|
New to Ham Radio?
My Profile
Community
Articles
Forums
News
Reviews
Friends Remembered
Speak Out
Strays
Survey Question
Operating
Contesting
DX Cluster Spots
Propagation
Resources
Calendar
Classifieds
Ham Exams
Ham Links
List Archives
News Articles
Product Reviews
QSL Managers
Site Info
eHam Help (FAQ)
Support the site
The eHam Team
Advertising Info
Vision Statement
About eHam.net
|
| Reviews Summary for PAR Electronics SM-50 6M Stressed Moxon |
|
Reviews: 23
|
Average rating: 5.0/5
|
MSRP: $$79.95
|
Description: SM-50 Stressed Moxon 6M Antenna Occupies approximately 1/2 the footprint of traditional two element
yagis, yet has nearly identical electrical specifications. The radiator material selection results in a further reduction in size and weight over classical Moxons. Once the coupling unit is installed onto the main radiator using two #10-32 screws, assembling the rest of the antenna, including mast mounting and tuning, requires no tools. Ideal for mountain topping, roving and stealth operation. � Horizontal polarity � Forward Gain:
5.8 dBi � F/B Ratio: 17 dB � Design Z: 50. unbalanced � V.S.W.R. BW: 1.5MHz between 1.5:1 points � 1kW power handling � 6061-T6 aluminum, fiberglass, genuine Flex Weave wire, stainless steel � Rectangular 84 x31", 3lbs
|
|
More info: http://parelectronics.com/stress_moxon.htm
|
|
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this review.
Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help
|
You can
write your own review of the PAR Electronics SM-50 6M Stressed Moxon.
|
W4TME
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Jun 11, 2009 19:09
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
I gotta agree...
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
|
...with all of the previous 22 "fives" given for the Par Electronics 6m Stressed Moxon. For an antenna with a small footprint it has superb performance. And you can pound 1000 watts into to it! I have mine @ 25 feet and it makes working the Es a dream.
|
|
N9SW
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Jun 11, 2009 10:33
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Great Design, Great Service
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
|
Well worth waiting for (if you happend to want one when PAR is overloaded with Gov't/MIL orders at the time you order! Assembles easily and quickly and performs perfectly right out of the box. Disassembled its surprisingly compact for travel use, and indeed comes right up to my 3 over 3 element 'normal' setup up at 33 feet. Dale is very personal and professional to deal with. Go for it!
|
|
W5CEM
|
Rating: 5/5
|
May 11, 2009 19:07
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Superb antenna
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
|
Two SM50s arrived last Friday. I built mine, put it up abt 30ft. in the air. While there was no activity, the excellent F/B did enable me to start to find a cause of QRN at my QTH. The other was built tonight, and had a nice QSO with a buddy about 15 miles away, where we couldn't before with homebrew loops. The quality is excellent, Dale's customer service is top notch, and I now have a very good 6mtr. antenna for FD!
|
|
TOPPER
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Oct 30, 2008 14:42
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Whats not to like!
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
|
Fast & friendly service, fair price, goes together like a dream, can be broken down for portable use, works, & seems sturdy. Only wish they made moxons for HF bands. N7AG
|
|
VE3IKV
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Sep 28, 2008 11:55
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
6m DX with an SM-50 Moxon
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
|
The first Kansas station we worked on 6m from CY0X on Sable Island this summer via a difficult asymmetrical double-hop Es propagation path was W1OU using a PAR SM-50 Stressed Moxon & 100W. It works!
|
|
KX5F
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Sep 16, 2008 08:42
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Great 6 meter antenna
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
|
Had one for several years now, worked all over the country up 28ft on a push-up pole and a channel master rotator. Had a question for Par abt spacing next to a 2 meter ant, sent an e-mail on sunday expecting an answer the following week, and within the hour on sunday had an answer. Outstanding customer service in MHO. Try it you can't go wrong. 73 Patrick
|
|
AC0DS
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Sep 16, 2008 08:34
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
the perfect portable 6M gain antenna
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
I can highly recommend this product as a small and easily portable gain antenna for 6 meters. The Moxon design allows for useful gain and excellent front-to-back ratio in a lightweight package with a smaller turning radius than a simple dipole. Like all PAR products, this antenna has excellent mechanical design, materials and machine work, making it a joy to assemble, install and tune. I used the simple current balun recommended by PAR, making mine from RG-8X. Tuning went very smoothly and predictably, and can be accomplished with no tools, thanks to the clever mechanical design. I set the resonant frequency at 50.13 MHz, where the SWR measures 1.06:1 with my AIM 4170 Antenna Analyzer. Very broad SWR curve with less than 1.5:1 up to above 51 MHz, and 2:1 over most of the entire band.
Mounted at only 24 ft on a temporary mast, I made several contacts over 100 miles from my non-ideal location during the Sept VHF contest. If you mark the driven element with your desired tuning point, the mechanical design allows for rapid (less than a minute!) assembly and disassembly into a slim vertical 7 ft package using no tools. This is very convenient for carrying in the car for hill-topping or for easy storage when using the antenna on a temporary basis.
… Craig AC0DS
|
|
K4GUN
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Jun 19, 2008 09:25
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Great for rovers
|
Time owned: 6 to 12 months
|
What an amazing product! I bought a Stressed Moxon back in January 2008 for the VHF contest and used it on my rover station. It did well, but there wasn't a huge amount of activity. The June contest on the other hand, was remarkable. The band opened up and the Moxon worked extremely well. For the contest, I used both this and a loop antenna for 6 meters and using them side by side, on the same radio really highlighted the Moxon's benefits.
Because the beam pattern of the Moxon is so wide, you really don't have to worry about aiming directly at the other station. Even still, you get good rejection off the back. You get a very quiet antenna where the only thing you hear is the other stations. Other stations have no problems hearing you either.
The antenna is small enough that you can run with it up, on a rover vehicle. Its well under the legal limit for the width of the road. Its also light enough that you can secure it to a mast and drive down the road with it installed. The only thing to be aware of is overhanging branches.
About those branches... The Stressed Moxon has one rather interesting feature. If you do clip a tree, it is possible to pull the reflector and side arms out of the driven element. I actually consider this to be a safety feature. If this didn't happen, it might be possible to snag a limb hard enough to pull the mast out of its support. If you're going to use this as a rover antenna, you would be wise to tie a non-conducing cord to the reflector so you don't loose it on the side of the road. Yes, I learned this lesson the hard way, but Dale at Par was very quick to get replacement parts to me. I will not be without this antenna in any VHF contest.
|
|
N6ORB
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Sep 30, 2007 20:04
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Great 6 Meter Antenna for Portable and Semi-Portable Use
|
Time owned: 6 to 12 months
|
My VUCC 6M award certificate arrived in yesterday's mail (with a sharp crease in it). Anyway, most of the 111 confirmed contacts were made this Es season, using the Par Electronics Stressed-Moxon. Last year was my first on 6M and I used the Par Omniangle loop for 6 meters at my antenna-restricted SF-Bay area QTH. I was quite happy with my results with the loop. Hearing the entire US east coast come alive with signals during the June 2006 VHF contest was a revelation. The only problem was that I managed to work only a couple of them.
For this year, I wanted something with a little more gain but that could still be put up and taken down easily. The Par Electronics Stressed Moxon seemed to be the best option, although I wasn't sure that an extra 3db would make much difference. It turned out to make quite a difference indeed.
I assembled the antenna and tried tuning it. I became concerned when the Moxon showed a nearly constant low SWR on my tranceiver's SWR meter as I moved the aluminum tubes back and forth in the driven element. It turned out that, unlike the loop, the Moxon has a very wide bandwidth, something I could see clearly once I applied an antenna analyzer to it.
With the Moxon mounted on 12ft of PVC pipe in my back yard, working six meters became a much better experience for me this year. From Puerto Rico to Maine, and many points in-between, double-hop contacts became almost routine.
For back-yard portable use, I think the Moxon is ideal. Partly disassembled, it fits easily in the trunk of my car for operation away from home. Since most people don't associate its shape with an antenna, it's almost hidden in plain sight.
It's not a long-boom Yagi, so you can't use it to create your own propagation. However, if the band is open, you can make lots of contacts without being one of the big guns. (Now, if that guy in Rhode Island would just respond to my QSL card...)
|
|
KB3LFD
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Jul 22, 2007 11:23
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Well made, rugged!!
|
Time owned: more than 12 months
|
When first licensed this was my first
antenna for six meters. A very well made,
easy to build and install antenna. Ideal
for apartment,hill-toping,etc. Will work
fine with a light weight "tv" type rotor.
Quality parts,rugged design! A good choice
for a person on a budget just starting in
the hobby. Worked Canada to Florida and
Putero Rico from a not so good location in
Ne Pa.
|
|
If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions about Reviews,
please email your Reviews Manager.
|
|
|
