Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Super Antennas MP-1 Portable Antenna

Category: Antennas: HF Portable (not mobile)

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : Super Antennas MP-1 Portable Antenna
Reviews: 155MSRP: 150.
Description:
Covers 40 thru 6 Meters. Will cover 80 Meters with accesory coil MP-80. Capable of QRP thru 150 Watts. Coil Size 10.5x 1.25 inches.
Product is in production
More Info: http://newsuperantenna.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001554.4
W4PER Rating: 2016-09-03
Great Stealth Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Fits my needs very well. I am in a condo with severe restrictions on exterior antennas. I was able to mount this antenna on a piling along side my dock. It works great and isn't offensive to look at. I doubt if I will get any complaints. I just wish it was remotely tunable. This past few days a tropical storm came thru with winds exceeding 65 mph, no damage to antenna. It will work for me.

Bob W4PER
KB3ZID Rating: 2016-07-15
needs some refinement Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Overall good --needs some tweaking/improvement by Mfr. Easy to set up,tunes easily and is very versatile.
As with anything when you are threading aluminium to aluminium use some anti seize to prevent threads locking and making dis-assembly impossible
I reccomend you pre-assemble and anti seize (lightly) the mount threads. One of my tripod legs seized and broke off flush with the hub rendering it useless--the manufacturer offers no spare individual parts (??!!) forcing me to buy a whole new tripod mount. Like the bag better than Alpha's bag much better fitted. Alpha's bag is tough to get everything into and close.
Super Antennas bag allows a fitted compartment for each part and room for tools (for both I have a dedicated wrench and Allen wrench --without which you cannot make changes to mounts) and Coax. BOTH need a better user guide at least Alpha has better online info and will answer questions and respond --Super seems to lack in this area.
Once setup and tuned the SA MP-1 works fantastic no issues there. I was set up and working DX in Europe/middle east in no-time.
W2KS Rating: 2016-04-05
Garbage Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Don't waste your money. Pure CRAP!!! I ordered the MP1DXTR80 SuperWhip Ruggedized Tripod Antenna 80 meters antenna with Go Bag from Amazon. I also ordered their TM3 Superpod. The tripod kept falling over in a dead calm, and couldn't support the weight of the assembled antenna. Its locking mechanisms to keep the tripod up kept slipping. The telescopic antenna was bent, the threading on the antenna was barely enough to be held by the super mount, and the radials were cheap and separating from their connectors. Forget about tuning the damn thing! I bought the main package mentioned above from Amazon, so there was no problem with the return. However, trying to get reimbursed for the tripod was a different story. Let me first say that the tripod cost about $79.00, but the shipping cost from Ca to NY was over $35.00. When I sent the antenna back to Ca. the same way, the cost was only $15. It finally took a complaint to paypal to get my $115 dollars back. OK, yes, I'm a New Yorker, and may sound like a pain in the ass, but really, save your money. Buy an Alpha Antenna if you plan on going portable. It's a great antenna, and Steve is a really good guy who stands by his product....and he'll call you back!!!
K2FI Rating: 2016-03-02
Good for portable operations Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've had the MP1 for a few months now and I like it a lot. If there was an option, I'd give it a 4.5 out of 5. I operate QRP, strictly portable and almost always outdoors, so a lightweight HF antenna is a good thing.

The MP1 is good, but not perfect. As with any portable system, you're going to compromise. It will never equal a big beam on a tower. It'll probably never equal a resonant dipole. But for going out and about, it's pretty good and you don't need any trees to string wires to.

The good: Setup is easy. I'm usually on the air within 5 minutes. No tuner necessary; the coil slides up and down to allow you to tune the antenna to resonance (or near-resonance) at from 10m to 40m. There's a plastic guide ruler that comes with the MP1 to give you rough settings, but you'll want to adjust it further. I do this by ear, and I'm usually close to 1:1 SWR on 10 and 20, and usually under 3:1 on 40. Using a counterpoise is essential. I'm just using the stock 10/15/20/40 set that came with the antenna, but you can easily tune your own set. Performance is quite decent even at the QRP levels I run. I've had some very nice DX with 59 reports, and even some QSOs when the MP1 was set up inside the house. The size and weight are great. It's lightweight, compact, easily fits in a suitcase or small daypack.

The not-so-good: The small tripod is useless in anything more than a stiff breeze. It'll tip right over if you look at it crosseyed. You'll either want small sandbags to weigh it down or some stakes if the ground is soft enough. (I keep stakes in the go bag that comes with the antenna because I'm more likely to be hiking with it). The MP1 is low to the ground, so terrain really matters a lot. And tuning to resonance on 40m isn't as good as it perhaps could be (but this seems to be common with a small vertical).

This will probably never be your main HF antenna unless you're like me and only operate portable (for values of "portable" that include "out in back of the house"), but as a travel, hiking, or camping antenna I'm very pleased with it.
KF5YFD Rating: 2015-08-24
Great system as always! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I recently got the latest version with all of the accessories from SuperAntenna including the new super titanium whip and large tripod s well as the optional coils and counterpose's. I previously had one of the older Vern era models. System is rugged, tunes up quick, and is easy to set up. I recommend this set up for any one looking for a quick to deploy but flexible system.
K5TED Rating: 2015-06-24
unexpected goodness Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just got the MP-1, and tonight tested with the single extension, and telescopic whip extended about 75%, antenna mounted on my backpack frame sitting on floor, no radials, with FT-817ND on internal battery, 20m USB, indoors, tuned to flat SWR according to FT-817ND meter...

At 10:44PM CDT, heard KK6NON calling on 14.245 phone, answered, got reply and 5/4 report, carried on QSO, three exchanges.

I'm sold. Will be using this Field Day weekend.
K8HGY Rating: 2015-02-11
Support is good with W6MMA Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Antenna works great with the support of W6MMA at hfportableantennas.com Vern Wright was very helpful in making the antenna work properly


----------------------
Earlier 2-star review posted by K8HGY on 2015-01-26

Company does not respond to e mails for support. Parts missing, poor quality control. The antenna would work ok if it was assmbeled properly
KC9FJE Rating: 2014-10-05
great Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I really want to give this 5 but I've had a couple issues. Im a renter so I mounted mine in my attic.

One, the counterpoise wires should just be scrapped and replaced. After I took the stock ones off and cut a set of 10 wires cut to about 16ft it was night and day. The main issue with verticals and why they get a bad rap is the poor ground systems provided. In Georgia I was regularly working south America on 10. Afterwords I'm working South Africa, Asia and Europe instead.

Second, I have had two parts break on mine. The first was the plastic adjustment screw. I've emailed them numerous times with no reply. Luckily it was loose enough to allow adjustment by twisting the coil (slow and tedious). The other part was the top whip broke. Admittedly this was my fault for not securing the antenna fully on field day and it tipped over snapping the whip. Luckily, all I had to do was solder the split portion back together.

Overall though its a great antenna. I've worked hundreds of stations and all continents in the past month on 10 meters with this. Half were even with it just clamped to a wood pallet in my yard!

I've yet to try it in a truely portable situation but once I get my ft817 out of storage I'll send in a separate review.
TA2AWT Rating: 2014-08-25
It is a superb antenna for field day Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I got MP1 Superantenna. Many times I tried it at Field Day Organizations in Istanbul. Of course we tried many types of antennas. Dipole, Long wire, Whip etc. But i got best result by only MP1 Super antenna. I made experience it with FT 857. You know FT 857 is made for unbalanced type anteenas. ( from manual :D ) Tested in range of 14 MHZ, 18 Mhz, 28 MHz. I have to say really superantenna is super.
DF1HX Rating: 2014-05-24
Great QRP antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I am very pleased with the MP-1, i am using the "classic" version with the black cap over the coil.
I attach the antenna with the clamp supplied by the manufacturer to my metal balcony reeling what is an excellent counterpoise. The height is about 12m (abt. 39 ft.) I do not have a permanent installation, i set up when i want to operate, takes me about half an hour in total (up and down).
I operate on 10 - 40m, incl. WARC, with the MP-1 and my KX3, maximum power is 5 watts. All i can hear, i can work even breaking pileups works...well not every time.
My favorite mode is CW, however sometimes i do local ragchew via 10m relay DF0HHH, about 15 km from my QTH.
I am really pleased with this antenna, potential buyers should be aware that is is no "miracle antenna" but a classic GP requiring counterpoise(s)