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Reviews For: MFJ-1846 Hex Beam

Category: Antennas: HF: Yagi, Quad, Rotary dipole, LPDA

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Review Summary For : MFJ-1846 Hex Beam
Reviews: 4MSRP: $ 559.95
Description:
6 Band Hex Beam New Hex Beam from MFJ delivers solid gain and directivity on 20,17,15,12,10, and 6 Meters in a low-profile package that will have your pocketbook and your neighbors smiling!
Product is in production
More Info: https://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-1846
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0042.8
WU7W Rating: 2022-09-22
Great at the Price-point, very wind resistant Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I live in the High Desert of Nevada. Wind gets up to 60-80 mph. I wanted a low wind load and something light that would bend but not break. I bought the MFJ-1848 and true to the reviews mine had some missing hardware (40 meter coil) and incorrect size bolts but I really expected that. Materials are not the most robust but so far they are holding up perfect after 6 months. I assembled the antenna by myself, not the easiest thing to do. Mounted on a 30 foot mast with the rotor at the bottom. SWR on all bands came out less than 2:1 with 1:3 to 1:5 on most bands. The 40 meter dipole at 35 feet works amazingly well. Overall for the price point it out performs my expectations. Just be prepared to buy a couple 1/4-20 bolts !
K1JRF Rating: 2020-10-04
Ok for the price....made mods for NH winters Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Well this was one of the first shipped but original owner never put it up. So at half the already low retail price I'm overall happy. Also for fair disclosure not an MFJ basher or a fan boy. I have 4 or 5 pieces of MFJ or affiliated gear and have been happy with it all.
I did some mods before I even put it up because after building it and setting it up at ground level on a tripod to test it all out it just didn't seem robust enough for snow and ice in two places. First where there are small nylon clips to hold each bands wires onto each spreader just seemed like a failure waiting to happen. One short screw holding each nylon clip. I replaced them with a solid metal "c" clip with rubber lining I got at harbor freight and secured them using heater hose clamps from Harbor Freight again. I don't consider harbor "fright" a bastion of quality but these parts seem good and the prices were very nice.
Second spot was at the spreader ends where they kept them bent with some duracord from the center and attached to a nylon screw stuck into the end of the spreader. I replaced that stuff with "S" hooks -yup from Harbor fright - and hose clamps again.
All and all seems pretty solid now though I question if I should have changed out the wire with something thicker but it was time to get it in the air and stop overthinking it!
Then once up I had rfi problems glitching out my tv, computer and washing machine! I tried some ugly baluns but no love.
At the advice of some ehammers I got a 1:1 common mode choke from Wireman and had to replace the balun MFJ supplied. Def do that before you put it all up in the air unless you just like raising and lowering antennas:) That balun is around $30 assembled and less via kit. Guessing I spent another $70 on the hose clamps and stuff so do the math for your situation. Not sure I'd be a happy ham if I paid full retail and felt it necessary to do that stuff. Also if u are at a qth that doesn't get snow/,ice I'd probably put it up as is except for upgrading that balun.
If anyone needs pics of my upgrades drop me an email and il be happy to share.
Finally with it up and running and using my 8 position remote coax switch to compare it to various wire antennas I am very happy with its performance. Good gain and side / front to back rejection. Oh I'm not one to mess around for perfect 1:1 SWR and just use a tuner for most everything so no comments on how the antenna set up regarding that but all seemed to be 2:1 or better before the tuner. SWR is overated in my semi humble opinion.
John k1JFF
K1VSK Rating: 2019-11-10
Quality issues Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have helped neighbors build and install both this and the DXEngineering versions of the Hex. If you are reading this prior to choosing between the two, I’ll make it easy for you.

Chose the latter. Much better made, easier to build and tune and better quality components. The guy who choose the MFJ version is still awaiting replacement parts for manufacturing defects necessitating that we lower and re-build his Hex because of feeder cracks.

In terms of performance, both exhibit only a few dB gain and about 10dB F/B ratio so no distinction there.

I have no ‘dog in this fight’ other than to express my limited experience.
N4MIT Rating: 2019-11-09
Typical MFJ Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Missing hardware and holes not drilled. MFJ takes forever (weeks) to replace missing hardware if at all. I am not able to review the antenna as MFJ has yet to send the missing hardware.