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Reviews For: W8AMZ 160 METER REDUCED 1/2 SLOPER

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : W8AMZ 160 METER REDUCED 1/2 SLOPER
Reviews: 13MSRP: 59.00
Description:
Only requires about 45'-50' for usage & no ground radials.
Product is not in production
More Info:
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
14134.1
NE2I Rating: 2024-09-22
good compromise but keep away from metal. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I know this antenna has been out of production a long time. That being said its a pretty good compromise antenna for 160. It does not like being near any kind of metal. I installed the end to my fence. it had about 4 ft of rope between it and the fence. It was way off tune. It was moved into the woods and finally tied to a small tree.
That made the tuning predictable and was easily completed. It is hung at 40ft off the tower and I used a choke as well. As for performance, the jury is still out. The season is still a few months away. I expect some good signals and many qso's.
W4ABF Rating: 2022-02-05
Just doesn't work... Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This antenna just doesn't work at my QTH. I first tried it over a year ago when using a KAT-500 tuner. I tried different lengths as suggested - and was able to get a decent match on my desired frequency with my MFJ antenna analyzer but never was able to match when attempting with RF. I headed to the recycle bin with the antenna, but I must have been distracted on the way because when looking through a box of antenna parts this morning I found it. I now have a TGXL so thought I'd give the antenna another chance. Same results. Decent match with my analyzer after adjusting length - but once RF is applied from radio it's over 10:1 SWR. Swapped coax - same result. This time I cut the ground wire and radial off and coiled them up for future use. The matching unit itself - in the trash.
THC1 Rating: 2019-03-22
Truly a Classic Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Have this up about 5 or 6 years and still doing
fine.
Mounted off of my 40" tower down to a tree at a
a 30 degree angle. Had to trim a little when first
installed to center up at 1900. SWR 1.1 at 1900 and< 2.0 at 1950 & 1870, 2.7 to 1 at band edges.
Was hoping for 2-3 hundred mile range, have worked stations as far as 1300 miles.
A shame Tom is no longer with us, gave us ops with smaller property a way to work the top band.
W3DQS Rating: 2015-05-20
Tuning required Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this as a way to get onto 160m from a city lot. Instructions on the W8AMZ website are very helpful. Bottom line, you will need some sort of antenna analyzer to get it adjusted - the wire portion of the antenna will need to be trimmed for resonance after hanging. I was able to tune it with the MFJ-269 analyzer (despite having a 50kW AM station a few miles away.) One thing that was not clear from the instructions is that the coax length you use to trim the antenna should be the length you will be using to operate. In my case, I had 81 feet of RG-213 cable when tuning, and the resonant frequency was 1880kHz after trimming 12 feet(!) from the 70 foot antenna wire. If you change the physical arrangement, or the length of coax, you will see the resonant frequency shift - other than that it's easy. The usable bandwidth (SWR below 2.0) is only about 100 kHz, but unless you have a full size 160m dipole, it's tough to cover the whole band....
KJ4WAS Rating: 2014-04-30
Great Antenna ! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I learned of this antenna from a friend (N3JTN)in early December last year. Had wanted to get on 160m but didn't think I had room on the property. So, I called Tom and we had a nice talk about it. Very nice man and very helpful. Sorry to say, he passed 10 days later. I put the antenna up 47' in an Oak tree, used an 8' ground right under the coil and ran a single radial under the antenna with #14 stranded primary wire out. Works super;Canada and Jamaica, are in the log. Had to trim over 10' off for resonance on 1.920mhz. Great Product. Very happy. Have heard Europe, no contact yet, but waiting. Jim (KJ4WAS)
K9DY Rating: 2014-04-29
No Joy Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this antenna based on the eham reviews. I was apprehensive since Tom had passed, but his site was still active and accepting orders so I bought one. It was delivered within a week. So far, so good. I have no tower, so I had to install the antenna up 45 feet in a tree, and ran the ground wire to a 10 foot copper ground rod at the base of the tree. I also ran a 70 foot radial beneath the antenna attached to the ground rod.

I am feeding the antenna with approximately 225 feet of RG8 (9913) and an additional 100 feet of RG8X. I worked for several days to get the SWR to match on the low end of 160. The best I can get is abut 3 to 1 at the high end. At the low end it won't even register on my meter.

I did everything that was suggested on their web site with zero results. I even took the entire thing down and tried heights from 30 to 45 feet, varied the length of the antenna leg, raised and lowered the antenna leg angle, used it with and without the radial and varied the length of the coax. I even wound a coaxial balun and inserted it in the line. Nothing helps.

I don't know what else to try. I suspect something is amiss in the sealed coil section. I wrote an email to them and also left a voice mail. No response.

If anyone has an idea what I can try it would be appreciated. I am on the verge of just sending it back.

NS3L Rating: 2014-04-28
Great Antenna...!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Very well built, and high quality Ham Product...!!

Thumbs up and thanks go to Chris @ W8AMZ Amateur Radio Products who took over after the passing of Tom W8AMZ (SK) recently..

Concerned about ordering from a company whom the founder Tom W8AMZ (SK) had passed, I contacted and left a message asking if orders the products were still available. Chris @ W8AMZ returned my call a day or two later assuring me the company was up and running. Chris and I spoke about ordering the 160 Sloper, and he mentioned they were in stock and ready to ship....

Understandably, with the passing of Tom, Chris has his hands full keeping up with the orders.. I'm glad to say if you choose something and order it from the website, it will get filled and sent out quickly. As I stated above, Chris said the antenna was in stock and that day I ordered a 160M 1/2 Sloper and it arrived just a few days later.

After years of wanting to get on "Top Band" once-and-for-all, I finally purchased something to really work 160 Meters.

This past weekend I completed installing the W8AMZ's 160 Shortened 1/2 Sloper. I installed it up 45 feet high at the top of a broken (top) spruce tree sloping down to about 15" feet above grade pointing west. A counterpoise drops vertically to a ground rod at the bass of the tree. I'm feeding it with DX Engineering 50 ohm RG-8 Mini.

Although I realize this antenna is a compromised size, compared to my main wire antenna a 140 ft Cobra Ultra-Lite SR through a Palstar AT2K Tuner, It's night and day as far as performance.

I've had very good results right off from the first on air contacts. Reports have been coming in from stations saying I'm now 20 db over. Previously, some of those stations could barely be worked 30 miles away when I was using the Cobra.

This is a very well made antenna. Straight forward installation and, at the right height and angle works great. Follow the detailed instructions and have a plan. This antenna was rather simple to tune to 1,900khz center band by just trimming the main antenna a little bit.

Tuning was simplified as I used my RigExpert AA-54.

The end result is 1.5:1 on the center of 160M, and 40KHz either side of center. 2:1 on the band edges.. Can't ask for more. If I need to go closer to the band edges, it's an easy tune for my Icom IC-7600 internal tuner.

Final word.. If you've longed to get "Top Band", don't have the space for a full size 160M antenna, the look into the W8AMZ 160 Sloper.. Works for me. !!!

Steve NS3L
Nazareth, Pa.
N3JTN Rating: 2013-11-08
160 very good Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I then got the W8AMX 160 M reduced 1/2 sloper, hung from my 40 foot tower and works very good got in to Md/Pa/Wv/NC/Ny/Can very happy.......
AK6ZZ Rating: 2013-09-11
Good solution for small yards Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I finally got my 160m 1/4 wave sloper tuned ok (need to shorten it slightly) and worked my first four stations on 160 this morning. Did well to Arizona 57-59 reports and super well to Nevada 59+10 running 250W. It received pretty well too as all the people were also 59 except for one gentleman. Made four contacts so now I know it works. Reports were very complimentary. I am running it with a triex WT51 tower extended to 40' on a canyon edge that is 230' high.

Tom, W8AMZ, was extremely helpful with guiding me through the installation with multiple phone calls. I actually had to shorten the antenna 10' and I need to shorten it about another foot or so to get it centered on the DX portion of the band but regardless it is 1:1 at 1.800 MHz and it is tuned to about 2.0 up to about 1.880 with decent swr for my SPE 1k amplifier.

I am hoping this antenna also works for DX this winter. That would be super cool. That would be icing on the cake.
W4KVW Rating: 2013-05-10
A KEEPER FOR ME! {:>) Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have had my W8AMZ 160 meter reduced 1/2 sloper up for about a year now & am VERY happy with the way it works & the cost.Takes very little space & I use it attached to my Rohn 25 tower at about 45 ft.My local ham friends are amazed how well it works for something so small.I have plenty of room for a 160 meter loop but nothing on the corners of my property to tie anything onto so this was the easy route for me & I'm pleased with my choice.I would buy another one if needed & have suggested it to many others looking too get on the 160 meter band. {:>)

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Earlier 5-star review posted by W4KVW on 2012-06-17

I am AMAZED at how good this antenna works the TOP BAND.I just wanted on the band for local & maybe a few contacts across the lower 48 states.It works DX as well & it takes up so little room.It is hanging at 45ft from my Rohn 25 tower is tied off at the foot of one of my wooden guy post.Takes up no space in my yard & requires NO GROUND RADIALS! It put me into operation on the 160 meter band at a VERY low price & with a respectable signal as well at a VERY "REASONABLE" price.Tom is making a GREAT product for a low price & gives hams with small lots a chance too operate on 160 meters with a signal that MOST will be VERY "PLEASED" with.{:>)