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Hustler B-5TV tuning problems

TruckerKevin

TruckerKevin

KD9NTD
Nov 9, 2017
234
142
53
58
Buckner, Illinois
www.qrz.com
Hello there. I wanted to get some advice. I purchased this antenna and I have it on a good radial system, properly grounded on a DX Engineering hinge. About 50 radials in all, each going about 50 feet out. I AM however very close to my metal mobile home,,,,, about 13 feet which I know is not ideal, it's a compromise. AND the top of the antenna is almost touching tree limbs. I am using a nanoVNA to get my readings.

Tuning on 10 and 15 meter was pretty easy. When I got to 20 meter that is when the issues started. My best SWR on this band I could get is 4.7 before giving up and moving on. I spent a good half the day on it. No matter what I did, 4.7 was the absolute lowest. I don't care too much about 15 meter really. I just wanted to get it right.

40 meter was worse. I could only get low (er) SWR by lengthening it to the max before I ran out of antenna. There is no trap on the 40 part. I finally added 3 copper 12 gauge wires onto the small radials to extend them about 15 inches each longer than what they are, lengthening it electrically. This dropped it down to less than 2:0, about 1:7 actually.

80 meter is not achievable. No matter where I put the whip up or down I could never get lower than 27:1 SWR.
It dropped the most when I extended the whip to the max, when I took it all the way in it was a whopping 32:1. Out of curiosity,,,, I added a 102 inch stainless steel whip to the existing whip temporarily with some electrical tape, and got it down to 19:1. Of course this was silly, I took it off as it was just a test.

Thoughts or opinions? It is possible for me to move this whole setup out to the field behind me about 100 foot run, with great effort. I am just not so sure it would solve this????
 

Make sure you have the traps in the right place to begin with. When I bought my 5BTV I got the DX Engineering BTV installation guide and followed those instruction versus the ones that came with the antenna. I have about 35 radials approximately 33 feet long and had zero problems with tuning. 40m is a little narrow and bottoms out around 1.3:1. I have the tilt over base and the coaxial adapter at the base. It is however installed well in the clear.
 
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I had to move the traps to get even as far as I am now. I was dismayed that the 40 meter had no trap to move,,,, it was just me and the wind.
I guess what I am trying to say is, I have the rest of the bands within reason, so I am at a loss on what to do next. Should I try to get the rest of the bands in better even though they are within tolerance?

edit,,,, well within reason except 15 meter. It’s still at 4:7. I guess this must be affecting the rest of my tuning. I’ll keep trying to mess with 15 meter today when I get home from church
 
The manual does say to make sure the antenna is installed at least 20 feet from any metal object or building so that may be the problem however I am sure I have seen other installations closer than that and they have tuned fine. 40m is tuned by the addition of the spider assembly directly above the 20m trap and it should have all six blades/radials. 80m is tuned by the addition of the large cylindrical resonator but if 40m is out of whack 80m will be as well. Make sure the traps are not installed backwards. The end with the black plastic goes on TOP.
 
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Edited

I thought I had the top trap upside down but that’s not what it is, it’s impossible for the top trap to be upside down because the 2 set screws that hold the 80 meter antenna must be up.

but this afternoon I’m gonna study this all over again and ensure that I didn’t put anything together wrong
 
TruckerKevin said:
Edited

but this afternoon I’m gonna study this all over again and ensure that I didn’t put anything together wrong
Click to expand...


If ever I write anything worthy, it’s a variation on that.

Why radio?

Well, the rest of life has been this way, so may as well be consistent and take up a pursuit where it’s main feature; thus . . . when the going gets rough, the weird turn pro.

Tangled in a cobweb? Yeah. That can be arranged.

Good luck with that Hustler. Decide whether you’re the Newman or Gleason character. Maybe a bit player, master of a particular facial expression.

Assume the stance. Step between the raindrops.

.
 
BJ radionut said:
https://static.dxengineering.com/global/images/instructions/dxe-btv-inst-ins_oh.pdf

See here above link: Make sure assembly and all parts are correct first... edit....
Click to expand...



After you have assembled the antenna to the correct dimensions and rechecked them again.......... NEVER cut any tubes

.... follow the EXE instructions to the letter... you more than likely have to adjust the TRAPS...
Note from page 43 of the DXE assembly instructions

Understanding Trap Calibration The Hustler® warranty states that adjustment of the traps will void the warranty. As described in this manual, trap adjustment is usually required.


the traps cover acts as as a cap and the distances will make a
difference.

The BTV's usually go together pretty smoothly, I bet ne of you dimensions is wrong
 
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Just in case anyone cares to know,,,,

I prayed to whatever might be listening, bundled up well, then proceeded to the great outside. I took a chain link fence rail and pounded it into the ground next to my mobile home. I clamped the pipe well to the house, then installed the antenna about 3 inches just above the outer roof lip. I stopped long enough to remove the frozen snot,,,,, then I ran a 250 foot piece of ethernet cable that I had laying around just under the roof line all around the perimiter, and connected it to the braid of the coaxial cable, just in case. I also connected the braid to the actual metal roof after cleaning the contact point of the paint down to bare metal underneath, and bonded a few panels just to be extra sure. When it warms a little I will bond them all. I also removed the ghetto wires off the 40 meter radials that I had rigged before, and started all over.

When I fired up the nanometer I just about fell over. Low SWR all across the bands. In fact, they were all so within tolerance, that I really didn't even have to tune it any further if I really didn't want to. But I did anyway, and after a few trips up and down the ladder everything is as low as I can get it all. The only thing that is still giving me fits somewhat, is 40 meter. The dip was 3.0 SWR at it's very lowest point, the rest of the band averaged 3.5 according to my nano meter, the radio reports 2.8 at the dip. Who knows what it really is, but at this point I don't think there is much I can do with it anyway since there is no trap to mess with. The 3.0 dip was right where I talk the most, so I didn't really want to mess with it and create a problem. Maybe some more grounds (once it warms up a little) may help?

I am satisfied. There was something with my previous setup that just did not jive.

Regards,
Kevin
 
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