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Reviews For: MFJ 2286 Big Stick Vertical Antenna

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : MFJ 2286 Big Stick Vertical Antenna
Reviews: 29MSRP: $99.95
Description:
For Top Portable Performance, Carry a "Big Stick"! Like our Big Ear, this
portable monopole features MFJ's rugged 17’ stainless-steel collapsible whip
paired with an adjustable high-Q air-wound coil. Efficiency matters, so it's not
surprising this winning combination stands head and shoulders above shorter
backpack antennas.

True Backpack Portability: Antenna is over 18 feet long fully extended, but
disassembles and collapses to 28” in seconds. Fits into most any size packs!

Light Weight: Just over 2 lbs. You'll hardly know your packing it!!!

Versatile: Includes MFJ-342T pipe mount -- quickly and easily mounts to a ¼
or ½ inch pipe or mast. SO-239 with lock washer feeds coax underneath the
⅜ - 24 connector.

General Coverage: Tapped loading coil covers 7.0-55.0 MHz without gaps.
Great for Ham Bands and outstanding for image-free shortwave broadcast!

Rugged Construction: All aluminum, stainless steel construction ensures years
of excellent performance. One Killowatt rated components guarantee
electrical safety.

Counterpoise kit included: Ensures low SWR, high efficiency, maximum site
safety.

BigStick™ is for the Ham radio operator on the move and on-the-go and
hungry for the next great QSO anywhere or anytime!
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-2286
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00294.3
KW4JA Rating: 2014-10-30
great one antenna choice Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The big ear vertical works very well and I've made contacts to the far ends of the world. Usually I just put it on the roof of my car with a mag mount and put it in the trunk when not in use and when I drive. If neighbors protest I say what antenna. No one has said anything yet. Plus I work 40-6 meters and with a tuner length isn't critical. If I ever need to leave my current qth I know I can continue serious HF operating.

What more can you ask for for $99?
KG7DZK Rating: 2014-05-19
Still Going Strong Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have had my Big Stick for about 10 months now. It's been on the ground twice, poor engineering of the mounting mast on my part, and still performs like a champ. In an HOA your antenna situation is always a compromise but even at that I recently got through a pile-up to the Slovak Republic on 20m at 75 watts with a 58 report. This antenna is a winner.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by KG7DZK on 2013-10-20

I have had this antenna for about two months and have made contacts from Croatia to the Azores to Puerto Rico to Japan and all over the U.S. I receive mostly 57+. This is not a tri-bander on a 75 foot tower but it's not supposed to be. I have mine set up about 5' off of dry, rocky, desert soil with one elevated 1/4 wave radial (a la the Buddistick). On 20m and up it works great, I reached Great Britain and Japan on 10m recently. I cannot seem to get a good tune on 40m. The closest was 1.6:1 at about 7.25MHz with very high Q. The SWR went up rapidly on either side of this frequency. All in all a GREAT antenna for $100.
W0TRS Rating: 2014-04-20
I'm happy Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
though I have only had this 2 months I can say I'm very happy with it.I have worked stations from all over the world and been doing the ARRL Centennial QSO Party with it and my FT-817ND and can say it works for me.Though I would not say this is something to put up and leave up on something like field day or going to a park or sota op this would work great.I am planning on using this and a homebrew dipole I have on field day with my FT817ND.I am very happy with it.Not the best but it works great for me..
KM0U Rating: 2014-04-11
Works Well Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I setup the Big Stick on a camera tripod with the antenna's base at 3 feet off the ground. With the telescoping whip at full length, I was able to get good SWR on 7, 10, and 14. The tap positions were within 1/2" of those given by the instructions. SWR from 7.0 to 7.3, 1.1 to 1.3; 10.120, 1.2; and 14.0 to 14.350, 1.3 to 1.6. I could not get the upper frequencies to tune according to instructions. What worked best in my situation was to set the telescoping whip at a fixed height, then use the coil to tap to different positions to obtain resonance at upper frequencies.
Two things I will try: mount the antenna about a foot off the ground to see how it plays out; and, add more counterpoise wire.
Quality of construction seems pretty good. The whip is especially nice. As with most small verticals, be aware of the wind - this antenna, especially at full extension, should be guyed.
KB9HHI Rating: 2014-03-29
Point of failure & collateral damage potential Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
When I saw this, I had to share it. Just took the Big Ears coil apart, which is the same coil used in the 2286, and in true MFJ fashion (though not on every product item) there are some corners that are cut and at least one major construction flaw that can cause collateral damage to your equipment when it fails. Order the shrink tubing at the base of the could you will find a ring made from a very flimsy (almost like heavy aluminum foil) metal. Here there is a glob of solder holding a hard stiff wire on the ring. When the long whip sways in the wind, the solder glob disconnects/breaks free of the ring due to forces placed upon the stiff wire as the coil sways even just slightly. As the coil experiences greater stresses the plastic, which became brittle over my last year of ownership began to break.
K1WJ Rating: 2014-03-16
SWR high on 40m Time Owned: more than 12 months.
17ft telescpoing whip works very good for 6m-20m, set up at 20m presently & very happy with performance as 1/4 wave 20m vertical with single 1/4 wave radial - 4ft off the ground. Tried coil section recently for 40m. SWR very high, after a few attempts gave up on 40m, & took bottom coil off. Now using a 40mfj hamtenna with single 40m 1/4 wave radial 4ft off the ground, HOA situation. SWR back to normal. Not sure why did not tune on 40m.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by K1WJ on 2013-01-22

Not using bottom coil for 40m - set up MFJ-1979 for 20m - fully extended & single 20m 1/4wave elevated radial 4ft off the ground. Works great -retracts to 2ft when not in use.Perfect for HOA BS. Full 1/4 wave for 6-20m - as set up. Final soulution for me - & good reports. We'll see how it holds up over time. 73 K1WJ Arizona.
N4LPK Rating: 2014-03-15
Ground Wires Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I used the Chameleon wire kit from Universal Radio plus the wires that came with the antenna. I have had good results with this setup. The Chameleon kit wires are 25' long and come with the ends on them and the metal stakes to hold them down with. I am going to make some new radials the length of the wires that came with the antennas because I struggle with them getting all knotted up when I put them away. Flexible wire like the Chameleon uses works better.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by N4LPK on 2014-01-28

I bought mine a couple of months ago and other then a quick setup one day at my QTH I really had not had a chance to use it. Well that all changed this past weekend during a Winter Field Day event. I set it up at a remote location. I had 8 ground radials of different lengths. I had it setting on a tripod at with the base of the antenna sitting about 6' off the ground. I set it up using the coil but I actually shorted the coil and just used my tuner. (LDG Z-100 Plus) I made all types of contacts around the country and a few overseas contacts. I was quite impressed with this antenna setup. I will in future uses set it up and try using the coil as intended to see if it works any different. I worked 10,15,20,&40 with it and had no issues. I did not try it on 12, 17,30 or 60 meters since they were not usable for the Winter Field Day event.
KG7DYX Rating: 2014-02-07
Good for stealth operation Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Living in a HOA restricted area, it is nice to be able to just unscrew the whip from the base and just take it in the house when not in use. Good for plausible deniability, what antenna?

Currently running as a ground mount with 10 radials. I can load it up with 100 watts on 10 to 20 meter (without the loading coil) with no issues and almost 1:1 SWR. Made a few DX contacts with it as well.

Having some trouble with 40 meters at the moment. Cannot get less than 3:1 with the loading coil and try to fix it with a tuner just gets RF back to the radio. I suspect that more ground radials will cure my issues.

An antenna analyzer will make this antenna a breeze to setup.
W6USC Rating: 2013-11-13
Great HOA Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This antenna set up fast and without a hitch. made many contacts with it the 16.5 foot whip alone is made well. its great to take with you on field days or to your favorite getaway.MFJ did a great job on construction and price value. 73s W6USC
KA3PCX Rating: 2013-10-01
Best Bang for the BUCK Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Huster is great but you have to take several loading coils with you on vacation & it costs a lot more!
I tried several different portable antennas & they all had swr problems except the mfj vertical very easy to tune to 1:2 to one! Worked psk 31 with only 20 watts on vacation in Nags Head NC!
Pick one up YOU won't be sorry. MFJ you have a winner here!!