Years ago I bought a commercial but cheap HB9CV antenna for 6m. I think in terms of dB per gram of beam aluminium, these antennas are top-notch and great for /P. (I have had a lot of success with good DX with my 2m version.) 

However, rushing a first activation (contest) a few weeks after purchase, I didn’t test the antenna at home but took the parts to a high spot which is near to our field site and completed the construction.  TERRIBLE VSWR!!!  I only managed one QSO.  I came home and put the antenna in the garage…. this was around 15 years ago. 

The VARC 6m antenna challenge has made me remove the dust and re-construct the antenna. 

I set up my FT817 in the shack, selected the rear antenna input, power, frequency etc. and tested the antenna in the garden.  TERRIBLE VSWR!!!!  I re-made all the obvious joints and re-tested.  TERRIBLE VSWR.  Checked the FT817… now showing the wrong antenna selected. Finger trouble??  Re-tested and all PERFECT!!  Fault not found.

I did some CQ calls and used the G3VER/P remote (c/o Peter G0OIK TU) to RX and found the antenna had the expected lobe pattern.

I called CQ a few times (CW 50.096MHz) but no reply.  However, I did hear some ‘pings’ of obvious meteor scatter propagation well into Europe.

So, I now have a working antenna!! 

Peter – G4HSO