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write your own review of the DIAMOND X-50 2m/440 ANTENNA.
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KD8GGY
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Rating: 1/5
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Mar 24, 2008 14:46
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Not Impressed
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I bought this becuse of the good reviews, anyone want it? i paid 99.00 for it not sure if AES will take a trade in on a used antenna, i only have had it up for a few days and i am not inpressed, it works thats about all i can say good about it. I lost my MFJ 1740 MFJ 2M 1/4 WV GROUND PLANE ANT (29.99)to a Ice Storm last week so I thought I was putting a better antenna up. I put the X50 about 7 feet higher then the MFJ 30.00 cheepy I had Up. The MFJ out performed this Dimond by far, I can not hit the repeters i use to be able to hit with the MFJ. The only plus with this antenna is I can run 440 off of it when i get a 440 rig. I take is as a lession learned sometimes the more $$$$ ones are not better. KD8GGY
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PD0STP
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 19, 2008 05:46
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perfect
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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little strong antenna!
for his size good db,s im living on the west coast of the netherlands! lots of wind! som antennas did not survive! ques what: the x50 is still working perfect!low price/short antenna/lots of db for his size! greetings pd0stp
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KB3ONA
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 19, 2008 20:25
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Outstanding Antenna
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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The X-50 was part of my first amateur radio gear purchase. Being a new ham, I was not entirely sure which antenna I wanted to erect, but I believed I wanted something tall since VHF is line of sight - the higher the better. The fellows at HRO in Deleware were very helpful in explaining my options and recommended the X-50 if I wanted to go with a commercial antenna. I'm glad they recommended it because I've been very pleased with the X-50's performance. I mounted the X-50 on a 20' mast above my chimney, and I was able to reach repeaters over 100 miles away. I've since moved to a new location with a HOA, and now the X-50 is only about 15' in the air, but to my surprise it still works about as well as it did at my old QTH. The X-50 is an outstanding antenna for the price. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase one again.
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G0SLQ
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 11, 2007 10:47
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A REAL Diamond!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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This was my first amateur antenna for VHF/UHF in the early 90s. It remained outside for many years on a hilltop location at 30ft - eventually brought in and now does its stuff indoors! - yes indoor it is still a great antenna for general listening.
Pre tuned, feed it with GOOD cable, erect, forget.
£for £ possibly my best ever purchase.
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IZ2EAS
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 23, 2007 02:22
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Satisfied !
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I am very satisfied of this dual-band antenna. I bought it in 2001, and I installed it in my parents’ house, in southern Italy, in a small village on a hill at 800 metres ASL. It has been exposed to a lot of solar radiation during the summer, and wind, rain and (sometimes) snow during the winter. So far it has been working flawlessly; SWR is still non-existing as it was the first day I installed it, and I keep receiving very good signal reports. IMHO, being made in a single, solid piece is strong point of this antenna: there are no joints that can go wrong with time. Moreover it uses a N-type connector, that is waterproof and usually very reliable. It really is a “set-and-forget” antenna. I would buy it again, definitely.
73, Michele IZ2EAS
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K7ICU
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 6, 2007 17:04
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Impressed!
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I have a Diamond X50NA in repeater service a few hundred feet above average local elevation. The VSWR is excellent as is the "real world" performance. It's very small, lightweight and reasonably durable. The cost is negligible compared to just about any commercial antenna (which it is NOT).
I've had the X50NA in service for about 6 months with no problems. If it keeps on working anywhere near as long as most other reviewers report, it'll have been money well spent and then some.
Those complaining about disappointing gain may not realize the 4.5/7.2 dB ratings from Diamond are in dBi, not dBd.
If reliability and performance are important to you, choose the X50NA (N connector) over the X50A (UHF connector).
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S56OA
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 25, 2006 14:02
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Great dualband antenna
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Diamond X-50 is great base antenna. Used it for more than 8 years and it still like new. Very well built, reliable and good value for the money.
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K7JGB
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 12, 2006 17:34
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A-MTN Repeater Antenna
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I owned my first X-50 in 2003. I used it for my base station radio and worked very well with mountains near the house. The signal was able to go over the mountains 1,500 feet above the antenna. A month ago, another one was purchased and put atop A-MTN in Tempe, AZ. It worked better than a previous high gain Diamond Antenna. The range is double as well as the signal strength. Best $100.00 bucks spent!
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N3ATS
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Rating: 4/5
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Jul 3, 2006 15:47
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Excellent, except...
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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...it fell apart on me! I have had the X50 up for around 6 months. It is mounted using the supplied hardware on a 8' galvanized pipe mounted to the chimney.
I was cooking out on the grill this evening and looked down on the ground below my deck. Imagine my surprise when I saw my X-50A on the ground!
I went down to get it and examine it closer. Apparently the bolt that holds the mounting sleeve to the body of the antenna fell out. The antenna must have been whipping around in the wind for a while and eventually tore the connector off.
The GP radials are bent, and the screw is gone, BUT the antenna itself is not damaged at all. As soon as I am done typing this, I plan on finding the screw (I hope), straightening the GP radials, and re-assembling the antenna and putting it back in service.
I am not sure what may have caused this (yes, I put it together properly), but I hope it doesn't do it again!
Now, this antenna radiates very effectively. I can hit repeaters 75 miles away. It looks good, it's got a clean design, and it will withstand a 35' fall (hi hi).
You really can't go wrong. That's why I am gonna put her back together and back in the air!
Overall, it's a great antenna.
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KD6ANF
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 22, 2006 19:07
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Takes a licking, and...
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Purchased three of these antennas since first introduced. They perform very well and are of good construction. The currently installed X-50 received a direct contact with lightening early 2005. It sounded like a large caliber canon was fired in the radio room, luckily the antenna still works and without any changes in VSWR, even though my left ear had a distinctive ring for the next five weeks. If your in need of an inexpensive 146/446 compact antenna, this is worth considering. The bottom of the antenna uses a section of aluminum tubing for mounting with the included mast clamp hardware. However, as it turns out, the inside diameter of the aluminum tubing is a good fit for mounting over the tapered section of the antenna mast available at Radio Shack, both five and ten foot sections. When mounted in this way, the coax cable is protected from weather because it is inside the mast and completely hidden from view.
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