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Reviews For: ULTIMAX HW-END FED (NO TUNER ANTENNA)

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : ULTIMAX HW-END FED (NO TUNER ANTENNA)
Reviews: 12MSRP: $130.00
Description:
The ULTIMAX Half-Wave single and dual band End-Fed antennas are the perfect antenna for those that prefer not using an Antenna tuner. The antenna will be resonate at the design chosen bands with an almost flat SWR handling near legal limit without saturation.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.ultimax-antennas.com/products.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00124.9
N8FRJ Rating: 2023-05-17
Great Antenna-EXCELLENT Customer Service Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have a large lot, but lots of trees making antenna selection and placement somewhat difficult. I purchased the Ultimate HW-END-FED and put it up about 35' horizontally. It performed very well for both NVIS and DX. I used it for POTA activations, works great and easy to put up and take down. The SWR changed on all bands and was high. I contacted Albert at Ultimax and asked him if I could send it in for testing; he said to send it. It arrived last Thursday and he messaged me yesterday to say that the transformer was full of bugs that had deposited secretions inside!! He said he would refeb it. A couple hours later, he messaged me saying he was sending a new transformer. I offered to pay and he said "this one is on the house." Where else do you find this kind of response and service? You are usually stuck. Give one of these a try, you will be very happy!
G0BIX Rating: 2023-02-08
Pleasantly surprised Time Owned: more than 12 months.
20230307 update:

Now the count is: 201 countries (mixed band). Worked all United States (mixed band), QRZ dxcc on six bands.

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This aerial suited my needs as far as 88ft was concerned. I had seen good reports from others so I purchased one.

I have the aerial as a sloper as my garden goes down into a valley. At first I fed it from the "top" which is about 30ft above the ground. I then decided to run some good coax down the garden and feed it from its lowest point (20 feet above the ground - n.b. ground level is 30 feet lower than ground level at the "top").

139 DXCC countries in the past year, low SWR on all bands except for two of them, what more do you need when you can't have a beam.

I would recommend this with no hesitation.
KD9HCO Rating: 2023-02-07
Works well Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This antenna performs well. I receive many favorable signal reports using this antenna. Someone once said they thought I was using an amp, when I only was at 100 watts. Make sure to use 100 feet of coax as the instructions claim.
W4FID Rating: 2021-04-14
VERY good company and products Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have their DXextream model -- the 33 foot one -- in my attic. 14 feet above ground. Near house electrical wires and AC ducts. It is very well made and it preforms way better than I expected. I knew being HOA compliant and in an attic and low were all "bad things". But you do what you can do and Ultimax fits my restrictions nicely. I have lots of success with this antenna. SSB nets. FT8. Works very well 40 thru 10 and even works OK on 80 meters. THAT was a surprise! Check into nets, rag chew, work DX -- I'm doing that.
W1LWT Rating: 2021-04-14
yes its not a beam but it works and its super Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had mine for over 12 years. it started of my back up antenna in case weather distroyed any other ones I have.Then up a tree it goes....But it work so well I kept it up to measure along my many antennas i have on my farm here in Maine.yes it takes a beating in rain and ice and wind.Very well made. Also in this time I started using one for portable Ecomms and casual portable set ups in parks and beachs and many other set ups. As for not just trees. But using a 31 foot fibra telescopic pole. I start the wire at the top and keep the balun about 6 foot of the ground next to the vechicle..also lowering the 2 top sections and starting with the balun at the top and wire coming down at a angle as connected to a guide rope mostly used in parking lots I find it works in that configuration wonderful...The third on I have I have tried many configurations of length. recommended on the site and other measurements recommended for 9:1 baluns from other site infromation gathering......so far I personnaly found its wonderful...In many cases i found at some places of operateing I run a temp 12 foot ground wire to a hose clamp on the back of the radio on the coax connector to a 12 inch aluminum stake beside picnic tables it helps maybe on some places...I do keep a tuner LDG100 connected in line if ever needed for some situations if needed but not been used yet. But i have it handy. I have used a Ic735,Ic 718,Ic7200/7300. And fT 817,FT 857,fT 897 AND YES MY TRUSTY ic706 of all three versions of that radio...the antenna has never failed in 12 years and proves to be a work horse....Its well worth it....and I love it alot for being easily deploy for being fast and durable set ups with it...I own the 24 foot one and the other 2 has been modified for longer wire and I use a 1:1 ugly balun below the box at 2 foot inline.I have two friends we set up theres and there locations is realy tight with restrictions so I help them set them up stealthy... and both been there work horse antenna with great contacts for them at there locations one is 130 foot and the other one I modified also its length to 83 Foot at there apartments..what can be said They work in many ways.....I have used many different ones made by others and plans that I found online I made and also from Arrl Books..This one in my RF Engineering professional opion and being a ham its well worth it.For portable use and for restricted areas
KC2NPP Rating: 2021-04-13
A Home Run! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Let me start by saying that I check this site for reviews on everything I need for my shack, yet this is the first time I completed a review. Guilty as charged, and hope this is the start to my rehabilitation. Anyway, after reading the reviews of this end fed 130 ft. wire, as well as the competition (Myantennas) , I chose this one. The other one I wanted was twice as costly. After many years of "compromise antennas" due to my neighbors, I decided I had enough. I hung this wire from a mast on my roof across the yard to my fence with 20 feet of mast on that. Top height about 28 feet sloping to the fence at 20'. This wire is awesome! With 100 watts I speak to many operators in Europe daily. I am so pleased with this company and their product. You cannot go wrong for the money. I would like to thank the previous folks that reviewed this antenna and helped me make a perfect call on this purchase. I'm ordering another one for my fishing camp. Just do it, you won't be disappointed.
W3HDN Rating: 2020-07-03
Excellent Multiband Antenna! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have only been using this antenna for 3 days but impressed enough to write an initial review. Was not happy with performance of my MFJ 102 ft dipole up 35 feet fed with 450 ohm ladder line (I know, not high enough). Using an LDG AT-600ProII tuner with it. Was thinking of trying a vertical but too lazy to string a bunch of radials. Saw some good reviews on the Ultimax end fed antennas and decided to give the 130 ft no tuner model a shot. Installed it as a sloper going from about 8 feet up to about 65 feet (my one tall tree). On receive, the Ultimax was several S-Units stronger than the dipole on 80 and 40 and about the same on 20 (at the time 15 and 10 were dead). The difference on 40 was dramatic. Stations down in the mud on the dipole were S7 and S8 on the Ultimax. Took advantage of Field Day weekend to make some contacts and had no problem on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10. Several contacts on all bands. No need for my LDG tuner. Used the internal tuner on my TS-870S but probably did not need it. After the contest made a contact on 17 with a great report. The only band I have not made a contact on yet with new antenna is 12. Looking forward to see how well it works for DX. So far very pleased with performance and ease of installation. I may update this review after working some more with this antenna but my initial impression is very positive.

Update: Does OK on DX also. Russia, Slovenia and Spain on 20, Portugal on 17. 100 watts.
KC8HXO Rating: 2020-06-27
Excellent for my lot..... Time Owned: more than 12 months.
...my lot is pretty petite. Box is weatherproof over hot, humid Michigan summers, through bitter cold winters. It works better than I ever expected. In-radio tuners will load it easily on all bands from 10-80M. Not always the best antenna on all of those bands, but for local (
KQ0J Rating: 2020-03-24
Works surprisingly well Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
We needed an all band antenna for our club station so we could cover bands that are not on our beam. We installed the 80-10 M version about 20 feet up in a straight line , part of it 10 ' over a steel roof building. Antenna works well without a tuner Except on 30 Meters where a tuner is needed to match it. I have run 1000W SSB into it with no ill effects or SWR change. I compared it to the beam on many contacts and of course its 3 S units lower but for 40 and 80 meters it works FB - just like a dipole. Not magic, but it works.
N4GW Rating: 2018-04-27
Great Antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I am very pleased with this antenna. I love to do QRP but had varying results with different antennas and was never quite happy. I got this antenna for Christmas and it has worked great. I needed something that was stealth but performed well. On receive, signals just pop. I get 10 over 9 reposts from many stations and I normally running just 10 watts. My longest contact was to the Czech Republic from Florida on 10 watts. I know that antenna is rated for 1500 watts but am amazed at how well it performs at 10. One of the best antennas I have owned