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Reviews For: Solarcon I-MAX 2000

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : Solarcon I-MAX 2000
Reviews: 101MSRP: 80 SHIPPED
Description:
3 piece, over 21 foot tall fiberglass 10 meter base antenna
Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001014.5
WA9PVJ Rating: 2003-04-18
It's a CB antenna! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The I-MAX 2000 is a copy of its little brother the A-99. The A-99 was designed to protect the CB installer from contact with power lines. Performance is secondary.
W4MCQ Rating: 2003-03-09
It Works Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I'll make this brief. The antenna works very well for what it is. Very flat SWR from 10 > 12 meters.Now the bad news: the construction is shabby. The SO-239 at the bottom is crimped;not good. And what's up with the elements inside rattling around ?? Shakespeare is the king of fiberglass antennas to be sure. To Solarcon: you have alot to learn; maybe you should purchase a Big Stick; take it apart & see how a fiberglass antenna is supposed to be built. That is; if you can get it apart !!
KC7JLJ Rating: 2003-02-08
iMax 2000 broke Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I also bought an iMax 2000. I put it on the roof the day (night) I received it. It didn't work. Extreme high SWR's. The next day however when the sun hit it, it worked fine. This went on for the weekend. It seems they sent me a DAYTIME antenna. Got a hold of Solarcon and they had me pay the return shipping and eventually sent me a new one. Said they saw the problem but could not isolate it. The new antenna however tunes great and seems quiter than my Shakspeare. So far about a 50/50 deal although I was out the $30 for returning a dead antenna.
KC2IWA Rating: 2003-01-03
Jan,2 2003 Great Performer Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This antenna works excellant for 10m,12m no tuner
across either band.5/9 reports all the time worked the world on minimal power.The antenna is a little flimsly in the wind but not to worry.My is up 25 feet to the base.Also great for 10m repeaters.I would recommend for any who wants outstanding performace on 10,12 meters. Works on 15m too without tuner.Remember 5/8 wave on 10.GOOD LUCK!!!
W2GH Rating: 2002-10-14
Great Performer Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I had the IMAX-2000 for a few of months now and I am impressed with it's proformance on 10,11,& 12 meters. I did get the GPK. In encourage anyone thinking of purchasing this antenna to visit IMAX EXPOSED www.qsl.net/kg6aoh/imax2000/rangetest.html

I have had winds up to 65 mph hit it without guy wires and it bends almost in half but has not broke.

I mounted this antenna very high. It is over 50 ft off the ground. I am getting stations all over the world Argenina, Spain, Texas sounds like they are locals and I live in NY.

I have found the SWR to be flat, as Solarcon states.

The RS232 connector at the bottom is only crimpted into place and you have to be careful not to overtighten the cable to it or you could damage the connection to the main coil which would lead to high SWR and poor performance.

When you consider how cheap this antenna is you are getting a great value for the money.

The diferance in price between the A-99 and this antenna is not much, but the performance differance is huge. Spend the money it is well worth it.
N5WSU Rating: 2002-09-18
Just Died/went South Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Will tonight my great I-MAX 2000 die right in the middle of talking on 10 meter. Some how something went wrong with a part on the inside of the antenna. I all way monitor the SWR and Power going to the ant with a 1.1 ratio but now there is a short on the inside of the antenna. I check the ant with an MFJ-259 SWR Analyzer and show the resistance of 100 ohms and the SWR is over 3 I just barly had the ant about 6 months. And no moveing the rings did not help. The problem is that Solarcon will not back up there product. They just passed the buck on the phone. All CB and Ham OP be warn,, if something goes wrong with this ant your stuck with it.
WB9WHE Rating: 2002-03-19
Dissapointing quality Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Dissapointing quality assurance.

Ordered this vertical. Cost $79.00. Because it is "oversized" costs $32. to ship UPS! Opened the box. Three frustrating observations:

1) The SO-239 connector is "crimped" into place in the aluminum mounting sleeve. However, mine was not "crimped" enough, so it was so loose, it rattled. No real electrical or mechanical connection to the sleeve! Just flapping inside the sleeve. TVI generator waiting to happen! Can you imagine the intermittent problems?

2) The top of the middle section was warped.

3) The 8' top section was so flimsy, that it will whip wildly in a substantial wind. I had an A-99, which was stiff and well built. This one is NOT.

Called the dealer, who directed me to Solarcon. Solarcon would not send replacement parts. They insisted I send it back first! In other words, if you want warranty service, spend another $30 to return it. However, as it turns out, they "get alot of them shipped back" VIA USPS, which costs less. (Why do they get alot shipped back...Hummm....I'm not exactly sure...but I can guess)

So now I wonder how long it will take to get a replacement? Will I have to fight? Time will tell. A follow up review will follow.

I wish I would have bought the Shakespeare "army big stick" - also a 5/8 wave fiberglass product. Shakespeare has a well earned reputation for serriously tough, high quality fiberhgalss marine antennas much taller (up to 35') than the flimsy, poorly constructed antenna I got.

wISH I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT THE SHAKESPEARE ARMY BIG STICK.

WB2YIP Rating: 2001-11-27
GREAAT! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Thanks to N0VZ for the tip about mounting this in a bucket - great idea and great antenna. I have had this for about a week - its about three feet above ground level in a 5 gallon bucket of cement, mounted on a galvinized pipe. A little fiddling around (I added some radials for 28 Mhz)and PRESTO! 10 - 15 meters with no problems (the SWR is about flat at 28.050 and 21.050. At 24.900 it is about 1.5 : 1.0 - nothing the internal tuner on the Icom 746 cannot handle...it does load on 18.0 Mhz, but haven't tried any qsos there yet). This is the best bargain I have come across in 36 years as a ham! About 95 bucks to NW NJ with oversized UPS shipping rates from antennawarehouse.com. I had given up on verticals many years ago - this little gem does great in those nulls on the windom! A great antenna and a lot of fun! You CANNOT go wrong!
26MAD1 Rating: 2001-11-14
twig performance Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have had the Imax-2000 for 4 months now and it has outperformed any twig i have ever had the pleasure of using. Although the aerial was a little heavy, causing problems putting it up on my chimmney, the effort was well worth it!!!. My SWR is nothing from 24 to 30 MHz, and i can tune most other bands reasonably well. Definately worth the money!!! Buy one now!!!!!


The twig came from trucking in the UK and cost me £70. The twig is used with a yeasu 757 around 10W most of the time as i have no need to use anymore POWER!


Mad.P ( 26mad1 )
N0VZ Rating: 2001-09-25
Great for the Money Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I live in a CC&R neighborhood where permanently installed exterior antennas are not permitted. I have been using an Alpha Delta DX-EE in the attic with my Icom 746, but wanted to try a vertical that I could put up and take down easily. I took a 5 gallon plastic bucket and placed a 2 foot piece of schedule 40, 1 1/4 inch PVC in the middle and cemented the pipe in. I mounted the Imax 2000 on a 3 foot piece of 1 inch galvanized pipe that easily slides inside the PVC. This base is stable enough to support the antenna as long as it doesn't get really windy (over 50 mph). The arrangement has proven easy to set up and take down. Placing the antenna behind several aspens in the yard, only about 1/3 of the antenna is above the tree tops. I have been using four random length radials laid out on top of the ground.

The antenna has performed great on 10M, 12M and 15M. The SWR Readings for these bands are:

28.000 = 1.2
28.300 = 1.5
28.600 = 1.7

21.000 = 1.1
21.300 = 1.2
21.450 = 1.3

24.890 = 2.0
24.990 = 2.0

The internal tuner has been able to match the antenna nicely. The SWR is around 5.0 on the 17M band and 11.0 on the 20M band so I will not use it on those bands. I have been able to work some great DX with this antenna, and it has enabled me to get on the air on 12M which my attic dipole would not handle. I worked 9K2USA on 12M with this antenna and 100 watts. It also gets the RF outside and has eliminated my RFI problems with the fire alarm system on 15M. For less than $100 bucks delivered I have been very happy with the antenna, and so far no complaints from the homeowners association even when I left it up all day.