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Reviews For: Diamond CP6 multi-band trap-vertical

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : Diamond CP6 multi-band trap-vertical
Reviews: 43MSRP: 320
Description:
The CP6 is a multi-band trap-vertical antenna for HF bands, covering the 80*, 40, 20, 15, 10 & 6m amateur bands. Made from heavy-duty aluminum, the CP6 is easily assembled, yielding excellent performance and reliability from a compact base station.
*80m CW only. SSB requires a tuner.
antenna.

This product has been discontinued.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.rfparts.com/diamond/multi2.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00433.8
IZ0IRH Rating: 2010-09-20
Good antenna with restrictions Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Bought it one year ago: It's easy to mount, no problems with SWR.
Of course one has to be aware of this antenna's limits, as it is a short vertical trapped antenna

Pros:
- good for restricted spaces
- good quality of materials
- easy to build (but not to maintain, see below)
- good efficiency and 1:1 SWR from 20 mtrs up
- it's cheap

Cons:
- very poor/poor on 80 and 40 meters, bandwidth is too small, and so is it's efficiency
- noisy as many other verticals GP
- not very convenient: if you want just to replace the coax cable, you need to dismount the entire vertical beam. Not very practical.

In a nutshell, a good product for beginners, or if you do not want to spend more money.

73 de Mario IZ0IRH
2E0TZM Rating: 2010-09-10
Spot on Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought one of these off ebay 9 months ago to use at home was so inpressed found another for /p operations, they work very well for me easy to set up, would buy again.
M0CRU Rating: 2010-07-15
JUNK Time Owned: more than 12 months.
good points- its an antenna

bad points- its junk, £300 junk.

you could make better out of wood and string, the build quality is very sad, dry joints in all traps, you need a good set of ladders, because you spend more time on the roof fixing it than you transmit on it.
ok for portable.
EI4GMB Rating: 2010-06-27
Too many problems !!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The Diamond CP6 multi-band trap-vertical came highly recommended when I bought it. It was the first antenna I purchased as a radio amateur and suited my limited space location.However, It had a number of problems:-

1. It is an omni-directional antenna and was also very noisy.
2. It gave out a poor TX Signal(almost 3 S Points down on my G5RV Jr.)
3. It could not withstand strong winds leading to
the solder tags on the trap coils snapping.
4.The traps themselves had rivets which were virtually impossible to remove so as to repair the coils.
5.The Antenna required a lot of maintenance.

Overall, I was very disappointed with the CP6. Strong winds eventually damaged the trap coils beyond repair and I finally took it down!!!
My advice would be if you can fit a G5RV Jr into your lot do so, It will perform a hundred times better than the CP6!!!
M6GOM Rating: 2010-04-17
Serious build quality issues. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought a used one at a radio rally. Upon getting it home and trying to tune it in, it was obvious why as it would only tune 6m. Thankfully the internet has been created and a quick search revealed the first trap as the cause.

I repaired the first trap. Seriously abysmally poor construction. One solder tag had snapped, I suppose it was because the securing rivet had stretched and the whole trap slopped about. Went about fixing it and its 1000 times better.

Which brings me onto the second complaint. I don't think its actually possible to find a softer metal to use for the radial rings. How anyone manages to screw in the radials without ripping out the threads is beyond me.

Anyway, performance. I have a monoband dipole for 20m at 5m AGL and a Little Tarheel with a 66" whip on. 80m is too narrow to be usable. Performance on all bands is equal to my Tarheel. By equal, I mean IDENTICAL on side by side comparisons on my Kenwood TS-480 (2 antenna sockets) both on RX and TX (TX to station in USA from UK, 3500 miles approx with 50W). On 20m, I compared it to the dipole using my Yaesu FT950 (2 antenna sockets). Up to around 2000 miles, the CP6 was 2-s points down on both TX and RX reports. Contacting a station in Washington State, around 3500 miles, a side by side revealed the CP6 slightly stronger (both S9) but the operator said the audio was quite louder and easier to hear on the CP6.

So there you have it. Its not bad if you ignore 80m but the build quality is seriously dire for an antenna now costing £300 in the UK. I'm just glad I bought mine second hand. I'd have been in tears if I shelled out £300 for that.

After my experience of the Comet H422, I'd say that if you don't mind losing 80m, go with the Comet H422. Its a far better performer and WILL tune up on 6m even though it doesn't say it does.
ON4XA Rating: 2009-11-15
choose yr bandlarge Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Hi to all, I writed allready a review about it. Now it's 4 years I have same CP6 and it works great. Even on 80. Even on 80 phonie. You have just to find the good mesuring, because the bandlarge is not vy high. His minus point is the power. When Diamond will make same antenna accepted 1Kw, it will be the Rolls Royce of vertical multiband antennas. I am vy vy happy with it. Diamond, you're the best. Thanks for this antenna. 73's Xav ON4XA

----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by ON4XA on 2007-02-23

It's now more as 1 year i use the CP-6. 1 word, super genius antenna. I have totaly no swr probs, antenna works great on each band, no prob on 80m. By experience, you have to put the 6m radial in 180° of the 80m radial. I moved a few monthes ago, antenna is now only on 6m above the ground, and results are spectaculairs. And no TVI. If i could give a 10, i would give. Diamond, don't stop the production of this magic antenna. It's a jewel. 73's to all
IZ1GCN Rating: 2009-07-05
IZ1PON Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Ease of installation.
SWR bands within 1.1 machined.
Ideal for urban condominiums and installation on or in conditions of limited space available.

Proven with YAESU FT-DX9000 exciting combination.
Proven with YAESU FT-897D / I combination exciting
KC6STT Rating: 2009-02-17
reasonable/acceptable Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My antenna seemed to work reasonably well for what it is-a compact (about 15 foot tall) multi-band antenna (it is not up right now). It was reasonably simple to assemble and use, although the short vertical radiator and very short, loaded radials does create an SWR bandwidth issue on the lower bands. Many people seem to have problems with the match moving around over time. Some use a coax tuner of some kind to get around this problem.

My antenna was mounted about 20 feet AGL on a push-up mast with no guy wires underneath the antenna. I also used a tuner as I knew the SWR would be a problem (and it was, particularly on 20 and 15 meters for some unknown reason). But, instead of using a in-line tuner at the radio, I installed a feedpoint (longwire) auto tuner (an Icom AH-4) under the bottom of the antenna when operating my '706MIIG. The combination of the feedpoint tuner and the antenna worked out very well! The antenna was operated on all of the bands it was capable of without worrying about what the feedpoint SWR was. I was not too sure the combination would work when I put everything together, but was pleasantly surprised when contacts were made on all bands the antenna was designed for. Even on 75 meters, which would normally be difficult to operate on because of the very sharp SWR curve. RX on the design bands was reasonably good.

Attempts to force the antenna to operate on 5 MHz, 18 MHz, and 24 MHz resulted in very dismal performance even though the tuner was matched up simply because there are no radials for these bands. The RX was pretty numb.

This antenna (and its 5-band replacement) will never operate with the efficiency of, say, a properly installed 5BTV. But, if you need a compact antenna, can find one new or used somewhere (since Diamond has discontinued it), and you have a longwire tuner you can put under it, you might be pleasantly surprised.
ZS6UZ Rating: 2009-01-24
Not too shabby! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I replaced my Create 730-V 5band V antennae with the CP-6. Immediately I could hear the difference. Actually worked DX with it, couldn't do that with the Create. It is only about 3m AGL..
I live in a cluster-house development, so things have to be low profile.
Installing was a one-man job. I fitted the R2 coil for the higher SSB portion of 80m, there is also a R1 available for the lower SSB portion. The different coils come complete with a different top section.
Tuning was easy. I used the MFJ259 to get an idea where the 1.5 outer limits were, roughly adjusted the radials to where I wanted it and then used the built-in SWR indication of my TS480HX to fine tune the radials TO MAKE THE RADIO HAPPY. I only use an LDG AT200 on 80m, otherwise that is switched out.
So far so good, just a pity that now that I have a working antenna, I don't have time to play radio!!
IW2CZG Rating: 2008-11-12
Interesting antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I installed the CP6-R antenna on my roof in September 2007 at about 15 meters above the ground.
After one year, running 100 Watts I got these results:

DXCC, 6m, Mixed 17
DXCC, 10m, Mixed 18
DXCC, 15m, Mixed 33
DXCC, 20m, Mixed 87
DXCC, 40m, Mixed 55
DXCC, 80m, Mixed 28

Construction seems adequately robust.
In my area I experimented some strong winds and the antenna looks like had no suffering at all.

Because of the small phisical dimensions, you can expect best performances on the highest bands.
40 meters are acceptable, 80 meters are too narrow and difficult to work.

About power handling: I would like to upgrade to 200W RTX but I'm a little concerned about driving the antenna up to the limit.

Pro:
- material quality
- easy to assemble / install / tune
- compact
- wind proof
- no static electricity

Cons:
- 40 & 80 meters narrow bandwidth
- 80 meter performances
- low power handling

If you're not looking for the antenna to punch through pile-ups but you're looking for a small general purpose all-bander, this antenna could make you happy.