following rights affected by the license:
• Your fair dealing or fair use rights;
• The author's moral rights;
• Rights other persons may have either in the work itself or in how the work is
used, such as publicity or privacy rights.
Notice — For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms
of this work.

A nonexclusive license for commercial use, printing, and redistribution of this

work is granted to Buddipole, Inc., 3155 SW 234th Ave, Unit B, Hillsboro, OR
97123.

Trademarks
Buddipole™ and Buddistick™ are trademarks of Buddipole, Inc.
RadioShack® is a registered trademark of RadioShack Corporation
Delrin® and Dacron® are registered trademarks of DuPont
All other trademarks are owned by their respective holders.

First Edition (with updated drawings, typo page 54 fixed, and new
Appendices A & B) • April 2010
A 100 Pound DXpedition Book
Foreword
Back in early 2000 a self-described tinkerer and lifelong ham radio
enthusiast designed in his garage a rotatable dipole antenna made of
common everyday components, including CPVC pipe, speaker wire, and
adjustable TV whip antennas. The antenna quickly gained an online
following of “hf portable ops” who were intrigued by the antenna’s
effectiveness, portability, and ease of use. The antenna soon became
known as “the Buddipole” (short for “Budd's dipole”), named for the
inventor, Budd (W3FF), who also happens to be my father.
Today, the commercial version of the Buddipole can be found on every
continent, and nearly every country in the world. The design has
evolved from a simple horizontal dipole to a modular set of
components, designed to be mixed-and-matched, to create many other
configurations. Some of these antennas include verticals, vertical beams,
jpoles, Yagis, and other “Frankantennas,” many of which have proven to
be remarkably effective given their particular application.
One person who has been instrumental in adding to the knowledge pool
of how to maximize the effectiveness of the Buddipole system is B. Scott
Andersen, NE1RD. I got to know Scott on our first “100 pound
DXpedition” to the Caribbean island of Montserrat in 2007. What
impressed me most about him was his meticulous (some would say
“ruthless”) preparation ethic. Our ragtag group of operators, who for
the most part had never met in person, were soon passengers on the
“NE1RD express planning train,” complete with weekly conference
calls, equipment spreadsheets, band plans, and operating schedules.
Scott aptly penned the motto for this first trip as “not rare, but well
done,” and the discipline paid off with the benefits having carried
through to our most recent trip to St. Lucia in February 2010.
Scott applies this same type of discipline to his selection of antennas,
with an emphasis on increasing performance by increasing the physical
size of the antenna, creating more efficient grounding systems, and other
tips and tricks that operators at all skill levels will find useful. He
removes a lot of the inevitable subjectivity that is so prevalent in many
antenna discussion circles, and backs up his findings with antenna
modeling that confirms his theories. We’re lucky that he’s been willing
to share his knowledge with us.
As we approach the 10th year of business at Buddipole (really, has it
been 10 years?) we’re as excited as we’ve ever been about the potential of
this unique portable antenna system, and the new ideas and products
that are coming down the road. We are continuing to improve each area
of the business, including providing more types of assistance such as
online video tutorials (www.youtube.com/buddipole), regional
Buddipole gatherings, and support documents such as this book. And,
we are particularly blessed by a large following of Buddipole users (nearly
5,000 now just on our online group called "the B.U.G.", or Buddipole
User’s Group) who continue to be our best source for new ideas and
inspiration.
Enjoy the book and get ready for some great operating in sunspot cycle
24 and beyond!

Chris Drummond
President
Buddipole, Inc.
March 2010

Join the B.U.G. (Buddipole User’s Group)

www.groups.yahoo.com/group/buddipole
Preface
When the term ham radio station is mentioned, most picture an old man
sitting among a ramble of dusty gray boxes, glowing and warming his
shack on a cold winter’s evening. Outside would be a triangular tower
that had long ago lost its sheen, punctuated with sagging spires sprouting
from the long booms reaching out from its apex.
The above might have been the archetypical shack once, but it is not so
today. Amateur radio has become a more dynamic and varied pursuit.
This rapid change in the hobby has been made possible by a revolution
in electronic, computer, and energy technologies that have made
equipment smaller, more energy efficient, more powerful, more versatile,
more reliable, and more portable. All band, all mode transceivers
delivering 100 watts of power now fit comfortably in the palm of one’s
hand. Computer technology driving digital signal processing (DSP)
filtering and digital data modes such as PSK-31 have made it possible for
operators to dig out weak signals more than ever before, and to transmit
and receive digital data effectively with a minimum of power. Solar and
battery technology leaps have made it possible for HF stations to operate
portably for hours or days at a time from remote locations. We have
come a long way from the old man and his gray boxes!
Where our hypothetical old man still has the advantage, though, is in his
antenna system. His tower with its Yagi is formidable. Transceivers have
shrunk. Power requirements have shrunk. Energy densities of batteries
and efficiencies of solar cells have increased, but antennas cannot shrink
without affecting their performance. The physical laws for antennas are
unbending. One cannot negotiate with nature.
What one can do is make intelligent tradeoffs in their antenna designs
and construct their systems from high-quality materials that can
withstand the demands of their environment. Optimizing such things as
performance versus cost, versus weight, versus deployment time are a
keystone of effective portable and temporary operation. The Buddipole
antenna system is well suited to these needs, and it is an excellent choice
for managing these optimizations.
The Buddipole is a flexible antenna system made of high-strength aircraft
aluminum and UV-resistant polymer parts, all rugged enough for nearly
any situation. These interchangeable parts are equipped with standard
3/8" x 24 threads allowing for configurations utilizing both Buddipole and

non-Buddipole components.
The Buddipole cannot defy the laws of physics. No antenna can. But, it
can provide good and quick deployment options with good tradeoffs. It
also breaks down for easy transport, is light, easy to pack, easy to erect,
and is versatile, covering 80m through 2m. It is also unobtrusive, a
feature valued by those hampered by homeowner association (HOA)
rules or other covenants. A common temporary deployment is right in
one’s backyard.
This book describes how to configure the Buddipole, and how to get the
most of every inch and every ounce. Properly configured, the Buddipole
can be one of the best antenna platforms in its class. This book will
show you how to get the most that the Buddipole has to offer.

B. Scott Andersen, NE1RD

March 2010

A note from the author

The author has no financial connection with Buddipole, Inc. He
is just an enthusiastic user of Buddipole products, and is a friend
to Chris and Budd Drummond. The author has had good
success using these products, and he hopes this book will help
others have that same level of success.
Acknowledgements
The danger of one of these lists is that someone is always omitted, much
to the chagrin of the list creator. Well, here goes: Chris (W6HFP) and
Budd (W3FF) Drummond of Buddipole, Inc. have been extremely
supportive of my 100 Pound DXpedition ideas and the development of this
book. Without them there would be no Buddipole. My elmer
Dave Bushong (KZ1O) has been patient with my endless stream of
questions that began even before licensing. The Buddipole Users on
Montserrat (BUMs) group Chris and Budd, Mike Greenwood (KC4VG),
Paul Van Dyke (KB9AVO), Tom Clarke (W4OKW), and Bob Follett
(KT7L) who were patient with me during the 2007 DXpedition project.
Many photographs in this book were from that trip. The Buddies in the
Caribbean team (J6 DXpedition) Chris, Budd, Mike, and Paul from the
BUMs, Dan Gagnon (WZ1P), Steve Galchutt (WG0AT), Guy Hamblen
(N7UN), and Wey Walker (K8EAB). Special thanks go to Charlie
Learoyd (K1PUB), Rich Crisafulli (AB1HD), Rick Green (W1RAG), and
Allison Parent (KB1GMX) for reading early drafts of the book, and
providing great guidance for moving it forward. Finally, and most
importantly, to Sandy Peters, the home team, who never asked if I was
“born in a barn” when I was running in-and-out of the house testing all
these configurations. This could not have been done without her
unflagging support. I’ve had great help with this effort. Any errors or
omissions in this book are my fault alone.

A note on Buddipole product descriptions

All product information contained in this book was accurate as of
its first publication. That said, Buddipole, Inc. regularly introduces
new products and makes improvements to existing products.
Some products may be replaced by new versions that do not have
precise compatibility or operating characteristics as those they
replaced. (This has already happened. The coils from the earliest
Buddipole models were redesigned for later models.)
Every effort has been made to ensure the advice in this book is
accurate, but changes to the Buddipole components may have
incompatibilities with the descriptions in this text. Please visit
www.buddipole.com or the Yahoo! Buddipole User Group to obtain
the latest data on Buddipole products, and updates to this book.
 About the Author

B. Scott Andersen, NE1RD, was born and raised in rural Illinois. He

graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1981 with a
degree in Computer Science. He relocated to the Boston area thereafter.

Scott held a commercial radio license in the 1970’s, but the amateur
radio license would not come until 2002. Once licensed, his call sign
from the Amateur Extra pool AB1BL was quickly replaced by the vanity
call NE1RD. He is an avid builder, contester, and lightweight
DXpeditioner. During his 100 Pound DXpeditions he has operated from
Montserrat (VP2M), St. Kitts (V4), St. John (USVI), and various other
islands recognized by the RSGB IOTA program. His next adventure is
to St. Thomas, USVI (KP2) in March of 2010.

Scott is a software engineer working for a company specializing in safety

critical software. When he is not watching baseball, reading, or traveling,
he writes and develops software for the amateur radio community. Scott
resides in Acton, Massachusetts with Sandy, the woman of his dreams, to
whom this book is dedicated.

www.bsandersen.com
 How to use this book
Though the Buddipole antenna has been around for a long time, this is the
first book written for it. There is material here for enthusiasts of every
background, and the book addresses the needs of several audiences. You
do not need to be an antenna expert to use this book. Quite the contrary!
The express purpose of the book was to help causal and serious users
alike get the most from their Buddipole systems.
If you only wish to get ideas for how to best deploy
the antenna off a deck, on a beach, or some other
place, then look for the cookbook section within each
chapter describing specific configurations, and
performance expected from them. These areas are
identified with a large chef’s hat and a heading with
cookbook in the title. There are lots of ideas in the book for making single
element dipoles, vertical antennas, and even multi-element Yagi
antennas.
If you want to know why some specific configuration for the Buddipole
was selected for a particular purpose, look to the theory section in the
front of that chapter for the rationale. Standard antenna theory,
modeling, analysis, measurement, and reasoning went into the
recommendations presented. The author can only hope that the
decisions made are justified in the text. The reader is free to disagree, but
at least you can see the process that went into the decisions.
Some suggestions in the book may not always jibe with the vast amount
of Buddipole lore. Any product as popular as the Buddipole will have many
ardent users, each with stories and conjectures of their awesome, never-
to-be-beaten, “killer antenna designs.” The purpose of this book is not
to confirm or refute such claims, but to instead, using the laws of physics
as our guide, select the best options for deployment using Buddipole
components. Those with the “killer antenna designs” will have to write
their own books.
The first chapter, The Buddipole Antenna System, provides a formal
introduction to the Buddipole, and to the organization of the book. All
readers are encouraged to start there. However, if you are the kind of
reader that likes to get “right down to it” then you might find this road
map helpful. (However, the author recommends skimming, not skipping,
chapters.)
Finally, no one book, no matter how large and detailed, can cover all
possible configurations and options for an antenna of this type. Online
resources, such as the Buddipole User Group (BUG) pages on Yahoo!, are
continuously updated, and knowledgeable moderators and contributors
will often answer specific questions. You can also contact Buddipole, Inc.
directly for any support needs.
NOTE: The Buddipole name is applied to any of several different bundles
sold by Buddipole, Inc. When this book discusses Buddipole it either applies
to the general idea of a Buddipole, or some specific configuration of it.
When it is the latter, the book will be specific about which Buddipole
model or components are under discussion.
http://www.buddipole.com
http://www.yahoo.com/group/Buddipole
Table of Contents
1   THE BUDDIPOLE ANTENNA SYSTEM ............................................1  

2   ANATOMY OF A BUDDIPOLE ...........................................................7  

3   MOUNTING AND FEEDING THE BUDDIPOLE............................21  

4   EVALUATING ANTENNAS ...............................................................25  

5   BALCONIES AND ROOFTOPS.........................................................41  

6   GROUND MOUNTED VERTICALS .................................................61  

7   BUDDIPOLE ON THE BEACH ..........................................................97  

8   THE BUDDISTICK .............................................................................103  

9   BUDDIPOLE BEAMS.........................................................................113  

10   LOW BAND ANTENNAS ................................................................127  

11   FINAL WORDS.................................................................................141  

APPENDIX A .............................................................................................145  

APPENDIX B..............................................................................................146  

APPENDIX C .............................................................................................147  

APPENDIX D .............................................................................................148  

APPENDIX E..............................................................................................149  

LIST OF TERMS .......................................................................................150  

REFERENCES ...........................................................................................152  

i
1 The Buddipole Antenna System
This book is about the Buddipole™
antenna system from Buddipole, Inc.
What is a Buddipole? A Buddipole is an
antenna for VHF and HF
communications constructed from
small, lightweight parts for portable
and temporary use. (Note that many
people use one as their permanent
antenna.) There is no “one
Buddipole” antenna; the Buddipole is a Chris Drummond, W6HFP
system that can be assembled in any Buddipole President
number of ways to fit a particular with a Buddipole
purpose. This book will describe
how to select the best Buddipole configuration for a variety of situations
including working from a beach, hilltop, balcony, or field.
The Buddipole antenna system can be used to construct antennas covering
7 MHz – 148 MHz in horizontal dipole, vertical dipole, vertical
monopole, or other configurations. Lower bands are possible with
additional components. Where full-sized antennas can be configured the
Buddipole provides an antenna equal in performance to permanent
antenna alternatives. Shortened antennas can be constructed using
loading coils, and these perform surprisingly well when deployed properly.
There are many “standard” antenna configurations, but it can also be fun
and effective to create your own designs.
In this regard, the Buddipole is very much like the childrens’ toy erector set.
The erector set was invented by A. C. Gilbert in 1911 and manufactured
by the A. C. Gilbert Company in New Haven, Connecticut until the late
1960’s. (The Gabriel company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania bought the
name and continued making the set into the 1980’s.) The erector set
included metal pieces in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, wheels, axles,
pulleys, twine, motors, cogs, and all manner of mechanical contraptions.
A big bag of nuts and bolts allowed children (of all ages) to build cranes,
airplanes, trucks, towers, ships, and many other objects. The very best—
and most fun—things to build were those not found in the scant
assembly instructions and guides that came with the set; the best stuff
were those things made with just the user’s imagination. The genius of
the erector set was that anything was possible. The Buddipole antenna
system is very much the same! There are so many possible combinations
and configurations for the Buddipole that no one book could cover them
1
all—though this book will cover many of them. And, like the erector set,
the best configuration may be the ones you devise.
So, what can you do with a Buddipole?
The list is endless, but here are a few
ideas:
• Operate from a picnic table
• Take a radio on vacation
• Operate from your condo or
apartment as an indoor or deck
antenna
• Operate from a hilltop
• Operate from a ship or boat
• Field Day
• Emergency communication
• Contesting from a remote
location
The author and Budd Drummond • DXpeditions
(W3FF) inventor of the original • Use it for making antenna
Buddipole operating from a field on
the island of Montserrat
measurements of your other
antennas

The list of possible uses could fill a book! If you operate an HF or VHF
radio and could use an antenna system that is extremely flexible in its
configuration, deploys quickly, is rugged, portable, lightweight, and very
well supported by its manufacturer and user community, then you
should consider Buddipole.
There is a story to be told here, and this book is organized such that the
story is told in order. The reader is always free to skip ahead (or back),
but below is an outline of the general progression the book offers.
1 The Buddipole Antenna System
This first chapter talks about the Buddipole product and the
outline of this book.
2 Anatomy of a Buddipole
This chapter discusses each of the Buddipole product
models, their differences, and optional accessories
available from the company store. The options enhance
the capabilities of the antenna, and create new options for
deployment. The company is always developing new
products. Check the Buddipole web site for new offerings.
2
3 Mounting and Feeding a Buddipole
This chapter discusses the basics of how to get the
Buddipole mounted, erected, and fed.
4 Evaluating Antennas
This chapter is one of the three theory chapters in the
book (along with the first portions of the chapters Balconies
and rooftops and Ground Mounted Verticals). It begins by
discussing how large dynamic power differences can be
and how large an S-unit really is. Far field patterns of
antenna radiation are discussed. The concepts explored in
this chapter are used throughout the book.
5 Balconies and Rooftops
This is the first of the cookbook chapters that describe how
to construct and deploy Buddipole antennas for balconies
and rooftops. Each of these chapters assumes a familiarity
with the Buddipole system (from Anatomy of a Buddipole), and
strategies for getting the antenna in the clear and fed
properly (from Mounting and Feeding a Buddipole). The text
relies on far field antenna modeling plots to illustrate the
particulars of antenna performance. It is assumed that the
materials in Evaluating Antennas are understood. As with
each of the cookbook chapters, there is a discussion in the
front of the chapter, and a cookbook section in the rear.
While one could skip directly to the cookbook, there is
significant benefit to understanding why particular
configurations or deployment heights are recommended.
6 Ground Mounted Verticals
One of the most common deployments can also be one of
the most challenging. This chapter shows how to create
the best Buddipole configurations for deployment over open
terrain. The short answer is vertical, but the theory section
of the chapter explains why and how best to build, setup,
and use the Buddipole as a ground mounted antenna. The
theory section discusses the problems associated with
shortened verticals such as low radiation resistance, low
feedpoint impedance, and small 2:1 SWR bandwidth.

3
 7 Buddipole on the Beach
Beaches bordering saltwater provide a unique opportunity
for portable antennas like the Buddipole. This chapter
discusses beach antennas and the effects of ground.
8 The Buddistick
The Buddistick is a family of products sold by Buddipole, Inc.
that can be used to make verticals and other simple
designs. A Buddistick is roughly half a Buddipole, equipped
with two 11 inch arms, one coil, and a radial wire for
constructing a vertical antenna. It is extremely lightweight
and handy for quick deployments.
9 Buddipole Beams
The basic Buddipole systems come with enough parts to
make single element antennas. Additional parts may be
purchased from the Buddipole, Inc. accessory store enabling
the construction of compact Yagi antennas. These
antennas are very effective for 6m, 10m, and 12m bands.
This chapter identifies the parts needed, and shows how to
construct small, lightweight, strong, and effective Yagi
antennas with just Buddipole parts and accessories.
10 Low Band Antennas
A standard Buddipole antenna covers bands 40m through
2m. Lower bands, 60m and 80m, are possible with
additional components. This chapter shows how to
construct and deploy effective antennas for the lower
bands.
11 Final Words
A Final Words chapter gives the author one last chance to
add some words of advice.
A common question by operators doing portable, temporary, or deed-
restricted operation is, “How can I erect an antenna in this place for
these bands?” Even in tight quarters, where wire antennas or other
commercial offerings cannot fit, the Buddipole can. In situations where
the antenna must be transported to the operating location, the Buddipole
can travel where few other antennas can, and it comes equipped with a
tripod, or a shock-cord mast, or can be fastened to the top of a simple

4
painter’s pole so it can be deployed easily. Few other commercial
offerings have this flexibility.
Getting the antenna to where it is needed is one thing, but is it any good?
It is easy to deploy an antenna that works “at all” but will it work well?
The difference between works at all and works well can be profound. It can
mean the difference between setting up an antenna and working a few
stations, and erecting the proper antenna, in the proper way, at the
proper height, and working the world. The author hopes you can do the
latter.
The Buddipole, when configured and deployed properly, is an extremely
effective antenna system. This book gives you all you need to know to
make those important tradeoffs in configuration and deployment to get
the best out of this system.

5
 A note to Buddistick users

The Buddipole and Buddistick use the same type of components. The
biggest differences between these two systems are:
• The number of components. The type and number of
parts differ between the two systems. The Buddipole system
has many more parts, and can be used to construct dipoles.
The Buddistick has only 22 inches of accessory antenna arms
(two 11 inch pieces), one coil, and one whip. It is roughly
half a Buddipole.
• The VersaTee. The Buddipole includes the VersaTee used to
mount antennas to a mast, and to accept multiple elements.
The Buddistick has a smaller, simpler mounting plate that
cannot be used on a standard Buddipole mast or mount. This
plate has only one mounting place for a single vertical
element.
Because the Buddistick has fewer parts than a Buddipole system there
are fewer options available when constructing an antenna. However,
just the addition of a VersaTee (to replace the Buddistick mounting
plate), appropriate feed line, and mast make it possible to construct
some of the antennas described in the chapter Ground Mounted
Verticals since those antennas have only a single vertical component,
just like a Buddistick. Adding a low band coil and a longer whip to the
VersaTee, feed line, and mast makes it possible for Buddistick users to
construct low band (60m/80m) antennas.
Though the Buddistick starts small, it can be expanded and enhanced
with accessories, just like the Buddipole. Each cookbook section
indicates the parts needed to construct a given antenna. If you have
the parts, you can build the antenna–whether those parts came from
a Buddipole or Buddistick kit.

6
2 Anatomy of a Buddipole
Budd Drummond, W3FF, is a bundle of energy as anyone who has met
him will attest. In January of 2000 Budd began experimenting with
antennas for portable and “walking-portable” operation. He put his
design on his web page and hams everywhere began buying the
RadioShack® 6 foot whips and speaker wire, and raiding Home Depot®
for plumbing supplies to make the new, very lightweight, very versatile
Buddipole.
Chris Drummond, W6HFP, Budd’s http://www.qsl.net/w3ff/
son, took the idea commercial in July
Budd Drummond’s home
of 2002. W3FF Antennas soon
page on QSL.NET has
became the Buddipole, Inc. we know
assembly instructions for
today. Budd’s original design is still at
building a do-it-yourself
the heart of Buddipole’s offerings, but
Buddipole. The Radio Shack
Chris has expanded the product line to
whips are no longer
accommodate the ever-increasing
available, but you can find
demands of Buddipole’s customers. This
similar whips elsewhere—
book will only discuss antennas and
including the Buddipole web
related products from the commercial
site. Even if you are not
side of the family. If you are a fan of
interested in building a
Budd’s, fear not. Just because Buddipole
homebrew Buddipole it is
has gone commercial doesn’t mean
interesting to read about
Budd’s fingerprints aren’t all over
how it all got started.
everything! Budd continues to work
closely with Chris, and he is one of the
company’s most enthusiastic tester of any new product.
The commercial Buddipole (standard model) antenna is a modular system
that can be deployed as a horizontal dipole, vertical dipole, or vertical
monopole. It can handle up to 250 watts of power, and the basic system
covers frequencies from 7–148 MHz. The basic pieces for the standard
Buddipole are described over the next few pages.

7
 The VersaTee™ is the heart of the
Buddipole, and the feedpoint of the antenna.
The device is constructed from an
extremely rugged, UV resistant material.
There are three 3/8"x24 threaded receptacles
that accept Buddipole accessory arms, whips,
coils, or other industry standard antenna
components with that threading. The front
of the device has three taps, connecting to
those three mount points, that can either
fasten wire (thumb nuts screw down on the
¼" posts), or accept small banana plugs
from the companion Buddipole feed line.
Four large feed-through holes can be used
to receive rope to guy the antenna. Finally,
the bottom of the device receives a ½"
NPT pipe thread that mates with the
available 8 foot or 16 foot Buddipole masts.
[A small adapter is also available that
enables mounting on a standard painter’s
pole.]
The standard Buddipole comes with two
accessory antenna arms. These arms are
aluminum tubes that are approximately 22"
long by ¾" in diameter. They have a
3/8"x24 male post on one end and a 3/8"x24

female connector on the other. The arms

can mate with the VersaTee, coils
(described below), whips, and each other.
They are extremely lightweight and very
strong.
The standard Buddipole comes with two
coils, one “red”, and one “black.” Like the
accessory antenna arms the coils have a
3/8"x24 male post on one end, and a 3/8"x24

female connector on the other. A wander

lead with a banana plug is connected to the
male post that enables tapping the coil with
the help of coil clips described below.

8
 Coil clips are small stainless steel parts that
are used to grip a coil wire on a single turn.
The small hook of the clip loops around
the coil wire, and the plastic nut screws
down to pull the hook taut. The coil clip
accepts the wander lead banana plug to
complete the connection.
Two 5.5 foot stainless steel whips with
3/8"x24 threading are included in the

standard Buddipole package.

A 25 foot RG58A/U 50 ohm coaxial cable

terminated with banana plugs on one end
(to mate with the VersaTee), and a female
BNC connector on the other (standard for
QRP rigs) is supplied. A BNC to PL-259
adapter is included.
The kit comes packed in a nylon slipcase
that can hold all the pieces in long pockets
and roll them into a small bundle. The case
has two long Velcro straps that hold the
roll tight.

The nylon roll slipcase slips into a black

thermoplastic case for storage and travel.

The standard Buddipole does not come with a

mast. The easiest solution to getting the
Buddipole in the air is to purchase the Center Tee
to Painter’s Pole Adapter from the Buddipole, Inc.
accessories page. The small Delrin® single
piece adapter screws on to a painter’s pole
Acme threads and presents a ½" pipe thread Painter Pole Adapter
compatible with the bottom of the VersaTee.
Painter’s poles come in a variety of lengths. Poles in the 12-16 foot
lengths are common and inexpensive.

9
All these pieces come together to construct an antenna. Let’s construct a
10m horizontal dipole to see how the process works. Using the formula
234/f = L, each length (L) of a leg for a 10m dipole should be
approximately 234/28.3 = 8.27 feet, or about 8 feet 3 inches. A
combination of whips, accessory antenna arms (or just “arms” for short),
and possibly coils will be used to construct an antenna with these
dimensions. The general strategy for constructing any Buddipole antenna
is to create full-sized elements where possible, and to use coils to add
loading where necessary.
The VersaTee is the center of the dipole and provides a place for the
feedpoint to accept the coax. Begin by locating the VersaTee in the
Buddipole kit. The VersaTee has three 3/8"x24 taps that can accept arms or
other antenna elements. A dipole uses two of these, the left (red) side
and the right (black) side. The top tap is not used.
Orient the VersaTee so that the label faces you. Begin by screwing in an
arm into the right side (black) of the VersaTee. Do not over-tighten!
Buddipole components should only be assembled to be “finger
tight”; never use tools to tighten Buddipole components. The length
of our radiator is now just under two feet (22 inches). According to our
calculations, we need an additional 6 feet 5 inches of radiator (or
equivalent loading) to complete this antenna element.
The standard whip fully extended is only 5 feet 6 inches in length so
without a coil the element will be too short. Locate the black coil and
gently screw it into the end of the arm. It is good practice to ensure the
nut holding the wander lead is tight before affixing the coil to the arm.
Again, do not over-tighten. It is best to leave a small gap between the
end of the arm and the nut holding the wander lead.
With the whip collapsed, screw the whip into the end of the black coil
using minimum force. Turn until the whip is snug against the coil but do
not over-tighten. This completes the construction of one element.
Repeat the steps for the left side (red) by adding an arm, red coil, and
whip.
The last steps are to tap each coil at the appropriate point, and to extend
the whips to the proper length. The antenna system comes with a tuning
guide table similar to the one shown in Table 1. Refer to it now.

10
 Table 1 Tuning guide for a standard Buddipole for 2 through 40 meters
The guidance for 10 meters is to use both the red and black coils,
tapping both coils at the second turn. The red-side whip should be
extended five whip sections; the black-side whip should have all six
sections extended.
The Buddipole antenna system has a clever mechanism for tapping coils.
Small coil clips are used to hook
one of the turns of wire on the
coil. The hook extends below a
hollow threaded rod that accepts
a plastic knurled nut. To tap a
coil, loosen the plastic nut on the
coil clip until it is very near the
end of its travel, or remove the
nut completely. Carefully insert
the hook into the turns of wire
such that the blade of the hook is
away from the whip (as shown).
You may need to lay the coil clip
along the turns of the coil to get
the end snapped in between two
turns. Using the chart in Table 1,
insert the coil clip hook at the
appropriate turn in the coil. For
the 10m coil tap, use the second
turn as shown.
Count coil turns from the whip
side of the coil beginning with
the first full wire below the screw. Once the coil tap has hooked the
11
proper turn of the wire, orient the coil clip vertically (perpendicular to
the coil) and carefully tighten the plastic nut. Be very careful! Do not
over-tighten. The nut should be snug, but no more. Do not pull or
stretch the coil wire beneath by over-tightening. The coil clip is quite
strong and the plastic nut
provides significant mechanical
advantage. If you were to crank
down on it, you could pull the
coil wire off its form!
Once the coil clip is in place,
take the wander lead and gently
insert its banana plug into the
hole of the coil clip.
Repeat this procedure for the
red coil observing the tap number from Table 1 (also tap 2).
Though both coils have a large
number of turns on them, it is
possible to use as many, or as few,
as are necessary. Further, the coils
are marked with color codes on
particular turns to ease tap selection
for some of the supported bands.
The black coil has a black stripe
and a blue stripe; the red coil has a
red stripe and a green stripe. The
tuning guide calls out these turns as Green 10, Blue 15, Red 4, and Black 6.
It is much easier to spot a stripe on the coil than to count turns. For
most bands, these stripes are considerable time savers.
When coils have been tapped the antenna is ready for deployment. If it is
not already on a mast, affix the mast now. Extend the whips as per the
tuning guide, pulling out five sections on the red-side whip, and all six
sections on the left, as per the tuning guide.
Attach the feed line by inserting the banana plug on the red wire into the
left (red) connector on the VersaTee, and attach the banana plug on the
black wire to the right (black) connector. Use the supplied Velcro strap
to hold the feed line to the mast for strain relief. (The next chapter,
Mounting and Feeding the Buddipole, covers these activities in more detail.)
The antenna is now ready to be deployed. Raise the mast to put the
antenna at its proper height. The SWR graph as measured by an antenna
12
analyzer is shown in Figure 1. In this case, the 10 meter dipole antenna
was deployed at 25 feet. The antenna provides a good match all across
the 10 meter band with an SWR far below 2:1.

Figure 1 Measured SWR graph of 10m dipole

All Buddipole antenna deployments follow these same steps, or close
variants. Reviewing:
1. The type of antenna to be constructed is chosen. This could be
a dipole, vertical, or other configuration.
2. Components are selected from the Buddipole kit, and perhaps
supplementary materials.
3. The elements are constructed off the VersaTee with arms (if
any) first, coil if needed, and then whips—or, sometimes more
conveniently for verticals, VersaTee, coil, arms, and whip.
4. Coils are tapped at the appropriate place.
5. Whips are extended to their desired length.
6. The feed line is attached, and the antenna is raised to its desired
height.
Once the antenna is in place it can be used directly, or measured with an
antenna analyzer or SWR meter. If the SWR is higher than expected, the
whips can be adjusted (made longer or shorter) to adjust the center
frequency of the antenna. In some cases, especially if the antenna is
deployed with objects near by, a different coil tap for one or both coils
may need to be selected. The recipes in Table 1 specify typical taps and
lengths for each band. If your deployment is not “typical”, then it is
possible other taps and whip lengths will be required to make the
antenna usable.
13
All of the discussions above are for the standard Buddipole product, the
most basic product in the catalog. Buddipole, Inc. has a range of product
offerings with the standard Buddipole as the basis for the product line.
(Buddistick products are discussed separately.) The four Buddipole
products are:
• Buddipole
• Mini-Buddipole
• Buddipole Deluxe Package
• Buddipole Deluxe Package (with long mast)
We have discussed the (standard) Buddipole.
The Mini-Buddipole is identical to the The Mini-Buddipole is
standard offering except it breaks down into only $25 more than
a smaller package. The two 22 inch arms are the standard system
replaced by four 11 inch arms, and the nylon (as of this writing).
sleeve and plastic packing tube are replaced The superior case and
with a soft attaché style bag. Once each pair smaller size make this
of 11 inch arms are screwed together to look an excellent value and
like two 22 inch arms, all other details of well worth those few
assembly and configuration are identical to extra dollars.
the standard Buddipole.

Figure 2 Mini-Buddipole attaché bag

14
The big jump in the product line in both price
and capability is between the Buddipole and
Buddiple Deluxe Package. The deluxe package
substitutes a soft yet rugged pack bag for the
plastic storage case. Additionally, a tripod and
8-foot mast are included, making the kit a
system able to stand alone (literally). A few
other extras are thrown into the deluxe
package including extra coil clips, a spare Rotating Arm Kit
whip, and a Rotating Arm Kit (RAK) that element
provides a means of attaching items to the
VersaTee at an angle.
The RAK piece is affixed to the VersaTee by a bolt with a large, soft
knob. The two pins in the RAK piece mate with holes in the VersaTee
so the element stays at the angle you select. The end of the RAK piece is
threaded with a 3/8"x24 tap, just like the VersaTee. With the RAK,
antenna elements can extend from the VersaTee at angles other than
horizontal and vertical. They can also be rotated in place, making
adjustments to elements easier.

Figure 3 Buddipole Deluxe Package deployed

The Buddipole Deluxe Package can also be ordered with a 16-foot mast
(instead of the 8-foot mast), Mast Guying Kit, 50-foot coax run (instead
of the 25-foot run), and a longer bag (instead of the shorter bag sold
with the standard length system) to accommodate the longer mast.

15
The Mast Guying Kit consists of three Dacron® cord lengths wound on
kite winders, three metal pegs, and a 2 inch wide Velcro strap that wraps
around the mast.
Any deployment should be guyed. Most Buddipole
damage is incurred in the first few weeks of
ownership, when an unguyed tripod and mast blow
over in a sudden gust of wind. Usually, a whip is
snapped, but sometimes a coil is damaged in such a
fall. Don’t wait until you have your first mishap. Guy
your systems first time and every time!
Most any kind of guying will work but the Buddipole Mast Guying Kit
sold by Buddipole, Inc. is a convenient and effective way to get your
system secured.

Figure 4 Mast Guying Kit

In addition to antenna systems, the Buddipole, Inc. web site has a large
collection of accessories. And, if you don't see what you need, call the
company—even items not pictured on the web site are usually available
if you ask (such as converting your standard Buddipole to a deluxe version
by buying a tripod, mast, and carry bag—the carry bag is not listed on
the accessory page but it is likely Chris and company will help you
upgrade anyway).
Table 2 is a matrix showing the accessories bundled with each product
for the four Buddipole models.

16
 Product/Components Buddipole Mini- Buddipole Buddipole
Standard Buddipole Deluxe Deluxe
Package Package Package
(Long)
VersaTee 1 1 1 1
Accessory Arms (22 inch) 2 2 2
Accessory Arms (11 inch) 4
Coil clips (set of 3) 1 1 2 2
Standard coil set 1 1 1 1
(red/black)
Standard 5.5 foot whip 2 2 3 3
Coax 25 feet 1 1 1
Coax 50 feet optional 1
Nylon packing sleeve 1
Buddipole tripod 1 1
Buddipole 8' mast 1
Buddipole 16' mast 1
Rotating arm kit (RAK) 1 1
Guying kit 1
Plastic case 1
Compact carry bag 1
Padded carry bag (short) 1
Padded carry bag (long) 1
Table 2 Comparison of components in Buddipole models
The Buddipole systems have enough pieces to construct dipoles or
verticals. A second product line called the Buddistick™ contains pieces
for a single element for vertical antennas only. Buddistick systems are less
expensive than the Buddipole systems since they contain fewer parts.
Specifically, the standard Buddistick system contains
• One coil
• Two 11 inch aluminum arms
• One standard whip (5.5 feet)
• Two coil clips
• Mounting plate with knob to
mount plate on a standard ¼"x20
photo tripod or similar platform.
• One 31 foot radial line on a winder Buddistick system
with ring connector
• Attaché style carry bag

The Buddistick is a subset of the Buddipole except for the mounting plate
and radial line. The typical deployment for this antenna is tabletop or
17
picnic table with a clamp securing either the mounting plate or the
antenna directly.
A very handy third-party mount for this antenna is sold by High Sierra.
(www.hamcq.com) It is called the
Jaws Antenna Mount. The mount
combines a very strong clamp with a
standard 3/8"x24 mount that works
with all Buddipole and Buddistick
components. The clamp will grip
wood (2x2 or 2x4 in size), railings on
hotel balconies, fence posts, or nearly
any other object. The piece holding
the 3/8"x24 mount rotates 90 degrees
to allow the position of the antenna High Sierra JAWS mount
to be independent of the angle of the
clamp. It is heavy duty (and heavy!),
and holds an antenna firmly. The antenna is fed from an SO-239
connector on the bottom of the antenna mount.
The next step up in the Buddistick product line is the Buddistick Deluxe
Package which includes everything in the standard Buddistick pack plus an
extra whip, extra coil clip, and a lightweight vertical antenna clamp for
picnic table use. It is not as rugged as the High Sierra offering, but it is
much easier to pack and travel, and it works fine for light duty situations
such as a casual picnic table portable operation.
The Buddipole and Buddistick systems may be augmented by any of the
accessories in the Buddipole, Inc. catalog. The next few pages highlight
some of these accessories. Some, such as the Triple Ratio Switch Balun
(TRSB) and Low Band Coil, will be given additional coverage later in the
book.
The Triple Ratio Switch Balun (TRSB
device serves two purposes. It has a three-
position switch that selects either 50:50,
50:25, or 50:12.5 ohm matching from the
feed line to the antenna. The TRSB also has
an isolation transformer to keep current off
the outside of the coax. The TRSB was
developed by Alan Biocca, WB6ZQZ, for
Buddipole, Inc.

18
The IT Adapter, originally named for the
“Inverted Tee” configuration, is an
aluminum device used to create beam
antennas and other structures with Buddipole
parts.
A shock-cord mast is a great companion
for the standard Buddipole. It folds small and
deploys easily. The device comes in two
sizes: short (8 feet) and long (11 feet). It has
the mate for the VersaTee on top, and a
rubber foot on the bottom.

Mini banana plug leads are the same leads

that are used on Buddipole coils. They have
other uses, too, discussed later in the book.

A Counterpoise Wire Adapter is a device

with threads that fit into the standard 3/8"x24
tap of the VersaTee and is used to secure
radial wires.
Note: the author prefers the term radial
instead of counterpoise for this purpose,
despite the product’s name.
The Vertical Antenna Clamp is the same
clamp used in the Buddistick Deluxe Package.
If you get this, an extra whip, and an extra
coil clip, you can convert your standard
Buddistick into a Buddistick Deluxe Package.

The Buddistick Tripod is a small tripod

that collapses to about 7 inches and can be
used to mount a Buddistick.

19
 Extra coil clips are strong and brightly
colored. The author has never broken one.
They are, however, the most likely item in
the Buddipole or Buddistick kit to be lost.
Consider buying an extra set.

A Low Band Coil is a large coil was

designed to allow the Buddipole to be used on
the 60m and 80m bands. The standard coil
clips work on this coil. A single coil can be
used with a vertical configuration, or two
coils can be used to replace the Buddipole
standard coils in dipole configurations.
A Wire Assembly comes with 32 feet of
insulated wire on a winder, terminated with a
loop connector. A Counterpoise Wire Adapter
is included. A longer version (66 feet) is also
available.
A 6 Meter Yagi Kit will enable you to
construct a 2-element Yagi antenna when
added to a Buddipole Deluxe package and a
total of four whips. These parts can also be
used to create 10m and 12m beams.

Shock-cord whips are made of very strong,

rigid materials and come in a variety of
lengths up to 12 feet.

Other standard pieces from the Buddipole such as the VersaTee, whips
both standard length (5.5 feet) and extended length (9.5 feet), arms, and
so on, are also available for separate purchase as accessories.
The strength of the Buddipole and Buddistick antenna product lines is their
ability to use a wide range of interchangeable parts in wonderful
combinations. The remainder of this book will show how to select from
among the large number of possible configurations, and to find the right
one for the job at hand.

20
3 Mounting and Feeding the Buddipole
The VersaTee is the focal point of any Buddipole configuration. It accepts
the whips, coils, and arms for the antenna elements, supplies the
feedpoint for the antenna, and provides the mounting point with its ½
inch NPT pipe thread at its base. Once an antenna configuration is
selected and built, it must be mounted on a mast, and fed with the feed
line. This chapter will outline strategies for erecting the antenna.
There are three general approaches to mounting the Buddipole.
The Buddipole standard tripod
accommodates an 8 foot or 16 foot mast1.
Each mast is topped with a Delrin ½" NPT
adapter that matches the bottom of the
VersaTee. The tripod and the 8 foot mast are
part of the Buddipole Deluxe package, but are
also available separately as accessories.
The Buddipole shock-cord (SC) mast is a
lightweight, compact, and robust mounting
solution. The mast is constructed from high-
strength aluminum tubing pieces held together
with a taut, stretchable cord. Each mast
section end is shaped so that it locks with its
adjoining section to prevent rotation. Like the
other collapsible masts, the SC mast is topped
with a Delrin ½" NPT adapter that matches
the bottom of the VersaTee. These masts are
available in two sizes: 8 feet and 11 feet. They
come in a rugged, form fitting pull string bag,
and wrapped in a wide Velcro strap.
The least expensive option is to top a standard
painter’s pole with a painter’s pole to
VersaTee adapter.

The tripod and mast offer the most convenient method for deploying
the Buddipole quickly. If using the 8 foot mast, insert the mast into the
tripod and secure with the center knob.

1 Buddipole, Inc. has begun shipping a newer long mast and tripod. The newer mast is
slighter longer than the original 16 foot mast, and it mates directly with the tripod. No
separate mating tube is required. There are no significant differences between the two
masts with regard to setup, configuration, or performance.
21
If using the 16 foot mast, insert the short tube that came with the longer
mast into the tripod and secure with the center knob. The 16 foot mast
attaches to the top of this short tube. Spread the tripod legs and adjust
them so that the tripod is level. If using the newer long mast, mate the
mast directly to the tripod.
One should guy or otherwise
secure any Buddipole deployment.
A guying kit is available as an
option from Buddipole, Inc. The
kit consists of a Velcro strap
with three loops, three tent
stakes, and three lengths of
Dacron rope on kite winders,
each terminated with a plastic
hook. Wrap the strap around the
Buddipole guying kit
mast. The three loops should be
separated uniformly around the
mast’s circumference. Attach the plastic hooks to the loops
and extend each rope out and down to the ground at a 45
degree angle. Secure with the tent pegs.
An alternative to guying is to hang a heavy weight from the
bottom of the tripod. A cinderblock, gallon of water, or
other heavy object suspended by a bungee cord works well.
Alternatively, a “pet anchor” (a product sold to anchor pet
leashes) can also be screwed into the ground below the
tripod and used to hold it in place.
It is usually easiest to begin assembling the Buddipole antenna
configuration by affixing the VersaTee to the top of the Pet
mast and then attaching other items. If there is nothing yet anchor
attached to the VersaTee, then it can spin easily on the mast
mount. However, if the VersaTee already has
antenna components attached (arms, whips,
etc.) then it is easier to set the VersaTee on top
of the mast and rotate the mast to screw the
mount into the VersaTee. In either case, the
VersaTee should only be mated with the
mount so that it is snug. Do not over-tighten!
While it is unlikely you would damage the
VersaTee (that piece is very tough!), you might
dislodge the threaded piece on top of the mast.
22
Rotating the mast works well for the 8 foot and 16 foot standard masts
on the Buddipole tripod. The shock-cord masts can also be rotated under
the VersaTee, but since they are solid, one-piece masts (after assembly),
you will need to rotate the entire mast, not just the top section as with
the standard masts.
The Buddipole is supplied with a length of coax
terminated with a BNC connector on one end
and two banana plugs on the other. The
banana plugs mate to the red, blue, and black
mounting points on the front of the VersaTee.
The red banana plug is connected to the
center conductor of the coax; the black
banana plug is connected to the shield of the
coax. A set of ferrite beads surrounds the coax
near the banana plug leads to help keep RF
energy off the outside of the coax.
For a standard dipole configuration (as described in later chapters),
connect the red banana plug into the red
connector, and the black banana plug into
the black connector. Secure the coax to the
mast with the supplied Velcro strap by
threading the end of the strap through the
loop, tightening, then securing the strap end.
Antenna configurations that use the top tap
(vertical configurations) should have the red
banana plug connect to the blue connector,
which is in turn connected to the top
element.
An alternative to using the standard Buddipole coax is the Triple Ratio
Switch Balun (TRSB). The TRSB is a plastic box with a three-position
switch on its face, and a pair of BNC connectors, one on the top, and
one on the bottom. The top BNC connector (closest to the switch) is the
output of the TRSB; the bottom BNC connector (furthest from the
switch) is the input of the TRSB.
The TRSB is superior to the standard feed line in two ways:
1. The TRSB contains a switch connected to a transformer inside
the unit. The transformer provides either a 1:1, 2:1, or 4:1 ratio
impedance match based on the switch setting. That is a
complicated way of saying that the TRSB can match a radio that
23
 expects to see a 50 ohm load to an antenna that presents a 50
ohm, 25 ohm, or even 12.5 ohm impedance. Vertical antennas,
especially shortened vertical antennas, will present a low
impedance. If there is no effort to match the impedance of such
an antenna to the radio, the high SWR (caused by the impedance
mismatch) will cause problems. In some cases, a radio will
automatically reduce power if the SWR is over a certain level to
protect its power amplifier transistors. The TRSB provides a
matching capability that reduces the likelihood of this.
2. The TRSB contains a large wound toroid that is used to create
an isolation transformer. The standard coax has ferrite beads on
the coax to reduce current traveling from the antenna to the
radio on the outside of the coax. These beads are sufficient for
the higher bands (20m and up), but lower bands (30m, 40m,
60m, 80m) present currents larger than those beads can manage.
The TRSB solves it nicely for all bands 10m-80m.
The TRSB is easily mounted on the
Buddipole. Attach the small BNC to banana
plug cable to the top of the TRSB. Hang
the TRSB from one of the antenna arms
and insert the banana plugs into the
appropriate connectors on the VersaTee.
For dipoles, the red banana plug should be
inserted into the red hole, and the black
banana plug should be connected to the
black hole. For verticals, the red connector
should be connected to the blue (center/top) hole, and the black
banana plug should be connected to one of the other two
connectors to feed the radials.
The bottom connector on the TRSB is a female BNC connector that
can accept either a male BNC connector from a length of coax, or a
BNC-to-SO-239 connector to enable the connection of standard
coax terminated with a PL-259 connector.
The TRSB should be secured to the mast with the short Velcro strap
supplied with the unit. Wrap the strap around the short BNC-to-
banana plug cable, thread the end of the strap through the loop, then
tighten and secure.

24
4 Evaluating Antennas
You have probably heard the story of the absentminded ham that
powered up his radio and made several QSOs while the rig was still
connected to the dummy load. The story is funny, but it is also
instructive. If that same ham was asked later about his day in the shack,
he might have said, “I worked everyone I heard.”
Making the claim of working everyone you heard is not the same as
working everyone you should. Modern transceivers are amazingly
sensitive, and even mediocre or poor antennas can work “at all.” If you
are willing to settle for that, then you can put this book down now! What
we should be striving for is to make the best antenna system we can, and
deploy it the best way that we can. If you can erect a tower with stacked
monoband Yagis then do so! Of course, that is not an option for most
situations. If you are operating portably, temporarily, away from home,
on a beach, on a hilltop, during Field Day, or any number of other
situations, you will need to deploy something far smaller than that tower.
It will be a compromise, and there will be tradeoffs to consider.
The Buddipole antenna system provides a means of deploying antennas
for those situations described above. It is an extremely flexible and
versatile system that gives you configuration choices that you must
consider when deploying an antenna. These choices will come with
tradeoffs. Making intelligent tradeoffs among antenna configurations
requires a means of evaluating the choices. The main points to evaluate
are:
1. Have we maximized the power output of our antenna?
2. Are we sending that power in the correct direction for our
needs?
Consider the problem from the other end. What does the receiving
station hear? If an improvement is made on our end, how will it be
reflected on their end? If we were to double our effective power output,
how will this affect what the receiver hears?
Ratios of power values are typically expressed in decibels (dB). A decibel
is the ratio between two power levels computed thusly:
n dBs = 10 * log10 ( power1 / power2 )
Using this formula, one can see that the power ratio of 1.25 watts to 1
watt is 1dB. A ratio of 2 watts to 1 watt is 3 dB. The table below
provides additional values for reference.

25
 Power ratio dB Power ratio dB
1.25:1 1 12.6:1 11
1.58:1 2 15.8:1 12
2:1 3 20:1 13
2.5:1 4 25.1:1 14
3.15:1 5 31.6:1 15
4:1 6 100:1 20
5:1 7 1,000:1 30
6.3:1 8 10,000:1 40
7.9:1 9 100,000:1 50
10:1 10 1,000,000:1 60

Table 3 Power ratios expressed as dB

Radios are typically equipped with an S-unit meter providing a relative
expression of the power of the received signal. The meter shows this
strength in a logarithmic scale (log base 10) because the range of values is
very large. The difference in power levels between whole S-unit numbers
(e.g., S3 and S4) is 6 dB, a factor of 4 times the power.
Consider a given station transmitting 25 watts and the receiving station
registers this signal at S5. If the transmitting station were to transmit at
100 watts, assuming nothing else changed, the receiving station would
now register the signal as S6 strength.
When a station gives you a signal report that you are S9 + 20 dB then
you could drop your power by a factor of 100 and still register as S9 at
the receiver. Every time you hear someone give a report, “you are 30
over here”, consider that 1500 watts could be dropped to 1.5 watts and it
would still register as S9 at the
receiver! An avid QRP operator will often
point out that the difference
The above analysis gives a very between 100w and 5 watts is just
optimistic view of S-meter a factor of 20, or 13 dB, or a little
performance and accuracy. Some more than 2 S-units. If the QRO
meters report a whole S-unit gain signal is S9, the QRP signal will
after only 5 dB of increase. Some be S6 to S7.
meters are “more sensitive” at

26
higher powers. Nevertheless, the core of the power ratio discussion
holds true. The difference in power received between S0 and S9 is many
tens of thousands to one.
These ratios are best illustrated by the behavior of the Northern
California DX Foundation (NCDXF) beacon network. A beacon is a
transmitter that emits its signal at regular intervals. Each NCDXF
beacon transmits every three minutes, and the beacons are active on five
bands: 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m and 10m. Transmissions are staggered such
that within each three minute cycle all beacons for a given band have a
chance to be heard. The transmission consists of a call sign at 22 WPM
that identifies the beacon and its location, followed by four one second
tones transmitted at decreasing power levels. The first is at 100 watts, the
second is at 10 watts, the third is at 1 watt, and the fourth is at 100
milliwatts.
It is a useful exercise to tune in one of these beacons and follow the
progression from one beacon to another. [Appendix D in the back of the
book contains a list of the NCDXF beacons, their frequencies, locations,
and timeslot within that three minute cycle that they are active.] Note
how often it is easy to copy tone transmissions at the 1 watt and 100
milliwatt power levels. Examine the S-meter of your radio as the beacons
go through their power progression and note how the decreasing power
levels drop the S-meter by only couple of S-units with each step. It is
often surprising how clear a 1 watt or 100 milliwatt signal can be from
some remote point on the globe!
The NCDXF beacons intentionally lower their power in steps during
each transmission cycle. Typically, operators do not repeatedly change
their output power but instead choose a power level and then operate at
that level for the duration. If the operator chooses 100 watts as output
from the transmitter, how much will actually be radiated at the antenna?
That depends on several factors, chief among them the efficiency of the
antenna.
Antenna systems have losses that come from a variety of places. The
energy delivered to the antenna that is subsequently delivered as RF
radiation to the world can be compared to the total amount of energy
delivered to the antenna. That percentage is the efficiency of the
antenna. For example, if 100 watts were delivered to the antenna but
only 50 watts were radiated as useful RF energy, then the efficiency of
the antenna would be 50%.

27
Consider an antenna that is 1% efficient. If that antenna received 100
watts from the transmitter and only radiated 1 watt of that energy, some
receivers may still hear it, just as the NCDXF beacons can be heard.
Again, the question is not whether you can work everyone you hear; the
question is whether your signal is reaching everyone it should.
How can an antenna system be only 1% efficient? This might sound
unlikely. Unfortunately, it is quite easy to create an antenna system that is
1% efficient, or even worse. The place to begin our understanding of
how this can happen is at the antenna feedpoint.
The feedpoint of an antenna is the point where the feed line is attached
to the antenna. The most important characteristic of the feedpoint is its
impedance. The general definition of impedance is “a measure of
opposition to alternating current.” There are three components of this
opposition within an antenna system. They are:
1. Ohmic resistance. Antennas are made of metal and metal has
resistance. When electrical current is forced through a resistor
the result is a loss of power in the form of heat. Antennas are
typically made of materials that have very low resistances such as
copper and aluminum to minimize this problem. Steel has a
relatively high resistance compared with copper (though it is
physically much stronger). This is why steel antenna wire is
often “copper clad” so that the outside of the wire is a low-
resistance copper while the strength of the wire is that of steel.
There are other places where pure resistances can cause losses.
In a vertical antenna system, where the ground (or a radial
system) is used as the “other half” of the antenna, ohmic losses
can be quite large. Recall Ohm’s law I=E/R (current is voltage
divided by resistance). Higher resistance means less current in
the circuit. Less current means less power.
2. Radiation resistance. Putting a signal into the environment
requires work. The resistance associated with doing this work is
called radiation resistance. Put simply, we like this one. This is what
gets the job done. If the entire antennas impedance was
composed of radiation resistance, then the antenna would be
100% efficient.
3. Inductive and capacitive reactance. Reactance is an
opposition to alternating current. Reactance comes in two
flavors: inductive and capacitive, both of which are measured in
ohms (as is ohmic resistance). The term resonance is defined to be
28
 when any inductive and capacitive reactance in the system is
equal and opposite.
It is easiest to understand these concepts by examining a simple
antenna2. An ordinary resonant 80m half-wave dipole, fed in the middle,
and in free space (away from anything that may affect the characteristics of
the antenna, especially the ground), and made of number 14 wire will
have a feedpoint impedance of approximately 70 ohms. The ohmic
resistance in the system will be about 2 to 3 ohms. Therefore, the
radiation resistance must be 67 to 68 ohms. Since we have stated that
this antenna is resonant, the sum of inductive and capacitive reactance
values are zero. The efficiency can be stated as
Radiation_resistance
Efficiency% = x100
Radiation_resistance+ Losses
In the case of our dipole
67
€ x100 = 96%
70
A dipole in free space and properly
sized (resonant) is about 96% It is helpful to make a distinction
efficient. That is tough to beat! between two important concepts:
€ (a) resonance, and (b) an SWR of
We have been using approximations 1:1. Note that the dipole
to illustrate these concepts. There described above is resonant (has
are two ways to obtain more equal and opposite values for any
accurate results. The first is to inductive and capacitive
construct the particular antenna of reactance), but the impedance of
interest, and use specialized the antenna is about 70 ohms,
equipment to obtain the desired not the 50 ohms that modern
data. There are challenges to this transceivers expect. The SWR
approach. First, some conditions, measured for this antenna system
such as measuring an antenna in would be about 1.4:1. Antennas
free space, may be very difficult or that are resonant do not
impossible to achieve. Second, necessarily present a 50 ohm
creating the antennas, erecting them, load to the radio, and therefore
and measuring them is time- may not measure 1:1 on the
consuming and the equipment is SWR meter.
expensive.

2This discussion was lifted from Jerry Sevick’s book The Short Vertical Antenna and Ground
Radial
29
An alternative is to use precise mathematical models of antenna
performance available in sophisticated computer programs such as
EZNEC+, software developed by Roy Lewallen, W7EL. Computer
antenna modeling is a time-tested way of providing representative data
and performance characteristics for antennas deployed in a wide range of
environments. By using antenna modeling we can be explicit about the
antenna design, environmental factors, and other assumptions that
influence antenna performance.
Consider a model for our 80m center-fed horizontal dipole described
above. A diagram from an EZNEC+ computer model for this antenna
appears in Figure 5.

Figure 5 Dipole 80m center-fed (from EZNEC+ antenna model)

The wires for each wing of the dipole are 63 feet in length. The three
dimensions North-South, East-West, and Up-Down are represented by
the notation X, Y, and Z. The dipole is shown high on the Z axis with its
arms extending along the X axis. Note the small circle in the center of
the dipole. This circle represents a feedpoint and is annotated with a ‘1’,
indicating this is “feedpoint 1.” It is possible for some antenna systems
to have multiple feedpoints.
Antennas are defined within an EZNEC+ model by creating and
positioning wires. These wires can be made of wire, aluminum tubing, or
any other material likely to be used as an element of an antenna. The
position of the wires is specified by identifying their end points in space
(X1, Y1, Z1)—(X2, Y2, Z2). In this example there is a single wire fed in the
middle at feedpoint 1.
Antennas are typically resonant at a single frequency, not for a whole
band. At any frequency other than the resonant frequency there is an
imbalance between the inductive and capacitive reactance, and that
resulting reactive component will appear as part of the feedpoint
30
impedance. The resonant frequency for our example antenna is just over
3.8 MHz. Below this frequency the antenna is too short and has
capacitive reactance (a negative reactance value). Above this frequency
the antenna is too long and has inductive reactance (a positive reactance
value). As the feedpoint impedance changes the SWR changes with it as
illustrated in Figure 6.

Figure 6 SWR curve and data for 80m center-fed dipole

At 3.8 MHz the SWR is 1.5:1 and the feedpoint impedance is 74 -j2
ohms. That is, the real resistance (non-reactive) is 74 ohms and the
reactive component is -j2 ohms, where the reactive component value is
marked by a lower case j, and the sign of the reactive component
indicates whether it is inductive (positive) or capacitive (negative). Table
4 contains feedpoint impedance components and the resulting SWR.
MHz Real Reactive SWR
3.5 59 -143 8.9
3.6 64 -96 4.7
3.7 65 -82 3.9
3.8 74 -2 1.5
3.9 80 +44 2.4
4.0 86 +91 4.0
Table 4 Whole band SWR values for the 80 meter dipole
It is easy to see why dipoles are such popular antennas. The 80m dipole
covers much of the band with just a small amount of reactance away
from the center resonant frequency. That reactance can be easily
cancelled with an equal and opposite reactance supplied by an antenna
tuner.
If we could always erect a full-sized antenna at any height we desired
there would be no need for the Buddipole. Of course, many environments
preclude erecting antennas such as this 80m dipole. Instead, we must
compromise on the size of the antenna, its deployment height, or other
31
factors. How will such compromises affect antenna performance? The
answer is twofold: [1] the radiation pattern from the antenna will differ
from one in free space, and [2] antennas closer to the ground will have
their efficiencies affected as the ground will cause higher losses. We will
examine the radiation pattern first.
It is convenient to begin this discussion with the notion of an isotropic
radiator, an imaginary antenna that occupies a single point in space. When
it radiates the RF power emanates from this point in all directions
uniformly. Imagine a single point at the exact center of a glass sphere
shining its light outward to every point on that sphere. The sphere would
be illuminated evenly across its entire surface. This idea, the radiation of
energy uniformly in all directions, is the basis of most comparisons we
shall make.
The baseline radiation measurement for any point on our glass sphere is
0 dBi. Remember that dBs represent ratios of power. The power 0 dBi is
the power that an isotropic radiator would put on a spot on the surface
of a surrounding sphere. Later, when we put an antenna of our own
design inside this notional sphere, we can compare how much (or less)
powerful our antenna is shining on a particular point with its energy
compared to that of an isotropic radiator. Whenever you see dBi in
antenna power descriptions you should have a mental model of that
antenna inside a giant glass sphere (or partial sphere), and the dBi value
will indicate how much power your antenna is delivering to a particular
point compared with this standard power level of 0 dBi. Consider the
plot in Figure 7.

Figure 7 Far field plot for 80m dipole at 130 feet

32
The plot is from EZNEC+ and it shows the radiation pattern for the
80m dipole deployed ½ wavelength above the ground (at 130 feet). The
plot shows a single slice through the hemisphere with our antenna in the
middle along the bottom axis. There are several text items below the plot
that we will examine in a moment. For now, look at the semicircle and
its rings. The outer ring is marked 0 dB, inner rings are marked -5, -10, -
15, -20, and -30. The 0 dB ring provides a reference to the maximum
power output by the antenna. Just as lines on a road map mark off the
miles, these rings mark off divisions within the plot. The -5 ring indicates
a power 5 dB lower than that of the outer ring (the 0 dB ring). The -10
ring indicates a power 10 dB lower than that of the outer ring, and so on.
This is an elevation plot so the line at the bottom of the semicircle
represents the horizon, and the point at the top represents the zenith.
Imagine you could walk around the perimeter of this semicircle, and that
the energy emitted from the antenna was visible light shining on the
surface of that hemisphere we described above. The plot, which looks
like two big lumps at 2 o’clock and 10 o’clock, indicates the relative
strength of the radiation at that angle. So, if you start your walk at the 3
o’clock position along the very bottom of the plot the light is very dim.
As you slowly walk along the perimeter of this semicircle you see the
light beginning to get brighter. At some point, as you continue to walk
slowly along the edge of the semicircle, the light changes its intensity
quite quickly. By the time you reach the 2 o’clock position it is at full
intensity. You continue to walk towards 12 o’clock and the light begins
to dim again.
There is a 15 dB difference between the point in the plot where the most
power is delivered (about 2 o’clock) and straight up 12 o’clock. How
many S-units is that? Assuming 6 dB per S-unit, this represents a drop in
power 2.5 S-units.
Read the text below the plot. Note the annotation for the outer ring
indicates it is 7.71 dBi. That is, the outer ring (which is also the
maximum of radiation in our plot) is 7.71 dBi, or 7.71 dB above the
power an isotropic radiator would have delivered to that point. How is
this possible? We cannot create energy, after all. How can we output
more power just because we changed antennas from an isotropic radiator
to this 80m dipole?
The answer to this is easy. We did not create energy; we moved it
around. The isotropic radiator shined on every point of that imaginary
sphere. This 80m dipole leaves much of the sphere dim or dark and
concentrates its light on the portions of the sphere that corresponds to
33
directions we care about. That is, we aim the power where it will most
likely be heard by other stations.
The plot in Figure 7 is an elevation plot showing the radiation pattern
from horizon to zenith. The plot in Figure 8 is an azimuth plot looking
down on the antenna system from high above. An azimuth plot also
takes a slice of the sphere (just as the elevation plot was a slice). Azimuth
plots for dipoles are usually taken from the same plane as the height of
the antenna.

Figure 8 Azimuth plot for an 80m dipole at 130 feet

If we consider the top of the figure North (where the 0 dB marking is),
then the dipole is oriented such that it runs East-West. The gain of the
system is broadside to the dipole. Gain is the direction of most intensity
for the emitted signal. One gain lobe runs North, and the other South. If
there is gain then there are other directions where power is lower. In this
case, power is 10 dB lower, relative to the direction of the highest output
power, off the end of the dipole. Signals from or to this direction will be
roughly 2 S-units lower than those broadside to the antenna.
It is possible to have an efficient antenna that effectively generates RF
energy, but have that energy be focused in a useless direction. It is
unimportant how bright your flashlight is if you never point it in the
right direction! As it turns out, getting the pattern of the radiation for
our antenna systems optimized appropriately is as big a challenge—or
bigger—than getting the antenna system efficient. Plots such as the
azimuth and elevation plots from EZNEC+ will be used to help make
these analyses and optimizations.
Consider a different antenna. A Buddipole configured for 10m on an 8
foot Buddipole mast is shown in Figure 9. The antenna is shown to run
along the Y axis. The orientation in space within the model is arbitrary

34
so long as the components are correctly sized, configured, and
positioned.

Figure 9 Model view of a Buddipole for 10m at 8 feet

The resulting SWR plot shows this antenna to be a nice match for a 50
ohm transceiver.

Figure 10 SWR plot for a Buddipole for 10m at 8 feet

The SWR is well below 2:1 for the frequency range 28.0 to 29.0 MHz.
This would leave a feedpoint impedance of roughly 54 ohms. More

35
details, including the important comparison to the isotropic radiator, can
be found in the elevation plot in Figure 11.

Figure 11 Elevation plot for a Buddipole on 10m at 8 feet

The outer ring on this plot is 5.88
dBi. But, this plot looks Near Vertical Incident Skywave
significantly different than the one (NVIS) antennas do
for the 80m dipole at 130 feet. intentionally radiate towards the
Most of the radiation is directed zenith. They are popular
up towards the zenith. Power antennas for HF close-in
levels below 45 degrees from the communication. But, they use
horizon taper off quickly. At 20 the 80m and 40m bands for this
degrees (approximately) the activity, not 20m or above, as
power is 5 dB below the peak. At the ionosphere does not reflect
15 degrees power is 10 dB below higher frequency signals well at
the peak. At 10 degrees we are 15 high angles. The Buddipole
to 20 dB below the peak. makes an excellent NVIS
antenna on those lower bands.
Consider the area of the plot 15 to
20 degrees either side of the
zenith as illustrated in Figure 12. This area is highlighted as a shaded
triangle.

36
 Figure 12 Radiation towards the zenith from a 10m antenna at 8 feet
Radiation from our antenna that travels straight up, or nearly straight up,
is essentially lost as the ionosphere never (or nearly never) supports
reflections at this frequency and at this angle. It does not matter how
efficient your antenna is if the next stop for your signal is the moon or a
distant star. In fact, the area blotted out in Figure 12 is probably too
small to accurately depict the signal lost in this way. Much more is
probably wasted than is shown here.
The remaining area of the plot is the useful radiation. How much is that?
Making an estimate by inspection from the plot, the remaining area not
wasted is perhaps 50% of the original. Again, if one were in this situation
and given the choice of (a) making the antenna more efficient or, (b)
making the pattern of the radiation different to reach more stations, the
obvious choice of action would be (b) alter the antenna’s pattern.
Efficiency isn’t the problem; direction is the problem.
The general rule is to have a dipole deployed at least ½ wavelength
above the ground to reduce the effects of ground on its radiation
pattern. In this case, a 10m antenna should have been deployed 5 meters
about the ground, or roughly 16 feet. Taking that same antenna and
moving it to 16 feet (on top of a 16 foot Buddipole mast) performs as the
plot in Figure 13 illustrates.

37
 Figure 13 Elevation plot for a Buddipole for 10m at 16 feet
This plot looks very similar to the one for an 80m dipole at 130 feet. The
configuration was exactly the same as the Buddipole dipole described
above (for 10m at 8 feet)—only the deployment height above ground
was changed. With the dipole at the proper height (about ½ wavelength
above the ground) the radiation pattern gives us good gain at 20-30
degrees elevation (where our remote stations await our signals), and little
energy is emitted from 45 degrees to the zenith.
Note that the outer ring now represents 7.03 dBi of gain over an
isotropic radiator. The antenna at 8 feet had an outer ring value of only
about 5.88. One dB is not very much, but at least it is a gain and not a
loss! That gain was most likely because we got the antenna farther away
from the lossy ground. More importantly, the gain at the radiation angles
we care about (10-30 degrees for DX) is larger. At 20 degrees we go
from 1 dBi at 8 feet to 6 dBi at 16 feet. That is, we gained almost an
S-unit in useful power by deploying the antenna properly.
Energy lost to heat, or the reduction of current because of inductive or
capacitive reactance, reduces the efficiency of our antenna system. These
losses reduce antenna efficiency. Once we have deployed the antenna at
the correct height, or otherwise constructed the antenna so that the
radiation pattern is useful, we should attempt to maximize the current
through the antenna by minimizing losses. The two largest losses are
likely to be ground losses and feedpoint reactance, both of which limit current.

38
The remainder of this book will utilize these concepts to select Buddipole
configurations and deployment strategies that will optimize the potential
of the antenna. We shall examine not only antenna efficiency but also the
radiation pattern for that antenna as deployed. Again, an efficient
antenna sending its signal in the wrong direction is still useless!
Antenna modeling will continue to be used to justify decisions made
throughout the text. A complete set of model files used for the figures in
this book are available from the Buddipole, Inc. web site and other
locations. Readers are encouraged to obtain a copy of EZNEC+ and
explore these models to get a feel for how even small changes to an
antenna design or deployment can make big differences in its
performance.
Finally, the recommendations herein are just that: recommendations.
There are so many factors that cannot be fully parameterized (the effects
of ground, the effects of irregular terrain, specific situations with the
proximity of buildings, etc.) that no book, no matter how ambitious,
could fully describe an optimal solution for all situations. It is hoped,
however, that the guidance within this book will be sufficient that the
reader will be able to make good choices in their Buddipole antenna
deployments.

39
40
5 Balconies and Rooftops
The Buddipole, like all antennas, operates best in the clear and at a proper
height for its design. One of the best ways of getting the antenna into the
clear is to deploy it off a balcony or
rooftop. As discussed in chapter 4, a
10m dipole deployed at 8 feet generates
a radiation pattern with much of the
signal aimed upward. Even using the 16
foot mast does not help any band but
10m with this problem. The antenna
must go higher to flatten out the
radiation pattern. For that, a balcony or
rooftop is just the place.
The discussion below shows antenna
configurations constructed from the
parts in the standard Buddipole package.
This includes the standard coils, a single
22 inch antenna arm for each element 20m Buddipole on VP2M
(or a pair of 11 inch arms), and the
standard 5.5 foot whips. The standard tuning guide in Table 1 for coil
and whip settings is a good starting point for configuring the Buddipole.
Additionally, configurations constructed from parts in the standard
Buddipole package, along with the longer whips offered from the Buddipole,
Inc. accessory catalog, are also shown. The extended whips are
approximately 9.5 feet in length and are a substantial improvement over
the original 5.5 foot whips. The longer whips provide the following
benefits:
• Make antennas without coils. The 5.5 foot whips always
require a coil to make antennas for the 10m band and below.
The longer 9.5 foot whips allow you to make 10m and 12m
antennas without any coils using just arms and whips alone.
• Antennas are easier to tune. Antennas with large coil
components and short radiators can be finicky to tune. The
longer the radiator the easier it is to tune the antenna to
resonance. A standard Buddipole using the short 5.5 foot whips is
moderately difficult to tune properly on 40m. Tuning is quite
easy when the 9.5 foot whip is used.

41
 • Longer radiators make more efficient antennas. Radiation
resistance comes from the part of the antenna load that does
work. This work is not done in the coils; this is done in the
radiator. The more radiator length present in the antenna, the
higher the radiation resistance will likely be. The closer the
antenna design is to a full-sized antenna the better it will
perform.
• More radiator length usually means more 2:1 bandwidth.
The bandwidth of an antenna is defined to be the range of
frequencies available with an SWR less than or equal to 2:1. The
more radiator length the antenna has, the fewer coil turns that
needs to be used for any given band. Using fewer coil turns
usually leads to more 2:1 bandwidth.
Dipole antennas are designed to operate in the clear. For a dipole, this
means it should be deployed ½ wavelength high to avoid undue
influences by the ground. The standard Buddipole tuning chart does not
assume a deployment ½ wavelength up; the tuning chart assumes the
antenna will be deployed at 8 feet on the standard tripod and mast. By
deploying the antenna off a balcony or rooftop we have violated this
assumption.
If you take a dipole at ½ wavelength and lower it the resonance
frequency will fall as it gets closer to the ground. Conversely, if you take
a dipole like the Buddipole, which is configured for a particular resonance
point at 8 feet, and raise it to 25 feet the resonance frequency will go up.
The difference in frequency can sometimes be several hundred kilohertz.
As stated, the standard tuning guide in Table 1 for coil and whip settings
is a good starting point for configuring the Buddipole. However, because
we are deploying the antenna far above 8 feet there may be some
adjustments that will need to be made for either whip lengths or coil
taps. If you raise the antenna the resonance point will also rise, making
the antenna look too short. To compensate, try extending the whip on
each end by increments of a small amount (an inch or two) to bring the
antenna back into resonance at the frequency you desire. If the whips are
fully extended then an additional increment of coil tap on each side may
be necessary.
The standard tuning guide in Table 1 for coil and whip settings is for a
standard Buddipole at 8 feet. A new table for the 9.5 foot whips can be
found in Table 5. The settings below assume a deployment at 25 feet.

42
 BASIC DIPOLE TUNING WITH 9.5 FOOT WHIPS (ANTENNA @ 25 feet)
Bands RED SIDE COIL BLACK SIDE COIL
Coils Total Tap Coils Total Tap
whip whip
sections sections
out out
40 METERS Yes 6 25 Yes 6 24
30 METERS Yes 6 13 Yes 6 13
20 METERS Yes 6 7 Yes 6 8
17 METERS Yes 6 3 Yes 6 3
15 METERS No 9 feet — No 9 feet —
12 METERS No 6 — No 6 —
No arms No arms
10 METERS No 5 — No 5 —
No arms No arms

Table 5 Tuning guide for standard Buddipole with 9.5 foot whips @ 25 feet
The 16 foot mast and tripod cannot lift a
ground mounted horizontal dipole high Key accessories for
balcony and rooftop use
enough to present a reasonable radiation
are:
pattern for any band lower than 10m. • 16 foot mast
However, the 16 foot mast is a fine • two 9.5 foot whips
accessory to have when deploying a
Buddipole off a balcony or rooftop. This
long mast (on top of a high building) can be the next best thing to
having a tower!
The remainder of this chapter discusses the deployment of balcony and
rooftop Buddipole systems using both the standard length (5.5 foot) and
extended length (9.5 foot) whips. Each band is discussed in turn, and
side-by-side comparisons of the SWR plots are shown for the two
configurations (standard and extended length whips). These side-by-side
comparisons show how using the longer whips can provide extra 2:1
bandwidth for a given band.

Note: The measurements and settings used below were taken from
the author’s deck which is approximately 10 feet from ground level.
Your results and required settings may differ from those shown here.

43
Buddipole
Balcony and Rooftop
Cookbook
Buddipole configurations for use on balconies and rooftops are described
in the next few pages. These configurations are organized by band and
deployment height. For example, the 10m horizontal dipole is shown
deployed at 16, 20, 25, and 30 feet above ground.
There are several options for
most of these antenna WARNING
configurations. The first option Never deploy the Buddipole or
is the standard (or deluxe) any antenna anywhere near
Buddipole with a single arm on power lines. High voltages exist
each side of the VersaTee, in auras around power lines so a
standard coils (if necessary), deadly jolt can be delivered even
and standard 5.5 foot whip if you only bring the antenna
antennas. The great thing about close to the wires. Always
the Buddipole is its ability to survey the area around any
accept additional or alternate prospective deployment. Stay
components to create new safe. Stay well away from power
configurations. For example, lines.
one can substitute 9.5 foot
whips for the standard 5.5 foot
ones, or add additional arms, or use the Low Band Coil instead of the
standard coils. Alternative configurations are also highlighted. The
alternate construction techniques will not alter the far field pattern of the
antenna, but it might make it more efficient (emitting more power).
Creating an antenna without the need for coils is better than including
coils, longer whips are better than shorter whips, and the larger coils
have lower losses than the smaller coils. Size matters. Making a full-sized
antenna is much better than creating shortened configurations.
Artwork with each configuration provides an at-a-glance view of how
the antenna is constructed. For example:

44
shows (from left to right) a whip, coil, arm, VersaTee, arm, coil, and
whip. If the coil and arm were not needed, the picture would look like
this:

whip, VersaTee, and second whip. This diagramming technique will be

used throughout the book to make component requirements for a
particular configuration easy to assess.
There are benefits to deploying a full-sized antenna. They are more
efficient than their shortened counterparts and they are easier to tune in
the field. Configurations that are full-sized are marked with this symbol:

45
10m horizontal dipole
A 10m dipole is relatively compact measuring only 100 inches on each
side. It can be constructed from the standard Buddipole components using
just a small number of turns on the coils, or it can be made from only
arms and whips using either additional accessory antenna arms, or the
9.5 foot whips. All configurations provide better than 2:1 SWR
bandwidth across the entire 10m band.

Standard 5.5 foot whips With 9.5 foot whips

Red whip: 5 sections (56 inches) Red whip: 5 sections (100 inches)
Red coil: tap 2 Black whip: 5 sections (100 inches)
Red side: one arm
Black whip: 6 sections (66 inches)
Black coil: tap 2
Black side: one arm

Standard 5.5 foot whips (2 arms)

Red whip: 5 sections (56 inches)
Red side: two arms
Black whip: 5 sections (56 inches)
Black side: two arms

The best deployment height for a horizontal dipole is ½ wavelength

above the ground. For a 10m dipole, ½ wavelength works out to be 5m,
or approximately 16 feet. Moving the antenna higher distorts the far field
pattern and a “bump” appears towards the zenith. Figure 14 contains far
field plots for this antenna at 16, 20, 25, and 30 feet.
The low angle radiation lobes also drop from 30 degrees at 16 feet all the
way down to 15 degrees at 30 feet. More worrisome is the deep null that
begins to appear near the 45 degree angle as the antenna height
increases. At 30 feet this null is nearly 20 dB between 30 and 40 degrees.
For this reason 10m horizontal dipoles should not be deployed more
than 20 feet above the ground.

46
10m elevation plot at 16 feet 10m elevation plot at 20 feet

10m elevation plot at 25 feet 10m elevation plot at 30 feet

Figure 14 Far field pattern for a 10m horizontal dipole

47
12m horizontal dipole
A 12m dipole is 9.5 feet on each side (approximately 113 inches). It can
be constructed from standard Buddipole components with only a few
turns on each coil. The 12m dipole also corresponds to the size of the
longer 9.5 foot Buddipole whips, which makes this antenna easy to
configure with these accessories! Finally, the addition of an extra antenna
accessory arm provides a way to eliminate the coil, thus making a near-
full-sized antenna for this band with just two arms and the short (5.5
foot) whips. The total length of the antenna elements will be 44 inches
from the arms + 66 inches from the whips, or 110 inches, a little short of
the 113 inches indicated for this band, but the bandwidth of the antenna
should bring the antenna close enough to work well. All antenna
configurations provide better than 2:1 SWR bandwidth across the band.

Standard 5.5 foot whips With 9.5 foot whips

Red whip: 6 sections (all out) Red whip: 6 sections (all out)
Red coil: tap 2 Black whip: 6 sections (all out)
Black whip: 6 sections (all out)
Black coil: tap 4

Standard 5.5 foot whips (2 arms)

Red whip (standard): 6 sections (all out, 5.5
feet)
Black whip: 6 sections (all out, 5.5 feet)

The best height for a 12m horizontal dipole is ½ wavelength above

ground—6m (19.7 feet). Deploying the antenna above 20 feet induces a
deep null at about 45 degrees in the far field. For this reason a 12m
horizontal dipole should not be deployed more than 20 feet above the
ground.

48
12m elevation plot at 16 feet 12m elevation plot at 20 feet

12m elevation plot at 25 feet 12m elevation plot at 30 feet

Figure 15 Far field pattern for a 12m horizontal dipole

49
15m horizontal dipole
A 15m dipole is 11 feet on each side (approximately 133 inches). It can
be constructed from standard Buddipole components with only a few
turns on each coil. The 15m dipole can also be made from the
combination of a single antenna accessory arm and a 9.5 foot Buddipole
whip extended to 9 feet. An additional arm, along with the standard
Buddipole configuration, makes a nearly full-sized antenna. All antenna
configurations provide better than 2:1 SWR bandwidth across the band.

Standard 5.5 foot whips With 9.5 foot whips

Red whip: 6 sections (all out) Red whip: 9 feet (all but 6 inches)
Red coil: tap 4 (red) Black whip: 9 feet (all but 6 inches)
Black whip: 6 sections (all out)
Black coil: tap 6 (black)

Standard 5.5 foot whips (2 arms) with coils

Red whip: 6 sections (all out)
Red coil: tap 2
Black whip: 6 sections (all out)
Black coil: tap 4

The best height for a 15m horizontal dipole is approximately ½

wavelength above ground—7.5m (24.6 feet). Figure 16 contains far field
plots at various heights for a 15m dipole. Deploying the antenna above
25 feet induces a deep null at about 45 degrees in the far field. For this
reason a 15m horizontal dipole should not be deployed more than 25
feet above the ground.

50
15m elevation plot at 16 feet 15m elevation plot at 20 feet

15m elevation plot at 25 feet 15m elevation plot at 30 feet

Figure 16 Far field pattern for a 15m horizontal dipole

51
17m horizontal dipole
A 17m dipole is 12.9 feet on each side (approximately 155 inches). It can
be constructed from standard Buddipole parts using coils for loading, or
the 17m dipole can be made from the combination of two antenna
accessory arms and a 9.5 foot Buddipole whip extended to 9 feet 3 inches.
All antenna configurations provide better than 2:1 SWR bandwidth
across the band.

Standard 5.5 foot whips With 9.5 foot whips

Red whip: 5 sections Red whip: 6 sections (all out)
Red coil: tap 10 (green) Red coil: tap 3
Black whip: 5.3 sections Black whip: 6 sections (all out)
Black coil: tap 6 (black) Black coil: tap 3

Standard 5.5 foot whips (2 arms) with coils

Red whip: 6 sections (all out)
Red coil: tap 8
Red side: two arms
Black whip: 6 sections (all out)
Black coil: tap 4
Black side: two arms

With 9.5 foot whips (2 arms)

Red whip: 9 feet 3 inches
Black whip: 9 feet 3 inches

The best height for a 17m horizontal dipole is ½ wavelength above

ground—8.5m (28 feet). Figure 17 contains far field plots at various
heights for a 17m dipole.

52
17m elevation plot at 16 feet 17m elevation plot at 20 feet

17m elevation plot at 25 feet 17m elevation plot at 30 feet

Figure 17 Far field pattern for a 17m horizontal dipole

53
20m horizontal dipole
A 20m dipole is 16.6 feet on each side (approximately 199 inches). It can
be constructed from standard Buddipole parts using coils for loading. All
antenna configurations provide better than 2:1 SWR bandwidth across
the band.

Standard 5.5 foot whips With 9.5 foot whips

Red whip: 4.5 sections (56 inches) Red whip: 6 sections (all out)
Red coil: tap 10 (green) Red coil: tap 7
Black whip: 6 sections (all out) Black whip: 6 sections (all out)
Black coil: tap 15 (blue) Black coil: tap 8

Standard 5.5 foot whips (2 arms) with coils

Red whip: 6 sections (all out)
Red coil: tap 8
Black whip: 6 sections (all out)
Black coil: tap 4

9.5 foot whips (2 arms) with coils

Red whip: 6 sections (all out)
Red coil: tap 6
Black whip: 6 sections (all out)
Black coil: tap 5

The best height for a 20m horizontal dipole is ½ wavelength above

ground—10m (33 feet). Figure 18 contains far field plots at various
heights for a 20m dipole. The far field pattern for this antenna is best
when deployed at 30-35 feet.

54
20m elevation plot at 16 feet 20m elevation plot at 20 feet

20m elevation plot at 25 feet 20m elevation plot at 30 feet

Figure 18 Far field pattern for a 20m horizontal dipole

55
30m horizontal dipole
A dipole for 30m should have element lengths of roughly 23 feet. The
Buddipole configurations described below have element lengths ranging
from just over 7 feet to about 13 feet. These shortened radiator lengths
have a much lower expected radiation resistance, and present a
significantly lower feedpoint impedance than a full-sized dipole. Tuning
the smallest of the configurations will be difficult. It is highly
recommended that longer whips, additional accessory antenna arms, or
both be used for bands lower than 20m. All settings for whip lengths
and coil taps are approximations. A Triple Ratio Switch Balun with a setting
of 4:1 is required for all configurations.

Standard 5.5 foot whips With 9.5 foot whips

Red whip: 6 sections (all out) Red whip: 6 sections (all out)
Red coil: tap 21 Red coil: tap 13
Black whip: 6 sections (all out) Black whip: 6 sections (all out)
Black coil: tap 21 Black coil: tap 13

Standard 5.5 foot whips (2 arms) with coils

Red whip: 6 sections (all out)
Red coil: tap 21
Black whip: 6 sections (all out)
Black coil: tap 21

9.5 foot whips (2 arms) with coils

Red whip: 5+ sections (110 inches)
Red coil: tap 13
Black whip: 5+ sections (112 inches)
Black coil: tap 13
The far field plots for this antenna are shown in Figure 19.

56
30m elevation plot at 16 feet 30m elevation plot at 20 feet

30m elevation plot at 25 feet 30m elevation plot at 30 feet

Figure 19 Far field pattern for a 30m horizontal dipole

57
40m horizontal dipole
A 40m dipole with a radiator arm length of only 7 to 14 feet is a very
short antenna for this band. A full-sized element for this band is about
34 feet. Shortened antennas have a large capacitive reactance as a
component of their feedpoint impedance. The standard Buddipole coils
are just large enough (have enough inductive reactance) to cancel that
capacitive reactance. Even so, the radiation resistance for this antenna
will be very low. A TRSB with the setting 4:1 is required to make a good
match.
The difference in length between the short (5.5 foot) and long (9.5 foot)
whip is most noticeable on this band, the lowest band supported by the
standard Buddipole. Adding that extra radiator length and reducing the
number of coil turns necessary to achieve the match makes a big
difference in the 2:1 SWR bandwidth for the antenna. The figure below
with the antenna schematic, coil, and whip settings also includes a plot of
the SWR directly measured from an antenna with these configurations.
You can see that the short whip has a very small 2:1 SWR bandwidth
(about 75-100 kHz) and the longer whip has a much larger 2:1 SWR
bandwidth (about 150-200 kHz). The antenna with the longer whip will
also be easier to tune in the field. As discussed in other places in this
book, when it comes to radiators every inch counts!

Standard 5.5 foot whips With 9.5 foot whips

Red whip: 6 sections (all out) Red whip: 6 sections (all out)
Red coil: tap none Red coil: tap 25
Black whip: 6 sections (all out) Black whip: 6 sections (all out)
Black coil: tap none Black coil: tap 24

58
Other configurations for this antenna are possible. The addition of extra
arms helps a little, but those additional arms combined with the longer
9.5 foot whips help more.
Buddipole, Inc. sells a 12 foot shock-cord whip. Replacing the shorter
whips with two of these 12 foot whips helps even more3. Alternatively,
one could add a third antenna accessory arm with the 9.5 foot whips.

Standard 5.5 foot whips (2 arms) with coils

Red whip: 6 sections (all out)
Red coil: tap none
Black whip: 6 sections (all out)
Black coil: tap none

9.5 foot whips (2 arms) with coils

Red whip: 6 sections (all out)
Red coil: tap 25
Black whip: 6 sections (all out)
Black coil: tap 24

12 foot whips (2 arms) with coils

or 9.5 foot whips (3 arms) with coils
Red whip: 12 foot (all out)
Red coil: tap 20
Black whip: 12 foot (all out)
Black coil: tap 20
Note that all configurations will be affected by the height above ground
and proximity to other objects. Even with the longest whips and extra
arms this is a very short dipole for the 40m band.

3 Buddipole, Inc. does not recommend using 12 foot shock cord whips for horizontal
element duty as they are very heavy and tend to sag. The additional arm used in
conjunction with the 9.5 foot whip is preferred.
59
60
6 Ground Mounted Verticals
As discussed earlier, ground
mounted horizontal dipoles on
Buddipole masts and tripods cannot
be raised to a sufficient height to
achieve a reasonable radiation
pattern for most HF bands. Only
10m dipoles when raised to a ½
wavelength in height (5 meters or
about 16 feet) deliver the power
to low angles that give us good
DX opportunities. So, if
horizontal dipoles are out, what
simple deployment designs
remain? Two options come to
mind immediately: vertical dipoles
and vertical monopoles with
elevated radials. We’ll examine
each in turn.
Vertical dipoles are just as they Ground mounted vertical
sound: a dipole antenna deployed antenna for 17m on VP2M
such that the elements are
perpendicular to the ground instead of parallel to it. The two general
problems deploying such antennas are managing its height (a full-sized
20m vertical dipole will be ½ wavelength high or 33 feet!), and to get the
feed line to the feedpoint.
A dipole is typically constructed such that both elements lie straight on
an imaginary line. In the case of a vertical dipole, both elements would
be perpendicular to the ground, one element directly above the other.
What about an antenna where the bottom element is not quite
perpendicular? What about one where the bottom element is at a 45
degree angle to the ground? The collection of far field plots in Figure 20
show how the radiation pattern of a 10m antenna with its feedpoint at 15
feet changes as the lower element is rotated from directly under the top
element (at 180 degrees from that top element) to perpendicular to it (at
90 degrees from that top element).

61
 180 degrees 170 degrees 160 degrees
Vertical dipole

150 degrees 140 degrees 130 degrees

120 degrees 110 degrees 100 degrees

90 degrees
Figure 20 Far field pattern of a 10m antenna rotating the bottom element
Consider the antenna configuration when the lower element is extended
at 150 degrees below the vertical. That is, there is a 150 degree angle
between the elements. Dropping the single whip or wire at this angle
makes setup easy, but is the antenna effective?

62
 Antenna deployment Far field elevation plot
Figure 21 10m antenna with second element drooping at 150 degrees
Examine Figure 21 and note the large null at the 45 degree angle on the
left side of the far field plot. In fact, the whole side away from the
drooping lower element is down from 8 dB to 15 dB from the power
predicted for the right side of the antenna (with the drooping element).
Adding a second sloping element on the opposite side of the first yields
results as illustrated in Figure 22. The addition of the second lower
element changes the pattern significantly, eliminating the deafness on the
left side of the antenna. The maximum gain for the antenna was nearly
unchanged. The second element simply eliminated losses. In other
words, assuming this extra element was just a wire, running that wire
cost us next to nothing in the relative gain of the antenna, but it
eliminated losses and restored full sensitivity on all sides. But, is it still a
vertical dipole in this configuration? It looks more like a vertical with a
bad radial system (at least to the author).

63
 Antenna deployment Far field elevation plot
Figure 22 Antenna with two elements drooping at 150 degrees
A common way to create Buddipole vertical
antennas is to use wire (instead of arms or
whips) for the lower elements. The Buddipole
wire assembly is a bundle of wire
approximately 30 or 60 feet in length that
terminates in a ¼ inch ring connector. A
Counterpoise Wire Adapter reduces the
standard 3/8"x24 tap of the VersaTee to ¼". Buddipole wire assembly
You can make your own version of this
easily using kite winders and lengths of insulated wire. The Counterpoise
Wire Adapter can be purchased separately.
Creating four elements sloping down at this angle gives us a version of
this antenna described in Figure 23.

64
 Antenna deployment Far field elevation plot
Figure 23 Antenna with four elements drooping at 150 degrees
The far field pattern is similar to that with the two radials but the gain is
slightly higher.
Radials Max gain
1 1.7 dBi
2 1.6 dBi
4 1.8 dBi
Table 6 Maximum gain comparisons for 1, 2, and 4 radials at 150 degrees
All these gain numbers are How many radials are needed? Is
ridiculously close and well within one wire enough? The answer
any measurement or modeling often given is, “it depends.” Well,
error. It takes a 3 dB change in perhaps. But adding additional
power to register as half an S-unit. radials reduces ground losses and
All these changes in forward gain often lowers the average angle of
are small fractions of a dB. The big radiation—both very good things.
change resulting from the addition The author recommends no fewer
of the second sloping element was than 2 radials, and 4 or more
radials are preferred. Deploying
the elimination of ground losses.
more than one ensures that you
When there is only one lower have no dead spots in your
element, and when that lower radiation (and receiving) far field
element is directly below the top pattern. It would be a shame to
element (in a vertical dipole), that miss a rare DX contact for lack of
lower element is one element in running a single wire!

65
the dipole. However, as soon as we alter the relative positions of the
lower element from 180 degrees to some smaller angle, the lower
element begins to look more like a radial wire for a vertical than a second
dipole element. Therefore, the non-vertical element of a vertical antenna
will always be called a radial. All radials discussed in this book are elevated
radials placed well above the ground, never on the ground, and never
buried.
Adding additional radials usually lowers the angle of maximum gain from
one near 30 degrees to an angle closer to 20 degrees. If you are working
DX, this effect of lowering the angles of the main lobe is very helpful.
A more traditional ground mounted vertical antenna with elevated radials
is easy to construct with the Buddipole and it performs very well when
sufficient radials are provided. Consider a 17m antenna with the vertical
component constructed from two arms (22 inches each) and a 9.5 foot
whip. The approximate length for a ¼ wave vertical would be 12.9 feet
(155 inches). The two arms account for 44 inches, leaving the whip to
supply the remaining 111 inches (9 feet 3 inches), just shy of the whip’s
full length when extended.
A 17m vertical deployed at 5 feet with a radial extended away from the
feedpoint also at 5 feet (90 degrees to the vertical) is illustrated below in
Figure 24. Like the 10m antenna modeled earlier, the single radial on the
17m vertical creates an area of relative deafness in the pattern. Running
even one additional elevated radial in the opposite direction of the first
smoothes the pattern considerably as shown in Figure 25. The symmetry
of the antenna is restored. If you wish to work more stations then the
trade-off of having an imperceptible increase in power in one direction is
more than offset by having good power in all directions. Again, the
difference in deployment is only one wire (from one radial to two).

66
 17m vertical with 1 radial Far field plot for 17m w/ 1 radial
Figure 24 17m vertical with 1 elevated radial
In absolute terms, the gain number shown (0.36 dBi, in this example) is
disappointing when compared to the performance of a horizontal dipole
up ½ wavelength. Additional radials, as shown in Figure 26, do not
increase the gain; it falls by a very small amount. But, the center of the
main lobe of radiation falls from 25 degrees with two radials to just 20
degrees with four radials. The lower angle of radiation helps when
chasing DX contacts, more than compensating for the imperceptible loss
in power that the model predicts.
Will more radials help? Figure 27 shows that 17m vertical antenna
configured with 16 radials. There are few differences between its
performance and that of the one configured with just four radials.

67
 17m vertical with 2 radials Far field plot for 17m with 2
radials
Figure 25 17m vertical antenna with 2 elevated radials
If we are only seeing 0.36 dBi of maximum gain, where is the rest of the
energy going? Figure 28 shows this 17m antenna with four radials
deployed over “perfect” ground. When we eliminate ground losses from
the system we get all our power back. The modeling shows the antenna
over “perfect” ground has nearly 6 dBi of gain! Can we get anything
close to that in our deployments? Yes. Saltwater is an excellent
conductor and deploying over saltwater (such as on the beach)
significantly reduces ground losses, losing only 1 dB from the gain over
“perfect” ground. A whole chapter of this book is dedicated to beach
deployments.
Finally, notice the radiation pattern in the saltwater plot in Figure 28.
The angle of maximum radiation is at 10 degrees! Depending on where
in the world you are operating, this might actually be too low, but that is
an easier problem to fix than an antenna that is inefficient, deaf in some
directions, and radiating too high!

68
 17m vertical with 4 radials Far field plot for 17m with 4
radials
Figure 26 17m vertical antenna with 4 radials

17m vertical with 16 radials Far field plot for 17m with 16
radials
Figure 27 17m vertical antenna with 16 radials

69
 Perfect ground Saltwater
Figure 28 17m antenna deployed over perfect ground and saltwater
Consider the comparison of 20m One of the best accessories
antennas shown in Figure 29. The you can pack in your Buddipole
horizontal dipole is constructed from bag is an extra pair of arms.
standard Buddipole parts using standard They are very strong and
whips. The vertical antenna uses four enable the construction of full
arms and a long (9.5 foot) whip as the size antennas up to 20m with a
vertical element, and four wires for 9.5 foot whip. Further, as later
elevated radials. The vertical antenna is sections in the book will show,
deployed at 5 feet. every inch of radiator in a
shortened vertical antenna
At the 20 degree elevation, the improves efficiency. You get
horizontal dipole has a gain of -3.13 that extra length with extra
dBi compared with the vertical’s 0.01 arms.
dBi gain. And, remember, this 0.01 dBi
figure for the vertical is over “average” ground. If we move it over
saltwater it gets much better! (The dipole must be placed over “perfect”
ground to come close to the gain the vertical has over “average”
ground.) Just to put things into perspective, the vertical gives you a half
an S-unit more power than the equivalent horizontal dipole over average
ground, and more than an S-unit improvement near the beach. Add to
these facts that the vertical is easier to construct and tune, faster to set
up, and more stable in high winds than the horizontal dipole. The
vertical configuration (with 2 or more radials) is a clear winner when the
Buddipole is ground mounted.
70
 20m horizontal dipole @ 8 feet 20m vertical with 4 radials @ 5
feet
Figure 29 Comparison of 20m antennas horizontal versus vertical
In Table 7 the relative power outputs (dBi) for antennas at the 20 degree
takeoff angle are compared. Deployments on an 8 foot mast will always
see better performance from verticals. Deployments of dipoles on a 16
foot mast may be better than vertical configurations for bands down to
20m, but they are more difficult to construct, erect, and guy than vertical
configurations.
Band Dipole 8' Dipole 16' Vertical 8'
10m 1.0 5.8 1.7
12m 0.4 4.7 1.7
15m -0.5 3.4 0.9
17m -1.5 2.3 0.7
20m -3.1 0.9 0.4
30m -5.7 -0.8 -0.3
40m -8.8 -2.8 -0.4
Table 7 Relative power outputs (dBi) at 20 degrees for various configurations

71
The table above may not be the final story as verticals deployed over or
near saltwater show significant gains over those listed here (that assumes
“average” ground). For bands 10m-15m, the dipole on a 16 foot mast is
probably the best choice, but it becomes much less clear for 17m and
20m. For 30m and 40m, the vertical is the obvious choice.
There are a few final points that should be made before proceeding to
the cookbook section. The typical feedpoint impedance for a horizontal
dipole in free space is 70 ohms. A ¼ wave vertical is half a dipole and
has half the impedance (something in the neighborhood of 35 ohms)
when there are no other losses and when the antenna is full-sized.
Buddipole verticals will have those extra losses through the ground as they
will not be deployed over perfect ground. And, some Buddipole
configurations will be smaller than full-sized antennas so the radiation
resistance will be much lower than that of a full-sized antenna. Both
affect feedpoint impedance.
If an antenna were to present 25 ohms impedance at the feedpoint, and
our radio is expecting 50 ohms, then a 2:1 ratio transformer, matching
the 25 ohm load to our radio,
would be ideal. Or, if the antenna
presented a 12.5 ohm load, then
a 4:1 ratio transformer would
match the load to the 50 ohms
expected by the radio. Both
translations are possible with the
Buddipole Triple Ratio Switched
Balun (TRSB).
The switch on the TRSB allows Triple Ratio Switch Balun
the user to select 1:1 (50 ohms to
50 ohms), 2:1 (50 ohms to 25 ohms), or 4:1 (50 ohms to 12.5 ohms).
Verticals will often present less than 50 ohms at the feedpoint so this
box is very handy for deploying vertical antennas.
There is another issue with vertical antennas worth discussing. Radial
wires are wire elements that are connected to the “cold” side of the coax.
The power runs down the coax traveling on the outside of the center
conductor and the inside of the braid of the coax. The outside of the
braid looks like a third conductor at HF frequencies. What keeps the
power from just following the outside of the braid back to the radio?
The Buddipole standard coax (in either 25 foot or 50 foot lengths) has
beads on the coax near the banana plug leads that help stop RF current

72
from traveling on the outside of the coax shield. These beads work very
well at high frequencies. However, at low frequencies (such as 40m and
below) the effectiveness of these beads is lessened.
The second major feature of the TRSB
Key accessories for ground
is an isolation transformer that keeps mounted verticals are:
the RF off the outside of the coax,
even at lower frequencies. These two • Extra 22 inch arms
features: the ability to match lower • Triple Ratio Switch Balun
feedpoint impedances, and the • 9.5 foot whip
isolation transformer keeping power
off the outside of the coax, make the • Shock-cord mast
TRSB a must-have accessory for • Counterpoise Wire Adapters
vertical antenna deployment. • Radial wire kits
Selecting a full-sized antenna • Banana plug jumper wire
configuration is recommended
wherever possible. Vertical antennas present a feedpoint impedance of
roughly 35 ohms when they are full-sized and complemented with an
effective radial system. Radiation resistance component of the feedpoint
impedance drops quickly with radiator size. Figure 30 shows the
relationship between the vertical antenna radiator length and the
radiation resistance for a 40m vertical antenna.

Figure 30 Radiation resistance for a 40m vertical versus height of antenna

73
Buddipole configurations cannot easily produce a vertical radiator longer
than 20 feet. Figure 31 shows the radiation resistance values for a range
of antenna heights from 1 foot to 20 feet for a 40m vertical antenna.

Figure 31 Radiation resistance for a 40m vertical from 1 to 20 feet in length

As the graph shows, every inch of radiator counts! Remember, it is
radiation resistance that corresponds to the useful work of an antenna,
and that radiation resistance is most closely attributed to the length of
the radiator. The longer the radiator, the higher the radiation resistance
will be, with the corresponding increase in antenna efficiency. Consider
Table 8. The configuration is changed step-wise from just two arms and
a short (5.5') whip to four arms and a 12 foot shock-cord whip. The
length ranges from 8.7 feet to over 19 feet. Radiation resistance ranges
from 2.2 ohms to 10.9 ohms. If we were to assume that an increase in
radiation resistance would have a corresponding increase in radiated
power (the relationship is more complex, but it is useful for this
discussion to make such an assumption) then the difference between
supplying just the minimum radiator (8.7 feet) and the maximum (over
19 feet) could be as much as an S-unit difference in output!
There are lots of assumptions in this discussion, but it points us in the
right direction. Longer radiators mean higher radiation resistance, leading
to more efficient antenna systems, producing more radiated power.

74
 % better % better
Length than than
(feet) Description Rrad minimum previous
8.7 Two arms + short whip 2.2
13.2 Two arms + BP long whip 5.1 129% 129%
15.0 Three arms + BP long whip 6.6 197% 30%
16.8 Four arms + BP long whip 8.3 274% 26%
19.3 Four arms + 12 foot whip 10.9 393% 32%
Table 8 Radiation resistance for a 40m vertical with varying configurations
Ideally, the antenna should have 50 ohms of radiation resistance to
match the 50 ohms expected by the radio. An antenna with only a few
ohms of radiation resistance, like a very short vertical, presents three
problems:
1. The radio is expecting 50 ohms from the antenna system. If, for
example, the antenna presents 12 ohms then the system will
require an impedance transformer with a ratio of 4:1 to bring the
impedance close to 50 ohms. The TRSB is ideal for this.
2. Losses such as ground losses, coax losses, inductive and
capacitive reactance at the feedpoint reducing the current
flowing through the system, all these components of the
feedpoint impedance exist independently of the radiation
resistance. As radiation resistance decreases it becomes a smaller
component of the total feedpoint impedance. Antenna
efficiency goes down when all these losses remain, and the
radiation resistance is reduced.
3. Use of a transformer such as a TRSB set to the 4:1 ratio will
amplify any swings of impedance as the frequency changes. This
reduces the SWR 2:1 bandwidth. To see why a quick review of
how SWR is computed is in order.
SWR is computed by the formula
Z L − Z0
1+
Z L + Z0
SWR =
Z L − Z0
1−
Z L + Z0
where ZL is the impedance of the load (the impedance presented by the
antenna), and Z0 is the 50 ohm impedance expected by the radio. (All
€ 75
impedance values are complex numbers.) Consider the SWR for an antenna
system that presents 35 ohms pure resistance (like a vertical with a very
good ground system). The SWR for this antenna would be4
35 − 50 15
1+ 1+
SWR =
35 + 50
= 85 = 1.18 = 1.43
35 − 50 15 0.82
1− 1−
35 + 50 85
That is, the SWR when 35 ohms is presented and the radio expects 50
ohms is 1:43:1. This is what you would expect from a quarter wave
vertical at resonance. If the antenna impedance were to change to 30
€ (a change of 5 ohms) then the SWR would become 1.67:1. A
ohms
change of 5 ohms one way or another when the expected impedance is
50 ohms produces a small change in SWR. However, when the TRSB is
put into the system reducing the expected impedance to 12.5 ohms
(using the 4:1 setting) a difference of a few ohms can make a huge
difference in the SWR. Consider the following table:
Impedance SWR
4.0 3.1:1
9.0 1.4:1
12.5 1:1
20.0 1.6:1
40.0 3.2:1
The 2:1 SWR bandwidth of an antenna is the range of frequencies within
a band where the antenna presents an SWR of 2:1 or less. In the case
where the 4:1 impedance ratio of the TRSB is used, that range of
feedpoint impedances is only 6 ohms to 25 ohms, a range of only 19
ohms. When the TRSB is set to the 1:1 ratio and the expected
impedance is 50 ohms then the range of impedances that would be
within the 2:1 SWR is 25 ohms to 100 ohms, a range of 75 ohms.
The SWR plots of the antennas in this chapter reflect how these ratios
set in the TRSB affect the 2:1 SWR bandwidths of the antennas. More
specifically, shorted verticals (those that are not full-sized), with lower
radiation resistance values, and TRSB settings other than 1:1 will have
smaller 2:1 SWR bandwidths when compared with the full-sized
antennas. They will also be more “touchy” to tune (more difficult to

4 Those vertical bars surrounding the fractions mean “magnitude” or “absolute value”.

That is, ignore the sign of the result. Treat it as a positive value.
76
configure to have a good SWR match to the radio), be more sensitive to
nearby objects, and generally be more problematic in the field.
The cookbook section provides configuration information for antennas
serving bands 10m through 40m. Configuration variations including
TRSB settings are indicated for all antenna designs.
Finally, a discussion regarding radial systems is in order. Radial systems
provide the “other half” of the antenna. The number, placement, and
lengths of the radial elements can affect antenna performance and
feedpoint impedance. Downward sloping radials can raise feedpoint
impedance, for example.
Antenna configurations described in the cookbook section will also specify
options for radial systems. Because the radial systems have significant
effects on feedpoint impedance the TRSB settings are as dependent, or
even more dependent, upon these factors as the configuration of the
vertical element of the antenna.
All wire radial configurations (those not using whips) are four wires at
the length and angle specified in the configuration, separated by 90
degrees. While similar results are expected with only two radials, four (or
more) are strongly recommended—especially on bands 20m, 30m, and
40m, to reduce ground losses.

77
Buddipole
Ground Mounted
Verticals
Cookbook
This chapter will cover ground mounted antennas from 10m through
40m. The configurations and bands discussed here will overlap with
other chapters in the book such as Buddipole on the beach and Low band
antennas. The general concepts and approaches are discussed here with
refinements covered in those later chapters.
Figure 32 shows a typical deployment. The VersaTee, mounted on a
mast, holds the vertical element and provides connection points for the
radial wires. The feed line connects to the center/top tap (red/hot) and
one of the side taps (black/shield). A Velcro strap holds the feed line
securely to the mast.
All Buddipole vertical antennas should be mounted such that the
feedpoint is elevated above the ground. Keeping the antenna (and
radials) at least four feet above the ground significantly reduces ground
losses.

Figure 32 Buddipole vertical with radial wires and feed line

78
A single side of the VersaTee can be used for connecting radials, but it is
more convenient to use both sides. Consider the following.
The VersaTee has three
connection points: left, right,
and center/top. The center/top
is used for the vertical radiator
leaving the left and right taps for
the connections to the radials.
Since the standard Buddipole feed
line has only two connectors
(red/hot and black/shield), one
must run a jumper between the
two horizontal taps if they are
both to be used for connecting
radials.
Buddipole, Inc. offers mini-
banana plug leads on its
accessory web page. These are
used as wander leads for the
coils, but they can also be used
to construct a jumper between
the left and right side of the
VersaTee.
The best way to deploy radials
from both sides of the VersaTee
is to attach a banana plug
jumper to one side of the
VersaTee using a Counterpoise
Wire Adapter (CWA), and plug
the banana plug into the banana
receptacle on the other side as
shown. A second CWA can then
be used for securing radials.

The ability to secure radials to both sides of the VersaTee makes

deploying radials easier than using just one side. Regardless of where the
radial wires are attached, there should be a minimum of two radials, and
four radials are preferred. Buddipole, Inc. offers a radial wire kit,
79
terminated with a ring connector, and supplied with the CWA. You can
also make your own kit using plastic kite string winders and lightweight
wire. An excellent choice for wire is #534 “Invisible Toughcoat Silky 26
AWG copper-clad steel” wire
from The Wire Man
(http://www.thewireman.com).
This wire is very strong, yet very
light. The vendor claims the wire
is less than 1 pound per 1000
feet! The wire is very flexible and
wraps easily on plastic winders.
Four radials approximately 40
feet each (as shown) weigh only
a few ounces.
The plastic winders (purchased
separately from a kite hobby
store) are convenient because
they often have a small slot that
will hold the wire in place to Four radial wires terminating in a
prevent further unraveling. This single ring connector. (Assembly
slot is a quick way to both secure made by the author.)
the wire for storage and to
secure the wire at a desired
length when deployed.
To deploy radials, affix the ring connector to the CWA on the VersaTee.
Walk each radial out one-by-one to the desired length and secure it to
the winder using either the slot (if available), a Velcro strap, or some
other means. Ensure that the radials are at least 2 feet above the ground and higher
if possible. Elevated radials are only effective if they are elevated.
The portion of the wire rolled out will be the only wire “seen” by
the antenna. Any wire left on the winder will be “invisible” and not
affect antenna performance or tuning.
These antenna configurations assume that the antenna is deployed at 8
feet (the VersaTee is mounted on a mast 8 feet above the ground) and
that wire radials are sloping down from the VersaTee to a point no lower
than 2 feet above the ground. For radials (horizontal elements) made
from whips, possible for the higher bands, those radials are assumed to
be parallel to the ground unless the Rotating Arm Kit is employed.

80
10m vertical
The standard Buddipole kit contains enough parts to create a vertical
element for a full-sized 10m antenna. The addition of 9.5 foot whips
enables more configuration options. The longer whips can be used as
part of the vertical element, or they can be used as radials.
If a 16 foot mast is available, a horizontal dipole configuration should be
considered. See the chapter Balconies and Rooftops for specifications for
that alternative.
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole Option 1:
5.5' whip: 5 sections (56 inches)
Optional Two accessory antenna arms
RAK Option 2:
9.5' whip 9.5' whip: 99 inches

Radials
Option 1:
Wire: 8 feet 4 inches sloping from 8' to 4' or
TRSB 1:1
Option 2:
Whips: 9.1 feet (111 inches) @ 90 degrees
TRSB 2:1
Option 3:
Whips: 8 feet 4 inches sloping down 20 deg
[Requires RAK]
TRSB 1:1

SWR with sloping radials SWR with horiz. whip radials

Figure 33 SWR plots for 10m vertical
81
The downward sloping wire radials raise the feedpoint impedance
enough that the antenna provides a good match across the entire band.
The whip radials mounted directly into the VersaTee are easy and quick
to deploy, but the impedance of this antenna configuration is only about
25 ohms. Hence, the TRSB should be used at the 2:1 setting (matching
the 25 ohms to the radio’s 50 ohms) with horizontal whip radials.
An alternative to horizontal whip radials is to
use the Rotating Arm Kit (RAK) to angle the
radial whips down like the wire radials were
sloped. This combines the convenience of
using the whips for the radials and the
benefits of sloping radials that increase
feedpoint impedance. To attach the RAK
element to the VersaTee, remove the soft
rubber cover from the threaded bolt. Align Rotating Arm Kit
the pins on the aluminum RAK piece with element
the desired holes in the VersaTee and secure
with the bolt. Do not over-tighten. The pins on the aluminum piece will
hold the piece in place. Adjust the knob so that the connection is finger
tight.
The threaded portion of the RAK aluminum piece should angle down
from the side of the VersaTee at a 20 or 30 degree angle from the
horizon. Note that the small jumper used to make an electrical
connection between the two sides of the VersaTee must be installed to
use both sides of the VersaTee for radials. The ring of the jumper should
fit between the pins of the RAK element.
These settings assume deployment over flat terrain, over “average”
ground, and away from any objects that would interact with the near
field of the antenna. If a good match (low SWR) is not achieved
immediately from these settings try extending or retracting the radials in
one inch increments to bring the feedpoint impedance closer to 50
ohms.

82
12m vertical
The 12m antenna is much like the 10m antenna system except that the
fully extended short whip and two arms on the are just a little short.
However, even with the short whip the antenna will still provide a
sufficiently close match for the radio.
If a 16 foot mast is available a horizontal dipole configuration should be
considered. See the chapter Balconies and Rooftops for specifications for
that alternative.
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole Option 1:
5.5' whip: 6 sections (all out)
Optional Two antenna accessory arm
RAK (This configuration is a little short.
9.5' whips Adjustments to the radials aid the matching.)
+2 arms Option 2:
9.5' whip: 6 sections (all out)

Radials
Option 1:
Wire: 9.4 feet (113) inches sloping from 8' to
4'
TRSB 1:1
Option 2:
Antenna accessory arm (22")
Whips: 9.5 feet (114 inches) @ 90 degrees
TRSB 2:1 or
Option 3:
Whips: 9.4 feet (113 inches) sloping down 20
degrees
[Requires RAK]
TRSB 1:1

83
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole 5.5' whip: 6 sections (all out)
with coil Two antenna accessory arm
Red coil: tap 2
Optional
RAK Radials
9.5' whips See above
+2 arms

The radiator and radials for the 12m band are almost exactly the size of a
9.5' whip so these longer pieces are ideal for this configuration.

SWR with sloping radials SWR with horiz. whip radials

Figure 34 SWR plots for 12m vertical
The radial system has a significant impact on the impedance presented
by the antenna. Radials that slope down away from the antenna raise the
feedpoint impedance to something close to 50 ohms, close enough to
that value that a TRSB should be set to the ratio 1:1. Conversely, the
horizontal radials not only present a lower feedpoint impedance
(something close to 20 ohms), but they must be much longer to obtain a
good match. This extra length is achieved by the addition of an antenna
accessory arm on each side between the 9.5' whip and the VersaTee. The
TRSB should be set to the ratio 2:1 (matching the roughly 25 ohms to 50
ohms) for horizontal radials.
The third option for radials (sloping whips) requires the RAK. See the
description for the 10m antenna for additional details for deploying
sloping radial whips.
84
15m vertical
It is preferable to create full-sized antennas (those without loading coils)
rather than loaded, shortened verticals. For bands 15m and down the
parts complement of a standard Buddipole package are insufficient to
build full-sized antennas. Either the antenna must be loaded, or
additional parts must be supplied.
If a 16 foot mast is available a horizontal dipole configuration should be
considered. See the chapter Balconies and Rooftops for specifications for
that alternative.
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole Standard 5.5 foot whip: 6 sections (all out)
Red coil: tap 3
Optional One antenna accessory arm
RAK
9.5' whips Radials
+2 arms Option 1:
Wires: 12 feet (144) inches sloping from 8'
to 3'
TRSB 2:1
Option 2:
2 arms (@ 22" ea)
Whips: 7.8 feet (94 inches) @ 90 degrees
(Total of 137 inches of radial length)
TRSB 4:1
The SWR plots for the two radial options appear below in Figure 35.

SWR with sloping radials SWR with horizontal whip

radials
Figure 35 SWR plots for 15m vertical
85
The antenna is short for a 15m antenna. The resulting capacitive
reactance is cancelled by three turns of the red coil as indicated.
Additional configuration options yielding full-sized (or near full-sized)
antennas are specified below. As always, full-sized antennas are preferred
to shortened verticals with coil loading.
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole 5.5 foot whip: 6 sections (all out)
3 arms Three antenna accessory arm
(This configuration is a little short.
Optional Adjustments to the radials aid the
RAK matching.)
9.5' whips
+2 arms Radials
See above
It might be helpful to extend the radial
wires a few inches longer in this
configuration.

Standard Vertical element

Buddipole Long 9.5 foot whip: 6 sections (all out)
Long One antenna accessory arm
whip
Radials
Optional See above
RAK
9.5' whips
+2 arms

86
17m vertical
The 17m WARC band is small enough (only 100 kHz wide) that it is
relatively easy to tune the antenna to cover the whole band with less than
2:1 SWR. Replacing the 5.5' whip with a 9.5' whip provides an
opportunity to create a full-sized antenna with just two accessory
antenna arms.
If a 16 foot mast is available a horizontal dipole configuration should be
considered. See the chapter Balconies and Rooftops for specifications for
that alternative.
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole Standard 5.5 foot whip: 6 sections (all
out)
Red coil: tap 5
Two antenna accessory arm

Radials
14.25 feet (170 inches) sloping from 8'
to 3'
TRSB 2:1

Standard Vertical element

Buddipole Buddipole 5.5 foot whip: 6 sections (all
4 x arms out)
Four antenna accessory arm
(This configuration is a little short.
Adjustments to the radials aid the
matching.)

Radials
14.25 feet sloping from 8' to 3'

87
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole Long 9.5 foot whip: 5.5 sections (all out
Long minus 3 inches)
whip Two antenna accessory arm

Radials
14.25 feet sloping from 8' to 3'

The SWR and far field plot appear below in Figure 36.

SWR for 17m Far Field Plot

Figure 36 SWR and far field plots for 17m vertical

88
20m vertical
The standard Buddipole parts with its 5.5' whip and two arms create a
vertical element only 110 inches high. This shortened vertical element
will normally present less than 11 ohms of radiation resistance. Dropping
the radials from 8 feet to 3 feet brings this value up a few ohms, but the
system will still require the TRSB at the 4:1 setting to match the 50 ohms
expected by the radio.
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole Standard 5.5 foot whip: 6 sections (all
out)
Red coil: tap 9
Two antenna accessory arm

Radials
14 feet 1 inch sloping from 8' to 3'
TRSB: 4:1

This configuration provides about 190 kHz of 2:1 SWR bandwidth.

Matching antennas with such a low radiation resistance is always tedious.
To tune the antenna, increase or decrease radial lengths by a few inches
in order to raise or lower the resonant frequency. Remember that the
goal of tuning is to bring the antenna to resonance (making any reactive
components cancel), not to bring the SWR to 1:1.

89
SWR plot for shortened vertical Far field plot for 20m vertical
Figure 37 SWR and far field plot for 20m vertical
It is always desirable to create a full-sized antenna versus a shortened
one. The 20m band is the lowest band where this is possible and it
requires either four accessory antenna arms, or 12 foot shock-cord whip.
Either the standard coax assembly can be used, or the TRSB at the 1:1
setting can be used to feed this antenna. Unlike the shortened version
above, this full-sized vertical will provide 2:1 SWR bandwidth across the
entire 20m band.
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole Option 1:
Long 9.5 foot whip: 6 sections (all out)
Optional Four antenna accessory arm
Four arms Option 2:
Long whip 12 foot whip
12' whip Two accessory antenna arms

Radials
17 feet sloping from 8' to 3'

90
30m vertical
A 30m vertical antenna using only the 5.5' whip and two arms will
produce a vertical element that is very short for this band. The radiation
resistance for this antenna will only be a few ohms (around 5-7 ohms,
depending on the radial configuration). Tuning will be touchy, but the
band is only 50 kHz wide so even an antenna this short will have a 2:1
SWR bandwidth wide enough to cover the whole band. Even so, a TRSB
with a 4:1 setting will need to be used to match this very low feedpoint
impedance to the radio.
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole Standard 5.5 foot whip: 6 sections (all
out)
Red coil: tap 16
Two antenna accessory arm

Radials
Wire: 250 inches sloping 8' to 3'
TRSB: 4:1

The far field plot shows that this antenna has a slightly higher average
takeoff angle than those of higher bands with similar construction.

SWR plot for shortened vertical Far field plot for 30m vertical
Figure 38 SWR and far field plot or a 30m vertical

91
Just replacing the 5.5' whip with the longer 9.5' whip helps tremendously
bringing the feedpoint impedance up from about 5 ohms to over 12
ohms. The TRSB at 4:1 is still required to achieve a good match but the
longer whip reduced the number of coil turns necessary from 16 to 12,
slightly reducing losses in the coil, but more importantly it makes the
antenna easier to tune in the field.
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole Buddipole 9.5 foot whip: 5.5 sections (110
inches)
9.5' whip Red coil: tap 12
Two antenna accessory arm

Radials
Wire: 20 feet sloping 8' to 3'
TRSB: 4:1

The SWR and far field plots for the configuration using the longer whip
appears below.

SWR plot for shortened vertical Far field plot for 30m vertical
Figure 39 SWR and far field plot for a longer 30m vertical
Adding the longer whip increased the length of the radiator. An
additional arm (22 inches) in the system also helps. How much? It
reduces the number of coil taps necessary by 2 (to only 10), further
92
reducing coil loss. It also added a couple of ohms to the radiation
resistance.
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole Buddipole 9.5 foot whip: 6 sections (all
out)
3 arms Red coil: tap 10
9.5' whip Three antenna accessory arm

Radials
Wire: 20 feet sloping 8' to 3'
TRSB: 4:1

It is also possible to add a much longer whip in addition to the extra

antenna accessory arm. The configuration below uses the 12 foot shock-
cord whip instead of the 9.5' whip. With the longer whip two more taps
come off the total (now only requiring 8 turns) and the radiation
resistance has risen to the point where the TRSB must only be set to 2:1.
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole 12 foot whip
Red coil: tap 8
3 arms Three antenna accessory arm
12' whip
Radials
Wire: 20 feet sloping 8' to 3'
TRSB: 2:1

Adding a fourth antenna accessory arm creates a system similar to the

one above except you should reduce the coil setting to tap 7.

93
40m vertical
A 40m vertical antenna using only the 5.5 foot whip and two arms will
produce a vertical element that is very short for this band. The radiation
resistance will only be a few ohms. Tuning will be extremely touchy, and
the best that can be done is a match where the SWR dips into the low 3’s
(even with the TRSB at 4:1).
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole Standard 5.5 foot whip: 6 sections (all
out)
TRSB Two antenna accessory arm
Red coil: tap 29

Radials
25 feet (300 inches)

The plots below illustrate the problems with an antenna so short.

SWR plot for 40m vertical Far field plot for 40m vertical
Figure 40 SWR and far field plot for a 40m vertical
A Buddipole can be used to make effective 40m vertical antennas but the
system must incorporate a longer radiator. The radiator can be
lengthened either by adding a longer whip, adding more arms, or both.

94
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole Buddipole 5.5 foot whip: 6 sections (all
out)
4x arms Four antenna accessory arm
TRSB Red coil: tap 23

Radials
25 feet (300 inches)

An antenna with four arms and a 5.5’ whip produces a radiator 154
inches in length and an expected radiation resistance of about 5 ohms.
This is still very short for a 40m antenna but represents a significant
improvement over the two arm version.

SWR plot for 40m vertical Far field plot for 40m vertical
Figure 41 SWR and far field plot for a longer 40m vertical
This antenna provides about 100 kHz of 3:1 SWR bandwith. Extending
or retracting the radials can move the center frequency.
95
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole 9.5 foot whip: 6 sections (all out)
Four antenna accessory arm
4x arms Red coil: tap 18
9.5' whip
TRSB Radials
25 feet (300 inches)

The above configuration provides a 202 inch radiator which is expected

to present about 8 ohms of radiation resistance. This extends the 3:1
SWR bandwidth to about 170 kHz (over half the band).

SWR plot for 40m vertical Far field plot for 40m vertical
Figure 42 SWR and far field plot for a 200+ inch radiator 40m vertical
Finally, a radiator with four arms and the 12 foot shock-cord whip has
an expected radiation resistance of about 11 ohms. Use coil tap 16. The
3:1 SWR bandwidth for this configuration is over 200 kHz.

96
7 Buddipole on the Beach
One of the best places to operate the
Buddipole is from a beach along the
ocean. While ground losses sap our
power when we deploy over average
terrain, the extremely conductive
saltwater of the ocean reduces those
losses and gives us that power back.
Chris Drummond, President of Chris Drummond, W6HPF,
Buddipole, Inc. calls this effect a with a Buddipole vertical
saltwater amplifier. While there was no
“amplification” involved, we do get an S-unit back under some
circumstances!

There have been many studies, formal and informal, regarding the best
antenna configuration for deployment along saltwater. The answer
keeps coming up vertical. Luckily, vertical antennas are the lightest and
most easily erected configuration for the Buddipole. This chapter
discusses configuration options for deployment along saltwater,
especially right on the beach. A set of comparison far field plots
between “average ground” and saltwater will be shown for each band so
that the improvement in performance by moving to the sea can be fully
appreciated.
There are three good options for erecting the vertical on the beach. The
standard Buddipole tripod and mast system work well on the beach,
though they are a bit heavy for the job. A lighter alternative is to use a
painter’s pole with the Painter Pole Adapter and simply sink the painter’s
pole into the sand a foot or two. Guying the system with a couple of
cords and a rock or piece of driftwood is usually all that is necessary to
keep this pole erect. The third option is to use one of the Buddipole, Inc.
shock-cord masts. These masts come in two sizes, 8 foot and 11 foot,
fold down small, are very strong, and weigh only about a pound. The 8
foot mast is ideal for this deployment option. Just assembly the mast,
sink it into the sand about a foot or two, guy it, and the top of the mast
can be reached easily so you can affix the VersaTee and antenna element
components. Use the Rotating Arm Kit (RAK) to build the element at
eye level, then swing it to the vertical position when finished.
How effective are these antenna systems? An article in the National
Contest Journal [July/August 2005] by Al Christman, K3LC, entitled
Vericals by the Sea had these conclusions:
97
 An elevated vertical monopole with two gull-wing radials
makes an effective DX antenna when installed at or near a
large body of saltwater. Compared to land, the high
conductivity of this liquid medium yields enhanced signal
strength at low take-off angles, with a resulting forward lobe
that is broad in both the elevation and azimuthal planes. The
height of the horizontal portions of the radials need not be
great (typically on the order of a few feet), and the set-back
distance from shoreline to antenna can range from zero to
0.25 wavelength, with little change in performance. This is
good news for those who operate in locations with significant
tidal action.
The Buddipole on a saltwater beach is configured just like the ground
mounted Buddipole except the number of radials is less critical. Ground
losses are minimized by the very conductive saltwater. In the following
pages far field plots (including gain and takeoff angles) are shown for a
given antenna over average ground, and one on a saltwater beach. The
antenna on “average ground” has four elevated radials; the antenna on
the beach has only two, parallel to the sea.

Typical 4 radial system over Typical 2 radial system on a

“average ground” saltwater beach
Keep the radials up, parallel to the sea, and close to the water, and enjoy
the increased performance from the Buddipole vertical.

98
Buddipole
Beach Antenna
Cookbook
The configurations are identical for the beach verticals and ground
mounted verticals. Radiator lengths, coil settings, and other setup
information does not change just because we move closer to the water.
Similarly, the guidelines and caveats for ground mounted antennas also
apply. For best performance, use a full-sized vertical radiator. If a full-
sized radiator is not possible, make the radiator as long as you can.
Losses from inductive or capacitive reactance, losses through coils,
reduced radiation resistance, and poor matching to the 50 ohms
expected by the radio can reduce current and therefore power in the
antenna system.
The following plots compare the best configurations for each band
deployed over average ground and the waterline of the beach. As seen in
the comparisons, antenna gain increases significantly (resulting from
reduced ground losses), and the takeoff angle drops by the saltwater.
10m

Far field plot for 10m antenna Far field plot for 10m antenna
over average ground on the beach

99
12m

Far field plot for 12m antenna Far field plot for 12m antenna
over average ground on the beach

15m

Far field plot for 15m antenna Far field plot for 15m antenna
over average ground on the beach

100
17m

Far field plot for 17m antenna Far field plot for 17m antenna
over average ground on the beach

20m

Far field plot for 20m antenna Far field plot for 20m antenna
over average ground on the beach

101
30m

Far field plot for 30m antenna Far field plot for 30m antenna
over average ground on the beach

40m

Far field plot for 40m antenna Far field plot for 40m antenna
over average ground on the beach

102
8 The Buddistick
The Buddistick is the smallest member of the Buddipole family but it
provides great options for quick HF antenna deployments. The major
components of a Buddistick are
• Two 11 inch accessory antenna arms
• One coil with two coil clips for tapping it
• A 5.5 foot whip
• Mounting plate with knob threaded ¼”x20
• One 31’ radial wire on a winder
The Buddistick Deluxe package includes all the above and
• An antenna clamp
• Additional (spare) 5.5 foot whip
• Additional coil clip
The Buddistick is an antenna
system designed to create
shortened HF vertical antennas
from small, portable
components. For those familiar
with the Buddipole the following
comparison might be helpful.
The Buddistick can be considered
half a Buddipole minus the
Budd Drummond (W3FF) VersaTee. Instead of two 22 inch
assembling a Buddistick on VP2M antenna accessory arm lengths
included in a Buddipole, the
Buddistick has only one 22 inch length (from two 11 inch pieces). Instead
of two coils (one black, one red) like those bundled with the Buddipole kit,
the Buddistick has only one coil. Instead of a VersaTee for mounting and
feeding the antenna as with the Buddipole, the Buddistick has only a
mounting plate.
The most common deployment for a Buddistick is that of a shortened
vertical antenna with one or more radials. It is typically mounted on a
solid horizontal surface or railing using either a tripod (such as a
photographic tripod) or clamp. The Buddipole Vertical Antenna Clamp is an
optional accessory that provides an easy way to mount the Buddistick (on
its mounting plate) to a table or deck. The clamp is not especially strong,
but a typical deployment is temporary and the clamp is more than
adequate for that light duty. Figure 43 shows these items.
103
 Clamp Mounting plate Typical deployment
Figure 43 Buddistick standard mounting hardware
The mounting plate is affixed to a
clamp or tripod by the small rubber
knob as shown in Figure 43. The
radial wire attaches to a post on the
mounting plate and the feed line is
connected to an SO-239 connector on
the bottom of the plate.
It is possible to deploy the Buddistick
system as a Pedestrian Mobile antenna
from a backpack, walking stick, or
other frame. HFpack
(http://www.hfpack.org) is an HF
portable and pedestrian mobile
enthusiasts group with over 7000
members specializing in portable, and
especially pedestrian mobile, Budd Drummond (W3FF)
communications. The Buddistick is with a Buddistick mounted on
ideal for the creation of pedestrian bicycle for “bicycle mobile”.
mobile antenna systems. The vertical
element is constructed and the coil
is tapped. The radial of the antenna
is a single wire dragging behind the
walker. A radio, battery, backpack,
and Buddistick can yield surprising
results!
The alternative to using the
standard mounting plate with the
clamp or tripod is to use a third-
party mount such as the High Mike Greenwood (KC4VG)
pedestrian mobile on VP2M
104
 Sierra JAWS mount. This
mount has a stud with
standard 3/8" x 24 threads
that accepts Buddistick
elements. A small hole
(shown to the right of the
stud) can be used to affix
the radial wire. The metal
piece holding the stud can
rotate 90 degrees to allow
the antenna to be parallel
to, or perpendicular to, the
surface gripped by the
jaws. Alternatively, if the
radio is close to the
antenna (as with a QRP
operation on a picnic table)
the radial can be connected
to the radio frame.
This chapter discusses
It is always recommended to tie a configuration options for
“safety line” to a Buddistick when the Buddistick and limits the
deploying the antenna off of a balcony designs to only Buddistick
or other high place to ensure that a components. Add just a
dropped Buddistick will not fall striking, few additional components
injuring, or killing someone below your from the Buddipole accessory
deployment. store to generate many
more configuration
opportunities. Review the Ground Mounted Verticals chapter in this book
to see how these additional components can be used to create larger and
more efficient antennas. For example, the addition of a VersaTee,
portable coax assembly, mast, two accessory arms, and a second coil
transforms a Buddistick into a Buddipole enabling you to create any
Buddipole configuration described.

105
Buddistick
Cookbook
All Buddistick antennas in this book have identical assembly
configurations. The vertical element is constructed by joining the two 11
inch antenna accessories arms (making a single 22 inch length, as shown
in the diagrams), joining the coil to the arms by screwing the post of the
coil into the female tap of the arms, and screwing the 5.5 foot whip into
the female tap of the coil. The only changes in the configurations
described are the tap selected on the coil, and the length of the radial
wire.
The tuning guides below provide a good starting point for coil tap
selection. However, there may be an easier way to tune the antenna in
the field. With the Buddistick and radial wire deployed, and the radio
tuned to the desired frequency, grasp the wander lead as shown in Figure
44 and slowly drag the banana plug across the coil while listening
carefully to the sound from the radio. There should be a spot on the coil
where the audio from the radio rises considerably. This point on the coil
is the one you want—the one with delivering the most power on receive
will also serve you well on transmit.

Figure 44 Quick tuning the Buddistick

After the desired coil tap has been located, insert the coil clip on that
turn and secure the wander lead. The remainder of this chapter provides
instructions for creating antennas for each of the supported HF bands.

106
10m Buddistick
The Buddistick is used to create shortened vertical antennas. A full-sized
vertical with a good ground system presents about 35 ohms of radiation
resistance at the feedpoint. Shorter antennas have less radiation
resistance, very short antennas have significantly less radiation resistance.
This antenna should present about 26 ohms of radiation resistance but
the feedpoint impedance is well over 50 ohms because of losses
associated with our poor ground. (Adding radials can reduce ground
losses.)
Standard Vertical element
Buddistick Two 11" antenna accessory arm
Coil: tap 1 or 2
5.5' whip: 6 sections (all out)

Radial
Wire: 7.9 feet (95 inches)

A properly tuned system will provide a good 2:1 SWR bandwidth across
the entire 10m band. The performance plots for this band are shown
below.

10m Buddistick SWR 10m Buddistick far field plot

Figure 45 SWR and far field plot for a 10m Buddistick

107
12m Buddistick
The Buddistick should present about 20 ohms of radiation resistance for
this band. The feedpoint impedance will likely be near 50 ohms
(indicating 30 ohms of loss, mostly through the ground).
Standard Vertical element
Buddistick Two 11" antenna accessory arm
Coil: tap 4
5.5' whip: 6 sections (all out)

Radial
Wire: 9.5 feet (113 inches)

A properly tuned system will provide a good 2:1 SWR bandwidth across
the entire 12m band. The performance plots for this band are shown
below.

12m Buddistick SWR 12m Buddistick far field plot

Figure 46 SWR and far field plot for a 12m Buddistick

108
15m Buddistick
The Buddistick should present about 14 ohms of radiation resistance for
this band. The feedpoint impedance will be a bit low (near 30 ohms)
with that additional impedance a result of losses (mostly ground losses).
The antenna can be further tuned to resonance by extending or
retracting the length of the radial wire.
Standard Vertical element
Buddistick Two 11" antenna accessory arm
Coil: tap 6
5.5' whip: 6 sections (all out)

Radial
Wire: 11 feet (132 inches)

A properly tuned system will provide a good 2:1 SWR bandwidth across
the entire 15m band. The performance plots for this band are shown
below.

15m Buddistick SWR 15m Buddistick far field plot

Figure 47 SWR and far field plot for a 15m Buddistick

109
17m Buddistick
The Buddistick should present about 10 ohms of radiation resistance for
this band. The total feedpoint impedance will be near 25 ohms. The
additional impedance is due to losses, mostly ground losses. The antenna
can be further tuned to resonance by extending or retracting the length
of the radial wire.
Standard Vertical element
Buddistick Two 11" antenna accessory arm
Coil: tap 9
5.5' whip: 6 sections (all out)

Radial
Wire: 13 feet (156 inches)

A properly tuned system will provide 2:1 SWR bandwidth across the
entire 17m band. (The optional Triple Ratio Switch Balun with a 2:1 setting
would match this antenna very well to a radio.) The performance plots
for this band are shown below.

17m Buddistick SWR 17m Buddistick far field plot

Figure 48 SWR and far field plot for a 17m Buddistick

110
20m Buddistick
The Buddistick should present about 6 ohms of radiation resistance for
this band. A full-sized radiator for the 20m band would be over 16 feet
in length. The radiator on the Buddistick is only about 7 feet—very short
for a vertical for this band. Shorter antennas are more difficult to match,
have smaller 2:1 SWR bandwidths, are less efficient than larger
alternatives.
Standard Vertical element
Buddistick Two 11" antenna accessory arm
Coil: tap 14
5.5' whip: 6 sections (all out)

Radial
Wire: 17.5 feet (210 inches)

The plots in Figure 49 show two of the problems with deploying an

antenna this short. The first problem is evidenced in the SWR curve. The
extremely low radiation resistance means that the feedpoint impedance at
resonance will also be very low. Even with ground losses the low
feedpoint impedance still gives an SWR greater than 2:1. (A Triple Ratio
Switch Balun setting of 2:1 or 4:1 matches this nicely, however.)
The second problem is the relative deafness in the direction opposite the
run of the radial. Gain is down over 2 S-units from the front direction.

111
 20m Buddistick SWR 20m Buddistick far field plot
Figure 49 SWR and far field plot for a 20m Buddistick
30m and 40m Buddistick
The Buddistick components in the standard kit cannot create effective
antennas for 30m or 40m. If one attempts to create an antenna for these
bands a horizontal dipole is created from the very long radial and
shortened vertical element as illustrated in Figure 50. The off-center fed
antenna consists of one long wire leg and a severely shortened second
leg made from the arm, coil, and whip.

Figure 50 Attempted antenna design for 40m Buddistick vertical

The chapter on Ground mounted antennas discusses vertical antenna
configurations for these bands. It is possible with a sufficiently sized
vertical radiator to create effective vertical antennas but a single 22 inch
antenna accessory arm length and short whip do not provide enough of
a radiator to support these bands.

112
9 Buddipole beams
Accessory antenna arms, those 22 inch (or 11 inch) pieces of aluminum
used in antenna elements in single element antennas can also be used as
boom components in Yagis. This chapter shows how to build multi-
element antennas from basic Buddipole kits and Buddipole accessories.

Buddipole
Yagi Antenna
Cookbook
6m two element Yagi
Buddipole, Inc. sells a 6m Yagi Kit that includes all the extra pieces you
need to construct a 2 element 6m Yagi from a Buddipole Deluxe kit. (A
total of four standard whips are also required.) The general idea is to use
the two 22 inch arms for the boom of the antenna. An IT adapter is used
to link together the arms. Another IT adapter is used to hold the whips
for the reflector element. The Yagi collar is used to prevent the rotation
of items affixed to the end of the boom.
The boom is affixed to the top of the mast by a special adapter included
in the kit and is secured by a bolt and knob from the Rotating Arm Kit.
A second bolt and knob is used to attach the reflector to the boom.
The parts list for this antenna appears below:
1 Standard (5.5 foot) whip x 4
2 Buddipole 22 inch arm x 2
3 Buddipole VersaTee x 1
4 IT adapter x 2
5 Yagi collar x 2
6 Mast adapter x 1
7 Buddipole 8 foot mast x 1
8 Buddipole tripod x 1
9 3/8 inch x 24 x 1+1/8 long threaded adapter x 1
Table 9 Buddipole 6m two element Yagi parts list

113
Figure 51 Buddipole 6m two element Yagi below illustrates the assembled
antenna. Note the placement of the VersaTee, IT adapters, and the two
bolts and knobs. (The diagram is not to scale.)

Figure 51 Buddipole 6m two element Yagi

A computer model in EZNEC+ shows significant gain over a simple 6m
dipole. The figures below contain the EZNEC+ view of the antenna.

Figure 52 Buddipole 6m two element Yagi EZNEC+ plot

114
The antenna is constructed from the parts listed in Table 9 as per the
diagram in Figure 53 below. (The diagram is not to scale.)

Figure 53 Building the two element Yagi from the Buddipole Yagi kit
All two element Yagis in this chapter are built from this diagram—with
the exception of antennas demanding four arms instead of the two
shown above.
The SWR and far field plots (both azimuth and elevation) are shown in
Figure 54 and Figure 55.

115
 Figure 54 SWR plot for Buddipole 6m two element Yagi

Far field azimuth plot Far field elevation plot

Figure 55 Far field plots for Buddipole 6m two element Yagi

This antenna provides approximately 10dBi of gain at 25 degrees
elevation. It also provides a front-to-back ratio of about 12 dB.

116
6m three element Yagi
One can construct a three element
Yagi with a few extra parts. The author
has used this design on several
occasions including the DXpedition to
Montserrat, and various CQ WW VHF
contest efforts atop Mount Wachusetts
in Massachusetts. It performs very
well. Here is what you need to build
this antenna: 6m Yagi on VP2M

1 Buddipole Deluxe antenna

2 IT adapters (3)
3 RAK bolt and knobs (3)
4 Standard whips (5.5 foot) (6)
5 22 inch arms (4)
Figure 56 Buddipole 6m three element Yagi parts list
Figure 57 shows the antenna configuration. (The diagram is not to scale.)

Figure 57 Buddipole 6m three element Yagi

117
The whips connected to the VersaTee are the driven elements (just like a
regular dipole configuration). The EZNEC+ view of this antenna and its
SWR plot appear below in Figure 58 and Figure 59 respectively.

Figure 58 Buddipole 6m three element Yagi EZNEC+ plot

Figure 59 SWR plot for Buddipole 6m three element Yagi

118
The tuning for this antenna is slightly sharper than that of the two
element configuration but it delivers slightly higher gains as shown in the
far field plots of Figure 60.

Far field azimuth plot Far field elevation plot

Figure 60 Far field and elevation plot for the 6m 3 element yagi
Both the 2 element and 3 element versions of the Buddipole 6m Yagi are
easy to assemble, relatively compact, and lightweight for the
performance they deliver.

119
2m three element Yagi
A 3 element Yagi for 2m can be created with three IT adapters, two full
Rotating Arm Kits, and six of the standard 5.5 foot whips. The complete
parts list is shown below.
1 Buddipole Deluxe antenna
2 IT adapters (3)
3 RAK bolt and knobs (3)
4 Standard whips (5.5 foot) (6)
5 22 inch arms (2)

The assembly is similar to the 6m three element Yagi except that only
two antenna arms are used instead of four. The two whips connected to
the VersaTee are the driven elements (just like a regular dipole). See
Figure 61. (The diagram is not to scale.)

Figure 61 Buddipole 2m three element Yagi

This antenna configuration produces a very well matched antenna (with
SWR well below 1.5:1 for the entire 2m band) as shown in Figure 62.
120
SWR plot for 2m 3 element Yagi EZNEC+ view
Figure 62 SWR plot and EZNEC+ view of the 2m three element Yagi
This configuration gives 12.44 dBi as shown in the far field plots in
Figure 63.

Far field elevation plot Far field azimuth plot

Figure 63 Far field plots for the Buddipole 2m three element Yagi
If you have an opportunity for “hilltopping” or other VHF work, this
Buddipole configuration can provide a great antenna solution.

121
10m 2 element Yagi
The 10m two element Yagi is similar to the 6m Yagi except that the 5.5
foot whips are replaced by 9.5 foot whips, and the boom is constructed
from four arms instead of two. The parts are listed in Table 10.
1 9.5 foot whip x 4
2 Buddipole 22 inch arm x 4
3 Buddipole VersaTee x 1
4 IT adapter x 2
5 Yagi collar x 2
6 Mast adapter x 1
7 Buddipole 8 foot mast x 1
8 Buddipole tripod x 1
9 3/8 inch x 24 x 1+1/8 long threaded adapter x 1
Table 10 Parts list for 10m two element Yagi
The assembly diagram appears below in Figure 64. (The diagram is not
to scale.)

Figure 64 Assembly diagram for Buddipole 10m two element Yagi

122
The SWR plot and EZNEC+ view of this antenna appears below in
Figure 65.

SWR plot for 10m Yagi EZNEC+ view

Figure 65 SWR plot and EZNEC+ view of 10m Yagi
The far field plots for this antenna appear below in Figure 66.

Far field elevation plot Far field azimuth plot

Figure 66 Far field plots for Buddipole 10m Yagi
The antenna provides a maximum of 8.54 dBi of gain and 5.58 dBi gain
at 20 degrees. It is an excellent antenna for its size.
123
12m 2 element Yagi
The 12m Yagi is identical to the 10m Yagi except for whip lengths. The
whip lengths are shown in Figure 67. (The diagram is not to scale.)

Figure 67 Assembly diagram for the Buddipole 12m Yagi

The SWR plot and EZNEC+ view of this antenna is shown in Figure
68. The antenna provides a good match (well under 2:1 SWR) across the
small 12m band.

124
 SWR plot for 12m Yagi EZNEC+ view
Figure 68 SWR and EZNEC+ view of Buddipole 12m Yagi
The antenna provides approximately 5 dBi gain and has a good front-to-
back gain ratio.

Far field elevation plot Far field azimuth plot

Figure 69 Far field plots for Buddipole 12m Yagi

125
126
10 Low band antennas
We shall consider the 60m and 80m bands in this chapter. Low band
antennas present two challenges at deployment:
• Matching the very low radiation resistance. A full-sized
vertical antenna will present about 35 ohms of radiation
resistance at the feedpoint. As the antenna becomes smaller the
radiation resistance shrinks. Table 11 shows the radiation
resistance for the likely configuration options for each band.
When the radiation resistance is only a couple of ohms, even the
Triple Ratio Switch Balun set to the 4:1 does not provide a
sufficient match for our 50 ohm radios. Unfortunately, the
easiest way to create a good match (raise the feedpoint
impedance closer to 50 ohms) is to increase losses, thereby
reducing antenna efficiency.
• Reducing ground, coil, and other losses. Losing a few extra
ohms through losses on the high bands (when the radiation
resistance is 20-35 ohms) is of small consequence. Losing a few
extra ohms when the radiation resistance is only half an ohm
(0.5 ohms) reduces antenna efficiency significantly.
Element
length Rrad
Band Description (in) angle (ohms)
40m5 arms*2+5.5' 110 25 2.5
arms*2+9.5' 158 35 4.9
arms*3+9.5' 180 40 6.6
arms*4+9.5' 202 45 8.3
arms*4+12' 232 52 10.9

60m arms*2+5.5' 110 19 1.2

arms*2+9.5' 158 27 2.5
arms*3+9.5' 180 31 3.3
arms*4+9.5' 202 34 4.1
arms*4+12' 232 39 5.5

80m arms*2+5.5' 110 12 0.5

arms*2+9.5' 158 18 1.1
arms*3+9.5' 180 20 1.5
arms*4+9.5' 202 23 1.8
arms*4+12' 232 26 2.4
Table 11 Radiation resistance for bands 40m-80m as a function of length

5 Data for 40m antennas is only presented for comparisons to the other bands.
127
Table 11 shows configuration options for each band, the vertical radiator
length (in inches) for that option, the angle for that length on this band
(see APPENDIX E for information on length expressed as an angle),
and the radiation resistance. For example, the first line describes an 80m
antenna made from two arms (arms*2) and a 5.5 foot whip. The total
length of this radiator is 100 inches. That represents a 25 degree angle
for the radiator length for this band (90 degrees is a full-sized radiator, a
quarter wave, one quarter of 360 degrees). This should present about 2.5
ohms of radiation resistance. The remainder of the table describes other
configurations for the 40m, 60m, and 80m bands. The 12 foot whips
mentioned in the table are the 7 section shock-cord whips available from
the Buddipole accessory store.
Antennas for 40m discussed in the Ground Mounted Verticals chapter show
how difficult it is to create an antenna for a low band that provides
reasonable performance. The problems only get worse as the wavelength
size increases. Again, as antennas are shortened they present increasing
capacitive reactance at the feedpoint. Shortened verticals built from
Buddipole components for the lower bands are very, very short—
presenting very large capacitive reactance components to the feedpoint
impedance. A very large inductive reactance must be supplied to cancel
this and to bring the antenna into resonance.
The Buddipole Low Band Coil can provide this needed inductive reactance.
The standard Buddipole coil can provide about 22 µH of inductance. The
Low Band Coil can supply up to 300 µH or so of inductance. Further, the
diameter of the Low Band Coil is larger than the standard coil so losses
from the coil itself are smaller than that of the standard coil for
equivalent inductances. (Note that the Low Band Coil can be used for
higher bands, too.)
The feedpoint impedances, and especially radiation resistance values,
presented by a short vertical can be very low. Unfortunately, losses from
a poor ground system, losses from coils, and other losses can be much
higher than those in high-band antennas. Antenna efficiencies of 1% or
lower (much lower) are not only possible, but are common. Assuming a
match can be made acceptable to the radio, full output from the radio
will result in only a fraction of that power output as useful radiation.
Setting a 100 watt radio to full power might result in radiating as little as
a watt, or even a fraction of a watt from the antenna. It is easy to be
discouraged by these numbers!
Antennas with very low efficiencies for the low bands are common on
mobile installations and many mobile operators do very well with such
128
antennas. Recall the NCDXF beacon system. Some signals from that
system are transmitted at less than 1 watt and are easily heard. One must
keep some perspective here. These shortened verticals will not perform
like a full-sized antenna, but neither will they be a “dummy load” unable
to facilitate contacts.
Since we cannot easily make the vertical component longer, the only
other way to increase antenna efficiency is to reduce losses. Recall
Radiation_resistance
Efficiency% = x100
Radiation_resistance+ Losses
We reduced losses from reactance by adding inductive reactance (the
coil) to cancel the capacitive reactance presented by the shortened
antenna.
€ If the antenna can be brought into resonance the reactance
portion in the Losses will become zero. This leaves the ohmic resistance,
resulting mostly from ground losses. Can we reduce this ground loss?
Yes. Supplying 16 radials, 0.1 wavelength in length, produces an antenna
configuration like the one in Figure 70.

Figure 70 Vertical antenna with 16 radials 0.1 wavelength in length

Such a radial system is far too elaborate for a typical Buddipole setup. And,
comparisons between the performance of this configuration (with the 16
radials) and a much simplified radial system of four elevated radials
shows that all this work does reduce losses—resulting in a nearly 3 dB
increase in power (double!), but making the antenna system even more
difficult to match because of its very low feedpoint impedance as
illustrated in Figure 71.

129
 SWR for 80m antenna with 16 Far field plot for 80m antenna
radials 0.1 wavelength in length with 16 radials
Figure 71 SWR and far field plots for 80m vertical with 16 radials 0.1 wavelength
The tradeoffs to be made with low band antennas are efficiency vs. ease
of setup vs. ease of matching the antenna to the transceiver. These
tradeoffs can be explored in the SWR plots, far field plots, and
configuration information for both the vertical element and radials
provided in the cookbook section of this chapter.
All configurations in this chapter require the Low Band Coil and Triple
Ratio Switch Balun (TRSB) from Buddipole, Inc. The coil tap, TRSB
settings, and radial lengths are indicated for each configuration.
Finally, all configuration data such as coil tap selections are approximate.
Ground conductivity, terrain, location of nearby objects, and other
factors can affect the feedpoint impedance of the antenna. Use the tap
information as a starting point. A useful technique for selecting the
proper tap is to “slide” the wander lead along the coil and listen for
maximum noise from the radio. Figure 44 in the Buddistick chapter
contains a quick explanation of this technique.

130
Buddipole
Low Band Antenna
Cookbook
80m
We begin with the 80m band, the most difficult band to configure
effectively.
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole 5.5' whip: 6 sections (all out)
with low Two antenna accessory arm
band coil Low band coil: tap 18
TRSB
TRSB set to 2:1

The basic configuration using standard Buddipole components (plus the

Low Band Coil) is described in the Buddipole Low Band Vertical data sheet
from Buddipole, Inc. The radial for this antenna is a single wire dropped
from the feedpoint at eight feet to a point two feet off the ground 33
feet away. The wire is then bent 90 degrees and run another 33 feet.
Figure 72 illustrates this arrangement.

131
 Antenna setup from Antenna deployment EZNEC+
Buddipole Low Band Vertical modeling software
data sheet
Figure 72 Single radial for the 80m vertical
The resulting SWR and far field plot for this antenna is shown below.

SWR plot for 80m vertical Far field plot for 80m vertical
This antenna configuration has about 90 kHz 3:1 SWR bandwidth. Note
the gain is -3.82 dBi. That is, at its best the antenna puts energy out at
less than the half the power of an isotrophic radiator.

132
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole 9.5 foot whip: 6 sections (all out)
with low Four antenna accessory arm
band coil Low band coil: tap 16
TRSB
TRSB set to 2:1

Increasing the radiator length significantly has no impact on gain, but

increases the 3:1 SWR bandwidth to about 120 kHz.

SWR plot for 80m vertical Far field plot for 80m vertical
Figure 73 SWR and far field plot for the 80m vertical with long radiator
Adding a second radial to the system increases the gain slightly, from -
3.67 dBi to -2.76 dBi. Keeping this in perspective, these gains are very,
very small, and the resulting gain from the antenna is still very poor
compared to high band antennas. The difference between the 1 radial

133
system and the 2 radial system is in the shape of the antenna pattern. The
second radial reduces the “deafness” on the left side of the far field
pattern compared to the single radial version. The second radial evens
out the pattern for this low band antenna just as a second radial evens
out the patterns of high band antennas. Again, the second radial is not to
increase overall gain; the second radial eliminates areas of deafness in the
antenna pattern.

Two bent radials for 80m Far field plot for 80m vertical
vertical with two bent radials
Figure 74 80m vertical with second radial
What happens if we pick this antenna up and move it to the sea? Since
most of the losses are because of the poor ground, the antenna deployed
by the saltwater has significant gain compared to the one over the
“average” ground. The gain jumps from -2.76 dBi to 3.15 dBi, an
increase of 6 dB—a full S unit! Figure 75 has the SWR and far field plot
for the antenna deployed over saltwater.
If we can find a way to match the very low feedpoint impedance to the
radio’s expected 50 ohms then the antenna should perform very well.
Unfortunately, making such a match without inducing additional losses is
very difficult.

134
 SWR plot for 80m vertical Far field plot for 80m vertical
Figure 75 SWR and far field plot for 80m vertical over saltwater
The very low feedpoint impedance (4-6 ohms) is far below the 12.5
ohms the TRSB with the setting 4:1 would match. Still, it is better to
have the significant ground losses eliminated and have this matching
problem than to lose the vast majority of the power because of the high
resistance of the ground. The idea for these low band verticals is to
create an antenna system with as few losses as possible, then match
them. If a transmatch (antenna tuner) is used, it can supply further
transformative matching (2:1, 4:1, etc.), null out remaining reactance, or
both.

135
60m
The 60m band consists of five channels as shown below:
Amateur Tuning
Channel Center Frequency
5332 kHz 5330.5 kHz
5348 kHz 5346.5 kHz
5368 kHz 5366.5 kHz
5373 kHz 5371.5 kHz
5405 kHz 5403.5 kHz
The antenna can be constructed from standard Buddipole components
plus the Low Band Coil and Triple Ratio Switch Balun (TRSB).
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole 5.5' whip: 6 sections (all out)
with low Two antenna accessory arm
band coil Low band coil: tap 15
TRSB
TRSB set to 4:1

The radial system for this antenna can be a simple one wire bent 90
degrees, though multiple radials are preferred. The antenna and radial
layout are illustrated below.
The radial descends from the
feedpoint at 8 feet to a point 20
feet away and 2 feet above
ground. The radial is then
turned 90 degrees and extends
another 190 inches (15 feet 10
inches).

Figure 76 Radial deployment for 60m vertical

The antenna is tuned to resonance by extending or reducing the end of
the folded radial.

136
 SWR plot for 60m vertical Far field plot for 60m vertical
Figure 77 SWR and far field plot for 60m vertical (5.5’ whip) over average ground
The 2:1 SWR bandwidth for this antenna is very small. Substituting the
longer 9.5 foot whip for the 5.5 foot whip smoothes the SWR curve.
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole 9.5' whip: 5+ sections (9 foot 2 inches)
with low Two antenna accessory arm
band coil Low band coil: tap 13
TRSB
TRSB set to 2:1
9.5’ whip

This antenna configuration produces the following results including a 3:1

SWR bandwidth across all five channels.

137
 SWR plot for 60m vertical Far field plot for 60m vertical
Figure 78 SWR and far field plot for 60m vertical (9.5’ whip) over average ground
A second radial deployed on the opposite side of the first similar to the
geometry of Figure 74 evens the far field pattern, reducing “deafness” on
the left side of the far field plot.
Standard Vertical element
Buddipole 9.5 foot whip: 6 sections (all out)
with low Four antenna accessory arm
band coil Low band coil: tap 12
TRSB
TRSB set to 2:1
9.5’ whip
4 arms

The longest vertical configuration has the following expected

performance.

138
 SWR plot for 60m vertical Far field plot for 60m vertical
Figure 79 SWR and far field plot for 60m vertical (longest) over average ground
Deploying this antenna on a beach next to saltwater significantly reduces
losses, increasing antenna efficiency, but the result is an antenna more
difficult to match to the 50 ohms expected by the radio.

SWR plot for 60m vertical Far field plot for 60m vertical
Figure 80 SWR and far field plot for 60m vertical by saltwater

139
140
11 Final words
Please allow me to write this last bit
in the book in the first person. I
have been a Buddipole user for a long
time, and have used it in a wide
variety of situations. I confess one of
the main reasons for writing this
book was I needed it! I wanted a
single place for all my notes, my
graphs, and my thinking on the
tradeoffs and decisions I have made The author operating on VP2M
through all my trials in the field. I
hope all this has helped you, too.
Buddipole, Inc. offers a wide range of products, but the most beautiful
thing about them is they are all comprised of standard sized,
interchangeable parts that work together, and in combination, to create
larger and more efficient antennas. Further, many of these parts are
available in the Buddipole accessory store so you can add items to your kit
as you need them. As you may have guessed by the wide variety of
configurations described in this book, I have visited the accessories store
on more than one occasion!
Once you have mastered the basic
system you have purchased, whether it Buddipole essential add-ons
is the Buddipole or Buddistick, you
• Two extra arms
should consider the next steps. For
example, substituting longer 9.5 foot • Two 9.5 foot whips
whips for the standard 5.5 foot whips, • TRSB
will provide a significant boost to
most antenna configurations. The
addition of two extra arms similarly provides many more deployment
options over the standard kit. Finally, the Triple Ratio Switch Balun is a key
component to most configurations, especially shortened antennas. I
consider these components essential to any serious Buddipole user. To see
the benefits of these simple additions, review the configurations in the
previous chapters and see how many more configurations are possible,
and how much better these extended configurations perform.
I enjoy traveling with my radio gear and operating from far-away places.
I call my efforts The 100 Pound DXpedition and on these trips I try to limit
the baggage to 100 pounds per person. That is not very much! But, as
artists say, “form is freeing.” Once the limit was in place it helped me
141
focus on what was important, and what gave me the best performance
per pound. On each of my trips, I have carried at least one Buddipole.
I have refined my approach over time. I have begun substituting the
standard Buddipole tripod and mast for the new shock-cord masts offered by
Buddipole, Inc. These new masts are lightweight, and they collapse to a
length suitable for a small backpack. The combined weight of the Mini-
Buddipole and one of these shock-cord masts is only about 4 pounds. Toss in
the Mast Guying Kit (only a few more ounces) and you have a complete,
portable, and effective antenna system.
I should add that the Mini-Buddipole systems I carry also have a radial wire
kit of my own making, with four wires wound on small kite winders. All
four wires are crimped into a single ring connector. The secret to
keeping this light and small is my selection of wire. I use #534 wire from
The Wire Man (http://www.thewireman.com). This is 28 AWG copper
clad steel wire weighing less than 1 pound per 1000 feet. That is light!
Each radial wire is about 40 feet in length accommodating any band
10m-40m using the vertical configurations described in the Ground
Mounted Verticals and Buddipole on the Beach chapters. The wire is not cheap
but it is nearly indestructible and a radial wire assembly made from it
should last a lifetime. Be sure you have at least one Counterpoise Wire
Adapter in your kit so you can connect these radials.
There are two other items
you should buy and throw It was mentioned earlier in the book but
in your kit. The first is a it bears repeating: always guy or
bag of extra coil clips. The otherwise cable your Buddipole. The
clips are strong. I have Buddipole is an extremely rugged
never broken one. But, I antenna but it can be damaged if the
system is blown over by a gust of wind.
have lost several while
Also, deploying an antenna from a
assembling or balcony, rooftop, or other high place
disassembling antennas in can have significant advantages over
the dark. Having a few deployments on the ground but there is
extras can save an outing. also a danger of the system, or a piece
The second item is the of it, falling and possibly injuring or
Center Tee Adapter that killing someone below. Please take care
provides a means of when erecting the system to keep
mounting a Buddipole yourself, your antenna, and others safe.
VersaTee onto a standard
painter’s pole. I stow one of these adapters in each of my kits. It has
come in handy more times than I can count.

142
The selection of other optional accessories for the Buddipole system will
depend upon the kind of operating you do. If you operate on the lower
bands (40m-80m) then you should investigate the Low Band Coil option.
Do you operate from balconies or rooftops? The 16 foot mast would be
helpful. Again, one of the great things about the Buddipole products is
they build on each other to support bigger and more effective
configurations.
Finally, consider one of the other benefits of the Buddipole design: its use
of standards. The threading on the VersaTee, accessory antenna arms,
and whips are standard sizes so offerings from other manufacturers can
work with the Buddipole system to achieve the antenna configuration your
deployment requires.

The creation of this book has been a labor of love for me. I wanted a
single place where all of my deployment ideas could be viewed side-by-
side, all my tradeoff decisions could be scrutinized, and configuration
options compared. While no one work could capture all the possibilities
the Buddipole provides, this book has captured enough that you should be
able to meet any deployment challenge with at least one good option.
As I write this I am also preparing for another DXpedition and, of course,
a couple Buddipoles will be packed for the trip. Whether it is from the
beach, hilltop, or roof of the villa, I know that the Buddipole will give me
good options for an effective antenna. I hope to work all of you on the
air Buddipole to Buddipole soon!

B. Scott Andersen, NE1RD

March 2010

143
144
 Appendix A
Standard Buddipole Coil Inductances

Turn µH Turn µH
1 0.1 21 10.2
2 0.3 22 10.8
3 0.6 23 11.5
4 0.9 24 12.1
5 1.3 25 12.7
6 1.7 26 13.4
7 2.2 27 14.0
8 2.7 28 14.7
9 3.2 29 15.3
10 3.7 30 15.9
11 4.3 31 16.6
12 4.8 32 17.2
13 5.4 33 17.9
14 6.0 34 18.5
15 6.6 35 19.2
16 7.2 36 19.8
17 7.8 37 20.5
18 8.4 38 21.1
19 9.0 39 21.8
20 9.6 40 22.4
Values in the table are approximate.

145
 Appendix B
Buddipole Low Band Coil Inductances

Turn µH Turn µH
1 ~0.0 27 22
2 0.1 28 23
3 0.3 29 25
4 0.5 30 27
5 0.7 31 29
6 1.1 32 31
7 1.5 33 33
8 1.9 34 35
9 2.4 35 37
10 3.0 36 39
11 3.6 37 41
12 4.3 38 43
13 5.1 39 45
14 5.9 40 48
15 6.7 41 50
16 7.7 42 53
17 8.6 43 55
18 9.7 44 58
19 11 45 61
20 12 46 63
21 13 47 66
22 14 48 69
23 16 49 72
24 17 50 75
25 19 51 78
26 20 52 81
Values in the table are approximate.

146
 Appendix C
Tools used to assist in the antenna analysis
Modeling was done with EZNEC+ version 5.0 by Roy W. Lewallen.
Version 5.0.7 of EZNEC+ was used for all modeling work. More
information about this product is available from http://www.eznec.com
Direct measurements of some antenna configurations were performed
with the AntennaSmith by Time Wave Technology, Inc.
http://timewave.com

This device not only measures SWR and other characteristics of an

antenna system but also provides plots of this data.

SWR plot on AntennaSmith

Software accompanying the unit provides for the upload of data and
plots to a PC. Some of these plots have been included in the text.

147
 Appendix D
NCDXF beacon transmit times
Call Location 14.1 18.11 21.15 24.93 28.2
4U1UN UN, New York 0:00 0:10 0:20 0:30 0:40
VE8AT Canada 0:10 0:20 0:30 0:40 0:50
W6WX United States 0:20 0:30 0:40 0:50 1:00
KH6WO Hawaii 0:30 0:40 0:50 1:00 1:10
ZL6B New Zealand 0:40 0:50 1:00 1:10 1:20
VK6RBP Australia 0:50 1:00 1:10 1:20 1:30
JA2IGY Japan 1:00 1:10 1:20 1:30 1:40
RR9O Russia 1:10 1:20 1:30 1:40 1:50
VR2B Hong Kong 1:20 1:30 1:40 1:50 2:00
4S7B Sri Lanka 1:30 1:40 1:50 2:00 2:10
ZS6DN South Africa 1:40 1:50 2:00 2:10 2:20
5Z4B Kenya 1:50 2:00 2:10 2:20 2:30
4X6TU Israel 2:00 2:10 2:20 2:30 2:40
OH2B Finland 2:10 2:20 2:30 2:40 2:50
CS3B Madeira 2:20 2:30 2:40 2:50 0:00
LU4AA Argentina 2:30 2:40 2:50 0:00 0:10
OA4B Peru 2:40 2:50 0:00 0:10 0:20
YV5B Venezuela 2:50 0:00 0:10 0:20 0:30
Table 12 Northern California DX Foundation beacon network schedule
The beacons make one complete cycle on each band every three
minutes.

148
 APPENDIX E
Radiation resistance of vertical antennas
When evaluating vertical antenna systems the amount of radiation
resistance expected from the system can be computed from the antenna
length. The main text has examples for a 40m vertical but any HF
antenna can be evaluated by computing the antenna length angle as a
function of wavelength size, and then referencing the plot below. First,
compute the antenna length angle as a function of wavelength:
Length as angle = (length of radiator / whole wavelength size) * 360
For example, a 33 foot radiator for a vertical antenna for 7.1 MHz would
be (noting the size of the wave for 7.1 MHz is actually 42 meters):
(33 feet / (42m * 3.28 ft/m)) * 360 degrees = 86 degrees
Here is another example: a radiator that is 110 inches (two arms and a
short (5.5') whip used for a radiator in a 15m antenna would be (once we
convert everything to inches):
(110 in / (14.2m * 3.28 ft/m * 12 in/ft)) * 360 degrees = 70 degrees
Examining Figure 81 one can see that the radiation resistance presented
by an antenna 70 degrees in length is about 19 ohms (or about half of
that presented by a full-sized element).

Figure 81 Radiation resistance as a function of antenna length angle

149
 List of terms
BNC Connector type
BUG Buddipole User Group on Yahoo!
http://www.yahoo.com/group/Buddipole
CC Creative Commons, http://www.creativecommons.org
CWA Counterpoise Wire Adapter, accessory from Buddipole,
Inc.
dB Decibel, a unit-less measure of relative power
dBi Decibel, a measure of relative power compared to the
power emanated by an isotropic radiator
dBm Decibel, a measure of relative power compared to a
milliwatt
DSP Digital Signal Processing
DX Distance communication
EZNEC+ Powerful antenna modeling software by Roy Lewallen,
W7EL, http://www.eznec.com/
HF High Frequency
HOA Home Owners Association
IT IT Adapter, accessory from Buddipole, Inc.
kHz Kiloherz (1000 hertz)
µH Microhenrys (one millionth of a Henry), units of
inductance
MHz Megahertz (1 million hertz)
NCDXF Northern California DX Foundation,
http://www.ncdxf.org/
NPT National Pipe Thread
NVIS Near Vertical Incident Skywave, a transmitting
technique that intentionally aims power near the zenith
PL-259 Connector type
RAK Rotating Arm Kit, accessory from Buddipole, Inc.
PSK Phase Shift Keying

150
PSK-31 A digital mode for radio communications that utilizes
Phase Shift Keying
Q-signal Letter combination starting with Q that has a specific
meaning in amateur radio communication
Q Quality, an electrical measurement for an inductor
QRP Q-signal usually indicating very low power (<5 watts)
RF Radio Frequency
S-unit An indication of power shown on an S-meter of a radio.
S-9 corresponds to 50µV
SC Shockcord, either shockcord whip or shockcord mast,
accessories from Buddipole, Inc.
SO-239 Connector type
SWR Standing Wave Ratio
TRSB Triple Radio Switch Balun, accessory from Buddipole,
Inc.
UV Ultraviolet
VHF Very High Frequency
WARC World Administrative Radio Conference. Three bands,
12m, 17m, and 30m were allocated to amateur radio use
in 1979.
WPM Words Per Minute

151
 References
ARRL. More Wire Antenna Classics. American Radio Relay League, 2002.
Buddipole Users Group (BUG),
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Buddipole
Cebik, L. B. ARRL Antenna Modeling Course. Newington, CT: American
Radio Relay League, 2002.
Christman, Al. "A Study of Elevated Radial Ground Systems for Vertical
Antennas (Part 1)." The National Contest Journal Vol 33 No 1 (2005):
19-22.
Christman, Al. "Compact Four-Squares." The National Contest Journal Vol
32 No 4 (2004): 10-12.
Christman, Al. "Verticals By the Sea." The National Contest Journal Vol 33
No 4 (2005): 9-12.
Christman, Al. "A Study of Elevated-Radial Ground Systems for Vertical
Antennas (Part 2)." The National Contest Journal Vol 33 No 2 (2005):
17-20.
Christman, Al. "Verticals By the Sea (Part 2)." The National Contest Journal
Vol 33 No 5 (2005): 4-6.
Counselman, Chuck. "Common-Mode Chokes." PDF file available from
the Yankee Clipper Contest Club web site.
http://www.yccc.org/Articles/W1HIS/
Devoldere, John. ARRL ON4UN's Low Band Dxing. American Radio
Relay League (ARRL), 2005.
Heys, John D. Practical Wire Antennas. Radio Society of Great Britain,
1989.
Kleinschmidt, Kirk A. Stealth Amateur Radio: Operate From Anywhere.
AARL, 1999.
McCoy, Lew. Lew McCoy on Antennas. Hicksville, New York: CQ
Communications, Inc, 1994.
Morin, Jodi. ARRL’s Wire Antenna Classics. American Radio Relay
League, 1999.
Moxon, L.A. HF Antennas for All Locations. American Radio Relay
League, 1993.
Orr, William I. The W6SAI HF Antenna Handbook. Hicksville, NY: CQ
Communications, Inc, 1996.
ARRL’s Vertical Antenna Classics. Edited by Bob Schetgen. American
Radio Relay League (ARRL), 1995.
Sevick, Jerry. Transmission Line Transformers. Raleigh, NC: Scitech
Publishing, Inc, 2001.
Sevick, Jerry. The Short Vertical Antenna and Ground Radial. Hicksville, NY:
CQ Communications, Inc, 2003.
152
Sterba, Kurt N. Aerials II. Worldradio, Inc, 1993.
The ARRL Antenna Book 21st Edition. Edited by R. Dean Straw.
Newington, CT: American Radio Relay League (ARRL), 2007.
Sturba, Kurt N. "Radial Question." WorldRadio Year 36 No 10 (2007): 52.
Sturba, Kurt N. "Radiation Resistance." WorldRadio Year 37 No 1 (2007):
49.
Sturba, Kurt N. "Short Vertical." WorldRadio Year 36 No 5 (2006): 52.
Sturba, Kurt N. "Efficiency." WorldRadio Year 37, Issue 3 (2007): 52.
The ARRL Handbook. Edited by Mark J. Wilson. Newington, CT:
American Radio Relay League (ARRL), 2006.

Additional resources were helpful including:

• Buddipole Yahoo! Group (BUG)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Buddipole which has almost 5000
members as of the time of publication.

Web links
http://www.ncdxf.org/beacon/beaconschedule.html
http://hflink.com/propagation/ Hourly maps for NVIS

153
In passing
Many books and articles were referenced during the research for this
book. I was in the middle of rereading The Short Vertical Antenna and
Ground Radial by Jerry Sevick, W2FMI, when news of his death reached
me. The loss of Dr. Sevick and L. B. Cebik, W4RNL, in 2008 are keenly
felt by those of us with an interest in the study of antennas. I did not
know either except through their work—which was exemplary. They will
be missed.

154
 0
P
ou
nd DX
p
e
B. Scott Andersen, NE1RD,
0

is an avid Buddipole user who

1

it
io
e
Th

enjoys contesting and lightweight

•
•

DXpeditioning. He holds an Extra

o
class license.
G

rl
d

L o
ig
ht W
• Wo r k t h e
C opy n
right © 2006 B. Scott Anderse

The Buddipole family of antenna products is a terrific toolset for hams

erecting antennas for fixed, temporary, or portable operation. This book
provides options and insights for how to get the most from any deployment,
and how to make intelligent trade-offs for size, weight, antenna height, and
other factors. Antenna designs for 80m through 6m are covered with just
enough theory to help make good choices. Anyone with a Buddipole or
Buddistick system can benefit from this work.

All Rights Reserved 2010