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| Reviews Summary for PAR Electronics, Inc EF-10/20/40 |
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Reviews: 76
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Average rating: 5.0/5
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MSRP: $59
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Description: The EF-10/20/40 replaces the EF-20/40. Physically identical to
the EF-20/40 (39' overall) it adds 10M operation. 25W power
limit. No tuner is required.
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Product is in production.
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More info: http://www.LnRprecision.com
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write your own review of the PAR Electronics, Inc EF-10/20/40.
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CRM
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 16, 2011 18:41
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Excellent antenna
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This is the 25 watt tri-band antenna now sold by LnR Precision, Inc.
I am using this antenna as the main antenna at my QTH. This antenna was selected because of the ease of installing and feeding an end fed antenna at my QTH. I use an FT-817nd as my base station and run 5 watts using SSB.
These antennas are durable, portable, and are very difficult to see when strung up. The matchboxes are completely sealed against the elements. The metal hardware holds up very well to weather.
I have this antenna strung horizontally at about 30 ft. The setup has already gone through quite a few wind and rain storms and has had no issues. The matchbox is fed by 50ft of RG-8X. It is running N/S over a grassy area. The goal was to get the main lobes radiating E/W.
I do not use an antenna tuner. The antenna has been trimmed so that on 20m it has an SWR of 1.3 from 14.150-14.350 MHz. On 40m the SWR ranges from 1.6 at 7.125 MHz to 1.6 at 7.300 MHz with an SWR of 1.05 at 7.225 MHz.
Tuning it did take some time and work, but it has been worth it in terms of signal being radiated. I found that the 20/10m radial needed to be 34 ft. long in order to get the SWR mentioned above. The 40m radial needed to be shortened, and rather than cut off the excess, I coiled it into a small diameter loop after the insulator.
In the 30 days of using this antenna I have been able to make SSB contacts with 5 watts (from the East Coast of the US) into Denmark, Serbia, Slovakia, Croatia, Algeria, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, etc. The farthest contact has been 4,660 miles. Signal reports are usually in the 57-59 range except when the background noise level on the bands is high.
Overall I find this to be a quiet antenna.
These are rock solid antennas at a good price, and the company provides excellent customer support.
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F5TXW
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 28, 2011 12:49
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VERY GOOD ANTENNA
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Ef-10/20/40 is my main antenna for qrp and portable ham activities with a 12 meters fiber mast.
No antenna tuner needed it's very simple to use.
Compare to my portable vertical 1/4 wave the PAR antenna is better.
By the way, i operate FR/F5TXW with it.
73 Oliver
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K5OSA
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 5, 2011 10:59
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Better than it should be
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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The End Fedz 10/20/40 QRP is great! With my Yaesu FT-817ND, I can routinely contact coast to coast and the Caribbean. (SSB from Oklahoma with the antenna 8 ft (base) to 12 ft (tree). If 20 is open, I can work 'em...40 is a bit more of a challenge but I use the antenna for regular participation in the 7.290 traffic net. I also work the 14.300 maritime service net. Just now putting up a 20 version for full barefoot...a 40 will follow soon. These are the most cost-effective antennas I have ever used.
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NH7L
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 29, 2011 22:49
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Great portable QRP antenna
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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There aren't any miracle antennas, but this one is the best portable/travel QRP HF antenna I've come across. Easy to pack, easy to put up (even easier than a dipole), surprisingly effective even when too close to the ground. I've used mine on two continents and in the middle of the Pacific, and I love it. Careful initial pruning gives you 1:1 SWR or close to it on three bands. The appropriate half-wave piece of wire will make it work on any other band. I've strung it up in lots of settings, as a vertical, a sloper, an inverted L or inverted V, and it's radiated well in all of them. Built to last, too.
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K9KHJ
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 9, 2011 10:43
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Love it
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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My QTH required an end-fed solution, and after reading the MANY fantastic reviews on the quality of these antennas, I ordered mine.
The packaging and instructions are first-rate, the install and tuning was easy (we had an analyzer but opted for old fashioned SWR testing).
I operate QRP on 40 and 20 and have NO problem working what I hear. Even with less-than-ideal conditions, Wisconsin to Hawaii on 40m wasn't too tough. My goal is 40m WAS QRP and I'm confident I'll do it with this antenna.
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N9NJM
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 14, 2011 19:43
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Fantastic!!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I tuned this with my new Rig Expert AA-30 (great analyzer by the way). This antenna is easy to to tune with an analyzer. It's very lightweight and rolls up and fits into a side pocket in the back pack. I cut the antenna for the voice portion of 40M (1.1-1.5 VSWR 7130-7200) I also cut a separate radial for the CW portion. I bought some separate thumbnuts and can easilyl deploy the antenna for CW or SSB. I called Larry and he answered all my questions thoroughly and was very friendly. Unlike many companies today, Larry was not in a hurry to get me off the phone. Great service and a great product. I made many SSB and CW contacts last weekend with half a watt and no tuner. 73-Kyle
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KATEKEBO
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Rating: 4/5
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Jan 31, 2011 06:11
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Good antenna
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I have been using this antenna for a couple of weeks now, and I think it is a very good antenna, but slightly overrated based on all the reviews here. It must appear to do miracles if the user upgrades from a mediocre antenna, but it does not perform any better than any other decent, well designed and installed antenna.
So here are my observations:
- Concept and quality: 5/5 - excellent, it's very easy to tune, low SWR (<1.5) across entire band (except 40m, but it's still quite wide), SWR does not vary a lot with orientation / locations, covers three very popular bands without tuner.
- Ease of use: 4/5 - good, but location / orientation is very important for optimum performance. While this antenna will work even if strung few feet above the ground, the performance will be mediocre unless hung at sufficient elevation for a decent radiation pattern. No antenna can defy the laws of physics. So for DXing, it must be hung horizontally at least 1/2-wavelength above the ground, or installed vertically. If installed close to the ground, this antenna basically acts as an NVIS antenna. So to make use of the full potential of this antenna you must have a 40 ft tall support - this can be a problem for some locations or portable use.
- Performance: 4/5 - good, but no "miracles". My reference is a set of vertical MFJ "hamstick" antennas on a portable tripod and home-made counterpoise / radials. I was expecting this antenna to blow the hamsticks away, given that shortened vertical radiators like the hamsticks are not very efficient. So far, I have not noticed any improvement in performance. I have been switching back and forth between the EF-10/20/40 and the hamsticks and the signal reports are identical. Not bad, given that I have made several transatlantic QSO's using 5W SSB on 20 and 40 m, but I was expecting the EF-10/20/40 to be significantly better than 8 ft verticals.
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G1HQK
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 30, 2010 14:14
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Fantastic
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Keep it brief as much already said in other posts, IMHO this is quite simply a wonderful antenna, easy to install and tune, easy on the eye and IT WORKS!
Mine is mounted in the loft space, the matchbox and about 5 feet of the wire on a rafter, then the rest is through the apex wall and down to a 15 pole at the back of the garage, overall height about 20 feet running North / South.
Worked all over the place, but to my amazement heard ZL early one morning on 40m, did not work him as he was in QSO with a friend on a sked but still impressive!
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KD0MEQ
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 7, 2010 16:51
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First contact with a Boeing 777
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Got my antenna in the mail Friday...very fast 3 day shipping to my QTH in Missouri. Mounted the antenna as near to vertical as I could...maybe 75 degrees to the tree-top.
Hooked up to my 25w 10meter radio and hoped all weekend for some 10m activity. Sunday after the sun went down I was just about to call it quits and heard a weak station coming through. Listened for a bit and it was Mark, N4RK from the cockpit of his Boeing 777! He had a mini pileup going, and I got through!
Previously I had been using homemade 10m dipoles and a 10m hamsitck clone with limited results. I can't put up a large antenna, and the EF-10/20/40 fits the bill nicely!
Highly recommended!
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N6MYA
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Rating: 4/5
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Oct 9, 2010 15:21
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Nicely built antenna
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Time owned: months
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Actually i would give it a 3.5, but since there are no half points, and it will work on the two bands i work the most ... then a 4 it is.
The antenna tuned up great on 20 meters and the band width is very broad. It tuned up perfectly on the CW portion of 40 meters and as others have said it is pretty narrow banded on 40.
No matter what i did i could not get it to tune on 10 meters ... anywhere. Nothing. 3 to 1 or more from 28.010 to 29.690. I tried moving it, changing its' height above ground, sloping, vertical. Nada.
So i guess 2 out of three ain't too bad.
Now for the construction. It is great. Stainless hardware, extra tough coating on the wire, and the wire it self ... it is amazingly tough, looks like it is copper coated, solders well, and i know it will out live me. The matching box is solidly constructed, looks like it might be potted, and looks like you could drive over it with a truck and it would survive.
Thanks to Larry for getting it to me.
N6MYA
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