trap verticals

[maddog1964]

Anyone using trap verticals? Don't know much about them. Reviews on Eham.net says a Hustler 5BTV workswell. I have limited space on my property. The neigbors are a little close. I don't want any complaints with100 watts on hf.  I did have a homebrew wire for 10-40. I don't think there's enough room with snarls from the neighbors......Tim-KD4RNC, also a board-op for WJCW in Johnson City Tn(Citadel)

[JasonW]

Anyone using trap verticals? Don't know much about them. Reviews on Eham.net says a Hustler 5BTV workswell. I have limited space on my property. The neigbors are a little close. I don't want any complaints with100 watts on hf.  I did have a homebrew wire for 10-40. I don't think there's enough room with snarls from the neighbors......Tim-KD4RNC, also a board-op for WJCW in Johnson City Tn(Citadel)

While I haven't used one myself, I've known Hams who were pleased with theirs.  As with all verticals, the ground radial system makes a big difference in how well the antenna performs.  --  Jason

[CW]

Anyone using trap verticals? Don't know much about them. Reviews on Eham.net says a Hustler 5BTV workswell. I have limited space on my property. The neigbors are a little close. I don't want any complaints with100 watts on hf.  I did have a homebrew wire for 10-40. I don't think there's enough room with snarls from the neighbors......Tim-KD4RNC, also a board-op for WJCW in Johnson City Tn(Citadel)

Be sure to check out this web site with all the info on it....practical reading for folks with antenna questions:
http://www.cebik.com  or go directly to the radio page: http://www.cebik.com/radio.html and scroll down to the HF vertical section....hope you have a good day set aside to read it all

-.-.  .--

[CrazeeCarroll1]

Anyone using trap verticals? Don't know much about them. Reviews on Eham.net says a Hustler 5BTV workswell. I have limited space on my property. The neigbors are a little close. I don't want any complaints with100 watts on hf.  I did have a homebrew wire for 10-40. I don't think there's enough room with snarls from the neighbors......Tim-KD4RNC, also a board-op for WJCW in Johnson City Tn(Citadel)

I had a 5BTV about 10 years ago and IMO it was a bunch of junk... It was put together just like it was supposed to be and yet I could never get the VSWR down below a 3. We tried different kinds of coax to see if that was the problem, and that did not change anything... The only band it would work decent on was 20 meters and it was not that great either... Although you will pay more for them I have talked to hams that use Cushcraft as well as GAP and they both seem to work very well... 73 from Northern IL KT4SJ CC

While I haven't used one myself, I've known Hams who were pleased with theirs.  As with all verticals, the ground radial system makes a big difference in how well the antenna performs.  --  Jason

[CW]

Anyone using trap verticals? Don't know much about them. Reviews on Eham.net says a Hustler 5BTV workswell. I have limited space on my property. The neigbors are a little close. I don't want any complaints with100 watts on hf.  I did have a homebrew wire for 10-40. I don't think there's enough room with snarls from the neighbors......Tim-KD4RNC, also a board-op for WJCW in Johnson City Tn(Citadel)

I had a 5BTV about 10 years ago and IMO it was a bunch of junk... It was put together just like it was supposed to be and yet I could never get the VSWR down below a 3. We tried different kinds of coax to see if that was the problem, and that did not change anything... The only band it would work decent on was 20 meters and it was not that great either... Although you will pay more for them I have talked to hams that use Cushcraft as well as GAP and they both seem to work very well... 73 from Northern IL KT4SJ CC

While I haven't used one myself, I've known Hams who were pleased with theirs.  As with all verticals, the ground radial system makes a big difference in how well the antenna performs.  --  Jason

A vertical is only as good as its ground system and how high it is off the ground (the antenna that is!)...If the antenna is ground mounted, you want to put as many "radials" down in the ground as much as possible to lower ground resistance and improve radiation efficiency. If you raise the vertical base off the ground, say 15-30 ft, then you only need a good ground plane and in a lot of cases, 4 radials at the lowest freq works quite well (did that with a trap vertical on a roof vent mount and 4 60ft length radials...worked like a champ on 80-10). Trap verticals are usually shorter than fullsaize 1.4wave verticals per band....but some come close on the 10-40mtr bands....(since 1.4wave on 80 is 60+ ft, hard to find a vertical that tall..not impossible but usually they stop at 40 and make 80 loaded at the top, which is best, or bottom which I would avoid)

But I have used trap verticals will no issue if done right......they work just like any other antenna; if done right, they work!

73

[BigRoxx]

What CW said.

Verticals get a bad rap, and much is because ops DON'T spend considerable time and effort on the radial system.  They have a great low angle pattern for DX.  Bad part=no gain, and tend to be very noisy.  When the sunspot cycle comes back, you can work whatever you hear with 100 watts 10 through 30 meters.

Gottatellya---nothing beats a full sized loop--but a simple dipole is cheap--and works great.