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Reviews For: MOSLEY MINI-32

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

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Review Summary For : MOSLEY MINI-32
Reviews: 18MSRP: 384.00
Description:
2 ELEMENT 10-15-20
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mosley-electronics.com/spec%20files/amateur/mini32a.
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00184.5
K7WXK Rating: 2011-12-17
Delivers as advertized Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After much research and comparison I took a chance and ordered the Mini32 w/WARC kit. It was shipped promptly and received in a week from the factory. As others have testified, the assembly instructions are basic and brief and require some knowledge and logic, but it went together as planned. Initial SWR readings were as predicted with the upper part of 20 meters being around 3:1. I shortened the driven element 1/2" on each end and left it alone until final testing. After mounting it on a 17' mast and based on the roof making a total height of around 25', I tested it and the SWR readings were mostly flat in all but the extreme lower end of 10 meters where it was 1.9:1 and the upper end of 20 where it is still high at 2.5:1 All these readings are easily handled by my FT990 AT. The WARC element is practically flat on both 12 and 17 meters.

Now for the results: Reports of my transmitted signal are continually 1 to 3 S-units higher than my R-5 Vertical. Likewise, received signals are equally improved. I doubt the front to back ratio is 17:1, but further testing is warranted before I make any evaluation. Front to side is also not terribly impressive. Noise level is higher than my vertical, but that is likely because it is closer to the AC wiring in the house.

The antenna is currently being rotated by an RCA TV rotator. So far, everything is working fine. I did get some RF feedback into the rotator control, but that was cured by wrappng the control cable around a group of torroids. Now everything works as advertized.

Summary: Extremely light (12 lbs) and compact and easy to install. Marked improvement over a dipole or vertical. For those wanting performance increase along with light/small package, this is the antenna for you, all at a price that doesn't break the bank. For me it fills the bill just fine.

Disclaimer: Don't expect an "out of body experience" and a quantum leap in performance. It's not a SteppIR or a full size log periodic. Remember you get what you pay for.

For the reasons stated above I call it a good, but not great, antenna.
N9GUU Rating: 2011-11-03
Great Antenna! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Because of location, I needed a small directional antenna and the Mini-32 looked like my best bet. I assembled it according to the book measurements, put it on a pipe up abot 10' and applied RF to check the SWR. Nothing higher than 1.5:1 - even worked a W6 from 9 land at 10'. I installed it up about 30' and SWR remained the same. Worked a lot of DX. I have a modest 100W station and I'm constantly being told "great signal". I know it's not a TA-33 but it works very well. You won't be sorry.
KE8Y Rating: 2011-09-07
Nice antenna; good value Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I installed my Mini-32A on the roof of my ranch style house using a 4’ tripod and 1.25” dia x 10’ Radio Shack antenna mast. The overall mounting height is approximately 26’. I am not using any guys on the mast, and so far the assembly has weathered several wind and ice storms with no problems with either the mast or antenna. The Radio Shack TV antenna rotor that I purchased and installed started having problems within the first year, so I replaced it with a 1970’s vintage Alliance Mfg Co., Model U-100 rotor that I had lying around. The U-100 does a nice job rotating the antenna a full 360 degrees in about a minute. A "heavy duty" TV antenna rotor is really all that you need to turn the Mini-32A, but new, good quality TV rotors (like the U-100) are hard to find these days.

At my installation I have found that the Mini-32A generally meets Mosley’s specs except for front-to-back (F/B) ratio. The observed F/B is only about 1 S-unit (6 dB) on 20 meters and a little better on 15 and 10 meters. Specs say the "average" F/B should be 17 dB (almost 3 S-units). I am sure that the F/B could be improved by mounting the antenna higher and in the clear, but I promised my XYL that there would be no guy wires on the house so I have accepted the F/B as is. The antenna exhibits very deep nulls from front-to-side on all three bands however. I generally receive good to very good signal reports, and I rarely fail to make contact with the stations that I call.

Mosley’s assembly manual is OK if you are an experienced Yagi builder, but it may be difficult to follow if you are a first timer. The dimensions of the assembled antenna are not included in the manual, so it is not possible to check your work when you’re done. I mentioned this to Mosley and hopefully they will include the dimensions in a future revision of the manual.

The only dimensions that are mentioned in the manual are for setting the exposed length of the element immediately after the traps (the smaller inboard devices are loading coils, the larger outboard devices are the traps). After much experimenting and many trips up and down the ladder, I have found that the factory suggested set points of 12.5” exposed length on the driven element and 14.0” exposed length on the reflector element, work the best for me. With these set points, lowest SWR on my Mini occurs at 14.05 Mhz, 21.20 Mhz, and 28.30 Mhz. The bandwidth on all three bands is essentially as advertised (i.e. very good). Mosley suggests not using an antenna analyzer for adjusting the antenna, but I found that the results from my antenna analyzer are very close to the actual results using 100W output from my rig. I sometimes use an antenna tuner when working CW at the very bottom of 15 meters.

If you choose to install the coaxial cable RF choke mentioned in the manual, follow the directions exactly as written. Excessive lead length between the choke and connection to the driven element will lower the resonant frequency of the antenna. I tried using a Hy-Gain BN-86 1:1 balun instead of the coax choke, but it lowered the resonant frequency of the antenna, even with short leads. I also tried the "Ugly Balun" 1:1 choke but it also affected the resonant frequency of the antenna. After much wasted time and effort, I reinstalled the coaxial choke suggested in the antenna manual.

The antenna is rated for 500W on CW and is a good match for the AL-811 amp. But be careful when using an amplifier and do not exceed the power limitations of the antenna. I inadvertently tuned up my AL-811 amp with the Mini connected and blew out a trap. It is best to tune the amp into a dummy load at reduced power, and then transfer to the Mini for final tuning. Increase power to the Mini only after final tuning is complete. When using the amp on CW, I limit power to the antenna at 350 watts to be on the safe side.

I found the customer service and shipping at Mosley to be very good overall. Mosley also has an excellent article on their web site that explains how the Mosely trap system works – see “Frequently asked Questions”. The article was indispensable when I was trouble shooting the antenna and helped me find the blown trap. I purchased a replacement trap assembly from Mosley over the phone, and received it in just a couple of days. The price was reasonable too.

I installed my Mosley Mini-32A in May 2008 - just over three years ago as I write this. I have been pleased with the antenna’s overall performance and quality of materials. I still think it was a good buy and I would definitely buy another Mosley if something were to happen to this one.
W7MJM Rating: 2010-11-08
A beautiful beam! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After years of using wire antennas and verticals, I finally decided to put up a beam. I wanted a tribander that was light weight, with minimal wind surface area, a neighbor-friendly profile and decent performance. At 8 lbs assembled weight, a 2.5 square foot wind surface area, an 8.75 foot turning radius and performance typical of a 2 element yagi, Mosley's Mini-32a fit the bill.

I had considered a hex beam, but preferred the traditional look and lighter weight of the Mosley to the upturned umbrella look and somewhat heavier weight of a hex.

The Mini-32a was easy to assemble, tune and install on a 5 foot TV tripod, lag-bolted to the roof rafters. The antenna sits atop a 2 foot tall, thick-wall aluminum mast, turned by a TV rotor atop a 5 foot steel mast that is secured by the roof tripod. At 10 feet above the roof, the Mini-32a's SWR curves, bandwidth and performance are as documented by Mosley.

I've only been using it a few days now, but signal reports are consistently 1 to 2 S-units better than my trusty Hustler 6BTV vertical @ 10 feet above ground with raised radials.

I am very pleased with my new Mosley Mini-32a. I was also delighted with Mosley's customer service. I had a few questions about assembly and tuning of the beam which were promptly and completely answered by email. Thank you Gary!

P.S. - The Mini-32a continues to perform superbly, but the RadioShack TV rotor I was using to turn it died after only a few days. Replaced the RS rotor with a Yaesu G-450A and I'm happy again! Suggest going with a light-to-medium duty ham rotor from the get go.

73, Martin, W7MJM

----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by W7MJM on 2010-10-20

After years of using wire antennas and verticals, I finally decided to put up a beam. I wanted a tribander that was light weight, with minimal wind surface area, a neighbor-friendly profile and decent performance. At 8 lbs assembled weight, a 2.5 square foot wind surface area, an 8.75 foot turning radius and performance typical of a 2 element yagi, Mosley's Mini-32a fit the bill.

I had considered a hex beam, but preferred the traditional look and lighter weight of the Mosley to the upturned umbrella look and somewhat heavier weight of a hex.

The Mini-32a was easy to assemble, tune and install on a 5 foot TV tripod, lag-bolted to the roof rafters. The antenna sits atop a 2 foot tall, thick-wall aluminum mast, turned by a TV rotor atop a 5 foot steel mast that is secured by the roof tripod. At 10 feet above the roof, the Mini-32a's SWR curves, bandwidth and performance are as documented by Mosley.

I've only been using it a few days now, but signal reports are consistently 1 to 2 S-units better than my trusty Hustler 6BTV vertical @ 10 feet above ground with raised radials.

I am very pleased with my new Mosley Mini-32a. I was also delighted with Mosley's customer service. I had a few questions about assembly and tuning of the beam which were promptly and completely answered by email. Thank you Gary!

73, Martin, W7MJM
KR4JA Rating: 2010-07-14
Very good beam Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought a used Mini-33A-WARC, but I converted it to a Mini-32 in order to reduce the wind-load and weight on my chimney mount. Also, I get a little better front/back (on all 3 bands) and better forward gain on 15M using it with the 6 foot spacing for 2 elements. The SWR rises to around 2.95 at the upper end of 20M, but nothing the internal Icom tuner can't handle. SWR is under 2.0 on 15M and 10M (up to around 28.8MhZ). I'm using the antenna with an Icom ProIII and a TS-480HX through an MFJ-998 tuner. I'm very satisfied with the little antenna. It gives me some gain on the upper bands and is working very well.
N2RRA Rating: 2009-09-16
Amazing little Yagi! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
First! I'm a Ham who has experienced many types of mono band to tri-band small and large foot print beams. This give me a bit of an advantage to really scrutinize this product. I'm no expert by far, but I know what to look for.

Due to my restrictions I needed something small, light weight, low wind load, but an effective beam for 10, 15 and 20 meters. Taking into consideration that the front to back gain and forward gain wouldn't be great from what I was used to with larger beams, but it would have to be way better than a dipole.

Searching around I looked at every small beam out there and nothing was as light and small with claimed performance compared to Mosely's mini 32A. Now I don't like traps, but when you have no other choice so be it. Might I mention that if I were to use anything with traps at the QTH Mosely would be the only company I would trust. So I decided to try it!

When I opened the box and pulled the manual out I wasn't happy with the way it was written, but being that the elements were color coded everything else putting together took some common sense which made the manual unnecessary for me. There are a couple exceptions to detail that are critical to follow so read carefully.

Plus side! I did have a couple of questions so calling Mosely and speaking with a couple of folks there in tech support was helpful, kind and returned my call when needed promptly. They get 5 stars just for that! Hard to come by these days.

I was impressed with the material and engineering with stainless steel components made me feel good about my choice, but what would performance dictate? So here it is!

Going with their suggested starting point measurements I was impressed. I didn't have to take it down and perform any additional adjustments. They do suggest to insert actual R.F. into the antenna would be best for tuning. I did it with an analyzer and then checked it with R.F. The results were very similar to the extent had I done it with the analyzer anyway it would have been fine for me that is. Still! It should still be tuned with actual R.F. from the rig into the yagi.

20 meters - S.W.R. reading started out with a flat 1:1 on 14.000. up to a 2:5 S.W.R at 14.350. From 14.295 on up is nothing an internal tuner, or outboard tuner can't handle, but these are still great results.

15 meters - 21.000. 3:1 S.W.R up to 21.450 with a 2.0 S.W.R WOW! I think that's great! All of the phone portion with under 2:1 and nothing an internal tuner wouldn't handle in the CW portion.

10 meters - Here I have a 2:1 from 28.000 all the way up too 28.900. That's awesome! 28.530. had a 1:1 S.W.R. The beam had 50 ohm match every where the S.W.R. was 1:1.

The yagi has been installed on a mast mounted rotor at 40 feet AGL. The physical antenna is 10 feet above the roof line. There is a giant tree that stands tall at 45 feet and about 10 feet from the elements. Every where else around the yagi for the most part is clear of obstructions. Yet! My S.W.R.'s are still great and performance is fantastic.

Being that band conditions haven't been great for a lot of strong signals on 15 and 10 meters I can't give you Front to Back performance so what signals I could hear seems pointless to mention that I could clearly make them disappear. None the less! What's non existent on the dipole can be worked on the yagi.

Now that I have the yagi for 20 meters the band is fun to operate again. No more getting pushed and shoved by NET's or QRM'ed without getting QRM'ed back. It's a night and day difference trying to work DX or local QSO's compared from the dipole to the yagi. After comparing signal reports on a A/B process I see average 1-2 S-units between the dipole and yagi. Front to Back isn't the greatest seeing about a 12-15 db difference, but it can be noticed and again sure beats anything else I had up prior and can get away with. This thing looks like a large TV antenna.

In the long run I'm happy to be working Europe with 599+ reports and sending SSTV signals with great quality.

I give this yagi and Mosely 10 stars!

73's!






HS0ZGR Rating: 2007-05-26
Highly pleased -- great results Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
With an existing 1-inch iron mast extending to 33 feet, and not eager to install a new tower for a full-size beam, I ordered the Minibeam 32-A after hearing a friend speak well of it.

The Mosley website quoted a waiting period of 36 days, but one learns to be patient in SE Asia. I ordered and asked that I be notified of the Fed-Ex tracking number after shipment. Tracking a package ex-USA can be important, lest it be detained at the port of entry until the shipper can contact the buyer for duty and taxes.

After 60 days, I queried the sales desk and learned that the latest batch of minibeams would ship the next day. Four days later, I again inquired about the tracking number. Melissa replied quickly, and now I had the info, only to find that my new antenna had been awaiting clearance at Bangkok airport for 2 days... no word from Fed-Ex on their own initiative. So, I had my minibeam 6 days after shipping, halfway around the world, well-packed in a clean, compact 6-foot carton, surving transits in Alaska and Manila.

The ordering process is my only issue of concern, because the rest of the installation went flawlessly. The SS hardware was complete, the traps and elements in excellent condition, and the predrilled holes accurately placed. I spent an hour deburring everything as recommended, and then studied the rather sparse manual to be sure I understood it.

Compared to older Mosley manuals on the internet, this newer one lacked any detailed exploded parts placement. I enjoy puzzles, however, and soon figured out the proper order of things. The finished product is slightly larger than the advertised specs (fine by me), but with the element spacing 2 inches less than 6 feet. Overall, it was light-weight, pleasing to the eye, and easy to balance at the centerplate.

There are only two points of adjustment per element, one on each side of the boom, between the small inboard loading coil and a longer aluminum trap. (I had expected four altogether, for 10 and 15 meters.) It was easy to use the initial settings suggested in the manual, but how should one approach tuning the reflector for F/B vs Gain? The manual didn't say anything except to suggest the total adjustment should not exceed 10 inches, in or out. I was on my own...

I levered the antenna skyward on a 15-foot bamboo pole, and noted immediate SWR dips on all three bands below 1.5:1, about 50 khz lower than center-freq -- as the manual predicted due to artificial ground. There are few, if any, strong signals here at mid-day during the sunspot cycle low. Adjusting the reflector for F/B would have to wait until later.

With the minibeam mounted at 33 feet atop a small, Yaesu G-250 rotator, I couldn't be more pleased with the results. SWR is centered on each band at no more than 1.3 to 1. The band edges of 20 and 15 meters indicate 1.8, and 10 meters shows 2.8 at 28 and 29 Mhz.

An article on 2-element minibeams by L.B. Cebik, W4RNL, explains the tradeoffs between gain, F/B ratio, and bandwidth. The ideal balance would suggest equal gain reductions on the backside and sidelobes.

My listening experience shows a 1 S-unit gain over a dipole up 30 feet. The backside and sidelobe signal reduction is roughly equal at 2 S-units lower, giving a net total advantage of 3 S-units over the dipole. Put another way, the minibeam is far quieter than the dipole. I'm delighted to see a signal bounce to S-8 from an S-3 noise level. True, the dipole may show S-9 over S-6 QRN, but the quiet S-8 signal is far easier to copy.

It looks like Mosley did a fine job of attaining balance between gain, F/B, and BW across 3 bands on a 6-foot boom! For now, I'll opt for the recommended reflector length... maybe play with it later.

Would I consider the 3-element version for one hundred dollars more? Not with 3 elements on a 6-foot boom, and no appreciable increase in gain or F/B. I can now work friends in Europe on 20 meter SSB with 100 watts legal limit which I could barely do with the dipole. That's what counts!
W3HD Rating: 2000-09-26
AWFUL Time Owned: more than 12 months.
DOES NOT WORK ON 10M 15M VERRY HIGH S.W.R. 5 TO 1. 20M S.W.R. 3 TO 1. MANUAL
VERRY BAD. I CALLED MOSLEY 5 OR 10 TIMES WOULD NOT CALL ME BACK OR TOLD ME NO ONE WAS IN THE OFFICE OR OUT TO LUNCH. I WISH I COULD HAVE 3 HOUR LUNCH!! PLEASE DO NOT GET A (MOSLEY) WHAT JUNK.