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| Reviews Summary for Super Antennas MP-1 Portable Antenna |
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Reviews: 114
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Average rating: 4.4/5
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MSRP: $150.
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Description: Covers 40 thru 6 Meters. Will cover 80 Meters with accesory
coil MP-80. Capable of QRP thru 150 Watts. Coil Size 10.5x
1.25 inches.
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Product is in production.
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More info: http://www.shop.superantennas.com/main.sc
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N2UGB
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Rating: 4/5
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Sep 18, 2011 03:33
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Can't complain considering my QTH
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have two of these antennas, purchased a number of years ago. Even the 80M coil (which never used).
I have it set up about 3-feet above ground attached with a "jaws" clamp to a metal table. I use a longer whip from Buddi and one counterpoise also about 3-feet up and straight out.
The back yard is very small with big trees and many branches, plus a long, 6-foot high shrub right next to it. Hope you can visualize this tiny, veggie back yard.
Considering all that, I am quite pleased with the MP-1. I have it permanently set up for 17 meters. I am a QRPer...but not with this antenna under these QTH conditions. So it has 80 watts to it.
From my French QTH I have worked all over Europe including Russia and Scandanavia. Also into the USA and most recently, Brazil. All at 80 watts. In, under, around trees and shrubs.
It was the devil to tune as I don't have any aids other than a SWR meter. I have it now at 1.2 with no intention of, deliberately moving, changing operating band or location.
This is one, solid antenna...except for the cheesy supplied whip.
I recommend it as an alternate when nothing else can do. If mine were completely in the clear, I have no doubt QRP would bring in the QSOs.
Sorry it is no longer in production
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KC0JPO
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Rating: 4/5
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Sep 5, 2011 14:11
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Good design
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This is a great antenna! Got it at a hamfest, was a little uncertain of it, however, mounted it mobile to my bumper with a ball mount, quite surprised at the performance. I have an Yeasu 897D w/an LDG AT897 tuner. I have the coil slide set to +/- 20 meter and the tuner made sure I hade a match, and mobile this weekend, I had QSO's with England and Denmark from NE South Dakota. Propagation was on the fringes but the contact was there.
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N4RSS
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Rating: 4/5
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Jul 24, 2011 13:46
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Good if you tweak it
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Hadn't had much success with it till now. At the beach right now with it clamped on a deck rail over the dunes.
Substituted a MFJ 10' telescoping element and a Hustler mast as well as hook up wire radials.
Made contacts into the Ukraine, Germany,Italy, Costa Rica, Cuba, US on 20 meters (SSB). Some brief contacts on 40 stateside and one on 17m stateside using a FT-817 and a THP HL-50
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KJ5XX
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Rating: 2/5
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Jul 3, 2011 10:55
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Not Ready for Prime Time
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I purchased one of these 2 years ago when my wife and I took a vacation to Kauai. I was really excited when I received it the week before we left. It was compact, seemed to be well engineered and I had visions of working DX from the balcony of the condo we had rented, using my Icom 706MKIIG.
So, shortly after we arrived, I setup the 706 and clamped the MP-1 to the balcony. I fired it up on 20m and proceeded to tune the antenna. That's when the real *fun* began. No matter what I did, I couldn't get anything below a 3:1 match. I switched to 40m and tried again, and again got the same results.
I continued to try to figure out what the problem was all week and never did figure it out. Finally, disgusted, I threw the whole thing in the bag and decided to figure it out when I got back home.
But, when I got home and re-tested, I got the same results. Called Vern and told him that the antenna acted like it had a short somewhere in the coil. He sent me out a new unit, but it too had the same problem.
Finally I decided to try something else (something I should have done in the first place when I opened the box and saw those cheesy radials). I made my own 33' long radial system from speaker wire.
When I keyed up on 20, Voila!! 1:3 match! Tried 40m and it worked as well.
Well, I thought, problem finally solved. But that was only half the story. I started trying to make contacts, and while I did manage to work a few, I really had to work for each and every one. Signal reports were only fair.
Bottom line, I think this is a neat little antenna, but as it comes out of the box, it really needs improvement. I think if I were to put a 72" stainless steel whip and really put some radials under it, that it would probably be OK. But for all the effort spent in modifying it, I think I could have done just as well with a simple dipole.
The fact that so many on here have rated it a 5/5 tells me that some people have had good luck with it. But based on my experience, I can't give it more than 2 stars.
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EB2DJB
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Rating: 5/5
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May 2, 2011 05:27
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Very nice!!
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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Works Ok. Of course a longer antenna works better, but this one you install in no more than 3 minutes.
I've made another longer radials.
I use it with my FT-817 in portable.
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KD5BFE
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Rating: 1/5
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Mar 28, 2011 20:05
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Scrap Aluminum
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I purchased this antenna a couple years ago and wound up selling it after a few months. It would probably be okay if you added several more radials and had a better way of bonding them to the antenna besides a spade connector. I wound up clamping the unit to a clothesline mast for the best grounding. The only reason why I didn't rate it as a zero is because I was able to make a few local contacts on 10/15, barely any on 20, nothing lower.
It's been said before, you can't hear them, and they can't hear you with this antenna. The construction of the optional tripod was terrible as well.
Throw a wire in a tree and spend the money on a tuner.
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KC0JGE
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 28, 2011 17:52
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great portable antenna
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I have this antenna mounted on a 4ft chainlink fence,the fence is used as counterpoise.Work mostly 20 meters and have made contacts all over the US with good signal reports.Today made contact with P43E in Aruba with 5 watts from my FT817 from South Dakota.Does antenna work,You Bet.
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KG4TUM
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 5, 2010 18:17
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So Far So Good
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I have used this antenna a few times, only on 20 and 30 meters CW so far. I've used it with my FT-817 and so far, it's working well. I bought a contractor's tripod at Home Depot, the kind used for laser levels, and I don't think the wind will be toppling my antenna clamped to this 14 pound tripod. Course, it isn't a backpacker's ideal tripod, but for setting up in the backyard, it's great. I had tried clamping it to a deck rail, but that really isn't the ideal situation as it limits the laying out of radials, and I expect that the close proximity to the house has a negative effect on the signal. It just seems like a better idea to have it in the clear. Adjusting by ear is pretty time consuming, but it's really easy with an antenna analyzer. I've done it both ways. I cut 4 approximately 15 foot radials of 16 gauge speaker wire, electrically connected to metal tent stakes pushed in the ground. So far, this antenna is exactly what I was hoping it would be. This past Sunday afternoon, I had a 20 minute QSO with a VE3 station running 5 watts on 30 meters. From Georgia to Ontario is pretty good. I don't expect miracles, just a good portable antenna. I'm not disappointed.
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KN4X
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 18, 2010 18:34
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Website is DOWN!!!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've owned 2 of these for years now. Great antennas, and I was considering buying a portable beam from them, however the website is down and parked ... usually a BAD sign. Dave K4JDN
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HIGHLANDER
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 14, 2010 15:33
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Impressive QRP Portable
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I've been using this antenna for a while for QRP portable with a Yaesu FT897 at the other end. Like any other antenna, if you know what you are doing and prepared to experiment, then just like any other quality antenna, the MP1 will perform, or should I say, out perform.
Straight out of the box, QSOs over 1500 Nm. (Nm = Nautical Miles) With patience and tweaking, waiting for the propagation, QSOs over 6,000 Nm. Tuning on 80 meters can be a pain, but certainly works, and is a star performer on 20 and 40 meters.
I have no hesitation in recommending the spending of hard earned cash on this antenna that fits into a briefcase.
73s
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