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Reviews For: CHAMELEON HYBRID-MINI

Category: Antennas: HF Portable (not mobile)

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Review Summary For : CHAMELEON HYBRID-MINI
Reviews: 18MSRP: 199
Description:
The CHA HYBRID-MINI Base is the portable version of the regular HYBRID. The unit can be differentiated by the color of the lid and the base connector, which is black instead of gray. The HYBRID-MINI is also smaller and about 50% lighter than the regular HYBRID. An external antenna tuner is required to provide a low VSWR. The connector provided with the antenna is a SO-239 sealed. The entire unit is also waterproof.

The HYBRID-MINI will serve as impedance transformer matching network and will greatly reduce the VSWR at the load for the following antennas: V1, V1L, V2L and MIL.

Specifications:
Frequency: 6M - 160M
Power: 500W SSB (1500W SSB – 60’ wire or CHA MIL)
RF Connection: SO-239
VSWR: Subject to configuration
Height: 7.5"
Weight: 1.5 Lb.
Mounting Configuration: 3/8-24 Thread

The antenna system consists of:

1 X HYBRID-MINI Matching Unit Base
1 X 60’ wire (14 gauge)
Product is in production
More Info: http://chameleonantenna.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00184.8
WN6F Rating: 2015-04-29
Beefy with ground hint Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
*clarification from last review*

'm using the Hybrid Mini with a V1L whip for now as a replacement for my other picnic-table light duty setups, although it will obviously go heavier duty mobile. Very happy so far.

One thing to remember is that the mounting-thread is the *rf ground reference* of the unun! And the pic here does not show it, but you feed it from the side SO-239.

The reason I mention this is that if one is in a hurry and feeds it from the bottom of an existing mount rather than the provided side connector, that may lead to poor performance.

In some other circumstances, you may unintentionally isolate your radials depending on the mount:

For instance when I cannibalized my little tripod mount from an MP1 Super-Antenna, to attach radials, I used a banana jack to the MP1 tripod mount *center conductor* down below. The Hybrid of course is fed from the side. Had I attached my radials in the standard way to the MP1 mount terminals, the radials would just be isolated. Just something to keep an eye on and not be in a hurry.

For picnic table use, I chose the heavier mini version rather than the micro version to make it just a tad less top heavy in mild winds.

I choke it with my own MFJ-915 since I had it lying around and a small jumper near the *side* feedpoint so that the coax is not part of the radial system.

So far so good!
RYAN Rating: 2015-04-08
Great performance in a small package Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought the Hybrid Mini with a V2L vertical to use as a compact HF mobile set up on my small work SUV and I haven't looked back, the hybrid mini is small, extremely well made and so discreet as to not be noticed with no antenna attached. It is light enough to be mounted just about anywhere! Mine in mounted in front of the grill between a set a driving lights and it just sits there out of the way until I want to use it.

I have used it with the V2L at highway speeds and off road and there are no signs on it having any issue. Its performance in this configuration is brilliant.

However, when you stop and attach the included long wire the whole system just steps up a notch. When I am camping I will screw off the V2L and screw on the wire and throw it over a tree branch and the first time I did this I made a contact from Sydney Australia to East Coast USA, no problems at all. Simply astounded, the best mobile/portable HF antenna I have ever used.
NY2MC Rating: 2015-01-03
Great on my backpack / manpack Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have used the Chameleon Hybrid-Mini on my backpack for over 6 months with the 60 ft wire and with the Chameleon Cha-Mil 10ft whip. With the 60 ft wire it makes a great end fed. Anywhere and everywhere, I throw a line up into a tree and away I go. With the whip I go backpack portable. Up mountains and in the wind. No problems. Solid product. NY2MC
VE3FAL Rating: 2013-06-24
Excellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My friend Gary VE3ODE built a backpack radio using a FT857, AT-100 ProII, 2 LiPo packs for power and using a Hy-Brid Mini and V1L whip, he gives the setup a 9.5/10. Our first contact on 20 watts was to VE9GU and Ron gave us a 5x7 on 20 meters. The antenna tunes up very fast and very well. Gary put 40 hours into the pack and many revisions before he got it the way he wanted it.
Great job Gary
N5QWA Rating: 2013-01-14
Works like a champ for me! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Cut down some trees and had to give up my G5RV. Selected the Hybrid-Mini after having great success with the ZEPP in another installation. Bought the mini, and was on the air in minutes. I am running it as a NVIS due to installation, from ham shack across to the chimney about 20 feet above ground, and routinely work east coast of Florida on 20 meters.

Customer support is excellent! Carl responds within minutes. Construction is rock solid.
KC7ZWG Rating: 2012-11-06
Like an Apple Product Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
These Antenna's are awesome, they look and feel like Apple Computer built them, Steve Jobs would be proud as the HYBRID-MINI does not disappoint.

I use the HYBRID-MINI with the MIL whip for my QRP ops with the Elecraft KX3, and it works very very well, tunes 1.2:1 or lower at all times on all bands.

Easy to setup and weight is low, very nice looking piece of equipment that makes other amateurs take note and ask about it.

I use it for QRP ops because of the size, but it is fully capable of QRO ops as well!

very good product backed by very good service and best of all ... really works with no taps to set or other user intervention.

you owe it to yourself to at least check them out... about same price as a buddixxxx but easier to use and way smaller/lighter to pack around...

nuff said.
KB1UTL Rating: 2012-09-04
Excellent antenna system!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I'm running a Yaesu FT-897D with the Hybrid Mini, V2L lower element, and the MIL... I live in a condo and I'm only able to set it up as a portable system on the optional tripod but have had amazing results so far... I live in the Boston, MA area and in the first week have been able to talk all over the US and Canada, Poland, England, Brazil, Venezuela, and Hawaii (5000+ mi on 40m)... all reported I was 5/5 or better and they were all +10, +20 on my end... Customer support was wonderful before and after buying... I recommend this antenna to anyone looking for a great portable system!!!
K0FTC Rating: 2012-07-16
Great for portable Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've got 2 regular Hybrids at home, one for a vertical and one for a random wire antenna. I've already reviewd the regular Hybrid - a nice device itself. They work great but was looking for something a bit smaller for portable. Chameleon came out with a "Hybrid-Mini" that is at least 1/2 the size of the original. During the IARU HF contest I took it out to the Pawnee Grasslands to give it a go. I tried 4 different configs. with it - a stand alone short vertical with coil, a 31' wire vertical, a 66' inverted "L", and a short vertical with coil on a truck mount. All 4 configs really did a great job. I made 132 CW QSO's including 34 DX stations. The Hybrid-Mini provides a pretty good SWR on its own and 1:1 for the most part across the HF bands with a tuner. Its a great addition to my "go" box for portable ops. If you want to see pictures of the set-up and more narrative go to the Chamelon web site and view the discussion on it on that site's forum. 73 to all, John