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| Reviews Summary for TAK-tenna |
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Reviews: 55
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Average rating: 4.8/5
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MSRP: $128
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Description: Electrical Half-wave Dipole Antenna
Rotatable - Portable - Stealth - Perfect Backup Antenna
Currently available in 40m, 20m, 10m, and 11m models
Electrical Quarter-wave radiating spiral end elements
Direct feed with 50 ohm coax on resonant band
User selects resonant frequency during tuning process
Can use coax + tuner...or twin lead + tuner
Power tested to 1000 CW watts,
key down for 30 seconds and 1400 Watts PEP
no heat sensed on antenna wire or coax feed point when touched by hand after power testing
NO lossy matching components anyplace in system
10 to 14 dB signal increase in transmit with 90 degree rotation
30 inch boom
Low SWR across band
Sturdy and well built
Weighs only 5 pounds
Uses proprietary #14 gage copper plated alloy wire
Easy assembly - less than 90 minutes
TAK-tenna 40 Multi-Bander also works on 30, 20, 15 and 10 Meters with use of tuner
Tested with Kenwood TS-430 and AT-250 using 50 ohm coax to antenna
Tested with twin lead and other tuner...works fine too
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More info: http://www.tak-tenna.com/
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You can
write your own review of the TAK-tenna.
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KC9NIY
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 26, 2008 15:08
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Big Bang-Small Buck
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I've had the Tak-Tenna 40m for a little over a month now. I purchased it based on the experience of a friend, K8RAO who has been using one mounted vertically about 4’ off the ground with pretty good results.
Assembly is straight forward and took about 45 minutes. Based on K8RAO’s experience it is probably worth taking the time to get the coils spaced as evenly as possible. No hard data on that, just his impression.
Initially, when test mounted at 10’, the performance was a bit lackluster. After raising it to 20’ the performance has been excellent. The antenna was tuned to 7.2 for the widest bandwidth with a SWR <1.2. I use the antenna with a LDG-897 tuner and Yaesu 897 and have used it on 80m-17m. 17m does have a higher SWR but it is managable with the tuner and has given me contact as far as Washington state.
Since it has been raised to 20’, I’ve worked 6Y5, KP2, KH6, VP5, OA all on 100W with 43-58 reports, primarily on 40m and 20m. Reports into Texas have been “booming” and 17m has given me several domestic contacts as well using the tuner.
At my QTH in SW Indiana, the ground drops fairly significantly to the South to the Ohio River. The antenna is normally orientated E-W, with the hot side to the East. The Caribbean contacts were made with this orientation so conventional logic would be that they were made off the side lobe. On one occasion when I did point the antenna South, I made the Peru contact.
It may be worth noting that in a conversation with WA2TAK he stated that the lobes of the antenna don’t always line up directly with the antenna’s orientation. Although he wasn’t specific as to why, in my case it would seem to be due to the ground slope which makes sense. I’ll also “ditto” the comments on the service, none better!
For a compact, inexpensive multi-band antenna which can be used horizontally or vertically in a small space, I couldn’t be more pleased.
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2E0PJR
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 13, 2008 14:06
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Well worth the cost
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I have had the TAK-tenna 40 for a few weeks now.It was easy to build (just about one hour).I used a TRIO DM-801 DIP METER to resonate it about mid band on 40m. It was put on a 10 foot pole with a rotater and fastened to another pole which only gave it about 15 feet above ground level.It worked very well and stations in some locations which I could hardly hear before were much clearer. I tried other bands using a Yaesu 840 with the Yaesu FC-10 automatic tuner and it tuned 40m with no problem but on other bands(20-10) it was a little high on the swr. I tried a KW E-ZEE match antenna tuner on those bands with high swr readings and with a bit of fiddling about it bought them down to about 1-3-1.So not too bad.I'm now waiting to get a 20 foot scaffold pole so I can mount it on the side of my QTH at around 30 feet and above the ridge of my roof.This antenna is well worth the cost and is small enough for any location without being obtrusive.Thanks to Steve and the guys. Regards, Peter. (2E0PJR)
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NA0US
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Rating: 5/5
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May 9, 2008 20:03
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TAK-Tenna on My Houseboat
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I have a small houseboat I enjoy on Lake Powell in southeastern Utah. I've used a Yaesu FT-847 and ATAS-100 screwdriver in the past, with limited success. I recently sold both the radio and antenna and purchased ICOM's IC-7000, and LDG AT-200 tuner, and began looking for an alternative to antennas I could use on my boat. I ran across the TAK-Tenna and decided to give it a try.
Mounting the antenna was challenging and I affixed a 1" piece of PVC to the roof support on one side of the boat, which is about 2 to 2.5 feet above the roof of the boat. (The boat has an all aluminum roof and frame.) At the top of this PVC is a threaded "T" coupling. I have an additional 10' length of PVC with another threaded coupling and attached the TAK-Tenna to the top of this section, then screwed the extra 10' of PVC to the existing mast, placing the TAK-Tenna about 11-12' from the roof of the boat and about 20' from the surface of the water. (Of note, I put 1" pine dowel inside the PVC to give it some additional strength, which proved to be a great idea when I experienced high wind.) Next, I attached a 4' section of PVC to the "T" at 90 degrees to the mast, giving me the ability to guy the mast on the water side of the boat. I guyed the mast to the railing of the boat on front and back, then guyed the third guy to the tip of the 4' section of PVC and down to the side of the boat. In addition, I guyed the 4' section to front and back of the boat to keep the mast from rotating. I have several photographs of the setup. Two can be seen here:
http://www.ferrises.com/albums/Lake_Powell_2008-Apr/585_50_Mile_Canyon_P1020649.JPG
http://www.ferrises.com/albums/Lake_Powell_2008-Apr/352_Oak_Bay_DSCN5993.JPG
The resultant setup worked quite well and I was able to make several contacts on 80m, quite a few on 40m, and several more on 20m. All contacts were made with the IC-7000 and LDG AT-200 tuner. I checked other bands and found little activity. The antenna had no problem tuning other bands, though 17m took some time to tuneup, which was unusual for the AT-200 tuner. The SWR was higher on 17m than other bands, but was acceptable. Powering the radio are three deep cycle batteries all charged with a 120W solar panel. I also was running my laptop computer and several other devices, so battery voltage was never optimal and my normal output power was about 60W at full power due to input voltage being lower than full battery charge. In many instances, I was inside deep canyons, where canyon walls are 300-1000' above the surface of the lake and in the past, these deep canyons make for difficult HF communication.
The TAK-Tenna performed well, with contacts into California, Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio, Georgia, Arkansas, on 40M. I made multiple contacts to both coasts on 20M. My 80M contacts were into Utah, Arizona, and Colorado, so were what I'd consider "local", though I did not operate on 80m often. Band conditions were not the best at the time either, so I was quite pleased with the performance and can easily say that this antenna out performed the screwdriver I used in the past.
Additional photographs of the setup are available here:
http://www.ferrises.com/albums/Lake_Powell_2008-Apr/554_50_Mile_Canyon_P1020599.JPG
http://www.ferrises.com/albums/Lake_Powell_2008-Apr/555_50_Mile_Canyon_P1020603.JPG
http://www.ferrises.com/albums/Lake_Powell_2008-Apr/584_50_Mile_Canyon_P1020647.JPG
Early spring at Lake Powell can produce some unusual winds. On my last day/night at the lake, I got tied up to the beach and a storm hit which lasted about 12 hours. Winds were steady from 40-50mph and gusted much higher occassionally. I was more worried about my boat than the antenna, but when the storm subsided and I checked the antenna, there was absolutely no problem. It had been guyed properly and survived the high winds easily.
The TAK-Tenna may not be the optimal antenna to use in situations where others will fit, but in my case, the ability to erect a good performing antenna is very limited and I was very pleased with the communication I was able to make using the TAK-Tenna. I might add that I'm not a fanatical DX-er and went to Lake Powell to enjoy fishing, hiking, and relaxing and didn't operate a great deal. I'm sure I'll do more in the future and will be able to make worldwide contacts.
This antenna fit my needs quite well and I'd give a 5 star rating for my application. Next, I'm going to try it at home, but have as yet not had the time.
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KH6FT
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Rating: 4/5
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Apr 28, 2008 22:51
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good antenna for its size
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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after hearing about the tak-tenna from a freind &
reading the reviews on e-ham I decided to try it
mainly because of my situation.(small property -
w/restrictions)upon recvg it & checking for all the parts I decided to build it the next morning.
per the instruction-sht winding the first coil was
a bit tricky but after that the assembly became
rather simple.tuning it was made faster using my
mfj-259,& 1-1/2 hr later the tak-tenna was ready
to go up n the air.I've gotten 55-56 rpts w/100w
on the west-coast,52-53 rpts in the east on 20mtr
considering the erratic band-cndx I thought that
was pretty good.would I recommend this antenna ?
you bet! especially if you're like alot of us are
(ant-restrictions-small property)tnx steve for a
small but very likeable antenna..73& aloha alex:
ps.w/my xtnl-tuner I've tuned 15-17-20 & even 80
mtrs with this 40mtr-version, tnx agn steve..73
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AE5FQ
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 25, 2008 13:48
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great antenna
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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i ordered the 40 meter antenna a few months ago fast shipping and steve is great customer service person the antenna went together fast with no problem i installed it verticle at 20 feet the recomneded hight it was a breeze to resonate on 40 meters i had a qso with a station in main and out west i live in mississippi i would order another one before i would anything else. robert ae5fq .ps i gave it a 5 because t deserves it
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VK2TVW
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 23, 2008 18:51
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Tak-Tenna Solved my Problem
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Australia is a big country.I live in a Duplex ground unit on the east coast of Australia with a backyard space of six square metrs and was only able to use a G5RV half wave antenna over the top of the unit from a palm tree to a twenty foot single pole.I have been looking for a antenna tha would cover 40 mtrs plus some other bands After years of searching for something that would suit my situation I came across the Tak-Tenna.After extensive enquiry and reading the many reviews I decided I would get one.A decision I do not regret.Within nine days I recieved My new Tak-Tenna nicely packaged.After following the easy to follow instructions and taking time to tune and set it up at a height of eleven foot I was ready to go.My first contact on forty mtrs was a VK3 station at 5/9s Vk4s up to Cairns 5/9s.Also made contact with VK7s ZL2JR ,ZL3OZ 5/7s 5/9s.Even picked up a G4AIR and a G3MLO Plus Japan,Singapore and a European Contest and a VK4ENG who was also using a Tak-Tenna both 5/9s+.I use an Icom 706MK11 with a Z100 LDG tuner .All I can say is if like me anyone has limited space check out this amazing antenna.You will not regret it.I must also thank Steve Tetorka WA2TAk for putting a product on the market that is value for money and does what is made for .Steve is also very helpfull with any questions you may have. I would will not hesitate to reccommend that others in VK and elsewhere like myself have a look at Tak-Tenna.It may just solve your antenna problems as it did mine.
Thanks Steve for helping me overcome my Frustrations.
Viv Weeke VK2TVW
Alstonville N.S.W
Australia
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KE5SPP
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 21, 2008 01:17
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I like it!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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A couple of points first. You can't ask for better customer support / concern. You are not left hanging. After sale inquiries and concern are to be commended.
The antenna is a bit of a trick winding. I found that you could wind it one way (tightly) and end up with lots of extra wire. Loose is best here. When I was done I had about 9 inches of wire left over to trim. I would agree with the other posts that suggest an analyzer but would go one further and say that it is mandatory. Finding the sweet spot would have been really frustrating I think without one. It ended up at 1.4 for SWR. I used RG-8 as feed line.
I have ran mine horizontal with great reports throughout the state. I used it vertically at about 6 feet off a 60 foot reenforced concrete slab and got 5/7 and 5/5 to Virgina and Mass.
As I told Steve, this antenna will be in my jump kit for emergencies. It is easily undone and folded to take up very little space. Reassembly requires a few plastic wraps.
All in all I like it. I have asked for the 80 meter version when it becomes available and will tuck it in my kit as well.
Is it a suitable replacement for a beam? NO. Does it keep up with my dipoles? Not exactly it's a little lower on receive levels. Why have one then you ask? If you have ever tried to hang a dipole from trees that are full of debris or that have been blown over you know the answer.
It is probably the best way to get around CCR's of your homeowners group. Once painted, you could say it is anything. Tell them it's your scuplture:)
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AA7PS
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Rating: 1/5
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Apr 13, 2008 18:43
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Not so great
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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Just have to say that the Tak-tenna 40 fell way below all the glowing reports. I mounted it up 20 feet with a antenna rotator and compared it to my Hustler BTV-4 which is ground mounted. The Hustler was S-9 and the Tek-Tenna was S-2 on 40 meters comparing same signal. I used 450 Ohm ladder line, 4:1 Balun and a MFJ-993B tuner. Tried other bands with pretty much the same results. I called Steve and he was very courteous and helpful, outstanding service. I tried everything he suggested and nothing seems to dig it out of the cellar, guess the Hustler will remain my backup antenna.
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HB9SIS
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Rating: 4/5
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Mar 30, 2008 07:40
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Little "BIG" Taktenna !
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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73 from hb9sis@gmail.com, j'ai testé ma taktenna 40 a Neuchatel, Suisse, les 28-29 mars, jours de contests. Installation a la fenetre, tube a rideau 2m40, 20mm, fixée dans un tuyau d'eau de 3/4, au bord de la fenetre: (ask for pics)
YT8A 59 sur 7045khz, OT5A 59 sur 7049 khz à Anvers, Belgique, OG8X su 7058 khz OG6N sur 7076 khz. Hors bande,(tak40m) sur 3698 khz, S51CK. Accorder 80m sur MFJ 945E n'est pas facile, transmitter et antenna reagissent au mm ! SWR 2 sur 3650 khz.De 10m à 40m, warc inclus, swr 1,1 à 1,5. IC 706 MK2G, 100W la tak est une (2) croix de 75cm x 75cm, coax RG58 fixé sur 2 vis 5mm. chaque "self" (11m de cuivre 1,5mm)reliée par un fil noir, soudé sur une pince crocodile à 1 vis, le coax (avec un oeillet soudé sur brin et masse) se met sur la vis.Petite antenne,(physiquement) mais grande performance, pour sa taille et 2 x 11m de fil. Very nice and short antenna !
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4Z5DF
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 29, 2008 08:55
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PRAISE!PRAISE!PRAISE
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Time owned: months
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BEFORE I START MY REVIEW I WOULD LIKE TO STATE THAT THE AFTER SALES SUPPORT PROVIDED BY STEVE IS EXEMPLARY.
I RECEIVED MY 40M TAKTENNA IN SEPT 2007 AND DECIDED THAT I WOULD PREFER USING IT MONOBAND ON 20M, STEVE SENT SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS ON THIS MODIFICATION.AFTER CONSTRUCTION ENCOUNTERED PROBLEMS "TAMING THE BEASTIE - TUNING IT TO REASONANCE/LOW VSWR", STEVE WAS WITH US EVERY CM OF THIS PHASE GIVING ADVISE AND VERY EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS. TO ANYONE CONCIDERING PURCHASING A TAKTENNA - BEG,BORROW OR STE*L AN ANTENNA ANALYZER, I CAN'T OVEREMPHASIZE THIS POINT!!
IT TOOK US SOME TIME BUT WE FINALLY BORROWED ONE AND THEN "THE BEASTIE WAS TAMED". USING THE TAKTENNA ON 10FT POLE AT GROUND LEVEL, WE MADE CONTACT WITH IW2(MILANO) THAT WAS IN NOV 2007. BEFORE WE SOLDERED THE CONNECTIONS (AT A LATER DATE) WE NOTICED THAT THE COLD END TAP HAD MOVED
AND WE NO LONGER HAD THE ANTENNA ANALYZER. IT WAS SOLDERED ACCORDING TO MEMORY AND MR MURPHY'S
LAWS WERE ACTIVATED. YETERDAY I DECIDED THAT IT WAS ABOUT TIME TO CHECK IT AGAIN. I DROVE MY CAR TO OUR LOCAL PARK, PLACED TAKTENNA ON 10FT POLE AND HOOKED IT IT UP TO TS-570. TO MY DISMAY
IT EXHIBITED HIGH VSWR (I MEAN HIGH!!!), OUR COLD TAP POINT HAD ALTERED THE CHARACTERISTICS BUT I MANAGED TO CONTACT SM4(FALUN),SM4(MORA),ES5(TALLINN),UZ5(KIEV).
THIS IS ONLY AN INITIAL REVIEW. THE TAKTENNA IS A
GREAT ANTENNA AND WHEN PROPERLY TUNED SHOULD GIVE
RESULTS INVERSELY PROPORTIONAL TO ITS SIZE!!
MY HAT GOES OFF TO STEVE FOR THE TAKTENNA AND ALL
HIS HELP.
ARYEH 4Z5DF
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