I have always been intrigued with unconventional antennas that could be loaded to gutters or fences that may work or not. I didn’t know what to expect, though I was happy to have some fun with the HOA Buster. It kind of reminds me of my childhood rocket crystal radio that I connected to different metal connections around the house for the best reception.

My working conditions are not very favorable. My gutters are very low and 55′ feet long front and back of the house. The gutters also make contact to a metal roof that could possibly interfere with the antenna’s performance.

I loaded the antenna on all the bands. The forty-meter band performed the best and the 80-meter band to some degree. I was not successful making contacts on the higher bands. This might be attributed to the height and length of the gutters, as well as poor propagation on some of these bands.

With band conditions as they are, I work 40 meters most all of the time, so this antenna still works fine for me. The antenna is very directional, radiating North and South, the same as the ends of my gutters. From NC, I have worked stations as far as eastern Canada and some stations into the Caribbean.

When 40-meter propagation is at its best, the HOA Buster performs almost as well as my S9 vertical and 40-meter dipole. This happens when the band is at its peak throughout the different times of the day or night. The Buster performance will drop off over time more quickly than the other antennas.

Hoping to work the higher bands as propagation gets better, I will mention one of those rare and exceptional days of 40-meter propagation. I was listening to G0EVY and he was coming in very loud. I gave him a call, and I received a 5 and 9 report. I could not believe what I heard. On top of that, my antenna does not perform well pointed west to east. Anyone who has worked Dave in England knows he operates a MONSTER beam supported by a crane. I know his antenna did most of the work. Needless to say, I was still thrilled making this contact. The gutter antenna came through!

So far, I am very pleased with this antenna, considering my working conditions. It is quiet, reliable, and almost no maintenance. I would highly recommend it.

WB4MWT

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