Don't mean to jump in, but I'm actually kicking the idea of a Buddipole around for portable operation myself. I used to think it was expensive until I recently tried to homebrew an equivalent out of parts from the hardware store. To my surprise, by the time I got one side built with a homebrew coil, supports, etc., I was getting distressingly close to having spent somewhere in the neighborhood of the cost of a Buddistick and I _still_ had this hulking piece of garbage that actually weighed a fair bit and couldn't be broken down, etc. If you already have stuff on hand it can be cost-effective, but if you're like me and having to go from scratch you'll be shocked and amazed at how even something simple adds up.
The other solution - a 100' piece of wire - is cheap from the hardware store (about 15 bucks) and works surprisingly well with a good tuner and counterpoise, but requires a tree or other support to get it into the air. And then you have the inevitable snarl of wire for the main piece and the counterpoise unless you figure out a good method of coiling/uncoiling the wire (more $$$). My problem too is some of the places I'd like to go QRV are on tops of hills and mountains where good trees aren't available so my wire ant. wouldn't work there, unless I had my own support somehow. The only drawback I can see with the buddipole is that, because it's intended as a resonant system, you'd need to retune it by moving the clips when you change bands. With the wire, the tuner just takes care of that. But to be honest, I havn't been able to come up with a significantly better/cheaper solution myself for portable that does the same thing. I can go cheaper, but it's bulkier and heavier. Otherwise, it costs about as much hi hi. So I'm considering one too and may even use it in my apt. when I'm not /p. My indoor wire solution works moderately well for receive, but is not great for transmit.... 73, LS W5QD -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/Using-Buddi-Pole-Deluxe-Antenna-with-K3-tp4867678p4870948.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html