Tested Buddipole with a Tuner today

[N7OQ]

Well I got out the buddipole and ran some tests with it. I first I installed the long whips without the coils and used the tuner (AH4) and was able to tune 80 to 6 meters but on 80 meters I got way to much RF feed back to the radio and even got a RF burn when I touched the ground wire while transmitting. On 6 meters I also got feed back but not as bad.

I used a field strength meter and adjusted it to 5 on the scale it goes to 10 max. I then installed the coils and adjusted it for best swr without the tuner this time. Well on 40 meters the FS Meter pegged, so the coil without a tuner works better on 40. On 20, 15 and 10 meters it only slightly increased with the coils instead of the tuner.

I then tried it with the coils installed and then used a tuner and I had a lot of problems with RF feed back on 80, 15, 10 and 6 meters. So works better without the coils when using a tuner. It would be nice to try a coax type tuner like the ones that are installed in many rigs.

I thing the Buddipole works best with a Triple Ratio Switch Balun that Buddipole sells as accessory because a center loaded shortened dipole is more in the range of 20 to 12 ohms and the Balum will also suppress the RF better. The Buddipole comes with 6 fairite beads on the coax but I think they need more like 20, a current balun is suppose to have at least that many. What Buddipole does it feed it off center to get a better match that is why one coil had more turns than the other one. I have all the items I need to make my own Balun and plan to make 2 of them on like the one Buddipole makes and UNUN with up to 6 different ratios.

Now I got to work on that filter for my Generator.