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Reviews For: Alpha MOTO 6-40 meter Mobile HF Antenna

Category: Antennas: HF Mobile & Accessories

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Review Summary For : Alpha MOTO 6-40 meter Mobile HF Antenna
Reviews: 39MSRP: 199
Description:
Simply put, the Alpha MOTO 6-40 meter Mobile HF Antenna puts you on the air making contacts for an economical price, which requires:
  • No extra whips
  • No adjustments required for band changes
  • No moving parts
  • No power required
  • No control interface boxes

    To complete your installation, just attach your antenna tuner to the Alpha Match to enable mobile operations.

  • Product is in production
    More Info: http://AlphaAntenna.com
    # last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
    15394.9
    WB2YMU Rating: 2023-02-10
    Excellent Antenna...!!!! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
    Received from the YL as Xmas gift...Had my doubts..Waited for the weather to clear and put on camera tripod 4 ft off ground w/one gnd radial and a 17ft whip...15 min setup...WOW..!!!! Within my 1st CQ I worked Croatia, Germany, Ireland, Venezuela etc on 20 and 17 mtrs using my IC-7100 and 50ft of cable w/599 reports...Outstanding..!!! I then put on my mobile using the supplied whip...and again....outstanding results..Worked Germany, Cape Verde to name a few on 20/17mtrs....All from CNY...Swr on both installs no greater than 2.5 to 1 w/17ft and 3.5 to 1 w/supplied whip w/o tuner. CB S/S whip just as good...Used IT-100 tuner...Match made in heaven....Can't wait to try when camping and mounted to my 33' RV on roof ladder in rear....Great product...Looks are deceiving....Even loaded a rain gutter with it....Awesome....!!!
    W0VET Rating: 2020-11-11
    Brilliant! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
    UPDATE: I have tune the Alpha Moto since mounting on my pickup only twice in nearly two years and often get very good signal reports.>>>>
    The Alpha MOTO mobile antenna arrived in the mail today very well packed. In less than 20 minutes, I had the antenna mounted on my Nisan Frontier and tuned. The entire system is nicely constructed and is aesthetic. The on air performance is outstanding so far. Well done.
    K7AMB Rating: 2019-06-30
    Solid performer and no moving parts Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
    I've been hesitant to get into HF mobile for a quite a while due to the can-o-worms that it can be - plus a big obnoxious screwdriver antenna just wasn't my cup of tea on my truck. A friend recommended the Alpha Moto and I'm real glad he did. It was quite an easy install and it performs great paired with my FT-857 and LDG tuner. Bottom line -> its a fair priced multi-band mobile HF antenna that performs very well and keeps you from looking like a mad scientist rolling down the road.
    N2JNR Rating: 2018-06-10
    DX from my Balcony!!!!! AND YES, DURING CURRENT CONDITIONS Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
    I find it so necessary to share about my experience with this antenna! Let me first start off by talking about my situation... I live in an apartment with a balcony. There's an overhang which adds to the challenge in a building that has me operating in stealth mode.

    In the short time I've been using the Alpha MOTO FMJ Antenna (almost 2 months) I couldn't be happier! DX with current band conditions includes: Argentina, Balearic Island, Chile, Canada, Ecuador, Russia, France, Japan (close to 2 dozen QSOs), Jamaica, New Zealand, Slovak Republic, Sweeden, Ukraine...

    It's important to mention, I'm mainly a CW Operator (my stats are about 90% CW), however on SSB my log includes with the Alpha: Hawaii, Alaska, Ukraine, Mexico and Chile...

    Operators are blown away by the quality and it becomes a topic of discussion! I enjoy when I break thru on pile-ups! Worth noting, I swapped out the whip with a 12 ft telescopic. Those curious, I'm operating mainly on 20 and 30 meters, though at times on 40 and 17 meters.

    Also... Very important to mention, Steve and his team really took the time to understand my scenario and to lead me in the right direction.
    If you're operating in stealth mode, I have to say the Alpha is a winner! It's a workhorse! I highly recommend this antenna with no reserve and confident I'll be continuing my relationship for many years with Alpha Antenna.
    KC1ELZ Rating: 2018-04-14
    Alpha MOTO 23 months in service. Still works well! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
    Review update: I've owned and used the Alpha MOTO antenna for 23 months now, all kinds of weather, up to 95mph on the highway, hit branches, garage doors, ATM overhangs, etc. My Alpha MOTO is still in excellent working condition. Look up my July 2016 original eHam Alpha MOTO review for all my design and build details. My YouTube videos (linked in my profile) also demonstrate many other things that I do with this antenna configuration. Per my initial review, I did swap out the original Alpha whip for a longer and stiffer Wilson whip, taken from an out-of-service Wilson 11 meter mag mount.

    With my barefoot Yaesu FT100D in mobile mode, in tandem with Alpha MOTO and LDG tuner, I've QSOd and QSLd Cuba, Czech Republic, and Hawaii. Despite the horrible band conditions that have plagued operators for weeks, lately, OK2RZ was my most recent 20meter mobile DX QSO (z20180412 @ z2023). The right spot at the right time. This is the 3rd consecutive year that OK2RZ and I QSOd.

    Not all of my HF QSOs are mobile. I also use a 27' jumper between the Alpha MOTO coil and my 98' inverted L in my oaks. At times, I also bypass my Alpha MOTO altogether with 65' of coax from my mobile radio to 9-1 unun in the bushes and 300' of inverted L in my oaks. But, then, that's one of the joys of this build, that I can use multiple, easy to convert configurations on the same mobile platform. I still occasionally use the 13' Alpha Milstick on a stud on top of my mobile mount bracket, which I then jumper to the Alpha coil, but only in stationary/semi-portable status. I did the stud mount and jumper arrangement for the Milstick because the K9000 actuator cannot sustain the Alpha Milstick and coil vertically.

    Also, please note that the new Alpha mobile antenna transformer is in a different, heavier housing than the PVC contained Alpha MOTO that I own. I would not recommend using the same model Diamond K9000 actuator with the new heavier Alpha housing, if you're considering a similar build, with actuators to raise and lower your Alpha mobile. I'd look for a sturdier actuator for that new Alpha coil can. When I was researching what actuator and antenna to use in my build, I watched a K9000 (groaning in YouTube video) trying to raise a Yaesu ATAS antenna. It just sounded like the actuator was working too hard dealing with all that mass and torque at the end of the ATAS. One needs to match the lift, torque, and hold capabilities of an actuator to the physical mass and wind resistance coefficient on the antenna and coil that one wants on the vehicle.

    Any comments or questions, please email me.

    73 and God bless you. KC1ELZ
    KE4SGS Rating: 2017-02-12
    Excellent Service Time Owned: more than 12 months.
    I recently had an issue with the matching unit which I determined to likely be my fault for not properly sealing my coax connection upon initial installation. I contacted Steve at Alpha Antenna and sent my unit to be checked and repaired.Two days after his receiving my unit, I had a brand new one on my door step. I finally had an opportunity to install it yesterday and it appears to be working perfectly my short test. That quick response is becoming less common these days so it was much appreciated.
    W3WMS Rating: 2016-11-17
    Rugged, well priced, great performer Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
    I was not impressed at first use. (Yes I watched the vendor video.) I did not have the results that I desired with the supplied whip for the first few weeks. I double checked grounds, feedline, resonance, etc. It appeared that it was just a mediocre antenna. Then I went back and read reviews from this forum again. I followed the recommendation of several reviewers to add a 96" whip. This was just the trick to remedy the slow tuning cycles from my MFJ-939K. The longer stainless steel whip also greatly improved the overall performance of the matching network contained in the MOTO antenna base. I am very satisfied with the improved performance. Bottom line is that it is a tough, well priced, solid performer. A good ground to frame or unibody is a must in a vehicular install. You won't be disappointed if you use a longer whip and follow vendor installation instructions.
    VE4DL Rating: 2016-09-13
    Amazing performance in a small package Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
    I spoke to Steve at Alpha antennas at length before deciding to get one of these fine units. First, I wish to tell the nay-sayers that this is not a simple Balun system and it is not a cheat of some kind.

    It is a special matching network that works to complete the antenna system using a properly grounded/bonded counterpoise. For mobile, this is the body of the vehicle, properly bonded to allow RF current to flow to balance the antenna currents derived by the tuning/matching system and the matching network. Think of it SORT of like an endfed non-resonant wire antenna system, but using a short vertical whip.

    Transportable field tests: ICOM-718 running 75-90W, MFJ 200W tuner (939I), 35 feet LMR-240. Kitchen table, cable out to tripod setup 25 feet from house.

    Before installation, I wanted to try this unit as a ground plane vertical. So I also got the 4 foot Alpha tripod and adapter, plus the 13 foot military whip. I also have two long (12 and 17 foot) MFJ whips, and a 102" CB style whip, which I had planned to cut back during testing - more on this later.

    I used 4 radials of 25 feet length, one to a ground rod. (west) The setup is in my backyard inside a wooden fenced area, no more than 25 feet from my house, with all sorts of "stuff" in the way - a tree 30 feet away, misc. sheds in neighbors' yards, and homes in a usual suburban setting.

    13 foot military tests: On receive, this system was AMAZING on all bands including SWL bands and down to around 700kHz, with lots of sensitivity and not much noise. I was very impressed. Routine contacts on 20/17, 15 during an opening and 10 during another opening. 40m was not as efficient, but still able to hear everyone on several nets, and minimum 56 reports throughout NAm. All on 75-90W. Many times heard routinely above lightning crashes (40m) evenings in Midwest USA.

    Best results were in late July, when I got some DX into Eurasia. 5x8 report from Azerbaijan station on 40m, and 57 on 20m into Finland, 58 into Canary Islands, and 56/57 on 20m into Estonia. 80 watts. Also had a brief QSO with a guy in the Falklands - much QSB, but best 20m signal on 80W with this setup was 55/56 from him. Not bad for a 13 foot vertical running 80W only 4 feet above ground in no clear area at all.

    Unit with 10 lb. weight below tripod held up overnight on a 45 mph wind. Awesome camping setup FYI!

    Similar results with 12 foot MFJ whip - all bands from 10-40 tunable easily, and similar results. 17 foot antenna was better for 40/20, but was not good for tuning the WARC bands. 15 also good. So I recommend going no higher than 15 feet with this as a stationary vertical antenna system unless you plan to use a wire length run more than 30 feet as a sloper, etc., instead of a vertical whip.

    Short whip testing: Used a 102" whip to begin with. Tuned okay on 40/20/15, but really bad on 17/12. 10 nearly perfect. While it worked okay, I found places where RF return currents would cause cut outs. So, the 102 inch whip was forcing RF into the coax shield more. Not good. Saw this on occasion using 17 foot MFJ whip on a handful of spots mainly on 20/40.

    Cut whip to 95.5" with total length including spring to be 98.5", or 2.5m long. Noticed better tuning on WARC bands and bad spots on some regions of 10m (lower portions below 28.3). 20m Was decent, but had two "cut out" locations. 40m was fine. 15 was decent but not ideal (no less than 1.6:1 SWR in most areas.

    So, I stopped and remembered my chat with Steve, and thought about a good compromise, of 2.25m total length (3/8 on 6m, 3/16 on 12, etc...) and close to 8 feet, and longer than 5 feet.

    Last two days... WOW!!! Tunes all bands in the 40-10 region VERY well, Best on 40/20/15/10, but also very good (<1.4-1.5 SWR on whole band) on 12/17. Lower on 12m and upper on 17m best.

    Sensitivity is nearly as good (MAYBE 1S unit down from the 13 foot whip on receive, and lower noise floor, by 1-2S often (may be conditions dependent).

    7.5 foot (88.5" total, 2.25m) whip is also exceptional. Under fair to good conditions, Was Able to hit Costa Rica 58, CONUS 56 to 59+, Italy 57 on 17m, Brazil and Chile at 56/57 on 20m, and Slovakia at 56 with heavy QSB on 17m! We're at a low in the spot cycle and hit and miss into better fall conditions, and I am doing significant DX call-ins without much extra effort over my stationary setup with 250+W and a 60 foot sloper!

    So, my setup will be using the cut down 102 whip to 2.25m with 1" corona ball From Hi-Q (ask him to drill hole to 1/8") and 25 feet of LMR-240. Binding critical regions of my 2013 Edge in progress.

    I've had significant results with the setup and refinement that I sent at least a dozen folks to Steve at Alpha for this fine product offering. What I prefer with the Alpha Moto is a clean, sleak line look with simple whip(s) versus the rather beefy look of a Tarheel system. The Moto gets out, looks good and is multi-functional.

    I can't wait to finish this up for a road trials in an open area of the province! Stay tuned!

    Darren VE4VE (ex VE4DL)
    KG4UHV Rating: 2016-09-12
    Great antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
    I purchased the alpha moto SS antenna a week ago from Alpha antenna. Great antenna. Thank you N0TES for the great products and excellent client service.

    KG4UHV
    TREVINO
    WM3M Rating: 2016-04-19
    It works Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
    I have been trying, experimenting with HF mobile for many years and I have tried several different antennas.
    I recently bought this Alpha Moto HF antenna from Alpha antenna. I use it with my IC-7000 and a LDG tuner. The antenna is mounted in the center of my folding, aluminum tonneau cover, near the back window of my truck, not the best spot but it is ok. This antenna works. I have never really had much luck with 20 meters mobile. I installed the antenna and parked in my driveway I made several contacts on 20 meters across the USA and some DX. This antenna hears pretty well, it will not bust any pile ups but it is short, 5 feet, fairly easy to install, plus I can park my truck in the garage, whip is very flexible and it has a spring. This antenna covers 40 thru 6 meters using a tuner. Other base loaded antennas I have tried did not work well but this one does. Lately upper bands have not been open when I am in the truck but it should work ok.