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Reviews For: Cushcraft A627013S

Category: Antennas: VHF/UHF+ Directional (Yagi, quad, etc.)

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Review Summary For : Cushcraft A627013S
Reviews: 10MSRP: 250
Description:
Triband, 6M/2M/1.25M yagi, 3 elements on 6, 5 elements on 2 , and 5 on 432/440
Gain "claimed" as 10dBd.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.cushcraftamateur.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00104.4
KE0ZT Rating: 2018-12-10
Good Idea, But Watch for QC Issues Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This antenna is a good idea if you're in need of catch-all antenna for these three bands. When completed, the antenna met the stated specifications on all bands. The performance on 2 meters was expected, considering the number of elements. I haven't heard much on 6 meters, but could just be the particular times I tuned in. I have not yet used it on 70 meters.

Assembly went ok, except that part of the boom was not machined correctly. It might have been set aside to be discarded and then packed into the box by accident. Specifically, one set of holes was not in the right place. No problem -- I just measured and drilled them at the correct place. However, another set of holes was missing altogether! So, make sure everything is measured and machined correctly as you assemble the antenna.

As others have noted, most of the beam's elements are located on the front end of the boom, making it very "nose heavy." This would not have worked with my guyed PVC mast. To solve this, I attached a non-conductive weight on opposite end of the boom (past the last reflector) so that the center of gravity is at the mast clamp. It's worked out perfectly.

So, in short, a good compromise antenna that is fun to assemble, but watch for QC issues.
WK9U Rating: 2014-05-03
Everything it needs to be - Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I purchased this antenna new and have owned it for nearly a year. I have it elevated at 15m/45' atop my A3s and it is being fed by a pair of independent feedlines (LMR400) approximately 100' long. The antenna has worked just fine for me. In my opinion, both it's expectations and performance have matched the specifications advertised by the manufacturer. I'm contemplating upgrading to triple length-boom antennas now that I have experienced a bit of what can be done with this array,not to mention I fortunately have the real estate to do so. Talk about compact and versatile! This is a great antenna with a smaller size and design to make nearly any neighbor think it's a UHF/VHF TV antenna. I dedicate this antenna for my IC-7000 for CW and phone but also listen to FM radio as well as watch a couple local tv stations while in the shack on the big HF rig. This is a great antenna for the price as well. I assembled the antenna to spec/suggestion in the manual and have yielded great SWR & bandwidth right where I wanted it to be. No issues whatsoever. Very Good item by Cushcraft.
N2UNL Rating: 2006-08-07
Compact Big performence Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have used this alot on 6mtr and did a outstanding job for me all over the band. It also was good on 2 & 70cm. It's well writen manuel should be followed as Cushcraft writen it. As a result the swr's couldn't been any greater than a 1.3 on all the bands. Only bad thing i found was the T connector they supply you with should be upgraded, as mine came apart when i tighend it with pliers. Withstood alot of wind when all the trees where breaking it still was standing 55' in the air. Wouldn't want to replace it for anything else, unless it falls down.
KB3MMX Rating: 2006-03-11
Great Antenna!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
First off I'd like to give thanks to Cushcraft's top notch customer service!!
I broke two of the stainless u-bolts that hold the 6M elements on, when loosinging and adjust them. I called Cushcraft and they sent me two more free of charge!!
Other than my overzealous tightening resulting in broken bolts, the assembly was pretty easy.
So far I have compared it to my 2Meter Comet GP9 Vertical and my 6 meter dipole.
6 Meters is Substantially better!
Compared to my GP-9, I am seeing about a 2 "S" unit increase in recieve performance. This is through an extra 22' of LMR400 coax(60' total), a lightning surge arrestor and antenna switch. The GP-9 is straight to the shack with only 38' of LMR400!!
I am very happy with the antenna so far.
I guess the only gripe is that it isn't balanced weight wise where the antenna bolts to the mast, oh well.

Hats off to Cushcraft on a fine antenna!!
Two thumbs up!!


N5NZK Rating: 2004-07-11
Excellent Antenna Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have had my A627013s since December and I love it! This antenna is an excellent performer on 6m/2m/70cm. I have had great success working 6 meters off of this antenna and have received great signal reports from as far away as Maryland (good double hop). The antenna has performed great on 2m/70cm FM as well as SSB even though the elements are vertically polarized.
My biggest compliment goes to Cushcraft’s online customer service. I have “picked” their brain over email a few times and have always received very helpful responses (sometimes even the same day) and suggestions. Most recently, I asked about flipping the antenna over so that the 2m/70cm elements were horizontally polarized. Cushcraft responded with a suggestion of flipping the elements horizontal like I wanted and orientating the 6m elements 30 degrees off of the horizontal elements. This “experiment” has been a success for me. It gave me what I wanted on 2m/70cm without compromising 6 meters. Incidentally, that double hop I referred to above was with the antenna in this configuration.
Hats off to Cushcraft, not only for their product, but for their excellent customer service. There are more Cushcraft antennas planned for the antenna farm in the future.

73 and good luck
N5NZK
KC2KSY Rating: 2004-02-11
Good Performer Over All Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have mounted this antenna on a 4' mast about 5' from the gable of my roof. I also used a heavy duty TV rotor to turn it. The anntenna itself does a wonderful job on six ... it performs well for 2m/70cm repeater work. It does not however fair well if you place the 2m/70cm horizontially and eliminate the 6m end of it. So for those of you that want to attempt a short horizontial 2m/70cm beam. You probably would do better buying a boomer for both bands. Prior to mounting this beam I work a few station on 6 with a loop, the beam in contrast seems to better and allows me direction. I have noticed that the local beacon was about 3db's higher in the receive, when using the loop vs. the beam, but overall the beam preforms better. The 2m/70cm side of this beam seems to be very tight when working repeaters. If you are slightly off it is noticiable on the other end. This also applies to simplex work. Very tight ... I would have to say functionally the beam is very efficient, however given most repeater operations, an omni-directional would be a better antenna and this could be placed above your horizontals on the mast, thus you can also work simplex also. In closing ... this beam is great for those who live in an area where repeater work is difficult because of distance, and if you need the gain on simplex. Which lends to the idea of if you are going to work ssb, on 2m/70cm get a bigger beam. If you are going to work 6m this is an ideal antenna but you can also just buy a 6m 3-element beam and for repeater work buy a vertical. Presently I am testing this on satellite... will update this review shortly. You can also email me for more critical critique. 73's
KU4QD Rating: 2002-05-28
A good solution for those who can't do multiple beams Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The Cushcract A627 is an interesting triband VHF/UHF beam providing 3 horizontal elements on 6 meters and five vertical elements on 2m and 70cm respectively, meaning it is designed for SSB/CW/digital operation on 6m and FM operation on 2m/70cm.

I am not very experienced at building yagi antennas and had a little difficulty understanding exactly what Cushcraft meant in a couple of places. With the help of a friend (KD4CPV--Thanks, Eddie!) who has recent experience with Cushcraft products the antenna went together in a reasonable period of time. No problems were experienced getting everything tight and secure, and the SWR on all three bands is very good.

The only real complaint was that two dimples on the back section of the boom prevented us from achieving the proper boom length of 103.5". We ended up with a 108" boom. By simply moving the 6m elements up 4.5" from what the instructions said we still had a properly working antenna. The antenna also is not balanced at the point where it attaches to the mast, which forced Eddie to put it just above the rotor so as not to put excessive strain on the mast. It would be easier to handle if it were balanced, but I suspect that was one of the compromises Cushcraft had to make to make a very effective triband beam. To me these are relatively minor points considering the final, very good result.

I've had a two element and a five element beam on six in the past, and performance is very much what I would expect from a good 3 element 6m beam. The antenna is directional as expected and I was able to work stations in the upper midwest during a minimal opening when some of the other locals could not, despite the antenna being only 35 feet (11.3 meters) off the ground and the fact that I run a total of 10W out with my Tokyo Hy-Power HT-106 transceiver. Performance on 2m FM is equally good, with repeaters 100 miles away suddenly in range. Once again, it's quite directional on 2m, and I could not bring up repeaters in Durham, 35 miles to the west with the beam pointed east.

The beam is quite light at 9.5 lbs., so it will turn easily with a small TV rotor.

All in all, I'm quite pleased with the beam so far. It seems to be well made andon t performs as expected. Highly recommended for those who want to limit the size of their antenna farm on VHF/UHF frequencies.
W1UF Rating: 2001-08-20
Neat Antenna--works well Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this antenna because it had three bands in a neat package. The instructions were clear. All the parts were there. The antenna went together easily and it was resonant in the right places when tested resting on a plastic chair on my porch. I had no trouble with the mechanical configuration.

I installed the antenna about 3 feet above my Force12 C3 and have not noticed any effect on the C3. The A627013S has low swr on the three bands.

Six meters has had several openings recently, including Europe, and the antenna's three elements reach out well. Two meters has had some auroral opportunities with good results as well as fairly consistant ability to key up repeaters within 100 miles. I have not caught any 440 openings but repeater operation has been very satisfactory. The gain and patterns are what I expected from 3 and 5 element yagis.

Bottom line--neat package, operates well, good value.
WD4AC Rating: 2001-03-18
Works like a charm.. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
When properly adjusted this antenna works exactly like the enclosed paperwork claims. My computer model confirms the Cushcraft specifications. The SWR is good and the F/B and forward gain is what you would should expect from a 3 Element 6 meter beam. Also the 5 elements for 2 meters and for 70 cm work great. I'm very happy with this all in one beam. A light duty rotator (TV) will do the trick. If you have limited tower space and you're on a budget, then jump on this one. It's a keeper.

<Alan> WD4AC
K3HVG Rating: 2001-03-17
Tried it and sorry I did. Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I purchased the antenna as an expedient to allow me to participate in one of the VHF contests (just to work the contest... not to compete!). The antenna was mounted at about 40 feet, in the clear, atop my QTH. Assembly was not too difficult but several of the critical clamps (at the RF feed points) were all but impossible to tighten sufficiently. The design of several of them simply precludes adeqaute tightening. Fully appreciating the elevation the antenna was installed at (and surrounding terrain), the antenna performed extremely poorly. Using a beacon station for testing, the pattern observed was about what one would expect from a simple dipole; e.g.: symmetrical F/B ratio. Given the price and performance, I cannot recommend this antenna... for any purpose.