Thanks for the video. I am looking at buying my first antenna. The DX Commander Signature 9 had my attention but I believe I would be better satisfied with this one since no ground radials required and it covers all bands from 6m to 80m. Kenny AI5VB
Got a factory 2nd for £70 uk. Any end fed wire will beat it by a mile, the 1to6 unun is so losey .You can add a 1to4 balun and turn it into a RYBAKOV, big improvement.Thanks for the review Rob G4WGR
Hi - This is Rich, W2FKN and I just installed the exact antenna you have described so very well. Since I'm in an HOA community I cannot mount the antenna on my home. It is attached to a very secure pipe arrangement in a landscape area behind my home anchored in an 80 lb concrete block underground. It is mounted only 8 feet above the ground and very well guyed. Connot be seen from the front of my home. Works well even though it is only 2 feet from the back of the house. Great SWR on my FTDX5000 MP Limited - essentially 1 to 1.2 or less throughout all bands. They have no problem with it - Gets out damn well - 73.
Hi Rich, thanks for the message I missed this last week - glad to hear its working. I've been happy so far to had a lot of fun on one of my first bands as a Tech 10m a lot fun just on a freq and started calling CQ - oh my friend have fun and let me know if there's anything you need from me 73 and hope to catch you on the air!
Looks like we have a lot in common. I have had the CHA-250HD installed for over 2 months and am using the FT-991A, too. The antenna is mounted to a steel pole only 6' above ground. I've been very pleased with the antenna's performance, as well. Much better than I expected. 6m -1.3 SWR / 17.7 dB loss 10m -1.07 SWR / 30.0 dB loss 12m -1.01 SWR / 43.0 dB loss 15m -1.05 SWR / 32.0 dB loss 17m -1.13 SWR / 24.0 dB loss 20m - 1.37 SWR / 16.1 dB loss 40m - 1.64 SWR / 12.0 dB loss 80m - 1.8 SWR / 10.9 dB loss KE8VEG, 73s
Good evening and thanks for the message and test results yeah for me its all new this is my first experience in the 15 through 80m I've always done 10 and 6m - Yeah I've had good RST on 80 through 17m there's a net on 3916 at 7:30 PM CST I was able to talk to folks all over Texas - okay thanks so much for the message I am very happy with the results, if you want email me shope02@yahoo.com I'll send you the data sheets with the take angles and dB loss at 10ft and 35ft for all bands I don't fully understand but I'm happy with the performance. 73 and hope to make a contact on the air !
This is "NOT" an end fed antenna, it is basically an off center fed antenna that uses the coax outer shied and the metal mounting pole as the other half of the antenna. Nice they specify mounting at 30' and that is so the counterpoise (metal pole) is at least 30' long. The antenna is very lossy, especially on the lower bands, and the matching transformer cause most of this loss and is why they put a heat sink on it. It wastes power in the form of heat! That, and it's short length, especially for the low bands is what causes the high loss. The 16db loss on 80 meters only allows about 10 microwatts of a 100 watt signal to be radiated. You can make contacts with it, but just think how many more contacts you cold make with a much more efficient antenna. Wire is cheap compared to this antenna and can be made into antennas that are much more efficient!
Had the original CHA-250b. Good antenna until I moved to West Texas where the wind bent it up pretty bad. I DO wish they would make one that can handle more power... Maybe handle 600-1000 watts. Might look for a CHA-250HD at the Belton Hamfest in a couple of days. 73! W5ODP
Good evening Dave, thanks for the message, yeah so far I've been lucky with the wind - yeah higher power would be nice - ok have a safe trip if you go to Belton, let me know if you need anything from me - 73 and have a great weekend!
It's not "7" meters, it is 7mhz or "40" meters! And the swr tells us nothing about efficiency, it only tells how well matched the antenna is to the transmitter. A dummy load has a good swr on all bands but is a very poor radiator!
Thanks for the video. I am looking at buying my first antenna. The DX Commander Signature 9 had my attention but I believe I would be better satisfied with this one since no ground radials required and it covers all bands from 6m to 80m. Kenny AI5VB
Thanks for the message - the antenna works for me and hope it will for you - I make CW all the time on 40 and 20m usually 5 to 25 watts - 73 and GL..
Got a factory 2nd for £70 uk. Any end fed wire will beat it by a mile, the 1to6 unun is so losey .You can add a 1to4 balun and turn it into a RYBAKOV, big improvement.Thanks for the review Rob G4WGR
Hi - This is Rich, W2FKN and I just installed the exact antenna you have described so very well. Since I'm in an HOA community
I cannot mount the antenna on my home. It is attached to a very secure pipe arrangement in a landscape area behind my home
anchored in an 80 lb concrete block underground. It is mounted only 8 feet above the ground and very well guyed. Connot be seen from the front of my home. Works well even though it is only 2 feet from the back of the house. Great SWR on my FTDX5000 MP Limited - essentially 1 to 1.2 or less throughout all bands. They have no problem with it - Gets out damn well - 73.
Hi Rich, thanks for the message I missed this last week - glad to hear its working. I've been happy so far to had a lot of fun on one of my first bands as a Tech 10m a lot fun just on a freq and started calling CQ - oh my friend have fun and let me know if there's anything you need from me 73 and hope to catch you on the air!
great and usefull data. Nicely done. I picked one of these up 2nd hard - looking forward to setting this us!!!
Looks like we have a lot in common. I have had the CHA-250HD installed for over 2 months and am using the FT-991A, too. The antenna is mounted to a steel pole only 6' above ground. I've been very pleased with the antenna's performance, as well.
Much better than I expected.
6m -1.3 SWR / 17.7 dB loss
10m -1.07 SWR / 30.0 dB loss
12m -1.01 SWR / 43.0 dB loss
15m -1.05 SWR / 32.0 dB loss
17m -1.13 SWR / 24.0 dB loss
20m - 1.37 SWR / 16.1 dB loss
40m - 1.64 SWR / 12.0 dB loss
80m - 1.8 SWR / 10.9 dB loss
KE8VEG, 73s
Good evening and thanks for the message and test results yeah for me its all new this is my first experience in the 15 through 80m I've always done 10 and 6m - Yeah I've had good RST on 80 through 17m there's a net on 3916 at 7:30 PM CST I was able to talk to folks all over Texas - okay thanks so much for the message I am very happy with the results, if you want email me shope02@yahoo.com I'll send you the data sheets with the take angles and dB loss at 10ft and 35ft for all bands I don't fully understand but I'm happy with the performance. 73 and hope to make a contact on the air !
Looks like a well made antenna that should perform well. The only challenge some might experience is installing it at such height.
Wow -looks like you can use it on every band including 5 MHz!
This is "NOT" an end fed antenna, it is basically an off center fed antenna that uses the coax outer shied and the metal mounting pole as the other half of the antenna. Nice they specify mounting at 30' and that is so the counterpoise (metal pole) is at least 30' long. The antenna is very lossy, especially on the lower bands, and the matching transformer cause most of this loss and is why they put a heat sink on it. It wastes power in the form of heat! That, and it's short length, especially for the low bands is what causes the high loss. The 16db loss on 80 meters only allows about 10 microwatts of a 100 watt signal to be radiated. You can make contacts with it, but just think how many more contacts you cold make with a much more efficient antenna. Wire is cheap compared to this antenna and can be made into antennas that are much more efficient!
Had the original CHA-250b. Good antenna until I moved to West Texas where the wind bent it up pretty bad. I DO wish they would make one that can handle more power... Maybe handle 600-1000 watts. Might look for a CHA-250HD at the Belton Hamfest in a couple of days. 73! W5ODP
Good evening Dave, thanks for the message, yeah so far I've been lucky with the wind - yeah higher power would be nice - ok have a safe trip if you go to Belton, let me know if you need anything from me - 73 and have a great weekend!
It's not "7" meters, it is 7mhz or "40" meters! And the swr tells us nothing about efficiency, it only tells how well matched the antenna is to the transmitter. A dummy load has a good swr on all bands but is a very poor radiator!
I have one up 40 ft and it doesn’t work it is death my a 99 works better
Can this be used on GMRS?
What is the SWR readings at 462.000 - 468.000?
No. GMRS would be just above the 70cm ham band. This antenna only works 80m-6m