Best Vertical HF Antenna – List of top rated HF antenna in 2021
HF antennae are high-frequency antennae that offer excellent radio communication. They may be vertical or horizontal.
Vertical HF antennae are more popular because they offer significant advantages above the horizontal variations. These advantages include better polarization, being omnidirectional, and low radiation angle. All these advantages result in fewer “hops” as the signal travels, providing the best to the receiving device.
As usual, there’s confusion in this space about the best. Which vertical HF antenna can you buy? How do you make sure you pick the best? Easy! You go through our list. We have done the research so that you don’t have to. Below are our favorites. Please scan them and choose!
Contents
Best Vertical HF Antenna
1. Hustler HF Multi-band Vertical Antenna
The Hustler radio base antenna is a high performing antenna that can be mounted on the ground or the roof based on preferences. It is flexible and serves the purpose perfectly. Below are the reasons why it is top-rated at the moment:
- It covers 10, 15, 20, 40, and 75/80 meter bands with ease for not just transmitting but also receiving the signal.
- It is around 25 feet tall along with coils.
- It can handle around 1500W PEP.
- If you have a standard mast pipe, you can attach the antenna to it without delays.
- You may need a cable (coax) of 50 Ohm.
- Even though a tuner is not necessary, the manufacturers recommend it for any vertical HF antenna.
- The antenna comes with clamps that are needed for installation. There’s an installation guide as well.
- Setting the antenna up is easy and quick.
2. Portable HF Antenna – Vertical
This is an all-band HF vertical antenna for amateur ham radio. It is the latest version and is regarded as military-grade due to its high performance capabilities. We have enlisted a few important details below:
- You can use it to tune all frequencies, including MURs, EmComm, NGO, government, and marine.
- It can cover all bands from 6 to 80 meters. That’s quite a range!
- The tuning required ranges between 3.5 and 54 MHz.
- The antenna comes with a field bag, an NVIS element, and a ground wire.
- It deploys in 1 minute.
- As the name suggests, its biggest feature is that it is portable. It is quite lightweight.
- The setup is very simple.
3. Comet Original – Vertical Base Antenna
The Comet Original broadband ground-plane antenna is ideal for all users. It gives frequencies right from 6 meters to 80 meters! Here are a few more pointers:
- It does not need any adjustments. You can also do away with radials and tuners.
- It has an SWR of 1.61. It is often lower than this. The best part is that you can expect the same quality across bands.
- You can fit it on mast pipes that have a diameter of around 2 inches.
- You need the PL-259 connector to use an optional cable.
- It has the capacity to handle around 250W PEP SSB power.
- The length of the antenna after setup will be around 23 inches.
- It is important to ensure proper height during installation. The manufacturer recommends 35 feet along with a grounded mast. Otherwise, its performance may be sub-par. A few users have a problem with this condition because it is not practical in all locations. So, we advise that you keep this in mind if you plan on purchasing the Comet Original HF antenna.
4. Alpha Antenna HD-FMJ – HF Amateur Ham
This antenna comes as a complete package with a tripod, an NVIS element, and a MilStick Whip. It is an excellent product with multiple happy users for the following reasons:
- The antenna has a grounded counterpoise element – 8 feet.
- The HD-tripod measures 5 ½ feet.
- The NVIS element measures 25 feet.
- It covers 6 to 80 meters with 500 Watt power.
- You do not need to move or adjust the whips. Thus, you don’t need any clips or tuners. Having said that, if you are in an unclear area or a poor ground, an external tuner will definitely help.
- The multi-purpose antenna is pre-tuned to be ready-to-use right out of the box.
5. Hustler 6-BTV – HF Vertical Antenna
This is another Hustler product that works wonders for users. It is comparatively better performing than most in its league and offers quite a few perks. They are:
- Its range is from 10 to 80 meters.
- Its height is 24 feet.
- You can mount it on the ground without radials. If you are choosing an elevated mount, you will need radials.
- The power is 1000 Watts or the full legal limit.
- The VSWR is 2:1 at the band edges.
- Its bandwidth is around 100 kHz when you consider 75/80 meters.
You will see that most of the features are similar but there are variations when it comes to power, height, and mount. These are the variations you must consider while purchasing along with, of course, the price factor.
When you are clear about your needs and expectations from the antenna, this choice will become easier. If you have any doubts or if there’s confusion, we are always here to help! Please leave a comment.
Hustler makes the best made HF, VHF, and UHF verticals.
They are built MUCH better than Comet, Diamond and the rest and will last for decades.