Butternut HF5B wisdom

Andrew S. Braytenbah Jr

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Jul 19, 1996, 3:00:00 AM7/19/96

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Hello,
I am interested in reading about your firsthand or on the
air experience or know of the Butternut "Butterfly" antenna. I
understand that this give abt a 5dB gain on some of the bands,
and tuning must be exactly by the book or there will be
problems. Any opinions or knowledge of written lab results in
in QST, CQ, 73, etc. will be appreciated.

Tnx and 73,

Drew, KD4QCX

Patrick Tatro

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Jul 22, 1996, 3:00:00 AM7/22/96

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In article <Dusqw...@pen.k12.va.us>,
abra...@pen.k12.va.us (Andrew S. Braytenbah
Jr) wrote:

Drew
I have had my "Butterfly" up about 10 months
and think its a piece of junk! I have great SWR's,
but then again my dummy load has great SWR's too.
I tuned it according to the manual using an
antenna analyzer and have it higher than 30 feet
as they require. Why the antenna has two elements
is a real mystery because it has no directivity. I
built a home brew 2 element linear loaded 20
meter yagi that knocked the stuffing out of this
butterfly.

The big benifit is that you don't need to
rotate it to talk to any point on the compass
equally well. I guess there is no replacement for
a real antenna.

Just my opinion!

73's Pat N0WCG

bill kotarski

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Jul 22, 1996, 3:00:00 AM7/22/96

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I second this!!!!!!!!

Jesse Touhey

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Jul 24, 1996, 3:00:00 AM7/24/96

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I have done many tests on the "Butterfly". In my opinion, it is wishful
thinking to expect 5 dbd gain from this antenna. The construction is
flimsy, and because of this tuning is very unstable. The design exhibits
a reversal of front to back ratio on different bands. I have owned and
tested this antenna and thik there is much better
alternatives...73...Jesse (W6KKT) (not speaking for anyone else!)

Olsen family

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Jul 26, 1996, 3:00:00 AM7/26/96

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I, too, have an HF5B. I am not real happy with it either. However, I think
it does have some directivity. If I had to buy another antenna, though, I
wouldn't buy this one. I called the company once for technical support, and
they were surly at best.

Monte Olsen
N7FFO

Patrick Tatro <patric...@stortek.com> wrote in article
<4t0a61$b60...@stortek.com>...

Kelly

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Jul 27, 1996, 3:00:00 AM7/27/96

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Can you please name some of these "alternatives" that could be mounted on
a TV antenna rotor? Thank you. Kelly - WB0WQS

Al Koblinski (W7XA)

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Aug 1, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/1/96

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Many folks have used 2 el yagi such as the old HyGain TH2 on a TV rotor.
I personally have used 2 el quads with good success, 8 ft. boom.
The HB9CV swiss quads (maybe still available from TET in Japan or
homebrew) work great too. All are very effective small(ish) antennas.
73, Al

Joe Fitter BV/N0IAT

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Aug 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/5/96

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I would concurr with W7XA...the HB9CV 2 ele quad will outperform
a butternut HF5B. Had a '5B and it was basically no better than
a rotary dipole...that is, front to back was lousy, forward gain
was not so good on 20 or 17 and just slightly better than a dp on
15.

I'd only use a 2 ele trap yagi if the 2 ele quad is not an
option due to high winds. The performance of the quad will
surpass the 2 ele trap yagi.

73, Joe
----------------------------------------------------------
Amateur Radio: BV/N0IAT Taipei TAIWAN Republic of China

ex. 7J1AOF (Japan) YU3/N0IAT (Slovenia) KA0ZDH (Novice)
Licensed Radio Amateur since 1986. Comments are mine only.
----------------------------------------------------------

Jari Jokiniemi

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Aug 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM8/5/96

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I was pretty pleased with the HF5B I had some five years ago. It was
very small and yet it did have a noticeable directional pattern on 10,
12, 15 and 20. Just what you would expect from a 2 element yagi.
On 17 it is a dipole. The worst band was definetely 20,
but on 12 the tiny beam was actually better than most of the antennas
the other fellows had. At that time duoband 3-element yagis were very
rare and monobanders even more rare. Anything better than a dipole was
above the average. Now, it is different, of cource.

The major problem with the HF5B was that it did not resist winter too
well. I do not mean that it crashed, it did not. I mean that some of
the many contacts of the antenna corroded and therefore the antenna
needed much more care than my other antennas.

I do recommend HF5B to anyone who must use a small antenna.
A large antenna, is of cource, better.
--
Jari Jokiniemi, jari.jo...@tekla.fi, OH2MPO, OH3BU
Tekla Oy, Koronakatu 1, 02210 Espoo, 90-8879 474