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Reviews For: Next Generation Antennas Q52

Category: Antennas: HF: Yagi, Quad, Rotary dipole, LPDA

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Review Summary For : Next Generation Antennas Q52
Reviews: 5MSRP: 549
Description:
5-band Remote Switched 2 element Yagi
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.n6bt.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0051.6
AC6BW Rating: 2021-05-15
Poor performer; Prone to failures Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Update 8/10/2020: In early 2019, after less than 5 years of service, the Q52 antenna failed. The SWR was high on all bands. I took it down, and opened up the relay box for the driven element. There was no obvious damage. There was evidence of arcing at the driven element feedpoint. As usual, I had never run more than 500W CW/SSB and 300W digital. After several attempts trying to contact Tom N6BT, I decided that, without any support from the manufacturer, this antenna is no longer worth my while. I have since replaced it with a hex beam, which has stellar performance compared to the Q52. Unfortunately, this was an expensive lesson. I would never buy, or recommend that anyone buy, any antenna from Tom, N6BT, until he is able to provide support for his products.
W6SB Rating: 2021-05-15
Great Self-Promoter, No Support Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I waited several years before I posted this review to give Tom every possible chance to respond but he never has and never will.

I bought three antennas (including the Q52) from Tom a few years ago after hearing great signal reports and seeing his presentation at an antenna conference.

All three antennas have had serious issues but after the sale Tom has never responded to any of my many email's and postings for help on his web site even though he somehow has been able to respond immediately to QST for a write-up about his N6BT V-8 antenna which is now sold at HRO.

I feel so used and taken and will toss all the antennas in the dumpster and never look back. What a complete waste of money. NEVER EVER EXPECT ANY KIND OF HELP FROM TOM who is a great self-promoter and salesman.
W7WRJ Rating: 2016-01-05
Never Again Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I used this antenna for my 1st 2 1/2 years in Korea. The antenna was mounted about 60 feet up from ground level, and 18 feet about the top of the elevator shaft. For the entire time this antenna was up, I could never really get the SWR below 2.5 to 1 on any band, no matter how much adjusting was done.

The front to back on this antenna is very poor, most time you did not see any difference in receive signal if you were shooting short path or long path.

I also could not see much difference when running the antenna as a dipole or a 2 element yagi in the receive signal.

After 2 1/2 years the antenna stopped working on 20 - 17 -15 meters. I guess something went bad in one of the relay boxes.

I've replaced the antenna with a 15 - 17 - 20 meter Spider Beam with 3 elements on each band, and about the same weight and can't believe the difference. For 10 meters I put a separate 3 element yagi. I may strip off the control boxes from the boom and use the aluminum to build a single band 12 meter yagi.

Although built extremely well mechanically, the performance was not there for the price. You would be much better off with a Hex or Spider beam if was want to cover all 5 bands with a singal yagi.
G0MGX Rating: 2015-10-22
Poor performer Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I've had mine a few months and find the antenna has no or very little front to back when configured as a 2 element antenna. There is a switch option to "remove" the reflector electrically which is supposed to alter the directivity and convert the two elements into a rotary dipole. My experience is that this switch alters the SWR slightly but makes no difference to the signals from the front or the rear of the antenna.

Mechanically well constructed but 500W of CW has caused one of the antenna mounted relay boxes to fail, investigation shows signs of arking at the element connections.

I hoped this antenna would offer me an improvement over my Cushcraft MA5B and give me some front to back on 12 and 17M but it hasn't.

Trying to contact Tom for customer support is impossible - my emails go completely ignored - so for me there has been no customer support whatsoever.

Overall this is now turning into a very disappointing and expensive mistake.

Mark
G0MGX
K9RS Rating: 2013-01-18
Great small antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
A nice set of trade offs results in an antenna that is small but gives real performance across the 20 through 10 Meter bands. I have had this up in 3 different locations now and while re-tuning was required depending on the height above ground and other local conditions it has been useful when most other antennas were not an option. I am using it now with a chimney mount and while not a match for the stacked antennas in my last QTH it does let me have some gain and directivity when I wouldn't otherwise have any. It's easy to put together and Tom and Natan provide great follow up as well in case of any issues.