![]() Since I usually work digital or CW, I opted for the RM Series. They are rated for 1 KW and have a wider bandwidth. ![]() This affords me a full suite of the HF bands. I purchased Hustler resonators for 10, 15, 30, and 80 Meters. I have an open slot for a tent stake if I need more stability in high winds. I opted for a shorter carriage bold in the meantime and used four 3 1//2 inch bolts for the feet. ![]() The PowerPole connectors make the antenna very quick and easy to deploy. I found that speaker wire was very flexible and easy to deploy and recover. I assembled PowerPole connectors to the ends of the wire and onto the radials which I made from speaker wire. I opted to go with four radials, ¼ wavelength for 40 Meters, which I used 32 feet and 6 inches. The rule of thumb is more radials the better until one reaches a certain threshold. I needed to find a balance of effectiveness and time it takes to set up the antenna. I put some more thought into the ground radials. The shield becomes the ground and then isolates the center connector. I used an elbow PL259 connector so I could feed the coax under the ground plate insuring the insulator is in the correct position. I attacked the SO239 problem by drilling out a 5/8 inch hole in the center of the aluminum plate and centered the SO239 mount there. The main issues with the antenna were bulkiness, took too long to set up, and really had poor performance. I identified a few issues that needed to be improved. In April of this year, I wanted to revisit my project. I put away my contraption for the winter and decided to move on to something else. Sometimes screwing in or unscrewing the MO1 the SO239 would slide off the edge of the aluminum plate. My SWR on 20 and 40 Meters was around 2:0 to 1 at best. I was able to use my vertical a few times with moderate success. I didn’t think about the length of the wires at this point but went with three or four lines around 20 to 30 ft. I had some 14-gauge wire laying around and attached it to the plate using carriage bolts and nuts for my ground radials. After adjusting the radiator my SWR was still horrible on the two bands. The antenna can be adjusted for resonance by lengthening or shortening the radiator length. The Hustler resonators have a hex screw for tuning that can be loosened. By putting a stake in the bottom of the plate, I was able to get the antenna to stand up. I now had a ground plate, connector, and antenna with resonator. I cut out a notch to put a SO-239 Stud Mount on the plate as my antenna base. I had a couple of small aluminum plates that I drilled out a few holes. I ordered a Hustler MO1 mast which is 54 inches tall and thought I would attempt to make a portable POTA antenna. I had seen where a ham had used these on a ground stake as a portable antenna as well. They are used primarily as mobile and marine antennas. That decision turned out to be the first step in a year long process that has given me an awesome homebrew vertical antenna.Īfter doing a little research I found the resonators and accessories at most of the online ham dealers. I am not sure where I obtained them, but I decided they were keepers. I came across a couple of Hustler SM Series Resonators (20 /40 Meters) that I had acquired. ![]() Last spring, I was going through my many boxes of ham “stuff” looking for items to sell at our club tail gate sale. Many thanks to Steve (KM4FLF/VA3FLF) for sharing the following guest post: ![]()
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