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Reviews For: Cushcraft R-6000

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : Cushcraft R-6000
Reviews: 69MSRP: 310.00 (Street price)
Description:
6m, 10m, 12m, 15m, 17m, 20m; 3db gain; 1.2:1 typical; 19' tall
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.cushcraftamateur.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00694
M1AUN Rating: 2007-05-26
Great Antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Reading some of the reviews i can not understand the VSWR problem when it rains.When my CUSHCRAFT R6000 was errected time was spent making sure the traps was water tight this as paid off.The slight rise in VSWR can be brought into line with the tuner on my YAESU FT 1000MP.for some reason the only band i have to use the tuner is 15 meter band rest all ok.With 100w pep i can talk to the the most remote station and get thro pile ups no problem.Great antenna.John M1AUN
M0DJW Rating: 2007-01-02
A waste of money Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
The R6000 is probably ok if you live in a desert climate but the swr goes sky high when it rains. It rains quite a lot in the UK. Following some winter storms it's noticably curved. After 6 months aloft the swr has gone >10:1 on the lower two bands. I've taken it down to see what's wrong but I don't think I'll put it up again.

While it was working I did comparison tests against a G5RV at 5m (16ft), working the US. The bottom of the R6000 was at the same height. It never outperformed the G5RV. Bear in mind that the R6000 is VERY expensive (£360). The G5RV costs about £20.

Poor design and could-do-better build quality in my opinion. If you don't have space for a wire ant I'd still suggest looking elsewhere for a vertical.
WL7BDO Rating: 2006-11-28
Keeps on clocking QSO's Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Many don't like a verticle antenna but I love them. Best value per db. The R-6000 went together well and is on its second Alaska winter. Was able to respond to a QRP station in the last contest on 20 Meters! Sure its not like having the mega station equipment but the R-6000 should be part of any modest prices HF station. Operator skill and a bit more operating time will trump the equipment costing 10 or 20 times more. That is real value.
WB9JOX Rating: 2006-05-31
great antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bought this antenna from ham who had it up 3 months.This one great antenna for a vertical.Money well spent!!!!
KG4HEB Rating: 2006-03-05
This Antenna will be up at the qth for LIFE ! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
For those who say it's junk . That's BS . I have had this fall from 30ft due to a poor tripod . It has stayed up through ice storms and 60 mph winds in the summer . It never bent, dinged, scratched or screwed it up . It has been my No.1 antenna for 6 YEARS now . I have worked, HONG KONG , SIBERIA ZONE 18, THE SOUTH POLE, SEYCHELLES, AND MANY MANY MORE WITH EASE . Also, have broke through many huge pile ups with only a few calls . The SWR is as good as they say it is if not better on some bands . NOW LISTEN : I have not read or seen about what I have discovered with the R6000 . I got curious one night to see if the R6000 would work well on any other band other than those advertised . Well , IT WILL OPERATE ON 80M , 3850 - 3999 . Now on anything else other than this part of 80 and 20-6 the SWR sky rockets. From 3850-3999 I worked stations with 1:2 - 1:4 SWR and received signal reports just as good as I do on 20. Now it just may be some kind of crazy thing going on with my R6000 , but for me it operates GREAT on 80m and 20-6m . ALL OF THIS WAS WITHOUT AN ANTENNA TUNER . So, I ask any one else who tries this to please contact me for a QSO to work 2 R6000's on 80m or let me know how it worked for you ! If you have an R6000 you think is junk....give it to me or let's make a deal . For those looking to get one .... you'll work a lot of DX . 73 de KG4HEB , Sam callingcq@peoplepc.com
K9EL Rating: 2005-07-19
OK with issues Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought an R6000 to replace the Cushcraft MA5V. The R6000 is significantly better than the MA5V which is nothing more than a mobile antenna. As reported by others, don't bother operating when it is raining as the SWR goes way up. I also have a permanent bend even though the wind is not very strong here. Watch out for the connections. After one year, 10 and 15 became intermittent. I had to dis-assemble, clean and re-assemble the lower connection for those bands. This shouldn't be after one year. My opinion? Stick to HyGain. Also, although the counterpoise does work, it is not perfect, so expect some TVI.
K3KZ Rating: 2005-05-01
Works on 30 meters too Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought it used, put it up on a second floor deck and never looked back. Works well 20 -6 and, with only the internal rig tuner (756PROII), and barefoot, I've worked some 50 countries on 30 meters...sort of a "bonus band", H I.
73
Malcolm, K3KZ
K5OQ Rating: 2005-05-01
Better Than Expected Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Cushcraft R-6000 Vertical

I put up the R-6000 years ago as part of a secondary station at my home. My main station at the ranch had a 6-ele Mosley and an Alpha 89. When I sold the ranch, I was forced to rely on the R-6000 at the house - at least until I can get a beam here.

Over the years, I got amazing signal reports on the R-6000, but now that it is my only 20-6 mtr antenna, I continue to be surprised at what I can hear and the signal reports I get - even on 20 meters running just 400 watts.

The Antenna has basically flat SWR, with a little rise on 20 meters and the top end of 15 meters. I have made no attempt to tweak the SWR in several years. It is mounted on a pole at about 10 feet above ground and strapped to a fence post in a pasture. It does put RF into the shack from nearly 100 feet away, but with flat ground straps, good earth ground, and some coax line isolators and RF chokes from Radio Works, all RFI has been tamed.

When I bought an Ameritron ALS-600 solid-state amp, I noticed that one day the amp was kicking out on 15 meters due to wildly flucuating SWR. I discovered that the top section of the 15 meter element was flexing severely in a high wind, causing it to change the SWR rapidly. A look at the photo for the newer R-6000 revealed a spreader near the top of the 15 meter element that was not present on my older model. Look at a photo and assembly diagrams of the older version. (951472 8-98) If installed, the spreader would keep the tip of the 15-meter element from flexing in high winds.

Cushcraft sent me the part free, a split clamp with SS screws, and I installed it just below trap CS-1. The flexing of the top part of the 15 meter element is gone. The part number is: 204923. I noticed that the fiberglass base had started to delaminate, so I sprayed it - and all the spreaders - with Polyurethane. I tightened a few hose clamps and put some tape around the caps on the traps, which are showing cracks from the Texas sun. The R-6000 appears good as new, even with the old ratty coax I am using.

I want to put up a Steppir, but am in no hurry given the results I am getting with the R-6000. In the past few months, for example, I have worked 70 countries on 17 meters, often with 59 or 59+ reports. Go figure. It's a vertical. It must be the cow-manure counterpoise.

Dick K5OQ
KQ5L Rating: 2005-03-30
As Specified Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I assembled the antenna last weekend in about 2.5 hours including the mast. I installed the antenna using the center of each band as a reference. After installation I checked the SWR and it was exactly as specified by the manufacturer. I am using the antenna with a MFJ 600 watt auto tuner so I did not even worry with fine tuning the antenna.

What more can you ask for? The antenna was easy to assemble, is resonant on the bands as specified and has the SWR reading as published.
W7KEC Rating: 2005-03-28
Great Product Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is a great antenna. I have had it up for about 6 years in the Arizona sun. I just checked the SWR on all bands and it was right where I set it 6 years ago. The customer service from Cushcraft is also great. They called me on a Saturday to confirm my parts order for a second R-6000 that I am rebuilding.