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Reviews For: Alpha Antenna 6-80 Meter MIL 2.0, Ex - EzMilitary antenna

Category: Antennas: HF Portable (not mobile)

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Review Summary For : Alpha Antenna 6-80 Meter MIL 2.0, Ex - EzMilitary antenna
Reviews: 67MSRP: 499
Description:
The Alpha MIL 2.0 is a portable 6-80 Meter FEA (Field Expedient Antenna) HF system rated at 250W PEP SSB..
Product is in production
More Info: http://AlphaAntenna.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15674.7
F4HPX Rating: 2015-12-07
Great performer for the size Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This is my first antenna and till now the best one (but I am looking for the one more DX oriented)
I am a new ham and I was planning to start activity with a portable antenna that I can pack and bring everywhere with me. This one attracted my attention because of the reviews and size. Got one from European dealer few weeks later and once passed my license exam I was on the air.

Within one week on November 2015 I made my first 100 QSOs with 45 countries and 5 continents.
Antenna is attached to 2 meters pole in my garden (quite close to my home) with standard counterpoise but I added in opposite direction another one.
As this antenna is not really meant for permanent use, to preserve the original MilStick whip I replaced it with one made from 12mm aluminium pipe assembled as one piece.

In SSB I could make all Europe and beyond: Acores, Canary Islands, Qatar, European Russia with good reports.

In digital modes I made Argentina, US, Cuba and I was reported heard by arctic station DP1POL - not bad at all. I am close to Paris and far from any salt water so it's difficult to skip across the oceans in SSB and I am not yet proficient in CW.
I am hearing American and Canadian stations I did not have yet chance to be heard on SSB with 100W transceiver.

Antenna is performing well from 40 to 10 meters - from 17 till 10 without any tuner because with flat SWR below 1.5, on 20 SWR was just above 2, on 40 around 5.
On 80 SWR is high and although still can be tuned the performance is not good, at least in my situation, but at the end it's only 4 meters stick! I could made my first (local) contact yesterday.

Globally I am satisfied and will keep it - difficult to get better for this size.
I am planning to use it for SOTA activation next year from top of volcano on Reunion Island.

73, Thomas F4HPX
KM4MLZ Rating: 2015-12-06
Excellent antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I am impressed by both the ease of use and the great reception of this antenna. I can set it up off of my deck railing in a minute or two. The deck is up about 12 feet so that puts the antenna about 25 feet high. I use the counterpoise wire and the active NVIS wire. It is practically invisible! I live in a condo and I have made contacts in the Carabian, Brazil, Texas and many more.
My friend has another brand of antenna and let's just say it is not his buddi. I was originally looking at this antenna as well and I'm so glad I got the Alpha Antenna instead! He has to fight it everytime he wants to change a band or relocate it. With the EZMilitary all I have to do is change the band on the radio (ft 857d) and start talking!
The customer service is great! Really!
When I'm done for the day and it is a cold night in NC I spend about 2 minutes putting up the antenna and I'm back in the warm house. During the weekends I usually just leave it up.
I have plans to take it portable, maybe to the lake - when it warms up a bit. I can't wait to see how well it performs when not in the middle of a bunch of condo buildings!
I always receive great single reports as well. I have the Yaesu set for 100 watts usually.
Great antenna, if you're looking for one that needs to be stealthy and actually works I can't think of a better choice.
KA0VXR Rating: 2015-11-12
Best all round Temp, or permanent antenna . Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Fast & reliable , Takes one to 3 minuets to deploy , mounts on most any thing , wood , metal or other , gets you on the air fast , Fielday , Contest , Emergency 's , camping ,Etc , even works Great on Mobil most all Alpha Antennas interchange between the Mobile & Vertical & Ez Mill . Wen Im parked , I take the 5ft. mobile whip off & put the 13ft.EzMill whip & gets me on 75 & 80 wen parked . From local nets to Italy , Germany , Australia . QRP to 100 watts .
Now I spend more time on the air than trying to get on the air compared to some of the other antennas Ive tried .
Enjoy & 73 !
Dave KA0VXR
W2AR Rating: 2015-09-03
Best portable antenna money can buy Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I purchased the Alpha Ez-Military antenna at the Orlando hamfest this past year after speaking to Steve from Alpha for almost an hour. I set it up on a tripod, on my driveway, with a SGC-237 antenna tuner mounted below it. First contact was on 12 meters SSB with TI9/3Z9DX/MM. They were maritime mobile in the Indian Ocean on their way to the Cocoa Island DX Expedition. Report was 5x9 both ways using an Icom-706 mk2g in my go kit. 9000 plus miles for that QSO just blew me away. I also purchased their mobile version of the same antenna and it works equally well using an SGC-239 auto tuner and a Icom 706 mk2g. There isn't a better antenna for both portable and mobile use that I have found. I have recommended these antennas and so far 4 other members our the VBARC radio club have purchased these antennas. 73's...Phil...W2AR
KC9SXB Rating: 2015-07-22
Good performance and reasonable Return & Warrantee policy Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I had a great time talking to Alpha Antenna (like 5 times) before buying the EzMilitary back in February. They were very honest, and even pointed out the reasons why I shouldn't buy the antenna for permanent base use (would likely have to replace shock cord every 18 months, reseal around the top bolt one a year with outdoor silicone, would have to watch that the set screw on the hex nut didn’t come loose). These reasons sounded like ‘normal maintenance’ for any antenna, so I leave it out most of the time. When I do have to take it down and want to deploy it in the field, it takes only 60 seconds!

Performance is better than expected. I've been using this antenna with 5 watts from my Yaesu 817, which has allowed me to easily log DX when and having arm chair conversations when time permits. This comes with the 13 foot whip and the 16 foot Counterpoise, plus a VERY heavy duty and clever Jaw Mount, and a great Field Bag, plus the Alpha Match that goes between the two sections and provides an SWR low enough that I don’t need a tuner on most bands. I know that there is no magic antenna, although Alpha sure got the combinations of these pieces right when they invented this antenna.

RETURN/WARRANTEE – After my having such good experiences with this antenna, I just had to look for myself after reading the last review about Alpha Antenna's Return and Warrantee policy. Their site says they'll give you "a refund of the purchase price on unopened items that are returned for any or no reason at all within 90 days of purchase." Their warrantee seems reasonable also, and offers "a thirty-day warranty against manufacturer defects...".

Bottom line is that I'd buy another one of these antennas if this one ever broke. Plus I have recommended this company to a friend, if just to get an honest and professional opinion. What's more is this company answers emails and the phone or returns messages left...even on the weekends!
N1NDN Rating: 2015-07-19
OK for portable use Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased this antenna and I'm pleased with the portability and construction of it. Its ok for portable use, I used it in a park and made a couple contacts, but the bands were very poor.

Its a 13 foot whip and theres no such thing as a "magic" antenna. More wire will always get you more signal. The SWR is low across the bands so your radio stays happy. The communication of the seller is good, but the return policy and warranty are horrible, plan on keeping your antenna and not returning it! For the cost of this thing, the return policy shouldn't be so ridiculous.

If you're in a park or can drive to the site and you want a quickly deployed antenna that you'll probably make contacts with, this is ok. A 30 ft wire in a tree with a 9:1 balun will do better and is far less expensive, but is harder to deploy.
WQ0Z Rating: 2015-07-18
Great Antenna For Field or Even Permanent Use Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Operating a KX-3 via battery power, 5 watts max, is always a challenge. Matching that transceiver with the EzMilitary system makes field operation enjoyable and very easy. The antenna is very well made and easy to set up, fitting in a bag to include the tripod. I used several other antennas, mainly whips or "hard" dipoles and this EzMilitary gives me better sensitivity and I have logged more DX with it running 5 watts than with any other antenna. The other major strength of this antenna is the outstanding customer service by the company. They return calls and offer great suggestions on how to get even better performance. This has become my QRP and field antenna of choice and I can not think of any cons when buying this antenna. If you want a dependable, easy to set up vertical for field operations, give this one a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
KE0EWY Rating: 2015-07-08
Great Antenna! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased the EzMilitary because I was looking for an antenna that was portable and could be quickly deployed. After some research on many sites, and watching several youtube videos, I decided to purchase the EzMilitary.

Once I received the antenna I deployed it immediately. I clamped the antenna to the grill on my deck (deck is about 10 feet off the ground) and setup the counterpoise in my yard. The antenna tuned quickly with my FT-897 and within 20 minutes from unpacking, I had made my first contact to Bogata, Columbia on 20M.

On field day (2015) I deployed the antenna again but this time I put the antenna in the back yard (clamped to my wheelbarrow) and utilized the optional NVIS kit. My QTH is West-Central MO and I was able to make contacts on 40M with stations in the Southern part of Missouri, NE Oklahoma and Northern Arkansas...stations that are normally in my skip zone.

If you are looking for an antenna for a QRP rig or for emergency communications, you can not go wrong with the EzMilitary.
K0AAJ Rating: 2015-07-07
Great antenna. Great tech support! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This antenna is just what I was looking for. Light, easy to set up, and does a great job. SWR's range from 1.6 on 80 meters to 1.7 on 10 meters. The average in the middle bands are around 2.5 with 20 being just below 3. Not a problem for me since I use a LDG tuner in front of my FT-857D and I only use 20 for PSK31.

Lastly, you just can't find better support after the purchase than Steve. He insist on customer satisfaction!
KE5CIR Rating: 2015-06-14
Having a great time with my new Alpha EzMilitary Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I and one other of my club members have now purchased three antennas from Alpha at the Irving TX Ham Com 2015. We now have two of the Military EZ-Ups and I was so impressed with Alpha I also purchased a Alpha loop JR and will have its review after I get a chance to test it.

I guess one of the most important benefits of amateur radio is a chance to bond with my Daughter that I was away so much from during military deployments most her life. She is now grown up and time with her is very important to me. All in my family are Ham's and I'm hoping I can keep her moving towards her general ticket by exposing her to DX'ing.

My portable stations give me a chance to get out and go to parks and camp grounds and get on the air and make contacts all over the world. Its been the best time of my life to share this with her. Today we tested our portable set up for field day and played with the Alpha Military Ez-up and like all Alpha's it went up in minutes. In no time we were on the air. My set up is with some pretty old technology. I was using my old Icom 706MkIIg and a LDG AT-llMP auto tuner on a battery. Our first contact was on 12 meters contacting VP8LP in the Falkland Islands and it was through a major pile up competing with stations using power. Our second contact was more remarkable being a friend was trying with his base station and couldn't get in past the pile up but I was able to get past the crowd and contact HA7FB in Budapest. Then it was back to the US to Senoia Georgia with N4NVI. Our front yard "DXpedition" was cut short from the weather but it was a great time with her.

I guess my only negative input is not with the antenna but the bag. Its not very durable and the zipper is already starting to stress and its difficult to get everything back in the bag. The Jaw clamp is just too big and by the time I put everything back in it is very difficult to close the bag back up without stressing the zipper. I'm going to look into a more durable bag or just put the jaw clamp in with my tripod. Over all I am very satisfied with this antenna! I cant wait to try out the Alpha Loop Jr!!