Off-center fed dipoles are a compromise at best. They will never be
any better than a simple half wave dipole for the current band and a
multi-band fan or trapped fan dipole generally provides a better match
without complex and failure prone matching networks.
A well designed multi-band fan or fan of trapped dipoles is easy for
the user to build and erect for much less $$ than the Buckmaster. The
only "benefit" of commercial OCF antennas is that they separate the
inexperienced and unsophisticated from their cash.
I've run 100W and wire antennas for more than 15 years ... in that time
I've tried both OCF vs. tapped inverted Vs vs. multi-band fan antennas
vs. G5RV type antennas. The multi-band fan is more efficient and less
noisy quieter than any of the OCF or G5RV type antennas.
For simple antennas, K9YC is correct ... use a multi-band fan for 80,
40 and 30 meters and the largest Cushcraft R-series vertical you can
afford/install *on the roof* for [40/30]/20/17/15/12/10/6. When you
get some experience and are ready to spend real money, install a tower
and a good yagi (or yagis) for 20-6 meters.
My dipoles and verticals have been enough to place 2nd worldwide in
the low power/simple antenna class of CQ's DX Marathon for the last
several years ... plus land me on the DXCC Honor Roll both CW and Mixed
as well as rack up more than 2500 countries on DXCC Challenge.
73,
... Joe, W4TV
On 12/9/2015 6:06 PM, Tom Fitzgerald via Elecraft wrote:
"The Buckmaster never wins compared to inverted vees though, but it
DOES tune up on multiple bands. It and the Elecraft tuner get along
fine, so it serves its purpose (which is NOT high performance)."
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa????????? The Buckmaster is recommended to be
installed as an inverted V. That's sweet that the E Tuner gets along
with it but I have the 3,000w version and run full legal limit on all
bands (where allowed) that it operates on without the need to use my
tuner. Not high performance eh? Funny stuff. I suggest anyone
considering this fine antenna consult the eHam reviews of it by
people who actually own the antenna & have experience with it.
Comparing a beam antenna to a wire is sort of ridiculous IMO for what
should be more than obvious reasons. Lotsa haters out there as
usual.
kd0bcf
"Das war ein Vorspiel nur, dort wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt
man auch am Ende Menschen." ("That was but a prelude; where they burn
books, they will ultimately burn people also.") Heinrich Heine, 1821
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