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write your own review of the GAP EAGLE.
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KB1TCD
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 23, 2011 23:36
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great antenna
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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We've had this antenna a couple of years, installed it on the side of the house, very poor results, lots of RF in the shack and high SWR.
Last spring we moved it and attached it to the barn about 100 ft away from the house and added four 30ft ground radials as well. Difference is night and day, antenna works great with decent SWR on all bands it's supposed to.
Instructions are crappy but with patience it is doable.
73 de KB1TCD
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KC6ZWH
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Rating: 0/5
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Dec 3, 2010 13:35
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Junk
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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horrible instructions. something that would normally take me a few hours took me a few days. after assembly i tested it on the ground and it was perfect. put it on the roof and 40 and 10 meters went to 10:1 vswr. Where did my perfect go. grounded or not still the same. The only pleasure i got from this was sending it back. bought a hy-gain AV-640. that was very easy to assemble and works fine. As they say in England, mind the GAP
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WB8YQJ
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 12, 2010 19:42
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Good and Durable
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have had a GAP Eagle installed at this location since 1993.
Mine is painted green, and ground mounted near trees for a minimal visual impact.
The antenna performs equal to a dipole at 30 feet in height on 20m-10m and is super tough and durable. I cannot keep any wire up for one year, the wind always blows them down, the GAP just works for years and years without a care or worry.
The RF exits the antenna at a height where it has a chance to escape large ground loss as compared to a true vertical and there are no traps so 100 watts less your coaxial loss is what goes out.
This antenna is 40m "compatible", but is too short to use as anything other than an emergency antenna on 40m, any longer wire will beat it.
There are two ways I see to make this antenna fail for SWR, a botched application of the PL259 - that happens more often than you would think, and if you dont wrap electrical tape around the top of the steel pipe which is driven into the ground, it is possible that the rigid ground rods assembly will short to the mast upon assembly. The antenna will not tune this way.
The antenna is a dipole mounted on one end, not a vertical, and thats why the GAP antenna does not have the aggravating problems common to smaller than physical half wave antennas. But neither side of the antenna can be grounded, the entire antenna must be insulated from the ground pipe.
This antenna design has a major benefit in that it collects the signal from more polarity angles than a dipole.
As a test, I mounted crossed dipoles at 20 feet, one vertical and one horizontal and then put them on an A/B switch. I see from equal to S9 differences and it always changes within moments from one antenna to the next being the better.
The GAP has the vertical part of the antenna, the tuning rods, and the horizontal counterpoise
all working to accept the signal from many angles.
The GAP can be adjusted to better than 2.0 to 1 SWR on 20m-10m but it takes time and lots of trial and error. There are these "stubs" at the bottom of the antenna, which must be adjusted band by band and yes a change will affect slightly other bands, this is in the manual. What they dont say is the rods assembly can also be rotated small amounts around the antenna center vertical mast and that can provide the ultimate
best solution.
It sounds problematic, but it is consistent and can be dialed in with time, trial and error.
Some other antennas I have used (the Butternut Butterfly comes to mind) are loaded with reactance and are feedline length+orientation sensitive, they will truly drive you nuts. The GAP has a wide sweet spot and it can be found fairly easily.
Cheers de wb8yqj
Carlsbad, Ca.
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W8KQE
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 15, 2010 11:18
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Update: 13 years now, and still working great!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've now had this well made, sturdy vertical up in the same location for 13 years (mounted to small mast and attached to eaves on lowest point of roof), and I have not had to re-tighten, re-tune, or do anything to it! The steel mounting u-bolts are now rusted but the aluminum antenna itself looks and works great. For a small footprint, no radials (just short counterpoises), multiband, trapless vertical, this HF antenna is a great value and simple solution to getting on the air. Today on 17m and 12m, I worked a 'VQ9', 'SV1', '4X4', 'EA9', 'HB9', and 'OK2' running barefoot. For me, this vertical has been a godsend in getting me on the air from a small backyard location for so many years now. THANK YOU GAP!
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KD8FVJ
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Rating: 4/5
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May 29, 2010 20:32
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Good Antenna
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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Good Antenna Did find that mounting at 10' did lower SWR on 40mter to what is claimed as well as all the other bands and as far as noise for a vertical it is quiet . the directions for assembly
are not that good but any Ham should be able to figure it out . over all a good antenna made a lot of QSOs
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W1UOY
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 23, 2009 05:45
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Continues to work well
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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This is my second post and follow-up to previous post. Now owned for about 6 months during poor sunspots. I continue to get good reports over most of the world running a FT-102 barefoot without antenna tuner. Asia is a little tough but aqain poor sunspots and no amp. Using no radials and antenna about 2 feet from corner of house.
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W1UOY
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Rating: 4/5
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Aug 30, 2009 14:42
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Good Value Vertical
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I have owned the Eagle DX for a few months now. Although I think the Butternut is a better vertical, the no radial and lower cost is a good value. I can't afford towers and beams and the expense of many verticals these days but I have found the GAP Eagle DX to be a good value. It was easy to assemble. I use a hybrid transceiver with now SWR meter and setup antenna per manufacture spec. Since I use a hybrid transceiver with 6146 finals ( tank circuit ), I can easily load all the bands. A snapshot of my log recently under poor sun spot conditions is this:
Ukraine
Balearic Is
Bosnia
Italy
Belgium
Mexico
Haiti
Balearic Is
Spain
Italy
Ukraine
Bahamas
Catilina Is
Italy
Russia
Italy
Canary Islands
Yugoslavia
Italy
Germany
Agean Sea
Belgium
Crete
Costa Rica
Yugoslavia
Germany
Tobago
Belgium
Ukraine
Slovenia
Brasil
Cuba
Italy
Portugal
Belgium
Italy
Granted a dipole may do just as well to Europe I have found the GAP to perform well. I am realistic in that a yagi, quad or even Butternut or other vertical over a ground plane would be better but I think the cost vs other verticals and the fact that it is 2 feet from corner of house the antenna has performed well using a FT-102 at 150watts only. Nice job GAP.
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KE7VXP
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Rating: 4/5
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Aug 23, 2009 20:13
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OK antenna
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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Put mine up ten feet on an iron pipe in the front yard. Already had a G5RV shorty at about 20 feet to compare. The Eagle receieved about one S unit better and get out much better. My farthest reach at 100 watts is mid-Mexico reported 5-9, but I have yet to hear, much less work Europe or Asia. This antenna is a decent compromise when you don't have much space for a dipole, or inverted V. Bottom line: its OK, but I'm not waving pom-poms.
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W1UOY
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 5, 2009 16:01
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Seems to work well
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I assembled a Gap Eagle DX vertical this weekend. The assembly was quite easy except the confusing part about which end of the double-walled end goes into the antenna. With modern day inkjet printers and digital cameras, it amazes me why the company can't spend a little time making a better manual. This review however is about the antenna.
I currently have the antenna in a temporary setup broadsided three feet from the side of the house, only about three feet high. So far the performance has been good under poor band conditions. In less than a day of casual operating I have worked:
Costa Rica
Latvia
Ukraine
Balearic Island
Italy
Iceland
Belgium
Mexico
Haiti
Spain
Not bad for a shortened vertical without radials. Yes, I would rather have a big vertical with 30-60 radials or a 70 foot tower and beam. For the money, ease of installation, I think the GAP Eagle DX vertical is performing well.
The SWR is < 1.5 on all band except 40M but I use a tuner and not concerned.
73's de W1UOY
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W7CAR
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 11, 2009 16:50
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Works Awesome
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I've had my GAP Eagle up quite awhile now, and it never ceases to amaze me. Most recently this past weekend I played around in the ARRL DX Contest. Near 11 hours operating made 118 contacts with 46 countries for a score of 16,284. Not a dissapointment in the little Eagle's performance 10' off the ground. Worked it Transmit & Receive, so no special extra Receive antenna. Of course a Yagi would be better, but the Eagle is a solid performer, and equal to any other Vertical in my opinion!
"73" Dave - W7CAR
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