Mosley Mini-33-WARC vs. Cushcraft MA5B - Any opinions from the experienced?

[KA7NIQ]

Well....  It is what it is... Works better than my fan dipole and my end fed, I guess those were/are worse dummy loads.  Maybe next year I will upgrade again to something else that finally wont be a dummy load..

Did you see that N6BT Q 52 antenna Mike ?
Tom Schiller, who was the designer behind all the Force 12 Antennas formed a new company, and is selling that small antenna.
I have a friend who is space challenged, and we were looking at that antenna, but the guy never answered any emails.
He finally put up a used Cush Craft R 5 vertical he bought for 100.00 at a local Ham Fest.

He is "tickled pink" with the Cush Craft R 5 Vertical, and talks all over on it.

[KD2CJJ]

Yes - and he didnt answer my emails either.  Customer service or as you guys say "nice guy" syndrome is in my mind 25 -50% of the factor of buying from someone.

I have tried verticals at my QTH and the noise level just makes verticals unusable... Im just too close to the darn high power lines (15 meters for me actually completely useless right due to electrical power noise pulses - even with a dipole)...  Dipoles work far better for me due to this fact.

Honestly the MQ26 is not all that bad...

In the two weeks I have had the antenna countries/continents that I have hit with no issue on 20m :

Australia (my furthest contact so far)* - SSB
Austria - SSB
Finland* - SSB
Siberia* - SSB
Italy - SSB, Digital
Peru - Digital
Spain - SSB
France - SSB, Digital
Nigeria* - SSB
Cuba - Digial
Canada (Western Province)* - SSB
Puerto Rico - SSB
Everywhere in the US including Washington State - SSB

I know that with the right band conditions in a good sun cycle a light bulb could hit these countries but honestly that was in the last Sun cycle and this sun cycle you could NEVER hit these countries with a dummy load.  Could I have hit them with my fan dipole?    The ones with the * are new for me since the new antenna - I dont know.. Maybe, Probably, Maybe not...

With that said the antenna works though I do submit that its no 3 element beam or even a Hex Beam but I do believe it is slightly better than a dipole under most circumstances and maybe equal on many... But I surely dont believe that it is worse.. In other words it is NOT a dummy load (I have actually tried to just tune my feed-line since this discussion as you guys have successfully put doubt in my head as to the decision and I heard NOTHING JUST Electrical static !!!)... So I repeat it is NOT a dummy load and my feed line is NOT radiating!  I tested that theory too by disconnecting my RF ground!

You guys almost had me...!

Though I would love to upgrade already but not yet  )

Well....  It is what it is... Works better than my fan dipole and my end fed, I guess those were/are worse dummy loads.  Maybe next year I will upgrade again to something else that finally wont be a dummy load..

Did you see that N6BT Q 52 antenna Mike ?
Tom Schiller, who was the designer behind all the Force 12 Antennas formed a new company, and is selling that small antenna.
I have a friend who is space challenged, and we were looking at that antenna, but the guy never answered any emails.
He finally put up a used Cush Craft R 5 vertical he bought for 100.00 at a local Ham Fest.

He is "tickled pink" with the Cush Craft R 5 Vertical, and talks all over on it.

[M0TTB]

With that said the antenna works though I do submit that its no 3 element beam or even a Hex Beam but I do believe it is slightly better than a dipole under most circumstances and maybe equal on many.

Don't worry, it's an ok antenna.  Besides, on 10m and to a lesser extent 12m, it's very close to a hex beam. I came joint 2nd in CQ marathon ssb category in 2011 with 90% of the qso's on the little TGM. It will beat a Cobwebb most of the time above 17m,  I know, I had both up at the same time at the same height and A/B'ed.... a local to me has found the same, albeit he has the older TGM
Enjoy it!  

[KA7NIQ]

Speaking of feedline radiation, you DO have a choke on the TGM MQ 26, right ?
You know you can wind one out of coaxial cable, if you don't have one.
I bought an MFJ Current Sniffer, a cool little tool actually.
You can use it to make sure a vertical is seeing it's ground, or see if there is RF, on your feedline.

[KD2CJJ]

Of course... I always use a current balun on my feed line due to how close my antenna is to my shack. 

Speaking of feedline radiation, you DO have a choke on the TGM MQ 26, right ?
You know you can wind one out of coaxial cable, if you don't have one.
I bought an MFJ Current Sniffer, a cool little tool actually.
You can use it to make sure a vertical is seeing it's ground, or see if there is RF, on your feedline.

[K2GWK]

Give it a rest KA7NIQ. The guy is happy with his TGM antenna. Don't piss on him because you don't like the damn antenna. Grow up a bit huh!

[KA7NIQ]

Of course... I always use a current balun on my feed line due to how close my antenna is to my shack. 

Speaking of feedline radiation, you DO have a choke on the TGM MQ 26, right ?
You know you can wind one out of coaxial cable, if you don't have one.
I bought an MFJ Current Sniffer, a cool little tool actually.
You can use it to make sure a vertical is seeing it's ground, or see if there is RF, on your feedline.

I once had an old Hy Gain TH 3 Tribander, the Balun looked bad, so I just threw it away, and used the antenna w/o one.
Then, I told an old timer what I did, and he gave me a new balun he had lying around for a Hy Gain Beam, for free!
I was amazed at the difference in rejection I got, just by the addition of the balun.