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Reviews For: Joplin Amateur Radio Club Antenna Launcher Kit

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : Joplin Amateur Radio Club Antenna Launcher Kit
Reviews: 33MSRP: 50 including freight in the USA
Description:
Pneumatic Antenna Launcher Kit
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.joplin-arc.org/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
22.5333.9
G4GZG Rating: 2020-08-11
OK but don't expect miracles. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I moved to a new QTH with tall trees so wanted an easy way to put up wires, rather than the alternatives. The launcher kit arrived promplty here in the UK and the guys at Joplin were really helpful.

In use I found the lever to be very stiff and hard to keep aim and release at the same time. I rediscovered the art of persuading my neighbours to return the shuttles after I'd misfired. I also had a bit of a leak despite covering the entire joint with goo.

Managed to get a few wires up but it wasn't as easy as I'd thought and eventually I found a friendly tree surgeon who climbed and put pulleys up for me. Cost me abpout the same as the antenna launcher.
I do intend to rebiuld it with a better lever and a better seal but at present its in the shed behind all the other projects.

To summarise its a good project from an amateur radio club,but not to be confused with a professional product.
W0ZS Rating: 2020-08-11
Great utility tool! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I’ve owned the launcher for a few years now and it still works great. In fact the maintenance guys at the company I worked for used it to pull cat 5 cables in drop ceilings. It has worked well for me with antennas too! I do admit the valve is a little stiff but not that bad.
KD2HPQ Rating: 2020-06-01
Not ready for prime time Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I really wanted to give these guys a great review. Unfortunately this product is a disaster. 1) instructions are written in microsopic text in a PDF so you can't enlarge them; (2) Instructions not available on their website so if you lose them you have to request them (they responded in about an hour); (3) The kit is not complete. That's fine, but it took several emails to get a complete list of things the assembly required; (4) the instructions say to put a lot of cement into the joints. I did but I had a leak, so you really have to GLOP the stuff on; (5) the valve they supply is extremely difficult to turn and it's oriented for left-handed people. The result is the air releases too slowly to send the projectiles more than about 25 feet up; (6) Joplin suggested silicone lubricant but that actually made the problem worse.

On the plus side customer service is excellent.

Like so many Ham projects, way too much frustration and B.S.

I have now been trying to re-raise my antenna since late February. I've destroyed or lost 4 drones, broke a slingshot, dislocated my shoulder trying to chuck a modified baseball up 70 feet, purchased a bogus launcher, and got zero help from club mates. Typical ham project.

So I am looking for the guy who originally said, "Just throw a wire into a tree!" I would like to run him over with my car.

P.S. I neglected to say the shipping was fast, the parts are of high quality and very good value, and the customer service is pretty responsive. The Joplin club is OK. Unfortunately the product is not.
W3DIY Rating: 2019-11-15
Did not work for my application. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This was needed to shoot a line over a 110' poplar tree. Assembled and tested per instructions...no leaks. Pressurized the launcher with a pneumatic tool compressor to 90psi. It made to about 75'. To confirm the line was not the cause I shot just the projectile with no line attached. Same result.
AD5KL Rating: 2019-11-03
Works great! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I saw their video on YouTube & had to get one. I’m always building antennas, so this is a must. Slingshots or a golf ball with a string drilled through it both proved useless. This solved that problem. Assembly was easy. I use a foot pump that has a psi gauge to fill it with very little effort. I keep them together to use at home, or if I go somewhere with my go-box. It’s fun to show it to passers-by, or anyone visiting my house.
K2TL Rating: 2019-07-27
Worthwhile Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Had to return the valve as it was impossible to turn. Totally seized up. The return cost me $7 and change, so add that to the kit cost. The replacement valve was just fine, although typically a bit stiff. The launcher itself is quite amazing. I made the mistake of relying on the pressure valve in a cheap air compressor. It read 30 lbs. The projectile launched into the next county..turned out to be 50 lbs when tested with a good automotive gauge, so be warned. A cheap bicycle pump is all you need to get 30 to 35 lbs with no sweat. That will get the projectile easily up 75 feet or more. I painted the projectiles day-glow red which is highly recommended. The launcher is easy to build. It takes a little practice to get it stable and aimed properly, but not a big deal. This is a major improvement over slingshot launchers. Lose a star for sending me a worthless valve ( should be checked before they ship).
AK6QJ Rating: 2018-06-25
Simple & Works Well Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Used this a number of times to hang dipoles in trees for Field Day. The kit was easy to assemble and simple to use. I didn't use the valve supplied in the kit - although usable it was a bit too stiff for my tastes. I ended up checking the valves at combined total of six local Home Depots/Lowes until I found one I liked. I bought the kit knowing this might be the case; I didn't expect the Joplin folks to hand select one for me. After all, how many Home Depots/Lowes can Joplin have, anyway?

I'm planning on buying another one next year so that the kids that come to Field Day can play "Launcher Horseshoes". Or maybe the adults will compete for a case of adult beverages. Have to do something when the bands go dead...
K1NFD Rating: 2018-05-09
Works well when rigidly mounted Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I put one end 60 feet up and the other 65. On the other hand, some comments.
First, for all the non-fisherman, looking at the reel handle it turns counter clock wise. Then if you are going to use over 15 pounds pressure, it really needs the launcher tube glued on.
While the instructions say not to aim straight up, I used a 65-70 degree angle at 35 PSI to get up a 65 foot branch. One really has to peak out at 75-80 feet to do that.
I also made a holder for the launcher which gets clamped to a ladder for use. Hand holding it is only good for a general direction.
Finally expect to loose a spinner or two in the process. You might want more than the two supplied.
K4EQ Rating: 2018-04-29
Works Great! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I had wanted one of these for a long time, but never got around to ordering one. However, at last month's OzarkCon in Branson, the Joplin ARC had a table and was selling them. Of course, I brought one home with me. Assembly was easy and, following the instructions, I pressurized it after 24 hours to make sure there were no leaks. Success! The next day I took it outside to test it. More success. Launching the projectile 100' was a piece of cake. This is a great accessory to my station, and I'll be using it to put up a dipole in a few weeks after we move to our new QTH. Kudos to JARC for their great contribution to the hobby.
VE3TCV Rating: 2017-11-23
Great Launcher!!!!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have used this launcher about 10 times to launch wires over trees that are about 50ft tall. I fill the launcher with about 35psi and it easily launches the projectile over the tree with height to spare. It is very accurate and very easy to use, I purchased a reel from Walmart for about $18 that works just fine with it. The projectile is white in color so I painted them with orange marking paint to make them easier to find in the forest :)

It really is a great design that works, thank you JARC!