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| Reviews Summary for Cushcraft A503S |
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Reviews: 19
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Average rating: 4.4/5
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MSRP: $99.95
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Description: Enjoy the new popularity and exciting
contacts on the 6 meter band with one of the S-series Cushcraft Yagis.
The A503S, A505S and A506S may be mounted vertically for FM use.
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Product is in production.
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More info: http://www.cushcraft.com
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write your own review of the Cushcraft A503S.
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KJ6QVB
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Rating: 4/5
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Jan 28, 2012 18:45
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Gets the job done 30' up
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Purchased used for $65 on ebay, I cleaned it up and replaced one missing element with an identical diameter aluminum pole. Put it on top of a 30' Army surplus tower with an old tv rotator. It seems to be working ok with my Heathkit SB-110A the SWR is 1.4 to 1 across the band but only 2 contacts so far because 6 meters isn't happening right now. Glad I didn't spend twice as much on a new one!
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N5XTR
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Rating: 4/5
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Jun 15, 2010 07:31
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A good antenna
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I bought this antenna to replace my vertical dipole at home for 6 meters. It is my favorite band and the June VHF QSO Party is my favorite contest. Bought the A503s from Universal Radio who had it $10 cheaper than anyone else and they actually had it in stock. I put it up on a 35' mast and a small TV rotator, CDR from the 70's. I had a great time testing this antenna against my vertical dipole and I ended up taking the vertical dipole out of service. Even though the receiving stations could still copy me just fine on the dipole, the Cushcraft delivered a much better signal. This is probably due to the gain of the yagi but still any improvement on 6 meters will pay off big time. I made over 700 contacts this year to over 200 grids from DM83 using this antenna. Many stations asked my power and number of elements, I had lots of reports of 20 over 9. I can only give this antenna a 4/5 because I know there are better antennas out there but I haven't tried them. Also I set the match in accordance to the manual but it was a little off but not bad, SWR got better when it was raining, HIHI.
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KZ3X
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Rating: 5/5
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May 2, 2010 04:34
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Sturdy and performs
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have had a A503S since the late 1980's and I have had absolutely no trouble with it. After following the directions for assembly, the antenna SWR was right on the button.
I achieved VUCC in the early 1990's using my FT-726R running 10 watts on 6 meters on CW and SSB just to see if I could do it. The tower was usually cranked up to only 30 feet at this time. The antenna was fed back then with 9913 coax and I am now using a combination of SMR 600 and 400 feedline. Anything I hear I can usually work running 100 watts. Of course it won't perform as good as a 30 foot boom 6 element model, but you can have a lot of fun with this antenna on the bands.
I live in a very high wind area that also gets its share of sleet and freezing rain and I can honestly say this antenna never let me down. The winter of 2010 was particularly bad with at least a half a dozen Nor'easters, some with gusts as high as 60 mph+ and it never missed a beat. Now, if the sun spot cycle would just get going.....
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N8LB
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Rating: 2/5
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Aug 21, 2009 19:02
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gamma match deteriorates
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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After several years my gamma match gave me problems. This is the third time I will be redoing it...may go to hairpan match.
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G0OTT
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 21, 2009 10:22
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Solid performance in 6' boom
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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Bought this second hand, as it was setup the performance was terrible, high swr poor f/b ratio ect.Downloaded the pdf manual and set about putting it right.All measurments now correct(It was miles off), still cant tune it.Had to rework the gamma match, once this was done I sealed the gamma with amalgamating tape.
This small aerial really works well with good f/b exellent side rejection and useful forward gain.
My first season on 6m and enjoying it very much, worked most of europe some africa and carribean so cant complain too much:P
Bottom line, If you want something small and effective give one a try.
Regards Darren
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WD4AFY
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 21, 2008 18:29
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Great inexpensive antenna for 6 meters
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have been using Cushcraft Antennas for many years. I worked all states on 6 meters with my original Cushcraft A50-3 that was around 20 years old. I sold my 6 meter equipment and A50-3 back in 1999 and temporarily got out of ham radio due to having to care for a gravely ill parent.
I became active in ham radio again in 2004 and purchased 6 meter radio equipment and a Cushcraft A50-3S. The A50-3S gives great performance for the money on 6 meters. It's a good antenna for beginners as well as those who wish to work the world. The new antenna comes with stainless hardware, is lightweight, and does not take up alot of space. The antenna is well made, very simple to assemble, and easy to adjust. There ar better 6 meter beam antennas available, but for its price range, I rate this antenna a 5.
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KA1JY
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Rating: 1/5
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Jul 19, 2008 04:49
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poor quality
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Fly weight hardware. 6-32 bolts and wimpy connection points. This one won't last long and is strictly a toy. If you need an ultra light weight antenna for a field day that you plan on tossing out when the day is over then this is the antenna for you. If you need something that is rugged and will stand up to ice and winds and stay on the tower for years steer clear of the A503. I put this one up just to check out 6 meters. It does work. Plan on tuning the gamma match the pre-measured adjustments are not close. Also plan on cutting the driven element U-bolt. It comes with in a 1/8 inch of the feed point. Probably why the gamma adjustment is so far off.
I broke the feed point bracket with a 3 inch 12 point box wrench. Pretty wimpy hardware. The shield side crimp on the bracket let go when I hand tightened the pl259 connector to it. Also the gramma match end clip does not clamp to the driven element because the both holes are not drilled correctly.
Again it is a ultra light weight flimsy antenna but it does work. The design is basically a wide band application and it proved to be fairly broad with expected lower than optimal forward gain and front to back. A reasonable compromise if you need wide band. The elements can be re-arranged if you prefer slightly higher forward gain. I plan on using it until I can find a good rugged antenna for 6.
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WU8P
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 17, 2008 05:35
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Very well made basic 6m Yagi
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I have been using Cushcraft Antennas for many years now. The A503S is a great little beam for someone wanting to get started on 6M or who doesn't have a lot of space for a antenna.
The ant is well made, simple to assemble, easy to adjust, easy to install.
Highly recommended.
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AA5JG
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 29, 2008 14:52
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Works great!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I returned home from vacation to find that my miniquad was damaged beyond repair in a storm while I was gone, and it was less than a week to the June VHF contest! I quickly looked around for a replacement and the only 2 I could order that might get here in time were the MFJ 3 element and the Cushcraft. I have had the MFJ 6m yagi before and it is a good performer. I decided to go for the A50-3 instead because it was at Texas Towers, which is only 3 hours from me so I know that it would arrive on time, it has a SO239 connector on it so I wouldn't have to mess around with a coax pigtail as on the MFJ, and it looked like it would be a little sturdier.
It arrived on the Thursday before the contest, and I was able to get it put together in about 1 hour. The instuctions were very easy to follow, and it is built like a brick outhouse compared to the MFJ. No complaints in that department-I don't think it will be breaking any time soon. It also loaded up just fine, although it is detuned a little bit due to its proximity to the steel siding on the house.
I only have it mounted at 25 feet, but broke my old 6m records in the June contest-195 QSOs with 107 grids, and I missed a decent portion of the contest. That should tell you that this antenna plays just fine. I have made plenty of QSOs since the contest using it also, in spite of the fact that 6m conditions have been pretty lousy this summer.
If you are looking for a fairly small 6m antenna to put up, go for this one. It was inexpensive-$136 shipped, built very well, and gets the job done. I would definitely recommend it over a loop or Moxon antenna as it has much better gain. If you need something for roving I would probably go with the MFJ 3 element instead since it is much easier to take apart and set up. This is meant for a permanent installation.
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KB3HSY
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Rating: 5/5
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May 22, 2008 16:48
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Awesome Antenna
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Solid performance, it gets out and handles plenty of power. It is light enough to use almost any rotor. Nice construction like all cushcraft antennas, it was on backorder and required a wait. The MSRP above is not even close to the cost these days. I highly recomend it.
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