Ok, first.....yes...the antenna has very wide bandwidth with low SWR. So excellent there. Yes, the quality of the materials is excellent also. Yes, the price is very reasonable.
BUT...here's what I don't get. I just got mine YESTERDAY (25 May 17)....and mine came with NO instructions. It had info on safety, grounding, etc. It had a bunch of stuff in other languages (which i just today translated, and it's just all the safety info again). It came with another sheet with specifications, tuning chart, and an illustrated parts list....that was generic for this model and other models (it lists 3 different models). BUT NO INSTRUCTIONS.
So, I'm an Engineer....30 years a ham and 30 years in the comm business...built MANY an antenna....so I figured it couldn't be hard. Saw lots of reviews on Amazon where I bought it (and now several here)....stating "simple to assemble...just took 15 minutes...etc.".
Well, either I'm "antenna building challenged"....or....missing the instructions made it harder than it should be (I'm pretty sure that's a BIG part of my complaint, NO INSTRUCTIONS whatsoever!)....or....that or a combination of....mine had parts from another antenna?
You see, all my 3 sections that attached to the base had predrilled holes on the larger end....thus....to me....indicating apparently all three sections were to be SCREWED together.
But the issue is, besides having no instructions and thus having to make some assumptions (and we all know how that can go sometimes!)...mine came with only 4 screws and a small hose clamp. The parts illustration said my model should indeed only come with 4 screws (other models had different amounts in the list). And yet...my sections had SIX holes on the largest part....again....making it appear I should have 6 screws (not 4).
The base and the first section had predrilled holes on BOTH parts....where the junction lined up. In other words, you slid the next section in the base section....lined up the TWO pairs of holes....and put in 2 screws. Bingo, perfect.....very easy.
But on the next section, the top of the just installed piece did indeed have two holes from the factory. But the section that slid into that, had slits cut into the bottom end.....typical of where they would want you to apply compression. That piece, had NO holes in the bottom to marry up with the holes on the other piece. What to do? Tried using the small included hose clamp. Nope, it barely fit over this junction...and would NOT tighten down enough to permit the antenna to NOT move. So, I found no choice but to DRILL HOLES and mount with two screws, much as I had the previous pieces....but they were BOTH predrilled. It was as if....the factory sent me the wrong piece....or forgot to drill the 2 holes (but instead, cut slits)? Yea, I know...........makes no sense to me either......
On the next section, even worse (this was the top section). While the top of the piece I just finished assembling did indeed once again have two holes predrilled, the bottom of the top section I was about to install to it....again...had NO holes...nor did it have slits. I tried the hose clamp again, nope. That wouldn't tighten enough to stop it from moving. Since it already had 2 holes....nothing to do but once again drill two holes (that again, like the last piece...I used the existing holes on the outer mating piece as my pilot). Only first, I had to check for resonance at my desired freq. To do that, I used the primitive tuning chart and it got me closer than I thought it would. FOR TUNING, I used that hose clamp....to keep the top section from slipping down (at the desired length). Once tuning was confirmed, I tossed that hose clamp in the trash....went back to drilling my two matching holes at the desired length, and provided TWO MORE SCREWS from my own parts (remember, they only included 4 screws....and that unused hose clamp).
So now, it's all together and mounted. ASSEMBLY ALONE, took about 2 and half hours.....with all the drilling....head scratching and guessing on how to assemble....etc. Mounting on a mast onto the roof took minutes.
So, I don't know HOW anyone else put theirs together....and I REALLY DO NOT KNOW HOW ON EARTH....it could be done in "15 or 20 minutes". Tuning, yea....very quick. Assembly, NO....NOT QUICK.
So how did you do it? how did you put yours together? Did you have actual instructions....that told you step by step how to do it (I didn't). Did you have to drill? (I did). Did you have to provide extra hardware? (I did). How did you connect those sections? Did you ignore the predrilled holes from the factory? If not, did you use the screws? Other than the base piece and largest of the 3 sections.....which that joint had all four holes predrilled for you....so went together easily....HOW DID YOU PUT THE OTHER JUNCTIONS OF SECTIONS TOGETHER????????
Oh, I have mine mounted at 20 feet. Haven't used it much. So far, I've only compared it to my other 6 meter antenna...a very low gain (but wide bandwidth) MJF discone antenna which is mounted on my tower at 40 ft. So far, not surprisingly....the discone at 40 ft hears better than the 5/8 ground plane at 20 feet. But frankly, I don't think that's a fair comparison....given the height difference.
Again, what i really want to know ....is how anyone else got theirs TOGETHER? Quality is good. Bandwidth is good. SWR is low. Price is good. Assembly......a bit of a mystery at this point!
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Earlier 3-star review posted by K4TK on 2017-05-26
Ok, first.....yes...the antenna has very wide bandwidth with low SWR. So excellent there. Yes, the quality of the materials is excellent also. Yes, the price is very reasonable.
BUT...here's what I don't get. I just got mine YESTERDAY (25 May 17)....and mine came with NO instructions. It had info on safety, grounding, etc. It had a bunch of stuff in other languages (which i just today translated, and it's just all the safety info again). It came with another sheet with specifications, tuning chart, and an illustrated parts list....that was generic for this model and other models (it lists 3 different models). BUT NO INSTRUCTIONS.
So, I'm an Engineer....30 years a ham and 30 years in the comm business...built MANY an antenna....so I figured it couldn't be hard. Saw lots of reviews on Amazon where I bought it (and now several here)....stating "simple to assemble...just took 15 minutes...etc.).
Well, either I'm "antenna building challenged"....or....missing the instructions made it harder than it should be (I'm pretty sure that's a BIG part of my complaint, NO INSTRUCTIONS whatsoever!)....or....that or a combination of....mine had parts from another antenna?
You see, all my 3 sections that attached to the base had predrilled holes on larger end....thus....to me....indicating apparently all three sections were to be SCREWED together.
But the issue is, besides having no instructions and thus having to make some assumptions (and we all know how that can go sometimes!)...mine came with only 4 screws and a small hose clamp. The parts illustration said my model should indeed only come with 4 screws (other models had different amounts in the list). And yet...my sections had SIX holes on the largest part....again....making it appear i should have 6 screws (not 4).
The base and the first section had predrilled holes on BOTH parts....where the junction lined up. In other words, you slid the next section in the base section....lined up the TWO pairs of holes....and put in 2 screws. Bingo, perfect.....very easy.
But on the next section, the top of the just installed piece did indeed have two holes from the factory. But the section that slid into that, had slits cut into the bottom end.....typical of where they would want you to apply compression. That piece, had NO holes in the bottom to marry up with the holes on the other piece. What to do? Tried using the small included hose clamp. Nope, it barely fit over this junction...and would NOT tighten down enough to permit the antenna to NOT move. So, I found no choice but to DRILL HOLES and mount with two screws, much as I had the previous pieces....but they were BOTH predrilled. It was as if....the factory sent me the wrong piece....or forgot to drill the 2 holes (but instead, cut slits)? Yea, I know...........makes no sense to me either......
On the next section, even worse (this was the top section). While the top of the piece i just finished assembling did indeed once again have two holes predrilled, the bottom of the top section I was about to install to it....again...had NO holes...nor did it have slits. I tried the hose clamp again, nope. That wouldn't tighten enough to stop it from moving. Since it already had 2 holes....nothing to do but once again drill two holes (that again, like the last piece...I used the existing holes on the outer mating piece as my pilot). Only first, I had to check for resonance at my desired freq. To do that, I used the primitive tuning chart and it got my closer than I thought it would. FOR TUNING, I used that hose clamp....to keep the top section from slipping down (at the desired length). Once tuning was confirmed, I tossed that hose clamp in the trash....went back to drilling my two matching holes at the desired length, and provided TWO MORE SCREWS from my own parts (remember, they only included 4 screws....and that unused hose clamp).
So now, it's all together and mounted. ASSEMBLY ALONE, too about 2 and half hours.....with all the drilling....head scratching and guessing on how to assemble....etc. Mounting on a mast onto the roof took minutes.
So, I don't know HOW anyone else put theirs together....and I REALLY DO NOT KNOW HOW ON EARTH....it could be done in "15 or 20 minutes). Tuning, yea....very quick. Assembly, NO....NOT QUICK.
So how do you do it? how did you put yours together? Do you have actual instructions....that told you step by step how to do it (I didn't). Did you have to drill? (I did). Did you have to provide extra hardware? (I did). How did you connect those sections? Did you ignore the predrilled holes from the factory? If not, did you use the screws? Other than the base piece and largest of the 3 sections.....which that joint had all four holes predrilled for you....so went together easily....HOW DID YOU PUT THE OTHER JUNCTIONS OF SECTIONS TOGETHER????????
Oh, i have mine mounted at 20 feet. Haven't used it much. So far, I've only compared it to my other 6 meter antenna...a very low gain (but wide bandwidth) MJF discone antenna which is mounted on my tower at 40 ft. So far, not surprisingly....the discone at 40 ft hears better than the 5/8 ground plane at 20 feet. But frankly, I don't think that's a fair comparison....given the height difference.
Again, what i really want to know ....is how anyone else got theirs TOGETHER? Quality is good. Bandwidth is good. SWR is low. Price is good. Assembly......a bit of a mystery at this point! |