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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
K6MTS Rating: 2015-06-26
Performs! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Love this antenna! I've have mine about 3 yrs and now use it primarily for 10m where it seems to excel. I do not use a choke or radial kit.

Also great for 11m and good for 12m, 15m 17m (I Use the Excellent NA4RR Hexbeam for directional 6-20m now).

The fiberglass gets a bit crusty over time (paint it if you want) but it is a tough, durable, low visual impact antenna. Great price too. 5 stars!
WD8BVL Rating: 2014-05-16
Use for 10 Meters Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased the I-Max with the radials to use on a 31 Mhz land-mobile system. All of you guys talk of DX contacts. I know a guy who worked China using a 4 watt signal generator. A person can work DX using a coat hanger. So, that is no indication of antenna performance on ground-wave. The antenna for CB should be compared with a simular antenna for ground-wave operation. That way you can compaire both antennas. I have no refrence to compair the antenna. I was hopeing someone would make a ground-wave comparison in discussing this antenna. For example, how does it perform over a 1/4 wave ground plane; a 1/2 wave antenna and a coaxial-type antenna; all on ground wave. That way you are apt to less-vairing conditions. At any rate, I am needing to replace a 1/4 wave coaxial, which has a gain of zero when compaired to a 1/2 wave dipole, 3DBI over a 1/4 wave ground plane. I need to know if this I-Max 2000 antenna will worke better The coaxial. this is for ground-wave use. I have assembled the I-Max antenna using the MFJ antenna meter. It was perfect SWR on the CB frequencies. When tring to tune to 10 meters I was unable to get better than a 2.1 SWR reading. I cut several inches off the top whip which helped. But, then the impedance went from 50 ohm to 40 ohm. I wanted to use this to replace the business-band frequency of 31 Mhz and the SWR went higher. I again cut off several inches from the top whip, the SWE got much better but again the inpedance dropped to around 30 ohms. One will have to get in to the coil, reduce a turn or so, to make it properly tune 10 meters and higher. I am at a delema, do I replace the commercial fiberglass coaxial antenna which costs $450.00 dealer cost, $850.00, retail, with the coaxial or go with the gain I-Max antenna. Because of the top whip portion on the I-Max antenna whipping around in the wind, thus loosing the gain, I replaced this 8-foot section with a tapered 108" fiberglass CB whip, which they refuse to make anymore, and that resolved the whipping around effect and also looks much better. I quizzed the I-Max company why they don't use a tapered fiberglass for the top section and was told that their tappering fiberglass whip machine broke and didn't want to invest in the repair. The I-max factory indicates a higher gain over the high priced coaxial. The business band customer needs more gain and range. I am worried if the improper impediance on the I-Max would make much of a issue. What do you guys suggest that I should recommend to my customer here. The I-max, with the tapered top whip or the origional coaxial antenna? Thanks,
Joe
KO8L Rating: 2014-04-08
The antenns works well what more can I say. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Hello I have had the I Max 2000 for only a few day's but will tell you the I Max 2000 work's very well. I have a G5RV and a S9 Vertical and a 80 Meter wire Vertical. On 10 meters, 11 meters, 12 meters and 15 meters the SWR is very good. Signal reports are on par with my other antenna's I have the antenna mounted on the roof with the antenna at 40 feet.I have worked stations all over Europe on 15 and 10 meters with 100 watts. I had too put the tuning rings almost all the way up too get good SWR on 10,11,12,15 meters. Here are my SWR reading's.
28.000-1.2
28.100-1.2
28.300-1.2
28.400-1.2
28.500-1.2
28.700-1.4
26.965-1.5
27.205-1.5
27.405-1.4
24.890-2.1
24.990-2.1
21.000-1.5
21.275-1.4
21.450-1.3
I think I'm going too have a lot of fun with this antenna. The antenna is well made and has a nice finish to it. I was going too paint it olive drab but never got around too it. For the price you can't really beat it, how long it will last I don't know because we get real strong wind's coming off of Lake Erie I'm on a big hill. I'll report back in a few month's and see if I feel the same way about the antenna.
73's Dale KO8L
ZL3MYL Rating: 2014-03-31
Recommended Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have an Imax 2000 5 ft above ground and have it cut by 1 ft. This made the swr lowest around 28.800 for 10m. The entire swr curve moved up so there is now an swr dip at 21 mhz. This has a very low swr at 21mhz and covers right up to 29.7 without an atu at 100w. Tested on an IC 718. If you can't get this antenna shipped, use reship.com, they will ship it to nz. 18mhz swr was too high for using without an atu. 73
KE8CQ Rating: 2014-03-31
Suprised how well it actually works Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just installed the IMax-2000 and I was honestly surprised how well it worked. Without a tuner and about a foot above the chimney (test location) I was able to use the antenna on 10,12,15, and 17. I worked Germany on 12m, England on 10m, and Ireland on 17m. SWR with NO tuner on 10m under 2, 12m about 2.4--2.8, 15m was under 2 and flat in some places?!?, and 17 about 2.8. I think after some tweaks and additional height the antenna will be a nice addition to the QTH.

Installation: Open box, put three sections together in less than five minutes, mount on a pole or chimney mount, add coax, test.....this will be an EASY antenna to use on field day and its VERY light. I will paint mine dark green to stealth it a bit but for $100 delivered and works on 10,12,15, and 17 with NO strain on the radio you really cannot beat it. I also have a ground mounted 6-BTV with LOTS of radials.....SO if you are lazy or just want something to set up QUICKLY.....this is the antenna!!

73's Gary KE8CQ
W2YM Rating: 2014-03-30
GREAT Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
OK people, lets start by saying this is a 10 and 11 meter antenna. People state that the antenna is NO good on 15... unreal, what did I say? Antenna is good for 10 and 11 meters. Now I have a LDG200Pro tuner it tuned this antenna 80-10 NO Problem. Of course it did not have great receive on 80 but 40 thru 10 it was GREAT.. I can't say enough about this antenna. Works GREAT. Of course I use it on 10 meters and I have HF antenna's for the other HF bands.. This antenna is unreal.. for what it is, it works great. Thanks for reading this, Mark W2YM 73's.
K4DV Rating: 2014-02-27
Great antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Got mine for under $100 shipped. Put together and spray painted it olive drab to keep it from blinding the neighbors (it is gloss white), made an rf choke in the coax (8 coils about 10 inches held together with zip ties)about a foot below antenna, mounted on tower at 40 feet. I had the 2 tuning rings turned up all the way to the top, never checked swr before mounting.
28.300 - 28.600 it is basically flat swr, maybe 1.2. At 29.000 it is 1.5. I have tuned on 12, 15, 17 with great results and the LDG will tune it at 20 meters but it is at a great disadvantage down that low, just way too short for that band.
They are very flexible, whippy antennas. The slightest wind and it really does bend, sort of wonder how it stands straight on its own, but it does, and at 24 feet long, there is a lot to whip around in a good wind, but they hold up well.
As far as performance goes, I couldn't be happier. Worked the world with 100 watts, great signal reports, great receive....if i can hear them I can work them and compared to a 143 foot Cobra multiband dipole up at 30 feet on a tuner, it has much better receive, of course the dipole is horizontal, but the Imax is much much better for DX work by far.
I almost got the Penetrator but went with this for low profile, no radials, ease of installation and I am glad I did.
It withstood some 80mph gusts the other day just fine and hasn't missed a lick.
Highly recommended for all the right reasons. Get one, you will like it, cant be beat for the money in my book. Two thumbs up here.
K2XLG Rating: 2014-02-05
Good vertical for upper HF bands Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I should have written this when I had the antenna, but after hearing and reading about several people using it,I wanted to put in my 2 cents.I used one for a few months and found it to be a very capable antenna (for a vertical)on several bands.I got it working on 17m,15m,12m, and 10m simply by adjusting the 2 rings all the way to the top of their limit.It will receive well on 20m,but just didn't seem to radiate well.The MFJ-259B showed that the SWR could be easily tuned out on those bands.In practice,that's how it turned out also.I used an LDG-AT100 Pro II at the time.So don't cut the top section! Use the tuning rings as they were intended.If an analyzer is available,by all means use it.Once the rings are set,wrap them tightly with electrical tape so that they don't move.Other than that,this antenna was pretty much plug-and-play.A couple of things that can be experimented with are radials-either home brewed wire or the kit...and some kind of isolation balun at the feedpoint.If you're looking for an antenna to work the upper HF bands that's easy to install,doesn't have much of a footprint,and is effective,give this one a look.I would buy another..in fact,I'm thinking about doing just that.Shouldn't have sold the one I had.
AC5RM Rating: 2013-12-22
Great! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought one a couple, three months ago to replace the 20+ year old A99 I dropped and broke. I'd owned one over twenty years ago, but not long enough to have much of an opinion on it. I wondered if it would truely be worth the difference in price from the A99...
Wonder no more. While the A99 was awesome in its own right, the Imax has far surpassed it. With it just 20-25 feet up, I have made contacts all over Europe, plus South Korea, Antartica, and south America- all with just 100 watts on my Icom 746.
Noise-wise, I can't tell alot of difference from the A99, and truthfully, I don't know if it receives any better than the A99 as I don't have an A99 functional to compare to. But I have had more success contacting hard to get dx with the Imax.
The flexibility concerned me- in a windstorm the top section in particular really moves around. But we just went through a storm with winds in excess of 30 mph and it had no issues at all. While definately not a beam, I'm very pleased for the price here.
KC3BER Rating: 2013-11-16
Awesome! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I am a pretty new ham I was licensed in August of 2013 so I'm def not a pro by any means. But if you're like me and just getting into this hobby, don't hesitate to buy this antenna. It's beyond easy to assemble and install, and it works absolutely amazing! I've worked the world on 10 meters with it. It also works great on 12, 15, 17, and does ok on 20. I was using it with a ranger RCI 2970, then a 2970N2 with a MFJ-993 intellituner. Now I have been using it with an Icom IC-756 for a few months and I love it. I have it mounted to the side of my second story house on two radio shack 10 foot masts joined together. I read that I should have used guy wires on masts over 10 feet, but I didn't and the antenna is still up there, even after some pretty bad storms. I did however just buy some guy wires and plan to install them ASAP because I don't want to press my luck. I bought the ground plane kit for it but I haven't installed that yet either. I was just so excited to get on the air, as soon as I got the antenna, it was up and I was on the air in a few hours. I may never even install the ground plane kit because It works great the way it is. I get 59 reports from just about everyone I work. And I've worked almost every country. Like I said, I'm not a ham radio expert, and I'm sure it's not the most efficient antenna (especially on 20, 17 and 15 meters) but it works so who cares?! Buy one and work the world and have some fun! Isn't that what it's all about? 73 and good DX! de KC3BER