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| Reviews Summary for Super Antennas MP-1 Portable Antenna |
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Reviews: 108
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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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More info: http://www.superantennas.com/
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write your own review of the Super Antennas MP-1 Portable Antenna.
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K5FFO
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 27, 2009 19:09
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Good for apartment use
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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When I first received the antenna, I set it up on my 2nd floor balcony, on the tripod that I ordered with it. Its performance was fair, but not exceptional. I could load it to my 817 and get fairly close to a match on 40, but 15 was out of the question. I looked at some other reviews dealing with counterpoise wires, and replaced the wires that came with the unit with a set of wires (3 per band) cut for each band. Only takes a couple of minutes to change. Easy tuning and excellent signal reports! I found the easiest way to tune is to move the coil to the proper band by speaker noise (I use heavy gloves and they don't interfere with the coil). Once set, I then make slight adjustments with my 941E tuner. From Reno, NV, I have worked the east coast, west coast, Hawaii, and some Canadian stations. Not too bad from an apartment, using CW and under 5 watts!
I haven't tried it yet for portable use, as I do 40m CW while traveling and my hamstick works fine for that, but I will try it in 2010 on an extensive trip as I plan to work 40/15/10 and 6 while traveling.
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AA1OV
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Rating: 4/5
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Nov 12, 2009 13:33
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Good compromise antenna
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I have owned three of these over the years. All of them for FT-817s. They arrived well packed, and with instructions. It assembles easily but if you buy the 80m coil, there are no instructions for where to mount it on top or under the slider.
The antenna works as advertised, with the following caveats. While your hand is adjusting the coil you cannot tell by the RX sound if you are close to frequency because as soon as you move your hand the sound changes.
Then too, if a breeze blows your antenna over the collapsable whip usually self destructs.
Having said all that the antenna does work well as a compromise antenna or a great packable antenna for backpacking with a QRP rig.
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M6KAR
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 12, 2009 13:08
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Holy Grail of portable antennas
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Quickly. I bought this antenna from ML&S with optional tripod. I live in a flat - no trees, no garden, small loft - no dipole then. Then I found this baby! Tune on 40m (SWR no bars)and after few minutes I had QSO with: SU, EA, SP9, DL, OE! This antenna is in my bedroom and I am using only 5W with my FT 817nd. Monday I had contact on 6m with my local radio club mates - 7 up to 9 miles no problem at all. I added little longer wire 1/4 wave on 40m and 20m - other bands no probs at all on supllied 4 wires, choke balun and thats it. Worth every penny.
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KG7RS
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 11, 2009 19:05
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There's no magic in antennas - but maybe a little here!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I've been doing most of my hamming from portable field stations for quite a few years. The antennas of choice are usually simple wire antennas, ham-stick-type dipoles and the like. Never bothered much with verticals mostly because of the need for ground radials or a decent counterpoise - a real hassle for portable work. Unfortunately, low dipoles are not terribly good for long distance work. Recently I decided to try something new for me - a small manually-adjusted "screwdriver" vertical. I got a chance to view the MP-1 at the local ham store and was impressed by the quality of the product. What the heck...
The first trip with the new MP-1 was a drive up a nearby mountain in Central Arizona with my Yaesu 817 & Palm paddle. Good grief! This thing really reaches out! First answer to my 20-meter QRP CQ was from Rhode Island. Made a few more CW contacts then decided to switch to SSB phone. Stations were actually responding to my QRP CQ...on 20-meter phone! This past Veteran's Day, I took the setup out into the desert to setup for some CW fun. Another CQ on 14.060 was responded to by a VE1 in Nova Scotia with a solid QSO. Off to SSB, I easily worked Ontario & Manitoba who both responded to my QRP CQ. Back to CW for a long QSO with a fellow in AK. In short, I'm amazed how easy it is to make solid contacts with such a compact simple antenna. I used nothing other than the supplied counterpoise wire set. My MP-1 was setup using the optional table-top tripod. At first, I had the antenna sitting on a roll-up wooden camp table. Contrary to the suggestion in the instructions, the MP-1 works just fine with the optional tripod sitting on the ground. Tuning is a snap - just adjust the coil for maximum receiver noise, then slide the housing up or down one notch at a time for lowest SWR. I could easily reduce SWR to 1:1 on 20, 17 & 15m while the MP-1 and tripod were on the camp table. SWR was a little higher when ground mounted, but still below 2:1 on 20 & 17 meters. I haven't yet tried my MP-1 on 40/30 or 12/10/6.
This is a tremendous product for the portable op. If it does well with QRP, it does well! With tuned radials for each band, it could only be better, but works quite well out of the box. I would guess it will play well with a 100-watt transceiver. The thing breaks down so small that it actually fits into the camera bag that holds the rest of my QRP field station! For me, it's a heck of a lot of fun and goes well with the spirit of QRP field operating. It has definitely amazed me and keeps me grinning every time I use it. 73, John, KG7RS, Mesa, AZ.
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M6RDP
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 29, 2009 11:28
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Fantastic!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I had already had the opportunity of trying out this antenna before buying it and so I knew I was getting something that worked. That initial test was at my radio club in Torquay using 2.5W and 5W on my Yaesu 817ND and the MP-1 antenna. Got into France and European Russia on just the 2.5W SSB on 20M and couldn't believe it. I used the stock radials spread out on the ground and mounted the antenna on a little tripod.
I bought my own MP-1 shortly afterwards and set it up in my back garden clamped to the picnic table, again using only the stock radials spread out in a star shape on the patio. I had been a bit worried about tuning the antenna after reading some reviews, but following the advice of the Yahoo Group for the MP-1 I tuned up for max noise on receive first by sliding the coil sleeve up and down (touching only the little nylon lock not as touching the actual coil affected the tuning). This got me within about 2cm of the best position for lowest SWR. I had it tuned up in no time to either nil or 1 bar SWRs on the 817 meter and the whole procedure was a doddle - certainly no need for expensive analysers.
I was soon getting contacts all over Europe on 5W SSB on both 40M and 20M: Holland, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, even Kazakhstan. Remember this is at the bottom of the solar cycle with no sunspots and low solar flux of around 67-68.
I had previously tried a Miracle Whip over a 10-day period with not a single contact so you can imagine how delighted I was with the performance of the MP-1. It is a smashing little antenna and I am so pleased I bought it. It is very liberating, taking the hobby out of the shack and into the fresh air.
73 from M6RDP (Adam) QTH SW England, UK
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K2DER
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 1, 2009 10:00
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very satisfied
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I do not want to believe, I bought one, and really all I can say is extraordinary antenna.
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W6RDG
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Rating: 4/5
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Jun 14, 2009 22:07
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just what the doctor ordered!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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recently relicensed with a used FT-897, i was looking for a temporary antenna to erect in my backyard... tried a couple of long wires but wasn't happy so i went down to the local HRO and they recommended the MP-1... i was skeptical, but clamped the antenna onto a heavy-duty camera/telescope tripod with the included c-clamp, and proceeded to tune up on 20 with near 1:1 SWR (no external tuner). from my home in northern california i worked arizona, utah, calgary and pennsylvania this past weekend... considering the weak propagation we've had, i'm feeling pretty good about this portable antenna.
don't know how sturdy it will be over the long run (fit and finish isn't perfect and one section is slightly wobbly... contacted SA to see what they recommend), but for my needs, its just what the doctor ordered!
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G1WEV
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 12, 2009 04:18
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Superantenna for portable use!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've used this antenna for around 3 years now, usually as a ground mounted portable vertical with 40 x 16ft wire radials. I have used it with the MFJ 12ft telescopic whip which worked great but now i have a 2 piece 9ft tank whip as this is much sturdier. I have had no problems tuning the antenna for lowest swr on all the bands (6mtrs thru to 40mtrs). Obviously full size wire antennas will work more efficiently but as a good all rounder this takes some beating. I have worked over 100 countries with this MP1 including Hawaii on 5 watts. Other stations of note include Rarotonga (South Cook Islands) and Tuvalu. Give it a try.
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AA8OY
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Rating: 5/5
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May 7, 2009 13:58
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Super Portable
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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In my former life (before retirement) I traveled frequently to EU and took my FT817 and Super Antenna along. My most memorable QSO was from the roof garden of a hotel in Nice, France with my Super Antenna shoved under the flashing of an adjacent roof. I worked JA on 17 meters and 4-5 watts and got the QSL card for the QSO. I've notched a piece of plastic and use to set the coil position. It works great. Give it a try.
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ZS4U
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Rating: 5/5
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May 7, 2009 13:36
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Good Performer
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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When I received the parcel from the States I was very surprised at the small size! Sure enough the little nylon lock nut broke on the first attempt and I replaced it with a more dureable one. The whip is not of good quality - the copper stopper plates popped through the collar. So I replaced the whip with a durable one that is also a foot longer. I added another foot of shaft length and converted a junk box mobile ball mount to accept the MP-1. Setup is with the MP-1 on the ball mount with a stake into the ground. I use the supplied counter poise. I used an MFJ 259B to get the resonant point on all bands 40 -10m and used a little plastic ruler to mark the gap between the slider and coil bottom on the ruler - now no more hunting SWR - just place my ruler next to the coil and move the slider tube to corresponding band mark!
After all this was done I tested the antenna in action and with only 100 watts from the IC-7000 was able to work USA on 40m SSB! Worked USSR on 20 and Europe on 15! The little MP-1 really performs well and I am pleased with it. For just $99 it is a good buy!
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