HAM RADIO - Adding the 17m Band to Hustler Vertical Base Antennas

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. I found very informative. I have had a BTV6 for about five years and have had good luck with it. I went non active for about 2 years for various reasons, one being a health scare. It's all good now and decided to get back on the air. I live in Florida and as you can imagine it's quite wet here and my traps paid the price so I ended up replacing them. This time I was much smarter in protecting them from water intrusion. I've thinking about adding a 17m to my antenna and to but a kit it cost around $100USD. I'm going to make one myself and follow your example. I too can use a power drill and a hack saw. Thanks again for a very informative video. 73 de Ed K3ENV

Very true about 17m, usually find some activity during the afternoon and not long ago I realised I've worked over 100 countries on17m.

Great mod for a versatile antenna. Thanks Peter.

I think the Hustler BTV series are the strongest vertical antennas available to hams. I have had mine since 1978 and the only issue I have had was the 15 meter trap cover, here in Colorado's we are have alot of strong winds up to 100mph and with minimal guying they hold up. I have made contacts all over the world so they do really work the DX well. 73 from ki0ad/jim

There is a hack with a jubilee clip, wire and plastic tubing to take it away from the main pole and will be a bit cheaper. You do it and you will enjoy doing, or trying to tune different bands. Andy M6APJ

That is a super great idea! Might need to try that.

I picked up a 17m Hustler coil and went to the local hardware store and made this. It works great!

Added 17M to my 6-BTV using this method, and my 6-BTV is now a 7-BTV. Took some time to tune in, that is, besides 17M, I also had to retune the 15M and 20M bands. But it’s all up and running with VSWR <1.5:1 across the entire band. I did put the 17M whip above the 10M trap, but it put the complete VSWR out, so I ended up putting it just below the trap. BTW, the whip takes a 3/8” bolt with a 24TPI thread. My first 17M contact was from a station 8217km away using FT8. So it’s working.

Looks good - so tomorrow I’ll do the same as yours. Thank you.

Got the 6btv working on 12 meters. Thanks for the video

Brilliant addition to the kit. Just last week I was looking at the Hustler and my decision to skip it was the fact of no 17 meter.

I love the Hustler. A royal pain in the rump to tune up, but I added 12M, 17M, and 60M to my 6BTV and jokingly call it a Hustler 9BTV. DX Engineering makes kits or you can easily homebrew them with some PVC pipe and a bit of wire. This is an interesting take on another way to do it. I kind of like this better.

Hi Peter I agree their great antennas and built very strong.i bought the tilt over kit as well so laid mine down in 10 seconds when there were high winds.

clever that, I would never have thought of it.👍

Antron99 10/11m cb base antenna works great for me on 17m, i do believe it is aimed at 27-28mhz but has 1:1.2 swr dip at 18mhz

If this antenna installed at my roof have the same perfomance like the Ground install?

I did also add 17m to my 4BTV: at the bottom screw where the coax connects to the antenna I attached the 17m radiator which ran horizontaly around 20 cm (8") and then vertically and I had couple spacers made of PVC keeping the 17m radiator (speaker wire) parallel to the antenna itself. At the top end I had rope to the capacitor rods to keep the radiator straight. I remember it needed 3.9m of wire to have a 1/4 wave on 17m. Worked very well atop my condo roof (see HA7WX page on QRZ). Then I had to remove everything due to my relocation to VE land...

Peter, you’re using the hustler coiled antenna. I am attempting to add a similar 17m 5/8th wave non coiled option on a 1/4 wave mono band vertical. I haven’t found the sweet spot yet.

Nice hack Peter. ps your workshop is very clean and tidy!

Worked Michigan on 17m 50 w into a dv27 with a brass brazing rod stuck in it to tune it. it was mobile as well i had to stop to write his call sign down . I wonder what i could do with a decent anttena