Hustler 4-BTV
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| Frequency | 7-28 MHz (40/20/15/10m) |
| Bands | 40m, 20m, 15m, 10m |
| Type | trapped vertical |
| Gain | -1 dBi (-1 dBi average across bands) |
| Polarization | vertical |
| Modes | SSB, CW, AM, FM, digital |
| Length | 653 cm |
| Weight | 6.8 kg (15 lb) |
| Connector | SO-239 |
| Mount | ground mount with radials |
| feedpoint | SO-239 |
A classic four-band trapped vertical: four bands from a self-supporting 21-foot antenna at 1500W SSB / 1000W CW. It uses heavy-duty 1.25-inch non-tapered aluminum tubing (more rigid than tapered designs), with stainless steel clamps that adjust without damaging the aluminum, and factory-tuned, sealed traps. It gives full band coverage on all four bands and is upgradable to 75/80m with the RM-80S resonator and spider assembly, a proven design with decades of field use.
It needs a proper radial system (two radials per band minimum, more is better); without radials, efficiency drops sharply. 21 feet is substantial. A trapped vertical is inherently a compromise. Ground-mounted performance depends entirely on ground quality and radials. Do not use an antenna tuner; tune at the antenna.
A long-running HF trapped vertical. The 4-BTV performs if you build a proper radial field; most disappointing results come from inadequate radials, not the antenna. It has stayed in production for decades.
The Hustler 4BTV is one of the most enduring trap vertical antennas in amateur radio — a self-supporting ground-mounted vertical that covers the 40, 20, 15, and 10-meter bands (and can be extended to 80/75 meters with an add-on kit). At about 21.5 feet it is a single aluminum tube broken up by sealed, factory-tuned traps that electrically isolate sections to give each band its own resonant length, so one feed line serves all four bands.
It handles the full legal power limit and presents a clean match near 52 ohms when properly installed. The one requirement to take seriously: like any quarter-wave vertical, it works against the ground and really wants a good radial field — the more radials you lay down, the better its efficiency and low-angle DX performance. It is a proven, affordable, omnidirectional all-around HF antenna that has been a first 'real' antenna for generations of hams.
It is a current product and a longtime standard. For a no-radial alternative, the GAP Titan DX covers more bands without a ground system, and the Cushcraft R7 is another radial-free vertical.