DX Engineering 4-BTV User manual

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4-BTV, 5-BTV, 6-BTV

Multiband HF

Vertical Antennas

New Assembly and

High Performance

Installation

Instructions

DXE-BTV-INST-INS - Rev 4

Cost: $7.95

To be certain to get optimum performance from this

vertical design, please assemble and install your new

antenna according to these DX Engineering Assembly

and High Performance Installation Instructions.

These instructions are intended to replace those

originally supplied by the manufacturer.

1200 Southeast Ave. - Tallmadge, OH 344278 USA

Phone: (800) 777-0703 ∙ Tech Support and International: (330) 572-3200

Fax: (330) 572-3279 ∙ E-mail: DXEngineering@DXEngineering.com

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Congratulations !

Over 50 Years Ago

Hustler®BTV antennas

You gotta be kidding me......

Basic Assembly and Enhanced Operating Assembly

Chapter 2 - General Information

Warning and Overhead Power Line Safety

Basic Tools Required

Assembly Notes

Chapter 3 - Common Starting Information

Installation Sequence

Site Selection

Mounting Pipe

Concrete or No Concrete –That is THE Question

Coaxial Cable to Mounting Pipe

Chapter 4 - Some Really Good Information

Get the Best Performance From Your New Quarter-Wave Vertical Antenna

Some Brief Words on Ground Mounting, Elevated Mounting, and Radial Wires

How to Put Radial Wires Down Without Digging

Radial System Considerations

Chapter 5 - Basic BTV Assembly

Assembling Vertical Aluminum Antenna Sections & Element Clamps

Hustler®4 BTV - Package Contents & Assembly

Hustler®5 BTV - Package Contents & Assembly

Six Blade Spider for the 4-BTV and 5-BTV only

Three Blade Spider for the 5-BTV only

80 Meter Resonator and Whip Installation for the 5-BTV and 6-BTV

Hustler®6 BTV - Package Contents & Assembly

Hustler®Base Assembly

Optional Reinforced Lower Tube Assembly

Mating the Vertical Sections to the Base Section

Installing Radials & Feedline on the Hustler® Base

Coax RF Choke

Basic Tuning

Chapter 6 - DX Engineering Enhanced Antenna Systems

Special Hustler®BTV Packages Available from DX Engineering

Radial Plate to Mounting Pipe

Attaching Ground Radial Wires to the Radial Plate

DXE-TB-3P Tilt Base Mounting Plate to the Ground Mounting Pipe

BTV Antenna Base Section to the DXE-TB-3P Tilt Base

Testing the DXE-TB-3P Tilt Base

DXE-OMNITILT-1P OMNI-TILT™ Tilt Base

Mounting the OMNI-TILT™ Tilt Base to the Ground Mounting Pipe

Mounting the Hustler BTV Base to the OMNI-TILT™ Tilt Base

Alternate Feedpoint Connections

The DXE-VFCC-H05-A Vertical Feedline Current Choke

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Chapter 7 - Tuning

Understanding Trap Calibration

Hustler®Traps

Hustler®Trap Calibration - Resonance Adjustment Procedure

Tuning the 80 Meter Resonator Whip for the 5-BTV and 6-BTV

Chapter 8 - Guying the Hustler®BTV Antenna System

Chapter 9 - Reference Information

Elevated Mounting of the Hustler®BTV Antenna

The Quarter-Wave Vertical on a Metal Roof

What Trap Do I Have?

Hustler®BTV Replacement Parts Diagram

Weatherproofing Coaxial Cable Connections

Lightning Protection - For Any Installation

Hustler®BTV Specifications

Chapter 10 - Additional Operating Bands

Adding Additional Operating Bands to your Hustler®BTV Antenna

Chapter 11 - Recommended Accessory Items

For Assembly

For Quick Tilt Action

For Tuning

Additional Accessories for Your Hustler®BTV

Technical Support and Warranty

Note: DX Engineering is constantly upgrading information and developing new products to

enhance your amateur radio experience. Please check the DX Engineering web site for the

latest information: www.DXEngineering.com

The Hustler®Antenna Company introduced this product over 50 years ago, with little attention to

maximizing performance. It was designed to be an easy-to-install antenna with minimal grounding,

which provided easy - or no - tuning and wide bandwidth but mediocre performance.

DX Engineering decided to take this popular product and show how its performance could be

greatly increased by proper installation, including the addition of an adequate radial ground

system. This results in lowering the resonant frequency, and also altering the impedance at

resonance. Hence - the need to adjust the traps, which was not “allowed” by the manufacturer, and

the possible addition of a shunt coil at the feedpoint.

You can install the antenna according to the New-Tronics instructions and make some contacts with

little attention to ultimate performance. Our BTV Guide takes you into areas which result in

departing from the simple installation and the need to make more adjustments than originally

described. That is the reason we designed the tilt base, for easy raising and lowering between

adjustments.

The overall experience should be an effort which started with an inexpensive trap vertical, and

finished with a high performance antenna installation providing very satisfying results.

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Chapter 1 - Introduction

Congratulations !

50 Years Ago

Hustler®BTV antennas

You gotta be kidding me......

Basic Assembly and Enhanced Operating Assembly

Congratulationson your purchase of one of the most versatile HF multi-band antennas, the

Hustler®HF Base model 4-BTV, 5-BTV or 6-BTV, or a complete DX Engineering Hustler®High

Performance HF Vertical System Package: models DXE-HSR-4BTV-P1, DXE-HSR-5BTV-P1 or

DXE-HSR-6BTV-P1.

Your new Hustler®HF antenna system offers automatically selected multi-band coverage with an

omni-directional pattern. The high quality, low-loss traps are adjustable, so you may tune the

antenna for low SWR and maximum performance in virtually all types of installations. The Hustler®

BTV Series HF Base Vertical is mechanically and electrically superior to other brands, and will

offer years of top performance. If the system is installed with the DX Engineering Hustler®antenna

options according to the recommendations and instructions in this manual, the full capabilities of

this antenna are realized

DX Engineering has worked extensively with the Hustler®BTV series of antennas and has custom

manufactured the best quality optional items to enhance the HF operating performance. Using DX

Engineering parts will ensure that your Hustler®BTV antenna will enable you to achieve an

outstanding presence on the amateur bands for years to come.

Over 50 Years Ago!

The Hustler®HF Base Four Band Trap Vertical antenna was a new concept in 1959. This unique multi-

band antenna with an exclusive low-loss trap design was developed and introduced to Amateurs by

Hustler, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio, offering quarter-wave antenna performance for 40, 20 15 and 10

meters , but requiring no band switching!

Later, the Hustler®Four Band Trap Vertical, known around the world as the 4-BTV, was made

available with an 80 meter resonator, and the 5-BTV was born. When the Amateur bands expanded in

1979, the last of the series offerings designed by Hustler®, the 6-BTV, added 30 meters, for an

unequalled vertical antenna. Since 1985 the New-Tronics Antenna Corporation in Mineral Wells,

Texas, has been making high quality antennas for HF, VHF and UHF Amateur and Commercial

customers, including the “Hustler®BTV Series”.

Since 2003, DX Engineering has offered Hustler®Antennas and has developed a complete system of

innovative accessories and Add-On Kits specifically for the Hustler®BTV series. Amateurs now have

the choice of complete Hustler®BTV Series High Performance packages for their HF needs, including

the ability to turn their Hustler®into a “9-BTV” covering all bands 80 through 10 meters.

DX Engineering joins New-Tronics Antenna Corporation in celebrating over 50 years of service with

the famous Hustler®HF Base Four Band Trap Vertical –The Hustler®4-BTV.

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Hustler®BTV Antennas

The Hustler®4-BTV is a four-band trap vertical antenna

providing an omni directional pattern. The 4-BTV is

designed as a self supporting vertical to provide optimum

performance on the 10, 15, 20 and 40 meter bands. This

antenna is designed for installations with restricted space.

The Hustler®4-BTV is approximately 19 feet tall. It can also

be adapted to operate on the 75/80 meter band by adding the

RM-80S resonator and the 4457-1 three blade spider

assembly on top of the 4-BTV. If the 75/80 meter resonator is

attached to the 4-BTV, it may be desirable to guy the antenna

above the 20 meter trap with small diameter polypropylene

rope.

The Hustler®5-BTV is a five-band trap vertical antenna.

This antenna includes the RM-80S resonator and the 4457-1

three blade spider assembly. The 5-BTV is designed to

provide excellent performance on the 10, 15, 20, 40 and

75/80 meter bands. The Hustler®5-BTV is approximately 24

feet tall.

The Hustler®6-BTV is a six-band trap vertical antenna. The

6-BTV is designed to provide excellent performance on the

10, 15, 20, 30, 40 and 75/80 meter bands, using four traps

and the RM-80S resonator. The design of the 6-BTV is sleek,

with no capacity spiders and is approximately 25 feet tall.

The Hustler®BTV antennas provide automatic electrical

selection of the bands through the use of optimum Q traps,

which are individually and precisely tuned at New-Tronics.

The traps are parallel tuned circuits which provide efficient

isolation between the vertical sections, permitting multi-band

operation. Efficient operation over the many ham bands at

good SWRs is possible in a proper installation.

The Hustler®BTV antennas were designed to provide optimum performance from both an electrical

and mechanical standpoint. Mechanically, this antenna boasts a heavy duty base and heavy duty

aluminum tubing. The mechanical assembly is accomplished with all stainless steel hardware. The

use of clamps permits re-adjustment if necessary, and allows tuning of each band. The mechanical

construction is such that guying is not ordinarily needed.

The performance provided by the Hustler®BTV antenna is better than any other antenna of this

type. Broad banding is such that one setting permits both phone and CW operation on most bands.

The antenna provides a nominal 52 Ω base impedance when installed and tuned according to

instructions. The radiation efficiency is equivalent to, or greater than, other trap verticals.

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You gotta be kidding me......

When you first looked at this manual you probably wondered "What is all this?!?!?!" Do I

really need to read all this stuff? Well, this manual was put together using many years of

antenna design experience in making the Hustler®BTV Vertical Antenna perform to the

utmost. DX Engineering has sold thousands of Hustler®BTVs with DX Engineering add-on

parts that have been engineered, tested and proven to enhance the operation of the Hustler®

BTV series of antennas. We suggest you read the entire manual before starting assembly.

When you install any antenna, you want the maximum performance and these instructions

will help you achieve that goal with the Hustler®BTV.

Can you install the antenna without all these extra parts? Sure, but your performance will be

far less than optimum.

DX Engineering constantly examines the performance of the Hustler®BTV series antennas

and continually engineers add-ons to get the best possible HF performance.

When installed using these instructions and DX Engineering accessories, you will have an

antenna system that will exceed your expectations and provide you with years of great

contacts on the HF Amateur bands!

Basic Assembly and Enhanced Operating Assembly:

We at DX Engineering believe that the Hustler®BTV antenna is great and can be installed quickly

to get you on the air making contacts.

Through years of experience, DX Engineering has engineered and manufactured add-ons that will

make the Hustler®BTV performance even better!

Do you need the high performance options now? No, you can get started with the basic system and

add enhancements over time. Many hams that have added DX Engineering BTV antenna options

have exclaimed the resulting higher performance was like getting a new antenna!

This manual has chapters for:

Basic assembly instructions for those wanting to install a BTV right out of the box with no

performance enhancing options. (Chapter 5)

Assembly using DX Engineering options that have been engineered to obtain maximum

performance from a BTV antenna system. (Chapter 6)

You'll want to read all the information in order to make an informed decision for your installation.

Proper planning for your installation will provide you with years of great operation on the HF bands

using the Hustler®BTV series antenna. To be certain to get optimum performance from this vertical

design, please assemble and install your new antenna according to these DX Engineering

Assembly and High Performance Installation Instructions. These instructions may be used in

place of those originally supplied by the manufacturer. The Hustler®BTV series of antennas is

manufactured by New-Tronics Antenna Corporation, Mineral Wells, Texas.

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Chapter 2 - General Information

Warning

Overhead Power Line Safety

Basic Tools Required

Assembly Notes

WARNING!

INSTALLATION OF ANY ANTENNA NEAR POWER LINES IS DANGEROUS

Warning:Do not locate the antenna near overhead power lines or other electric light or power

circuits, or where it can come into contact with such circuits. When installing the antenna, take

extreme care not to come into contact with such circuits, because they may cause serious injury or

death.

Overhead Power Line Safety

Before you begin working, check carefully for overhead power lines in the area you will be

working. Don't assume that wires are telephone or cable lines: check with your electric utility for

advice. Although overhead power lines may appear to be insulated, often these coverings are

intended only to protect metal wires from weather conditions and may not protect you from electric

shock

Keep your distance! Remember the 10-foot rule: When carrying and using ladders and other long

tools, keep them at least 10 feet away from all overhead lines - including any lines from the power

pole to your home.

Basic Tools Required

Two 7/16" open end wrenches or nut drivers

Medium size flat blade screwdriver or 5/16" nut driver for the element clamps

Tape measure

Felt-tip marker

Assembly Notes

Note: JTL-12555 Jet-Lube™SS-30 Anti-Oxidant should be used between all antenna element

sections. Jet-Lube™SS-30 is an electrical joint compound to affect a substantial

electrical connection between metal parts such as telescoping aluminum tubing or

other antenna pieces. It ensures high conductivity at all voltage levels by displacing

moisture and preventing corrosion or oxidation.

Jet-Lube™SS-30 should also be used on all element clamps and stainless steel threaded

hardware to provide good electrical contact, prevent galling, allow easier disassembly

and to ensure proper tightening.

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Chapter 3 - Common Starting Information

Installation Sequence

Site Selection

Mounting Pipe

Concrete or no concrete - That is THE question

Coaxial Cable to Mounting Pipe

Installation Sequence

1. Site Selection 7. Antenna Assembly

2. Installing a Mounting Pipe 8. Mating the BTV antenna to the base section

3. Run Coax from Radio to Mounting Pipe 9. Walk the antenna up to normal position

4. Install the Radial Plate and Radial System 10. Tuning

5. Install the Tilt Base Assembly 11. Add optional DX Engineering Add-On Kits

6. Mount the BTV base to the Tilt Base for 12, 17 and 60 meters and make adjustments

Site Selection Hole for Mounting Pipe Concrete & Level Trench for Coax

Coax to Base Gravel to keep Radial Wires Installed Rocks added for

Install Radial Plate weeds away Antenna Installed good looks

Tilt Base & VFCC

Trench Filled Shack end - Ground Rod

and new grass seeded and PolyPhaser protection

17 Meter Add-On-Kit

Tuned and on the air!

K3EMB's Hustler®6-BTV installation - Total installation time: 3 days

(your time may vary)

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Site Selection

Install your new vertical antenna a minimum of 20 feet away from buildings, wires,

metal fences, downspouts and gutters. Centering a vertical antenna in an open area is the

best option. Installing the antenna near a wooden fence or on a wood post is okay as long

as there is no metal within 20 feet of the antenna.

Installing the antenna on a metal mounting pipe or a wooden post that is set in concrete

is okay. Since the radial system wires create the efficient ground return for RF currents,

direct earth grounding of the support post or a ground rod is not required at the antenna.

Select a mounting location clear from power lines, structures and other antennas by a minimum of

40 feet (30 + 10 foot safety rule). Consider overhead power lines, utility cables and wires. The

further away the vertical is mounted from local noise sources or other metallic objects, which can

re-radiate noise and affect the tuning, radiation pattern and SWR, the better. Determine the direction

you want the antenna to pivot and make sure there is adequate clearance (at least 30 feet).

Mounting Pipe

The mounting support may be a galvanized metal pipe or thick wall steel tube from 1 inch to 1-3/4

inches outside diameter (OD) when using just the Hustler®bracket, and 1 inch to 2 inches OD when

using the DXE-TB-3P Tilt Base. A thick-walled steel pipe with a minimum thickness of 1/8" (1/4"

preferred) should be used. The standard 1-1/2" galvanized water

pipe (with its 1.9" OD) is just fine for this application and can

usually be found at your local home building supply store. A

four to six inch wood post can also be used for mounting.

Use a thick-walled galvanized steel mounting pipe

approximately 6 feet long. This will allow approximately 4 feet

to be below ground and 20-23 inches above ground.

The height of the mounting pipe above ground level of 20-23

inches will allow you to do either a basic installation, or an

enhanced installation by adding the DX Engineering optional

items described in this detailed manual. In some cases ham

operators have done a basic installation, and then added the DX

Engineering optional items at a later date to enhance their

operation. Thus, the length of mounting pipe above ground is 20

to 23 inches.

For permanent mounting, use a post-hole digger to make the

hole deep enough to accommodate approximately 4 feet of pipe

and a couple inches of gravel at the bottom for drainage. Set the

pipe on the gravel, use the pre-mix concrete to fill around the

pipe, adding water and mixing as you fill (or mix the concrete

first, depending on the type you purchase), then pour the

concrete in the hole. Fill the hole until the concrete is level with the ground around it. Use a level as

you fill the hole to be sure the pipe is vertically straight. Allow to set overnight.

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Your location, landscape and ground conditions may require different mounting solutions in order

to have the steel mounting pipe and the vertical antenna in a secure position. You may also attach

the Tilt Base to a 4 to 6 inch wooden post at the location you intend to use the antenna, making sure

the unit is securely mounted.

Using a cyclone fence is not recommended for a vertical antenna support or being used as a radial

system. Poor RF connections and the presence of high levels of noise that are inherent on metal

fences make them an undesirable mounting location for any HF vertical antenna.

Note: Steel, rather than aluminum, is much more suitable for mounting in concrete. Aluminum

will quickly corrode due to incompatibility with the materials used to make concrete.

Concrete or No Concrete –That is THE Question

The original Hustler®BTV installation manuals call for the ground mounting pipe to be driven into

the earth with the specific wording “Do not use concrete. Do not dig a hole and bury the mast. It

must be driven in.” The reason for this recommendation is so that installations with few or no

radials will be able to make use of the direct contact between the mounting pipe and the earth to

collect and distribute antenna currents.

Unfortunately, the soil and a steel pipe usually does not provide efficient RF conduction. Therefore,

the use of many ground radial wires are recommended for all quarter-wave ground mounted HF

antenna, to improve efficiency and performance dramatically.

Also, a driven or pounded pipe may be used on any ground-mounted vertical antenna installation,

regardless of the number of radials used.

DX Engineering recommends using a concrete base, as shown on page 9, when a high performance

installation with many radials is planned. The reasons that a concrete base is recommended:

1. It is easier to make sure that the mounting pipe is vertical when it is braced for installation

with concrete. Pounded pipes can develop a lean or hit a rock while being driven into the

ground, which could result in a leaning antenna.

2. A steel pipe or tube in concrete will last much longer than in soil, especially in certain types

of soil that will corrode steel more quickly.

3. Concrete is not an insulator for a steel pipe, as the hardened but moist concrete is a good

conductor from the steel to the soil for grounding purposes.

4. A ground surface wire radial system offers far more efficient means to collect and distribute

surface RF currents than a single pipe in the soil, so a pipe in concrete is okay when using

many radials.

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