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Reviews For: Cushcraft A449-6S

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

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Review Summary For : Cushcraft A449-6S
Reviews: 1MSRP: $79.95
Description:
6-element 70 cm Yagi Antenna
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.cushcraftamateur.com/Product.php?productid=A449-6S
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0010
N2KZ Rating: 2018-12-15
Poorly Made Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I needed a short Yagi for demonstration purposes for my ham club's upcoming 440 MHz - 70 cm class. I purchased a Cushcraft A449-6S. I was very disappointed in every aspect of this antenna kit.

The included manual assumed you would assemble the antenna from pictorials. I attempted an inventory of all parts. Nearly everything was present - sometimes in greater quantities than you would expect. The manual described lengths of the antenna elements and the positioning of some drilling points. The machine work was sloppy. Two elements were slightly long. I figured out the order of the elements but they were not cut very accurately.

The dimensions of the spacing of the elements were not included in the drawings. I discovered right away that the boom was one inch short, but it apparently (hopefully) did not hurt the performance. The end caps for the main boom were too big - one-inch size instead of 7/8 inch.

The deal-breaker: The two brackets that held the matching gimmick in place. These brackets did not join correctly to accept a round piece of aluminum stock. Also, the screw to hold the brackets together was not long enough (although it matched the size mentioned in the manual.) I did not want to spend any more time to find out what else was wrong.

This was not a cheap antenna: A little Yagi costing over $80 including shipping. It is a shame that Cushcraft's quality control is so poor. I wasted two hours of my life trying to (figuratively) make a square screw fit into a round hole. If you need a 440 antenna...this isn't it. - Karl Zuk N2KZ