Budd - W3FF, published a build document for making a homebrew version of the commercial BuddiStick antenna, which is a coil-loaded vertical. As originally documented, this design is for 40M and up, and at 10M tuning is accomplished by shortening the whip. For 40M and 20M, tuning is by changing the length of the counterpoise. I'm not sure about counterpoise length for 17, 15, and 10 - see the docs. I made coils for 40 and 20, and marked the counterpoise wire for length on those bands. Budd's Google sites pages are now apparently inaccessible without logging in to Google, so I'm uploaded the build instructions here - note that I did a little rewrite for clarity and legibility. Other hams have posted design notes, including coils for 80M and 60M.
In that picture, the PVC with the "poker" on the end at the right plugs into the counterpoise winder (yellow) to elevate it. It's important to elevate the counterpoise. The green thing slips onto the top of a steel mast section, and the rest of the antenna attaches to that.
Hi Jed,
I’m not seeing a file attached to this note. How do I go about accessing it. I’m interested in a DIY Buddipole. I’d like to see what success you’ve had with it.
73,
Doug KFØPCW
bdleber@gmail.com
ooops. File now attached.
The key to these antennas is the placement of the loading coil - center loaded instead of base loaded. Center loaded is more efficient. Check out Radio Antennas JPC-12 available on Amazon. Inexpensive and easy to deploy out in the field. I've used mine for several outings and I can easily recommend it.
73 Dave kx3dx
Nice looking piece of kit. Interesting - even though a couple of the YouTube channels I watch have shown it, I didn't remember it at all. Testimony, I suppose, to the dominance of Chameleon in the portable antenna market, and to a lesser extent, Wolf River Coils and SuperAntenna. As far as I can tell, the coil-loaded antenna field is dominated by base-loaded products.
