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| Reviews Summary for Force 12 240 Delta |
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Reviews: 3
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Average rating: 4.7/5
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MSRP: $750.00
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Description: 2 element 40 meter Yagi with loading coils in the center of the elements. Does not interact with a tribander mounted 1 meter away.
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More info: http://force12inc.com
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write your own review of the Force 12 240 Delta.
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N8RR
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 23, 2009 06:52
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Excellent Performer
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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My antenna is actually a Delta 240/230. Installed on the tower July 4, 2009. Antenna is at 62' on a hilltop, mounted 6' above a C31XR and 6' below a Msquare 6M7JHV. If there is any interaction, it is nothing I can detect.
Per the Force 12 manual suggestion, I think it is essential to adjust the element tips on the driven and reflector elements to the frequency you want. My adjustments were made at a height of about 25' and the resonant frequency did not move up much when the antenna was raised to 62'.
My driver is resonant at 7040 (flat SWR) At the lower band edge the SWR is 1.7. It hits 2 to 1 at 7120, so a tuner is necessary on ssb. I am a CW guy, so the antenna is where I wanted it. Don't expect to get enough bandwidth out of s shorty forty to cover phone and CW without using a tuner (at least, with any antenna I have ever used). The reflector was set to 6940 during adjustment, using the procedure outlined in the F12 instructions. No problem getting the adjustments where I wanted them.
Performance: Superb! Running EU stations on 40 is no problem. Many times if I call a EU station, there are other EU stations who will call me and I move them up the band. Many times I have worked 20 to 40 EU stations without calling a CQ. Sure, a full size antenna would be better, but for the size (20' boom) I am amazed at the performance. My first or second call success percentage in pileups is very high. It feels loud.
Previously in Louisiana I had a Cushcraft 40-2CD for several years. It was a great antenna. It is difficult to compare antennas when they are not installed at the same location. There is no hard data, only a subjective feel. I feel like if there is a station on 40, this antenna at this location will work it in short order. If you don't want the hassle or don't have the space for a full size 40, I highly recommend this one.
Regarding the loading coils, they must be pretty efficient given the performance I am seeing. They are also much easier to adjust than the elements with linear loading wires. Two weeks ago, I took down the 40M linear loaded dipole element from a F12 triband 20/10 antenna and replaced it with a F12 dipole element using the coils. It is identical to the elements on my Delta 240. Simple and easy to adjust, and so far the dipole element on my friend's 20/10M yagi is working great.
Regarding 30M on the Delta, I have used it much less than 40. However, it seems to be competitive. I have worked the available DX on the band with no problem.
73, Charlie N8RR
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K6UFO
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 23, 2009 11:46
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Hits the sweet spot!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I ordered my antennas at Dayton 2008 from the "New Force 12." Mark and his people were helpful, responsive, and kept me informed of assembly and shipping progress. The antennas arrived with all parts, and assembled smoothly and easily. Antennas work exactly as advertised, and as expected. I was able to buy TWO Force 12 yagis for less than the cost of ONE of the stepping kind. A great value.
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W2IRT
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Rating: 4/5
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Oct 13, 2008 21:26
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Great performer after initial problems
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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OK, here's the promised follow-up review, written six months after the one below. After the initial teething pains had passed, I have a much better impression of the Delta 240.
First the bad. Indeed, after much tweaking and fiddling, the best bandwidth we could achieve was roughly 150 kHz. Resonance is set to 7040 and I have about 1.2:1 at the band edge, rising to 2:1 right at 7125. I have to use a tuner for SSB, but due to the nature of 40m operation, SSB isn't really much of a consideration on 40m for me as I'm a DXer first and foremost. For SSB contesting, it plays nicely with a tuner in line.
Also in the "negative" department is the very noticeable lack of front-to-back. Hey, it's a short boom and has shortened elements--whaddya expect!
But now the upsides: This thing cuts through forty like a hot knife through butter. Before the Delta-240 went up 40m was by far my worst band. Now it's second only to 20m. From my location in northern NJ I enjoy consistently-excellent results to Africa and Asia with this antenna. Yes, I can still hear everyone calling the DX off the back of the antenna (making simplex pileups a real chore), but I can also hear the DX giving me 599s after one or two calls as well.
The other major advantage of this model antenna is that, as advertised, there is NO negative interaction with the other antennas in my array, on any HF band.
All in all, in terms of an overall experience, I'd give this a 4 but it's hard not to give it a 5 when I keep hearing my call coming back to me from some wonderfully-remote DX entities with strong 5NN reports after one or two tries!
Bottom line: If your tower, lot size, budget or other considerations won't allow you to put up a full-sized 40m yagi, this small, lightweight and reasonably-priced performer will get you in the log pretty well every time.
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