Butternut
| Butternut | |
|---|---|
| Type | Product line of DX Engineering |
| Origin | United States; HF verticals made since at least the early 1980s |
| Earlier owner | Bencher, Inc. (from the 1990s to 2014) |
| Current owner | DX Engineering, Tallmadge, Ohio (since December 2014) |
| Amateur radio | |
| Known for | HF6V, HF9V and HF2V multiband verticals |
| Status | Active under DX Engineering |
| Website | DX Engineering Butternut page |
Butternut is a long-running American line of multiband HF vertical antennas, best known for the HF6V and HF9V. Instead of conventional traps, Butternut verticals use large air-wound coils and high-voltage ceramic capacitors to make one aluminum radiator resonate on several bands. The line has changed hands more than once and has been made and sold by DX Engineering of Tallmadge, Ohio, since 2014.
History
Butternut antennas date from at least the early 1980s; one European dealer says the brand has made HF antennas since 1981, while hobbyist accounts place its origins in the 1970s, so sources differ on the exact start.
In the 1990s the line was bought by Bencher, Inc., the Illinois company also known for its Morse paddles. Manuals from that period name the maker as Butternut Manufacturing Co., with Bencher's contact details and an address in Wood Dale, Illinois. In December 2014 DX Engineering announced that it had acquired the Butternut verticals, together with Bencher's Skyhawk and Skylark Yagis, and would take over their manufacturing, marketing, service and parts. Bencher's keyer paddles were not part of the sale.
As of 2026 DX Engineering lists the main Butternut antennas, add-on kits and a full range of spare parts, including replacement capacitors and matching cables.
How the antennas work
The HF6V shows the design approach. On 80 and 40 meters, parallel coil-and-capacitor circuits add the reactance needed to bring the whole radiator to quarter-wave resonance. A series-tuned network tapped onto the 40-meter coil adds 30 meters. On 20 meters the full radiator works as a roughly 3/8-wave vertical, and a quarter-wave length of 75-ohm coaxial cable transforms its feed impedance of about 100 ohms down to 50 ohms. On 15 meters a quarter-wave stub isolates the top section, and on 10 meters the radiator works as a 3/4-wave vertical.
Because these are ground-mounted verticals, they need a radial system. Dealer listings call for at least 12 radials, with more giving better results.
Products
- HF9V: a nine-band vertical covering 80 through 6 meters, about 26 feet tall.
- HF6V: covers 80, 40, 30, 20, 15 and 10 meters at about 26 feet.
- HF2V: a taller two-band vertical for 80 and 40 meters, about 32 feet.
- Add-on kits: resonators that add 17 and 12 meters or 6 meters to the HF6V, the TBR-160X kit for 160 meters, a top-loading kit and a radial kit.
DX Engineering rates the HF9V, HF6V and HF2V at 1,500 watts PEP and CW, with a lower rating of 375 watts for digital modes.
See also
- Vertical antenna
- Loading coil
- Trap dipole
- Radials and counterpoises
- Hustler Antenna
- Amateur radio manufacturers