James,
I recently installed an HF9V at around 8' AGL. I use 2 elevated
"ground"(counterpoise) radials per band, sloping from 8' down to about 5'
AGL.
I find it works VERY well on 40m and up and adequate on 80m.
Over the past month, I've compared it to a host of other wire antennas at
similar heights and always found the Butternut to be as good or better
than anything else in the yard here. I believe the raised radials have less
loss, but it was twitchy to tune. An HF2V ought to be a cake-walk to tune.
It's just my opinion that using only a few ground radials is lossy and
that's why everyone preaches ground mounting it. (a lot easier to tune w/
better/wide 2:1 SWR curves) (I use the term "better", but I don't really
mean better, but it is better for the match, but I think it's like dumping
power into the ground to heat worms.)
So far I have around 2500 Q's with it, contesting every weekend and I am
sure it works well , raised up like it is.
p.s.- subscribe to the Yahoo group for Butternut antennas and then check the
files section for "VE9AA" or "AD5X".a couple good ideas
how to get the whole 80m band out of the antenna.
YMMV,
73 Mike VE9AA, NB
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