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Reviews For: INAC AX-330

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : INAC AX-330
Reviews: 1MSRP: 980
Description:
Mag-Loop, 80-10M
Product is in production
More Info: http://inac-radio.com/en/Antenas-AX
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0011
HB9DUQ Rating: 2015-08-12
Don't buy Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
To keep a long story short: I ordered my antenna (the high power version, with green paint) in Oct. 2014, directly by INAC in Spain. 9 months later and only with help from another ham, I finally got the antenna. Not the high power, but the 100 W model (…) Mail traffic with INAC was very laborious. Mostly, mails wouldn’t be answered nor was I ever told, when my antenna would be delivered. I was not even noted, when the antenna was forwarded to me.

Shipping was ok and the antenna was well packed. Nothing to complain here.

The antenna looks ok and seems to be reasonable built, but the PL socket clamps and I have some concerns, to leave this antenna outside in sun, rain wind and snow. It’s far away from so called “Swiss” quality and the additional green paint was probably done by a kid or the painter lost his glasses.

Control unit LAC-2 works ok so far, but is made of plastic with some kind of paper label. It looks and feels very cheap. Just like a playbox from toys’r us. No comparison to the control unit of my MFJ loop. I wonder how the LAC-2 looks in 1 or even 5 yrs. I heard from another owner, that he had troubles with the control unit, from the very beginning on and never got his mail replayed. - Tuning is easier with the INAC than the MFJ.

Performance: I compared the INAC to my other two antennas (FD4 under my rooftop and the MFJ-1786 mag loop, outside in my garden) That’s what I’ve been working with, the past couple of years. Despite this poor equipment, I have worked about 170 countries so far. Most of them in Digi modes. The MFJ loop works from 10-30m. On these bands I have compared the two loops together. On 40 and 80m, the FD4 and the INAC were compared to each other. Due to bad condx, 10 and 12m were not open. From 15-30m, I first compared some SSB stations on my TS-590. In 90-95%, the MFJ performed better (EU and DX). Weak stations down to S3 could be clearly understand with the MFJ, while with the INAC most of those stations got lost in noise or weren’t heard at all. I then started to compare both loops for several days/nights with WSPR (only RX). Both antennas had been running at the same time (2 Radios, 2 PC’s). Results were as follows: In 90%, the signals on the MFJ-1786 were 2-16db stronger. Plenty of DX stations with signals around -20db or less, didn’t appear on the “INAC Station” screen at all. On 40 and 80m it looks a bit different. There the INAC was in 90% the better one. Signals were up to 14db stronger than on the FD4. (However, the FD4 is indoor).
My personal conclusion: The INAC AX-330 seems to perform best on 40 and 80m. My favorite bands however are 30 to 10m. From this point of view, the MFJ-1786 outperforms the INAC by far and therefor I’m going to keep the MFJ or will buy the model that covers the 40m Bands too.

Would I buy it again? After everything I've been through and after having seen and tested the INAC, the answer is No. The whole company and antenna as well, looks to me, like it was built by a two men show, somewhere in a backyard garage. - If you call MFJ, “mighty full…” then I wonder what you would call INAC. :-)

I know 3 other hams who own this antenna too. Each and every one has troubles with it, in one way or another. Mails are never answered and replacement parts never sent to them.

Finally, I recommend to all, to stay away from INAC, as long as they don’t change their habits and quality of their products

Tom, HB9DUQ