|
New to Ham Radio?
My Profile
Community
Articles
Forums
News
Reviews
Friends Remembered
Speak Out
Strays
Survey Question
Operating
Contesting
DX Cluster Spots
Propagation
Resources
Calendar
Classifieds
Ham Exams
Ham Links
List Archives
News Articles
Product Reviews
QSL Managers
Site Info
eHam Help (FAQ)
Support the site
The eHam Team
Advertising Info
Vision Statement
About eHam.net
|
| Reviews Summary for TransWorld Antennas TW2010 Traveler HF Portable Vertical Antenna |
|
Reviews: 37
|
Average rating: 5.0/5
|
MSRP: $399
|
Description: The TW2010 Traveler® is the perfect antenna if you are searching for high performance DX communications in a portable package.
Traveler® provides five-band, omni-directional communications in an easy-to-assemble package that requires no radial ground system or towers and is designed for operators requiring stealth performance.
The black powder coating assures stealth performance for Hams who operate in areas with deed restrictions or other areas prohibiting permanently installed antennas and towers.
A low take-off angle — an outcome of the modified-H design — produces maximum skip for successful DX transmissions and contact.
Traveler® can be assembled in minutes for either permanent installation on a mounting rod or temporary setup using a sturdy, optional quadrapod.
|
|
More info: http://www.transworldantennas.com
|
|
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this review.
Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help
|
You can
write your own review of the TransWorld Antennas TW2010 Traveler HF Portable Vertical Antenna.
|
N9QGU
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Oct 6, 2008 17:58
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
TW-2010 vs. Force 12 Sigma 5
|
Time owned: 6 to 12 months
|
I like to play ocean side radio from Jamaica, St. Martin, or the Bahamas. In the past four years I have made over 2100 contacts from these locations. Radios get smaller all of the time. Finding an effective antenna that is easy to pack and deploy has been a challenge. Up until this year, I used a Force-12 Sigma 5 vertical dipole. You can see my review of the Force 12 Sigma 5 on this website.
Although the Sigma 5 has performed well, I was planning on retiring it from service due to concerns about its longevity and my fear that it would fail catastrophically at a very inopportune time. There is a significant outlay of cash involved in traveling to these locations. The last thing I want to have is an avoidable equipment failure. These concerns were brought to a head by a report I read about a DXpedition to the Cook Islands. http://www.e51mmm.blogspot.com/
They were using a Sigma 5 set up next to the ocean. After a few days the salt spray destroyed the antenna’s controller. This failure confirmed my concerns about the design of the Sigma 5 and its potential for failure. A susceptibility to corrosion from salt water is quite unfortunate as vertical dipoles are at their best when set up next to or above salt water.
The relays that are responsible for changing bands on the Sigma 5 are mounted on a PC board inside a large piece of PVC in the center of the antenna. The PVC has openings at the top and bottom to accommodate the antenna mast which passes through it. These openings are not water tight. There is also a large slot in the side to accommodate the coax, control cable, and a support arm. To be fair, a number of individuals on eham.net have reported using this antenna in adverse conditions for extended periods without any problems. So your mileage may vary. Given the quality control issues I encountered, I wasn’t comfortable taking this chance.
I was very excited when I discovered that another company, Trans World Antennas was selling a portable 5 band vertical dipole, the TW-2010 Traveler. Although both antennas are based on the same design (short vertical dipole) and appear to have the same electrical characteristics, the TW-2010 Traveler (now called the “Adventurer”) is a more elegant implementation of this design. The folks at TW Antennas have done an outstanding job on design, the selection of construction materials, and quality control.
The horizontal arms on the Sigma 5 have to be connected with screws and wing nuts (little pieces that can be easily lost). The horizontals on the TW2010-Traveler/Adventurer simply fold down and lock into place. Also the vertical sections of the Sigma 5 require machine screws and wing nuts to hold them in place. The vertical sections of the TW2010-Traveler/ Adventurer snap into place and tighten with large plastic knobs.
As manufactured, the Sigma 5 requires a screw driver to attach the control cable to the switch box. The TW2010-Traveler/Adventurer is all plug and play. It does not require any tools for assembly. Because it doesn’t require tools, nuts, or screws; the TW2010-Traveler /Adventurer can be assembled in a third of the time of the Sigma 5. I can set mine up in less than five minutes.
Due to their superb quality control, the TW2010-Traveler/Adventurer did not have the problems with rough edges and missing pieces that I initially ran into with the Sigma 5. In addition, the TW-2010-Traveler/Adventurer's switching array (where the coils and relays are mounted) is inside a sealed box which is center mounted on the antenna.
Shortly after receiving it, I set up the TW-2010 Traveler/Adventurer and hooked up my MFJ antenna analyzer. The only place the SWR was a little high was 17 meters (1.6:1). However, in retrospect this may have been due to the facts that I set up the antenna less than 20 feet from car and I did not feed the coax at a 45 degree angle to the antenna.
A final difference of note between the two antennas is that the TW-2010 Traveler/Adventurer uses an electronic switch box to change bands. You can either change bands manually via push buttons or you can control it automatically from a recent model Icom or Yaesu rig with a $9.95 optional cable. This is far superior to the Sigma 5 which uses an exposed manual rotary switch that is mounted to an “L” shaped piece of plastic.
The only complaint I can make about my new antenna is the size of the “quadra-pod” stand. It is of excellent quality and construction and I would not hesitate to recommend it for permanent or semi-permanent installation. It would also not be a problem to throw it in the trunk of your car and bring it along for portable operation. However, it is too big to fit inside the TW2010 carrying case. If you are traveling via air the stand has to checked separately or combined with the antenna in a larger case. I use a hard sided golf bag case. Trans World Antennas has recognized this as a short coming and have created a much lighter “quadra-stand” ($59) to support their newest antenna, the “Backpacker”. Fortunately, this stand is robust enough to support the TW-2010 Traveler/Adventurer and fits into the travel bag. So the problem is solved. If you are buying this antenna to take to faraway places you should take a serious look at the lighter “quadra-stand”. The antenna comes with a stake for ground mounting. You can use the ground mount at home and use the “quadra-stand” while traveling.
Performance: In May 2008, at the bottom of the sun cycle I took the TW2010-Traveler/Adventurer to St. Martin. In two weeks while running 100 watts, I made over 800 contacts. Although the majority of these contacts where with North America (as far west as California), I also worked plenty of stations in Europe, South America, and Canada.
Customer Service: Beyond quality control, my single largest complaint with the Sigma 5 was Force 12’s customer service. The antenna was shipped three weeks later than promised and I had to badger them to have a missing part sent to me. I understand that Force 12 has recently changed owners so customer service may no longer be a problem.
Customer Service has never been an issue with Trans World Antennas. My antenna was shipped as promised. Since everything was included that should have been, I can not comment on their ability to follow up on missing parts. However, I have called them on several occasions to discuss their products. I found them to be helpful, friendly, and more than willing to spend as much time as necessary on the phone with me to satisfy my questions or just to chat about the antenna.
Upgrades: Trans World Antennas has just begun selling a lighter version, the “Backpacker” and a 40 meter version, the “4040”. The Backpacker features manual switching for 10, 12, 15, 17, and 20 meters directly on the switching array box without the need for a controller or power source. The “4040” switching array box covers the entire 40 meter band (i.e., 7.0-7.3 MHz) without the necessity of either manual band changing or the need for a controller!
What’s really sweet is that these two new antennas are essentially the same as the TW-2010 Traveler/Adventurer only with a separate center section. So if you already own a TW-2010 Traveler/Adventurer you can purchase a “Backpacker” or “4040” center section for slightly less than $150 each and convert your existing antenna if you want to go backpacking or work 40 meters. It takes all of maybe 30 seconds to swap out the center section.
Cost: Currently the Trans World Antennas sells a package with the Adventurer Antenna, control cable, travel bag, and stand for $549. The Force 12 Sigma 5 is currently $449 for antenna and stand. If you are in the market for a short 20-10 vertical dipole do yourself a favor, spend the extra $100 and get the Trans World antenna. The quality of the Trans World Antenna will impress you. The Sigma 5 is likely to disappoint you.
For more information on the TW-2010 Traveler/Adventurer see the excellent review by Gordon West in the September 2008 CQ.
http://transworldantennas.com/media/24-TWReviewWestSept.pdf
|
|
KC4UIG
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Oct 6, 2008 14:55
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Amazing Antenna
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
|
I purchased the TW Antennas TW2010 Traveler HF Portable Vertical Antenna after a few e-mails trying to get a better sense of it. Dennis was very helpful. I read the reviews and ordered it! Arrived very quickly. I initially had planned to put this in my attic, but my measurements were a bit off and it wouldn't fit. It is a very stealthy looking antenna so I put it up outside my patio fence and had the members of the HOA take a look. I actually got approval to leave it in place. It assembled in minutes and was perfect right out of the box. I have made a couple of contacts on 10 meters (arranged local) and now a few on 20 as well during last weekends (10-4/10-5) QSO contest. Good reports all the way around! I have the ICOM cable for it so it does the band switching for me. If this antenna had 40 and 80 meters on it I would never need another. I can't wait for the bands to open up again so I can start talking the world! Thanks Dennis...You've got a masterpiece here!
|
|
M3SKF
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Sep 29, 2008 06:35
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
JUST THE JOB
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
|
WORKING HF IN A SMALL APARTMENT FLAT IN THE UK CAN BE VERY DIFICULT OPTION.TRYED MOST TYPES OF /P WHIPS AND WIRE WITH VERY LIMITED RESULTS.READING THE REVIEWS I THOUGHT WHY NOT GIVE IT A TRY,ITS A WELL CONSTRUCTED ANTENNA THAT I USE /M AND AT HOME IN THE FLAT.IVE HAD FANTASTIC RESULTS WITH THE TW TRAVELER AND AM VERY PLEASED WITH MY PURCHASE.WELL DONE TO THESE GOOD FOLK AT TW,THANKS
|
|
K6SGH
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Sep 22, 2008 08:18
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
Recently, I operated as W6S, rover 2, during the 2008 Route 66 On-the-Air special event. Having operated this event in 2005 using mainly hamsticks and wire antennas, I decided that I would look for a portable multiband antenna that I could deploy quickly and without the hassle of carrying supports. Although hamsticks are easy to use, switch and work reasonably well, my experience told me I needed a better multiband solution given the much poorer band conditions now versus 2005. And I did not want to spend half an hour each time to erect and take down my wire antennas.
I came across the TW Antenna and was immediately intrigued. Reading through the Eham reviews, one can only come away impressed with the comments from TW owners. So I contacted the company and they graciously provided the TW-Traveler Light model for me for the event. This model uses jumpers to change bands rather than the powered switching box on their other model.
From the start I was quite impressed with the TW. Firstly, its design is so well thought out that you can put it together blindfolded in about a minute, and it comes down and back into its case in the same amount of time. So, as I was rovering and came across a nice spot to transmit, I had no hesitation to break out the TW and try the bands. I did this many many times over the course of my 7-day travels across the western portions of Route 66.
But performance is what counts and here is where the TW really shines. The antenna is very quiet and works like a champ! SWR out of the box on each band was 1:1.5 and reasonably broad. I did use my Palstar tuner with the antenna but I really didn’t need to. The pileups I generated and the signal reports I received proved the performance of this antenna was superb. Occasionally I rotated the antenna to see if I could determine any pattern but I really didn’t notice much difference in the reports I was receiving. So, I kept it facing generally northeast from where I was located.
I also made several comparisons to my 20-meter hamstick from several locations during the event. The TW was consistently 2-4 S Units better on receive and of the half a dozen or so transmit comparisons I made with contacts, I was told that the TW was 3-5 S Units better on transmit than the hamstick. One contact said he could barely hear me on the hamstick and I was S5 on the TW. Need I say more??
I worked over 400 contacts in 6 days on 20 meters from many different locations using the TW. It is such a pleasure to erect and use that I have removed my hamstick mount from my camper. I only operate portable, not mobile, and frequently operate from near the ocean. I cannot wait to get the TW over a salt-water ground and see how much DX I can work. I am sure I will be amazed even further with its performance.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the TW to anyone seeking a quick to deploy multiband antenna. For those of you who live in restricted areas, the TW is your solution to a multiband antenna that won’t bring down your neighbors or the police on your station. If you’ve been considering a portable multibander, do you self a big favor and get a TW Antenna. I guarantee you will really enjoy this antenna.
You can see pictures of my operation with the TW during the event at:
http://www.k6sgh.com/rte66_2008/journal.htm
W6S, Steve, K6SGH
|
|
NU6I
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Sep 21, 2008 14:58
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
surprising but it works
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
I was skeptical but having an HOA and having tried every possible stealth and portable antenna including the Buddipole, YP2, screwdriver and magnetic loops, I decided to give it a try.
I use the Buddipole and Buddistick for portable operation with great success but for home I needed something that can be left in place in the small back yard and not seen from the street.
Well, I can only say that it works. I did assemble it(easy) yesterday and the frequency was too high on 20,17 and 15. An email to Dennis at TW Antenna was immediately answered with the instructions on how to tune it and that if it still didn't work they would send me a new center piece.
The tuning went easy and a few minutes later I had a qso to Washignton state with my K2/10. No DX but with my situation, 8 watts and the poor propagation I was happy.
Thanks Dennis for the great service.
Yvon (Rock) AE7YD
|
|
W9JH
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Sep 16, 2008 17:37
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Great Antenna! – Reviewed in Sept 2008 CQ Magazine
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
The September 2008 CQ Magazine issue has a nice review on the TW2010 where the author, Gordon West, refers to the antenna as; “…a compact, five-band, high-frequency antenna that swings open in seconds and is fully deployed, with its own ground system, in less that five minutes.”
The reviews here on eHam for the TW-2010 have been 100% positive and I agree!
Starting from the packaging to the ease of assembly and great performance this is one great antenna. I bought it with two purposes in mind. First as a stealth installation in a CCR neighborhood, and second to take along in the motor home for camping and possibly field day.
I purchased the whole enchilada – antenna, quadpod, carrying case and Icom cable. After taking everything out of the excellent shipping containers the setup took maybe five minutes! The construction and design is first class and is extremely easy to setup and take down.
Anxious to give it a try I temporarily set it between two trees in the backyard so it would be somewhat hidden and only about 20 feet from the house. I then strung out the 65 foot control cable and a spare piece of coax. Then connected the cables (coax, control cable and 12vdc to the controller) and gave it a go. The SWR was 1.05:1 or less on ALL bands! So then a couple of CQs and that’s when it got interesting. When others heard what I was using for an antenna this created a mini-pileup as they could not believe this little antenna was putting out such a good signal with just 100 watts. I owe some of that to the efficiency of the antenna and excellent match. This is way more efficient than a screwdriver or other portable antennas that I had considered. And the construction quality is outstanding.
Looking forward to many years and fun QSOs with this gem! You won’t be disappointed.
73,
Jack – W9JH
|
|
N0YD
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Sep 14, 2008 16:52
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Follow-up Report
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
This is a follow-up report to my original report of Aug 6, 2008.
I've had the antenna for a little over a month and really like it.
I am using my portable station:
an Icom 706 Mk II G with only 100 watts and the TW2010 antenna mounted 8 feet off the ground.
As I reported earlier, my first QSO was with 6Y5RP.
Then later I worked CQ35MD, a special events station in Porto Santo, Mediera (an island off the coast of Africa).
Today during the WAE contest, I worked RU1A in St. Petersburg, Russia.
We're at the bottom of the sunspot cycle and haven't seen a sunspot for over a month. But this antenna still gets out.
I wonder what it will do when we finally get some good propagation?
Tom, N0YD "Yankee Doodle"
|
|
NV7E
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Aug 29, 2008 03:02
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Good Portable or Stealth Antenna
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
I used the TW2010 Traveler this year during my annual “reverse DXpedition” from South Africa to Nevada. I used the Buddipole in previous years there with limited success. The Buddipole tripod failed last year when a gust of wind came along, blowing the Buddipole down and breaking part of it. I knew I really had to find an alternative.
My first impression after receiving the TW2010 in Elko was that the TW2010 is a solid product, especially the Quadrapod, which is more solid than any other portable antenna base I know except the Penninger Tipper. The Quadrapod folds opens up and folds up again easily. I took the TW2010 out into the desert where I tuned it for the lower edges of the 20 thru 10 meter bands for CW. It performed well out there. I didn't have a linear with me this year, but it is nice to know that the Traveler won't blow out if I load moderately high power into it. You can put it up and take it apart in a couple of minutes. It doesn’t blow over in normal wind. If you mounted it on a chimney mast it would probably look to most people like a TV antenna. For this reason it would be a good choice where stealth is required.
The TW2010 comes with an optional carrying/storage bag which looks like a golf bag. It's not really a golf bag but designed especially for the TW2010. I ordered the optional control cable for my FT-897D, but the control box is so I easy to use that I never used the optional cable.
At Dayton this year TW Antennas had a booth. I wanted to order an extra 65' control cable which is mentioned on their web page but still has yet to appear for sale. The person at the booth pointed out that you can fashion a longer control cable using standard rotor cable and wiring it directly from the tuner on antenna to the control box. There are screw-in connectors inside the tuner and control box for that purpose.
The TW2010 loads nicely into a car trunk or back seat, but it is not as portable as I would like for air travel. You could probably take the TW2010 in the "golf bag" on the plane as a piece of luggage. The shipping cartons that the TW2010 and accessories arrive in are very solid, but because they are so big it costs a lot of money to send them by UPS if you ship them yourself. The shipping charge for the complete TW2010 set from TW Antennas to your continental U.S. address is a bargain at only $51.
In summary, the TW2010 is a good choice for portable operations where you can take it along in your car, or as a stealth antenna. I look forward to using it in Nevada again next year.
ZS6SIG
|
|
K1QF
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Aug 14, 2008 17:28
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Exceptional value
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
This is an outstanding antenna. I have been in and out of ham radio for fifty years with the "out periods" having a lot to do with finding an acceptable antenna for limited space. The TW2010 has been a marvel. Despite being in an electrically noisy environment and set up only six feet from my house, I am able to work anything I hear. World wide DX contacts are routine.
This antenna is very "stealthy" with black coating. My wife hasn't complained and the neighbors don't seem to have noticed.
As other reviewers have noted the quality of construction is amazing. Customer service is excellent. This antenna represents exceptional value.
|
|
ECHOFOX
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Aug 10, 2008 21:28
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Up in minutes..DX in minutes..down in minutes.
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
As I am badly antenna restricted, I work exclusively portable including 110v/220v portable and 9.6v too. In addition to other equipment, my "shack" consists of a Yaesu FT-897D, an FT-817ND, a Super Antennas MP-1 and a TW Antennas TW2010 Traveler.
The MP-1 is an excellent portable antenna. I have worked many places from many places with my Yaesus and MP-1 that I would not have been able to with a more "traditional" shack. While the MP-1 is a very good portable HF antenna in its stock, 6ft form, with an additional "mobile mast" element below the screwdriver/loading coil and a longer MFJ 10ft telescoping whip, my MP-1, in this 14ft configuration and mounted on a 3ft mount/mast along with "enough" ground radials, is an excellent performer and easily exhibits gain over the stock configuration.
The TW2010 Traveler is a comparable performer to the 14ft "version" of the MP-1. With the conditions that a solar flux of 65 brings and working portable for just a few hours per month, with enough coax to connect only one antenna at a time, it has been difficult to "A/B" test the MP-1 and TW2010. However, from what tests that I have been able to do and from observation, these antennas perform similarly.
The advantage of the MP-1 is, of course, portability. In its stock 6ft form, the MP-1 disassembles and collapses to 1ft. With an additional 2ft mast element and the MFJ 10ft telescoping whip, disassembled and collapsed, it is still only 2ft in length and weighs about 2lbs. The MP-1 is also quite configurable with its ability to use a variety of masts, whips and mounts with its universal mount and tripod. Unlike the TW2010, the MP-1 will also tune 40m.
The advantage of the TW2010 is its ease of use and robustness. This antenna is VERY well made and thoughtfully designed. Basically, the antenna consists of three pieces and a quadrapod base that slide into each other and the base. The two "arms" of each of the two capacitor hats are hinged and are easily opened and locked into place.
20-25 knot gusts are enough to sway the longer MP-1 until the locking joint of its universal mount loosens and the antenna falls over. On one gusty occasion, my MP-1 teetering over from its pivot, the 10ft MFJ whip broke against the ground. That 10ft whip is now an 8ft whip. The TW2010 just looked at the fallen MP-1 and laughed (I could swear I heard it).
The TW2010, per specifications, stands 8'3" with the qudrapod and has a measured "wingspan" of 63in (5'3"). Disassembled and folded, the TW2010 measures 34in. and weighs a few pounds. Despite the TW2010 being gerthier than the MP-1, without the need for ground radials, the TW2010 is often quicker and easier to deploy.
Up in minutes..DX in minutes..down in minutes.
Up in minutes..DX in minutes..down in minutes.
It's really that easy.
I'm constantly and consistently getting good reports.
"That portable vertical is doing a nice job for you."
"59, 10 over and honey."
I've made plenty of contacts with the TW2010, Europe and the Pacific when conditions are in. But even with a solar flux of 65, with 100 watts from my ft-897D, my log is filling with domestic, Canadian, Caribbean and South American stations.
The TW2010 Traveler is easy to tune because, well, there is no tuning. Connected by its 65ft cable to the antenna and powered by a 12v supply, the TW2010's controller requires only a push of a button to select a band. The TW2010 can work 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m and 10m bands. The MP-1, a manual screwdriver antenna, can tune continuously from 40m-10m, but requires manual tuning of the loading coil when changing bands.
Both the TW2010 Traveler and the "long" MP-1 are excellent performing portable antennas (the stock MP-1 is pretty good too). If traveling to unknown working positions, the performance, portability and configurability of the MP-1 make it an excellent travel antenna. Just put your shack including the MP-1 in the "bag" and you're ready to go. It's what I do and I have great fun on the bands when I travel. For more "trans-portable", "car-portable" or semi permanent situations, the TW Antennas TW2010 Traveler can not only take it (punishment) but can dish it out (signal) as well.
73
EchoFox
|
|
If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions about Reviews,
please email your Reviews Manager.
|
|
|
|
|
