Radioditty HF-009 any good?

[TNFrank]

Are these antennas any good for general HF use?

[WRYS709]

7 hours ago, TNFrank said:

Are these antennas any good for general HF use?

Currently a "bundle" is on sale at Radioddity for $159 with everything you need to get on the air:

https://www.radioddity.com/products/radioddity-hf-009?srsltid=AfmBOoqMMP1c2amRuw9WVYaQSz8HriH4OnTwbLxaSJgwRPHhucBftGeM

Here it is being used with its spike in the ground:

And here it is with the Base and Triple Mag-Mount from my Radioddity HF-008 used to elevate it on the roof of my stationary SUV:

 

Blue was when using the Spike and Red was elevated on the triple mag-mount last Sunday and Tuesday, respectively, on 20 meters QRP SSB and FT8 (as it got dark I added one SSB on 40 meters):

It has a weather protected coil mechanism with gradation markings that can be used to remember where the coil should be approximately set for each band.

[SteveShannon]

10 hours ago, TNFrank said:

Are these antennas any good for general HF use?

Some things to consider:

1. It’s high Q, meaning it tunes (by sliding the adjustment on the coil) to a very narrow portion of the band you’re working.  All coil loaded antennas are high Q.
2. Because it’s high Q having the ability to sweep the SWR, which a G90 or IC-705 can do internally or an antenna analyzer can do separately, becomes more important.  Otherwise you’ll need to play around a little to get it tuned before you start transmitting. Once you find where the adjustment is best for the favorite frequencies you want to work, mark it somehow so you can return to that spot more quickly.
3. The kit makes it very convenient for portable use.  It’s a nice antenna for a go-bag.  It’ll never replace a good low Q beam or wire antenna for permanent use.

I would look at this video by K9VBR first and then the second video:

 

[SteveShannon]

6 hours ago, WRYS709 said:

Currently a "bundle" is on sale at Radioddity for $159 with everything you need to get on the air:

https://www.radioddity.com/products/radioddity-hf-009?srsltid=AfmBOoqMMP1c2amRuw9WVYaQSz8HriH4OnTwbLxaSJgwRPHhucBftGeM

Here it is being used with its spike in the ground:

And here it is with the Base and Triple Mag-Mount from my Radioddity HF-008 used to elevate it on the roof of my stationary SUV:

 

Blue was when using the Spike and Red was elevated on the triple mag-mount last Sunday and Tuesday, respectively, on 20 meters QRP SSB and FT8 (as it got dark I added one SSB on 40 meters):

It has a weather protected coil mechanism with gradation markings that can be used to remember where the coil should be approximately set for each band.

@WRYS709, what’s your ham call sign?  I’ll add you to my grid tracker alerts for ft8.

Thanks!

[WRYZ926]

Steve is spot on. Anytime you use a coil, the antenna will be narrow banded. Same goes for multi band antennas that use traps (inclosed non adjustable coils). These type of antennas with adjustable coils will be more narrow banded as the frequencies get lower. IE they will be more narrow on 20m - 40m compare to 10m - 12m.

Now for radials. The HF-009 only comes with 3 radials and the base only has 3 holes for the 3mm banana plugs. The more ground radials you have the more efficient, and easier to tune, the antenna will be, My suggestion would be to get some 3mm banana plugs  and some 18 gauge silicon wire to make Y splitters. That way you can add more ground radials. I did the same for my REZ Recon antenna and it does improve the performance of the antenna.

Radial length doesn't really matter when it comes to ground radials. If you decide to elevate the antenna and radials then you will have to cut/tune the radials for the bands you are using.

I will echo what Steve said about needing an antenna analyzer, NanaVNA, or a radio with a good SWR sweep function when using a telescoping whip antenna. You can't go strictly by measurements of the whip as it will change depending on location and soil conditions. This is a must when using these antennas.

The Radioddity HF-009 does seem to be a poplar portable antenna that works well. I would not hesitate to get one if I did not already have the REZ antenna system.

[WRYS709]

18 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

Steve is spot on. Anytime you use a coil, the antenna will be narrow banded. Same goes for multi band antennas that use traps (inclosed non adjustable coils). These type of antennas with adjustable coils will be more narrow banded as the frequencies get lower. IE they will be more narrow on 20m - 40m compare to 10m - 12m.

You say "narrow banded" as if there is something wrong with that?!? 

18 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

Now for radials. The HF-009 only comes with 3 radials and the base only has 3 holes for the 3mm banana plugs. The more ground radials you have the more efficient, and easier to tune, the antenna will be, My suggestion would be to get some 3mm banana plugs  and some 18 gauge silicon wire to make Y splitters. That way you can add more ground radials. I did the same for my REZ Recon antenna and it does improve the performance of the antenna.

You are spot on here: HOA Ham has a good YT video going into more detail about what to buy to make these improvements and my order from Amazon with his suggested items is due to arrive this upcoming week:

I plan to add a 3mm Banana Plug to 4mm Banana Jack adapter or just use that huge clip to handle all my different antennas.

18 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

I will echo what Steve said about needing an antenna analyzer, NanaVNA, or a radio with a good SWR sweep function when using a telescoping whip antenna. You can't go strictly by measurements of the whip as it will change depending on location and soil conditions. This is a must when using these antennas.

The Radioddity HF-009 does seem to be a poplar portable antenna that works well. I would not hesitate to get one if I did not already have the REZ antenna system.

Although I did buy a nanoVNA and I keep it in my Radioddity HF-009 bag, I find that my instincts are good enough to work around having to use it, if I want to save time, since I always have an antenna tuner with me (either my CCT: the Antuner AT-100M Pro; or the one built in to my Xiegu XPA125B amplifier, which I often use QRP just as a tuner).

It's real simple: I tune my Xiegu G106 to the FT8 frequency on the band I want to transmit, turn up the volume, and slide the tuning coil's adjustment knob up and down until I arrive at the loudest sequels of delight from the FT8'ers!  I am then close enough to use my Antenna tuner to compensate for the rest!

At some point when the excitement of using new toys has diminished a bit, I will whip out the nanoVNA and use a Sharpie to make marks (and note in my log) the two portions of each band that I want to tune to: FT8/FT4 and SSB.

Today I did another park Activation on 20 meters, since the HF-009's coil was already tuned for 20 meters and again put it on top on the HF-008's PL259 base to 3/8x24 so that the HF-009 was elevated to the roof my my SUV with the HF-008's triple mag-mount:

I straddled 4pm again so that I Activated this Park on two separate days with both FT8 and SSB QRP; and when I wanted to experiment on 40/80 meters as the sun was going down, the Park Rangers threw us out as it was closing time!

So I found another POTA park 15 miles away, had some dinner and drove over, as that park's closing time was 9pm!

I took down the HF-009 and installed my MFJ-1880 80 meter telescoping HT-style whip (originally sold as an adjunct to the wonderful Yaesu FT-817 Shack in a Box QRP battery powered rig; and HRO had one on sale that I could not resist)!

Again I instinctively got it down to 1.5:1 SWR by dropping the lowest most section and a bit of the next one and the tuner got it to 1.3:1.  

Sure enough the Rangers threw us out at 9:10pm and I had just hit my 11th FT8; one more than needed to Activate this Park!

I did try earlier to use my Xiegu XPA125B as an amplifier with my Xiegu G106 and I got a call back that my audio was crap due to RF bleeding into the transmission somehow, a la @Northcutt114's problems with his G90!  I managed to find myself on the Northern Utah WebSDR and I could hear the problem.  So today was again, all QRP.

Strange as this Amp does not bleed into my other non-Xiegu QRP radio and they work fine together.  Some research is due here, or I just will bring both rigs in the future to mix QRP with QRO work!

FUN WITH QRP - FT8 and SSB from two separate Park Activations:

[WRYS709]

This guy, Ham Radio HQ, at 12:49 into his YT video finds a relatively flat SWR across your portion of the 10 meter band. Consistent with the advice above on the higher bands  

i don’t know why this is pasting upside down!

[WRYS709]

Here KB9VBR discusses the advantages of elevating the Radioddity HF-009:

 

[TNFrank]

My EFHW is tuned to 10M and the Inverted V works well enough it just takes a bit to set up the tripod and antenna. The HF-009 looks like it'd set up easily if I just wanted to make a few quick QSO's or use it effort POTA.  

[WRYZ926]

3 hours ago, WRYS709 said:

Here KB9VBR discusses the advantages of elevating the Radioddity HF-009:

Yes elevating a 1/4 wave antenna has its advantages and it will work better. The down side is that you absolutely need to tune not only the whip but you also need to tune the elevated radials also.

 

4 minutes ago, TNFrank said:

The HF-009 looks like it'd set up easily if I just wanted to make a few quick QSO's or use it effort POTA.  

Yes that is one advantage to using a 1/4 wave telescoping whip antenna, They are generally quicker to setup. I find that a bunch of shorter ground radials work better than 3-4 long radials. Plus the shorter ones are easier to deploy and pack away when done. 

[WRYS709]

32 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

Yes elevating a 1/4 wave antenna has its advantages and it will work better. The down side is that you absolutely need to tune not only the whip but you also need to tune the elevated radials also.

That’s another advantage of using the 3/8x24 to PL259 base from the HF-008 to their Triple Mag-Mount on my roof: no radials

[WRYZ926]

8 minutes ago, WRYS709 said:

That’s another advantage of using the 3/8x24 to PL259 base from the HF-008 to their Triple Mag-Mount on my roof: no radials

The reason you don't need to use radials is the fact that your vehicle's roof is acting as the ground plane/ A SUV or van roof will work much better than a single cab truck roof.

If setting up an elevated 1/4 wave vertical as described in the KB9VBR video you linked above, then one absolutely needs to tune the elevated radials.

[WRYS709]

2 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

If setting up an elevated 1/4 wave vertical as described in the KB9VBR video you linked above, then one absolutely needs to tune the elevated radials.

KB9VBR is discovering the benefits of using the HF-009 freed from its Spike Mount. 

But he doesn’t realize the abilities to use it mated to a Pl259 to 3/8x24 base and mounting it on a triple mag-mount instead. 

Especially once he realizes the financial benefits of buying those parts as part of a Radioddity HF-008 Bundle and getting 80 meters thrown in as part of the deal!

This 008 Bundle, when offered, is only $99. Amazon sells the Gabil 3/8-24 to UHF PL-259 Antenna Adapter - AD-35 for $26 and the Heavy Duty SO239 Magnetic Antenna Mount Base with Triple Magnets for $39  

Its like getting the Radioddity HF-008 3.5-50 MHz antenna for only $35 more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[WRYZ926]

Yes using an elevated 1/3 wave is the new hotness in the last year. The first guy to do it sells his own elevated 1/4 wave antenna called the POTA Performer. The only downside to using an elevate 1/4 wave antenna is the fact that you do have to tune the radials too. And they are directional if you only use two radials.

Using a 1/4 wave antenna on a large roof such as a SUV or van is like using window screen or faraday cloth sheets as the ground radials. They will work better than using just a few ground radial wires. Using more ground radials will also help with a ground mounted 1/4 wave antenna. 24 radials works well for me.

It was hard to pass up the Radioddity HF-008 bundle for $99. I bought one too. The downsides to the triple magnet mount is the rubber covers are paper thin and there is no easy way to change out the SO239 connector. But it was hard to pass up for the price. The antenna works well once it is tuned for the portion of each band you want to use. But it is extremely narrow banded on the lower HF bands. Thats the nature of the beast with these types of antennas. 

I bought the HF-008 to use on my 201 F-150 but I am getting way too much electrical noise from the injectors to use a HF radio on any band while the engine is running. I've talked to mechanics and other amateur radio operators and there is not much I can do other than turn the engine off when I want to use the HF bands.

I'm glad that I could point you in the right direction to find the PL-259 to 3/8" adapter and that it is working well for you. It is always good to have options. I plan on getting a SO-239 to NMO adapter for my mag mount. If you haven't noticed, you can take the very bottom portion of the HF-008 antenna off and use it with standard 3/8" female mounts.

 

[WRYZ926]

A few notes on 1/4 wave vertical telescoping whip antennas that use a coil for the different bands.

• An antenna with a 17 foot telescoping whip does not need a coil for the 20m band and higher. A coil is only needed for 30 meters and lower.
• If the antenna has a center loading coil then it must be used even for the higher HF bands.
• A 1/4 wave antenna with the coil in the middle, like the HF-009, will be more efficient that a base loading coil.
• An elevated 1/4 wave antenna with elevated radials must have the whip and radials tuned for each band.
• It is way easier to adjust/tune a telescoping 1/4 wave with an antenna analyzer, NanoVNA, or a radio with a good SWR sweep function. Having one of these will save time and headaches.
• This type of antenna is fast and generally easy to set up for portable use but are not the greatest for permanent installations since you have to adjust them for each band.

The Radioddity HF-009 is well built and gets good reviews. You won't go wrong with getting one, especially when there is a bundle special.

If you want to step up for a better quality antenna then look into the REZ antennas brand. They have the Ranger 80, Recon 40 and Scout. The Ranger covers 6-18 meters, the Recon covers 6-40 meters, and the Scout covers 6-20 meters. You can mix and match the coils/bases along with either their ground spike or small tripod. REZ also makes a delta loop kit that works well with the Scout base. The Scout can also be using as a dipole with two telescoping white or wires. 

The REZ system will get expensive if you buy everything. I bought the Recon 40 and Scout a part at a time so that I didn't put a big dent in the wallet. I would have considered the Radioddity HF-009 if it was available at the time I bought the REZ antenna.

[WRYS709]

48 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

It was hard to pass up the Radioddity HF-008 bundle for $99. I bought one too. The downsides to the triple magnet mount is the rubber covers are paper thin and there is no easy way to change out the SO239 connector. But it was hard to pass up for the price. The antenna works well once it is tuned for the portion of each band you want to use. But it is extremely narrow banded on the lower HF bands. Thats the nature of the beast with these types of antennas. 

I “Gorilla Glued” my rubber cups to the magnets and now they aren’t going anywhere!

I prefer the SO239 on the triple mag-mount: So far I have a collection of monobander HT-style telescoping whips for: 80, 40, 20, 10 and 2 meters and just purchased one for 6 meter, and  is due to arrive from Thailand in a few weeks!

I easily add a PL259 adapter to their BNC connector. 

[WRYS709]

Tough spot for a Late Shift POTA Activation tonight on 20, 40 and 80 meters.

I used the Radioddity HF-008 on 80 meters and was able to quickly switch from my 20 meter and to my 40 meter telescoping monobander whips from Thailand.

The Thai-Whips tune easily once you know how long to extend them for the SSB and FT8 portions of their respective bands, and they like the Triple Mag-Mount as a ground plane!

Both 80 and 40 went dead about 23:00pm PST. 

[TNFrank]

Got the HF-009 on order, should be here Friday so I'll give it a try over the weekend.

[WRYS709]

1 hour ago, TNFrank said:

Got the HF-009 on order, should be here Friday so I'll give it a try over the weekend.

You’re lucky: They must have one in their warehouse in Las Vegas. 

Mine was shipped from Hong Kong, and they delayed shipping during the Holidays!

I did get the HF-008 quickly from Las Vegas.

[WRYS709]

Remember: you will need this 3/8x24 stud: 

https://a.co/d/bJX0RQI

if you want to swap out the Spike for another mount

 

They are cheaper at your local hardware store. 

If the substituted base has an Allen Screw, do not over-tighten as that may damage the threads. 

[TNFrank]

1 hour ago, WRYS709 said:

You’re lucky: They must have one in their warehouse in Las Vegas. 

Mine was shipped from Hong Kong, and they delayed shipping during the Holidays!

I did get the HF-008 quickly from Las Vegas.

I got mine from Amazon using credit I got from a return. They have a discount code of 10% off of the $199.99 so it's closer to $180 instead of $200. I think the extra money is worth it to get it sooner AND have a good 30 day return policy.

[WRYS709]

4 hours ago, TNFrank said:

I got mine from Amazon using credit I got from a return. They have a discount code of 10% off of the $199.99 so it's closer to $180 instead of $200. I think the extra money is worth it to get it sooner AND have a good 30 day return policy.

That is a good choice and "insurance" for your ability to return it.

Keep an eye on Radioddity's Bundle offerings for the HF-008 and as I pointed out earlier, if they offer it with the Triple Mag-Mount again for $99, you should snatch it up: it will give you a PL259 to 3/8x24 base for use on the HF-009 (worth $26 if you buy one on Amazon) and the Triple Mag-Mount (which is worth $39 on Amazon) in effect giving you the antenna for only $35!  

The HF-008 will give you 80 meters, which is how I am prioritizing it now; which is a good nighttime band when you become a General.

I will also experiment with using the 3/8x 24 stud with the HF-009's telescoping whip for use with the HF-008's coil; which is an easier and quicker way to retune the HF-008 to another band when operating POTA.

[TNFrank]

Got the antenna, set it up and tuned the SWR and made zero contacts. I could hear some people but couldn't hear others that I know my inverted V or EFHW would easily pick up. Maybe there's just too much noise or something in a suburban area for this antenna to work well. I need to try it out and away from all these houses to see if it'll work better.

On a side note it is easy to set up and I was able to tune it just find using my SWR/Power meter. Guess I need to do more testing with it.

[WRYS709]

3 hours ago, TNFrank said:

Got the antenna, set it up and tuned the SWR and made zero contacts...

WoW: That's discouraging!  

Now at my QTH, which historically is a horrible QRMary location, it took my 80-6 meter vertical mounted on top of my second story roof and an antenna tuner to get "good" QSOs on a day to day basis again.  

And I know that my HF-008 mounted on its mag-mount on a cookie sheet at ground level has virtually zero ability to receive and transmit at this location; including FT8!  I haven't tried my HF-009 at ground level even with radials, as I expect the worst!

Since my rooftop antennas are down, for the new roof/solar project, I have ordered a couple of adapter parts to be able to mount my HF-008 and HF-009 on my legacy portable antenna tripod, 

to see if I can do any reasonable amount of Ham activity, until the antennas are remounted on the roof.

If not, I will be limited to POTA work during this period of time.

On 1/24/2026 at 5:15 AM, WRYZ926 said:

Anytime you use a coil, the antenna will be narrow banded. Same goes for multi band antennas that use traps (inclosed non adjustable coils). These type of antennas with adjustable coils will be more narrow banded as the frequencies get lower. IE they will be more narrow on 20m - 40m compare to 10m - 12m.

On a slightly related note, I ordered this $17 Capacity Hat from Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FFZ39F82?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title ) arriving Monday, to see if it allows the HF-008 and HF-009 a slightly wider "notch" of tunability on the 20 - 40 meter bands (and 80m on the HF-008)!

[WRYZ926]

Let us know how those amazon capacitance hats work.

[WRYS709]

Late Shift Activation under the Full Moon here using the Radioddity HF-008 for 80 meters FT8 & SSB and about to switch over to the Thai-Whip for 40 Meters for more FT8. 40 was dead to SSB!