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Reviews For: Chameleon Hybrid Micro

Category: Antennas: HF Portable (not mobile)

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Review Summary For : Chameleon Hybrid Micro
Reviews: 17MSRP: $230
Description:
The CHA HYBRID-MICRO is a lightweight highly portable
broadband antenna system designed to offer maximum
portability and performance. The antenna weights about 1 lb.
The antenna will operate at all frequencies in the 1.8-54
MHz band without any adjustment with most modern external
antenna tuners. No masts or guying are required.
The antenna will work successfully supported by trees,
masts, the tops of vehicles or any convenient object or
structure. The antenna works most effectively when elevated
at a reasonable height.
Product is in production
More Info: http://chameleonantenna.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
25175
LNXAUTHOR Rating: 2023-02-17
excellent element for a poor ham's tactical delta loop Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
i purchased this CHA offering just before the insane price increases of the last year or so... i pair this transformer with 25-ft of wire w/clips, a CHA spike and stainless head, two manpack folding antennas, a Goture tankara 23-ft fishing pole, a Wally World metal beach umbrella sand spike, and 25 feet of RG174 BNC coax... this creates a budget tactical delta loop that is readily usable on 40 and 20 and all other bands w/an ATU-100 tuner hacked for QRP tuning levels

i have used this antenna many times... it takes a few more minutes to set up vs my portable MFLAs - i put out little orange cones around the antenna as a safety measure as i run QRP /p in a local park, but my logbook shows hundreds of contacts over the course of my hour and a half /p sessions (moreso now that i try to run CW exclusively)

if you can find one of these used snag it! it will be a handy item for endfeds, slopers, loops, etc. the micro is also robust and will hold up to rough handling and inclement WX

i will get many years of use out of the CHA micro...highly recommended
DL4QB Rating: 2023-02-17
Compromise? Yes but not for /p Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have the MPAS that includes the Hybrid Micro and I´am very satisfied. It is a compromise antenna, yes, but when I'm /p this is very quickly built and I do not need to worry about the SWR. SWR is good! Since I /p only in CW or sometimes in digital on the road, this Anenna is really absolutely super and recommended! I use it with the KX3 and thus also only with 10W. It helps a lot to have a sufficient counterweight!
But keep in mind, it is not a miracle antenna! For what it was built for, it does a super job!
SP9HZX Rating: 2021-08-18
Very good portable antenna Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have been using Micro Hybrid + Milwhip for a year in different locations.Nothing to complain of.
Very good portable system!Small and easy to transport.
I've had a lot of far and fantastic QSOs.
I am very glad of it.
VE3IPS Rating: 2019-04-03
Best Portable Antenna System for Rapid Deployment Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have a various Chameleon products and from other manufacturers, as I enjoy field and portable ops.

I expect my investments in antennas to last a long time and cannot tolerate poor design or quality. You will not be disappointed with the Chameleon line of antenna products as its very much built on the Mil-Spec concepts. Rugged, built to last and operates as designed with out any fuss.

The base unit is the balun and its the key to the antenna design. It is efficient and allows the built in radio tuner to match quickly and get a signal out without delay.

I can go for a hike and toss the 60 foot radiating element into a tree and hit the tune button on my manpack radio and check into a net or make contacts within minutes.

Its plug and play.

I was on a road trip and I wanted to test propagation with my buddy back home. I found a nice rest stop and threw the antenna into a tree , connected the Micro to my radio and contacted him on 40m in a few minutes. I asked him to jump on 20m and lo and behold I worked a guy in Spain (my friend was not able to with his noisy vertical) and then QSYed up 10 to work my friend.

15 minutes later I was back on the road and I did the same thing several times as I drove down the turnpike.

The build quality is excellent.

We had 4 inches of snow on the weekend and smelling a chance to get out in the snow one last time I went on a hike. I tossed a puck and paracord into a tree, connected the radiator with a carabiner and hauled it up. I then walked back to the radio with the antenna at a roughly 45 degree angle and started tuning around during the CQ WPX contest. I hit tune on my trusty Icom 703 and either 20m or 40m I had no problem making contacts up and down the USA and the Caribbean stations with good reports running 10 watts. I had no worrys about the weather affecting my antenna due to its excellent build quality. Unlike other antenna kits from competitors that fell apart in weather affected environments (they are now only used in dry sunny conditions) the Chameleon worked like a champion.

I have it all contained in a Cammo pouch and clip it on my backpack or radio pack and walk out the door with confidence that it will work as it should without any headaches or disappointment.
AE7YD Rating: 2017-10-03
very happy Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have the antenna since about a month now.
It has been used with a long wire, with a MFJ 16.5ft whip and with a
sloping wire from the window of my shack at the second floor with a
ca 20ft counterpoise dangling down to the ground
I work exclusively QRP with sometimes 20w and was able to make
solid contacts despite the poor propagation.
Very good craftsmanship.
KV4AN Rating: 2017-07-21
Perfect Portable Antenna System Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have the Hybrid-Micro that I use for my military-style FT-817 manpack, but wanted the heavier Hybrid-Mini for use with a portable vertical, so I didn't have to keep taking the Micro out of the pack. I use the Mini with the Mil Whip, Extension, Spike, and four Radials for a really superior performing easy to setup portable vertical. Outstanding on 30 meters and higher and good on 40 meters. I've not used the included wire yet, which would make it work better on 40 and 80. Chameleon antennas are amazing for their broadband characteristics and are perfect for portable operation. Using 1 Watt, a station in New Zealand heard me from Alabama on WSPR and there were many reports from all over North America.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by KV4AN on 2014-08-16

With just the Hybrid Micro and the included wire you get a 160 to 6 meter portable antenna good for hiking or camping or temporary / emergency use. Add the MIL Whip and MIL extension and you get a versatile antenna system that allows you to use a radio like the FT-817 as a manpack radio with adequate performance with the whip and very good performance with the wire, depending upon how much time and space you have. You need an antenna tuner, but with my FT-817 and Elecraft T1, you get 160 - 6, even with just the whip. I set mine up in a manpack bag and with just the whip on 20 meters I worked Germany on CW with 5 Watts. With the MIL EXT whip extension, the signal strength was better than my G5RV on 15 meters. Signal strength was a few "S" units less on 40 meters than my G5RV, and much less on 80 meters, all as expected. Use the whip when you have to or on higher bands and use the wire when you can and on the lower bands. Still, it is an excellent antenna for portable use. Mine stays in my FT-817 bag ready to go.
W9JH Rating: 2017-05-03
Nice all-band portable Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I use the Hybrid Micro on a camper van as a stationary setup. Employed the JAWMOUNT clamped to the aluminum ladder mounted on the back of the van, then ran out the included 60’ wire as a counterpoise and used a 9/1/2’ Buddipole telescoping whip as the radiator. It all worked really well on 20 and up, and was OK on 40 but more difficult to make contacts. The radio is an Icom IC-7000 along with an LDG IT-100 tuner.

Build quality of the Hybrid Micro is top notch and rugged…looks to be mil spec.

A very versatile antenna system that can be used in a number of configurations.
W5TAH Rating: 2017-04-12
impressive Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have used the Hybrid Micro on portable setups in the Longwire, vertical and dipole configurations and it works with out any compromises. I compared it to a buddy pole with a coax switch in line and it has better performance everytime. there is no need to adjust anything when changing bands, just spin the VFO and go. It is made BULLETPROOF!, don't worry about hurt in this thing or breaking it, it is indestructible.
It has endless portable possibilities. Worth every penny.
K1BRA Rating: 2016-05-20
Chameleon == Quality Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
For portable operations, I evaluated numerous "9:1 Unun + Longwire" systems available on the market as well as building some myself. What drew me to Chameleon were the various YouTube videos that show teardowns of the Chameleon units against their competitors. Chameleon is quality design/construction and that's what sold me. Everything from the Hybrid Micro to their jaw mount and whips are top notch. The Hybrid Micro itself is solidly built and gives < 2:1 SWR to a 450-ohm load (like a 9:1 Unun should) all the way down to 1600 Khz (something you won't find with cheap Ununs that use cheaper powered iron cores).
K5HTB Rating: 2015-12-30
Pedestrian Mobile Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Combined with the Chameleon Mil-Whip or just a CB 1/4 wave whip, even a ham stick and tuner. It performs very well. Light weight and easy to pack.
Used with the included wire or a lighter weight home brew wire, it performs even better.

Travis
K5HTB