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write your own review of the Cobra UltraLite Multiband Antenna.
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KI6EQW
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Rating: 3/5
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Oct 9, 2009 13:53
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Easy to install, but you better have a good tuner.
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Easy to install in an inverted V 25 ft above the roof. Used a 4:1 DX Engineering balun as recommended. Ran the ladder as recommended, at the length recommend, and coiled as recommended. Hooked it up to an LDG 200 pro tuner. got good swr on 10/15 meters, could not get anything to match within the tuners range above 15. Swapped in a Palstar AT2K, cut off the coiled ladder line, lead in is now about 40 ft. in length, and can get 1:1 on all bands up to 80. As this is the Jr. model I could not get below 2.5 on 160 meters.
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W5WAA
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Rating: 2/5
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Sep 27, 2009 17:02
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Not as good as G5RV
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have been making an A-B comparison for just over a year, the G5RV 80-10m (D&G version) is one to two full "S" units stronger on receive and transmit. The Cobra 160-10m is hard to tune, the G5RV is easy to tune. I have tried 3 different transceivers during that time and the results are exactly the same. Although the Cobra does perform better on the 160m band it is very difficult to tune (the G5RV is not cut for the 160m band). I'll be taking the Cobra down shortly, a years test is long enough, going to replace it with a Single Wire Beam as per QST July 2009 issue.
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N1WBD
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 9, 2009 12:27
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Still runs great!!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Still run Joe's original prototype here made out of 14-2 romex housewire after about 5 or so years and still works great!! May someday upgrade to the current Cobra Senior Model. But it might be awhile cause this one still works great.
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KG7UY
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 8, 2009 22:22
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Update: still working great
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have had this Ultralite Senior in place for over 2 years and still working great with no problems. Easy to put up and maintain.
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WX4O
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 9, 2009 09:35
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Excellent!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've had my Jr. up for 3 or more years with great results. I check in to statewide NTS nets daily. I even cut a lot off the ladder line since I didn't like it strung around, and no change. I use a 4:1 balun fed to 4 feet of RG8X and 100 watts. Have made contacts worldwide with this fine antenna. If anyone has trouble with it, I suggest they are not using a balum - or - they have somehow been using a defective one. I would buy another one.
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KB1PJM
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Rating: 1/5
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Jul 9, 2009 04:33
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Disappointing
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I hung this antenna at about 35' between the trees in my front yard and ran it to my Johnson KW matchbox. I was never able to make contact with anyone on a local Net on 75M. Whatever contacts I did make always reported that my signal was weak and barely readable. The SWR on 40M was never better than 2:1 and contacts on 20M were far and few between. The noise level on this antenna was hellacious! I recently put up an inverted V with the apex at 44' fed with ladder line and the difference between the two is astounding. Perhaps I received a "dud" from the manufacturer, but based on my experience I wouldn't recommend this antenna to anyone. Oh and as far as it's ability to survive the cold ice etc. mine couldn't stand up to Winter in VT.
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W5LXG
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 17, 2009 19:03
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Still outstanding after all these years
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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My 3rd review/comments on this fine antenna, mine is the Jr. version.
KI4MCW opines not to diddle with the ladderline or let it lay on the roof (or words to that affect). I won't disagree with the premise of not letting ladderline "touch" things, but in my installation, it doesn't seem to matter. A fair amount of ladderline lays in sloppy coils on my slanting roof before it enters the attic. A passing hurricane actually sucked some of the excess ladderline out of the attic and caused it to coil on the roof! My physical situation precludes climbing on the sharply slanted roof, so the LL has to stay put, coiled as it is. My antenna performance seems to be the same this way versus when the LL was neat and proper.
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KB1JXU
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Rating: 5/5
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May 31, 2009 16:17
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Cobra Senior
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Hello
I recently purchased a Cobra Senior designed and built by Joe [K1JEK]. It was installed at my camp in Orwell, Vermont. Given my previous difficulty working ham radio from this location, I had pretty low expectations. However, I was pleased beyond my wildest dreams. First it was very easy to put up . In just a few hours I was QSOing on most of the voice bans with very good signal reports.I really am very satisfied with my new Cobra Ultralite Senior.
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WA1GZY
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 29, 2009 18:53
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Small antenna -Big Sig!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Using the Cobra Lite Junior in attic due to antenna restrictions. Plays like an outdoor windom and with Palstar AT5K tuner, delivers a perfect match on 160, 80 60, 40 and 20 meters.
17, 12 and 10 are a bit more tricky with the AT5K which is really designed for the low frequency bands. (In point I use an attic mounted 2 element Steppir Yagi for 20 meters on up).
Being attic mounted presents no strain on the Cobra Junior (though it does appear to be a bit flimsy for outdoor abuse). The design is unique with its linear loaded reverse "s" wire pattern.
Most stations are quite surprised to hear I'm operating within the attic. The Cobra has no problem with full legal limit "fire in the wire" from an Alpha 87A linear.
Try it! You won't be disappointed.
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K5DAM
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 21, 2009 11:54
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Senior - best antenna yet!!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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It hears well, talks well and tunes everywhere that the Army MARS matrix requires. I really have no idea where it is resonant in that it seems to be happy everywhere except perhaps the 5-6mhz band. I really need a broad, 500W capable, 60 meter band antenna.!! That seems to be where the NVIS propagation is anymore. I don't think I have seen Critical Freq make it up to 40 meters in a couple of years now. or so it seems.
My Senior is hung SW-NE at 50' on one end, sloping down to about 35' at centerpoint, then out 50 feet to a support at 35' then I take the last 20' back at right angles across the yard dropping to 25'. It works very well at low 4mhz across the entire state of Texas and well into LA, AR and OK. When dropping into the ham bands at 90 to 120 meters, it works very well into the western states out to CA and up to WA.
The ladder line is laid across the polyester guy lines some 6' above the roof of the house. Strong antenna construction, it withstood Hurr.IKE last fall and we were clocking 110mph here at the QTH using my Vantage Pro2. Lost a lot of branches in trees but the antenna did quite well.
This antenna is the best I have had for all bands (I use a MT-3000A tuner) and I rate it above my previous favorite - the DX-CC. However, again, this antenna does not like 5 or 6mhz as much as it likes 75 to 120m. I do not use 20 or 40m although I have done some early afternoon testing out to Lubbock (~500miles) on those frequencies and it tuned well and sometimes we had a path.
I may get a Junior for a portable antenna to supplement the maypole and the screwdriver.
Finally, depending on the QRM, I can hear stations which many nearby operators cannot, and almost everyone I can talk to, I can hear. Depending on propagation and noise of course.
Highly Recommended antenna to all.
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