Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Opek HVT-600 Antenna

Category: Antennas: HF Mobile & Accessories

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : Opek HVT-600 Antenna
Reviews: 12MSRP: 79.95
Description:
HVT-600 HIGH PERFORMANCE HF/VHF 10-BAND(1/4λ) MOBILE
COMMUNICATION ANTENNA
FREQ. BANDS 1/4λ DESIGN: 80M(3.7 MHz)/40M(7.05 MHz)/30M(10.1
MHz)
20M(14.15 MHz)/17M(18.2 MHz)/15M(21.1 MHz)/12M(24.95 MHz)/
10M(28.5 MHz)/6M(50.5 MHz)/2M(146 MHz)
200W MAX. POWER HANDLING
USE JUMPER WIRE TO CHANGE FREQ. BAND
LOW VSWR
PL-259 CONNECTION
RETRACTABLE TELESCOPIC WHIP FOR BEST TX/RX TUNING
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.opek.com.tw/HVT-600.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00123.8
KUS335983 Rating: 2019-05-10
Works GREAT on the high bands Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Disclaimer: I do not use this antenna on 80 or 40. That being said, I DO use it on 10/6/2 with excellent results. The HVT600 tapped for 6&2 is how I leave it most of the time, and it's connected to the weatherhead on my house. With this antenna, I have worked a TON (literally!) of 6m FT8 contacts...and for 2m local, it's not half bad. Reason I don't use it on the low bands? Efficiency would suffer greatly, and I already have monster antennas for 160-20.

Try it, you'll like it. And don't worry about the slow lane guys that couldn't figure it out. It's NOT rocket science.
WP3TQ Rating: 2019-03-08
Setting up great Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I hade spare parts from my old hvt400b and use middle and stinger for 3.8-3.9- the hvt600 I adjusted for 10 12 20 17 15 and the only thing I just have to remember to place the jumper for each band I give a 5 but only cause I got all bands to work only cons I need to be changing stingers

----------------------
Earlier 3-star review posted by WP3TQ on 2019-02-01

I had the opek hvt-400b but some how it shorted, so I figured scince the 400 was easy to set up so got the hvt-600 boy what a nightmare to setup I setup the hvt400b stinger for 15m 17m 75m 20m then set. Up the stinger that came with the 600 for 10m 40m 30m 12m 10m I'm proud I got it to work but switching the wire and the stinger is a pain but for the price it works good got the antenna to work uesssss
N5IF Rating: 2018-07-15
Works for me! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Didn't expect much based on reviews here. Just needed something not costing an arm and a leg while an old ATAS is getting a refurb. Mounted the 600 on a well ground Comet mount on the truck. Using an FT-891, and then using the measurements as a guide from the provided cheat-sheet resulted in HI SWR - very high. I busted out the RigExpert analyzer and tweaked the antenna whip length and was at 1:5:1 SWR on 20m. Worked as expected, US/EU stations providing good reports.

Just ditch the cheat-sheet with provided measurements, use an analyzer (with good bonding on radio/antenna in a vehicle) and this antenna will work. Don't expect the world of it on the low bands, but it is capable.
K5BA Rating: 2016-02-25
JUNK Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought this antenna a few years ago and could not get it to tune so I put it aside. Now, armed with a MFJ-233 I decided to tackle the problem again. To lay the ground work for my tests I tested the Opek antenna on my vehicle where my 40 meter Ham Stick has been working for years. The first thing I noticed about the Opek antenna is that with no jumper at all it resonates at 3.28 Mhz with the SWR less than 2. Shortening the whip only brings it up to about 3.82 Mhz. On 40 meters regardless where the whip is it resonates around 7.988 Mhz with the whip fully extended so lowering the whip will only raise the resonant point. All the other jump points p1 to p3, p4, p5, etc are so far off that the antenna is useless. I did test it for shorts in the base but found no problem. My other suspicion is the enamel was rubbed off during the construction and some of the windings are shorted. I have seen where other people have had a different experience than mine which suggests my antenna was built by an inexperienced trainee. Since it is too late to return it I am using it as a noise antenna for my MFJ-1026.
VK4KL Rating: 2015-10-14
Not happy-Jan Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Most expensive dummy load I have ever bought.
Tunes great 1.5:1 on 40 meters according to my SWR bridge and my antenna analyser. In practice I can barely hear a station that is s9+ on my dipole cannot hear on the HVT-600 at all and no one can hear me.
KB2CWN Rating: 2014-01-28
Great info Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I was thinking of going portable with my IC706 and had my eye on this antenna for awhile, but after reading these reviews, it seems that its more troublesome to use this as a portable rather than a mobile setup, so I have decided to purchase something from Buddipole. Thanks for all the reviews, they are very helpful!
VE5EDE Rating: 2013-11-14
Good Antenna...Bizarre Mount Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This antenna works the complete bands from 20m up with no problems. About 125 kHz on 40m and perhaps 25 kHz on 80m. Good contacts when conditions are favourable. It does what it says it does.

Alas, twice I have tapped an overhead tree branch and both times it has nearly destroyed the PL-259 base connector of this antenna. With epoxy, spit and bubblegum I brought about two resurrections. I went out of my way to buy the MFJ triple magnet mobile mount for this antenna with its PL-259. The MFJ mount is great, but this antenna has no flex at the base at all. If you strike a tree branch it might well dent your roof in the process of being destroyed. Not a good mount choice...any day of the week. A better portable antenna than a mobile...
N7WR Rating: 2013-10-08
Surprisingly good Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I wanted to work HF mobile in my truck without the expense of a screwdriver antenna and without the inconvenience of hamsticks. Given the reasonable price of this antenna I thought I try it. I am surprised at how good it works. I use it on 40-6 meters with good results running 100 watts from an FT 450. Once I change jumpers to change bands there is no need to adjust the stinger as the rigs auto-tuner can find a match the transceiver is happy with. I regularly work DX with it particularly on 17 metrs
N2LWE Rating: 2013-04-14
Great Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased the HVT-600 about a month ago because for a long time I've been wanting to set up a portable station so I can take it outside in the summer and work some DX. I purchased the antenna along with a telescopic pole that raises approximately 15 feet with the connection plate supplied on the pole. I also purchased a small radial base. I screwed the radial base (4 radials)to the connection at the top of the pole and screwed the antenna on top of that. I attached a solid copper wire to the screw that holds the plate ontop of the pole. I dug a hole in the flower bed where it won't be seen when not in use and put a PVC pipe in the ground about two feet deep. I stood the pole in the PVC pipe and attached the other end of the solid copper wire to a small (4 foot) section of standard copper piping with a clamp right next to the PVC pipe in the ground. Within five minutes I was making contacts to Italy and Poland on 20 meters from New Jersey. Needless to say I have nothing bad to say about this antenna. I set it up in about five minutes everytime I want to use it and now enjoy doing some DX outside in the summer where I spend a lot of my time. Great antenna!
N8KIM Rating: 2013-03-12
impressive performer for semi truck use Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
okay I've only owned this antenna for a few days.
but I couldn't wait to review it based on my first try.
I love the antenna but I am concerned about the tuning as I like to change bands a lot. I suspect that once I do some measurements and keep a chart handy it won't be a problem. first contact was New Mexico from Detroit Michigan on 20 meters, propagation was just okay not great but I was 20 over s9. I believe the performance will be great the construction seems good but I recommend inserting a nylon washer in the so-239 as I have heard others recommend this to prevent accidental grounding of the center connector. I also replaced the whip (allen wrench type) screws with thumb screws usually found on the sides of CB radios for bracket mounting. this makes for easy and fast whip length adjustments. the center whip is a hollow tube that feels cheap but I suspect will be okay. I had to make my own mount out of a bulkhead connector and CB mirror mount in order to use it on my semi truck. I recommend buying or making a spare jumper wire.
the antenna breaks down into a short and easily carryable package. I hope to report back after I have more experience with the antenna but for the money $79 you sure can't beat it.