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Reviews For: XIEGU VG4 7.5M 4-BAND BASE STATION VERTICAL ANTENNA

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : XIEGU VG4 7.5M 4-BAND BASE STATION VERTICAL ANTENNA
Reviews: 3MSRP: $269.00
Description:
4-Band Vertical Antenna: The VG4 is a 4-band Ground Plane type antenna made of aluminum alloy with an anti-oxidation coating. It covers 40/20/15/10 meters. The user trims the antenna to the part of the band as needed. Automatic band switching: The antenna has a single coax cable feed however each band is individually tuned with a low VSWR across the band. Through fine-tuning, the best (rock-bottom) SWR can be achieved on the user’s choice of frequency within the band. The band selection is 100% automatic through the single feed, just switch bands on the radio. No extra ground peg or radials are needed: The antenna has its own effective counterpoise replacing the need for radial wires. Physical: This antenna is light, but built to last and is easy to install. Suitable even for homes with only a small space available. It is perfect for roof, patio, small backyard, condo and motorhome installation. Top loading: Parallel resonators are used to give the best vertical-element efficiency. End loading of the lower HF band sections (capacitive hats) allow efficient operation with a reduced antenna height. Outdoor weather ability: The VG4 is rated for high wind environments. After a normal installation, it can resist a category one hurricane with no guying required.
Product is in production
More Info: https://www.radioddity.com/products/xiegu-vg4
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
24.534.7
AF7ON Rating: 2023-03-08
Well made and great value! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is one of those rare times that I bought rather than home-brewed an antenna! I was looking for a multi-band HF vertical that could be easily deployed for portable operations, as well as occasional use in my antenna-restricted HOA, and was cost-effective. The Xiegu VG4 met all those criteria.

It is a trapped four-band antenna inspired by the Cushcraft R5 and similar verticals. The antenna is fed against six short radials (about 1/8 wave on ten meters, making the ten-meter element about 3/8 wave) and has a higher impedance than the regular quarter-wave verticals. The antenna is fed through a matching circuit that includes a balun and an approximately 1:4 impedance transformer.

Mine arrived promptly, four days after ordering directly from Radiooddity. Everything went together smoothly, with good quality hardware, nothing missing, and all the holes in the right place! The only minor glitch I had was a cross-threaded bolt that was quickly and easily reamed out. I deployed the antenna about 5' high on a tripod and found 10,15 and 20 meters tuning exactly where I wanted them and 40 meters a hair below the bottom of the band. Tuning proved to be a snap. Radiooddity recommends a minimum antenna height of 3 meters (about 10 feet). This would certainly be advantageous, but not necessary.

On air operations showed the antenna to be a quite respectable performer. On ten meters, I had several unexpected European contacts from my portable operation in south-east Arizona. Reverse beacon reports were very encouraging.

The VG4's one disadvantage is lack of coverage of any WARC bands. The antenna's high-impedance transformer input makes modifications for other bands not straightforward and force-feeding it via an external ATU probably undesirable. However, if you need a reasonably compact and efficient 10,15, 20 and 40 meter vertical, this antenna is a great buy.
W3DNQ Rating: 2023-02-18
Carefully check the parts when you received this antenna! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This antenna arrived on Jan. 10, 2023. Unpacking found the Main Support Set Plate missing. This is the rectangular piece of steel that mounts the antenna to the mast. Also, the Pole No.1 and the Main Support are the same size. Therefore the pole will not slide into the support. They are both 1.25". I have gone around with the seller for several days now with no solution. They tell me the plate is not available in the USA! I send photos of the mismatching pole and support and they want their "engineer" to review. I am about to loose hope of a solution from Nicheone, the ebay seller in China. Overall the antenna appears to be well made, save for the issues noted.

UPDATE 02/18/23
I was able to return to antenna to the eBay seller and ordered one through Radioddity. This new one also is missing the mounting plate! But I was able to get the antenna up temporarily. Made a contact in Japan on 10 meters FT8. Happy with that! The tuning instructions are really lacking detail. All in all, I like this antenna!
NG4D Rating: 2022-03-25
Quality Multi-band Vertical with decent resonance. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is my second vertical antenna. My previous one was a a J-Pole type antenna that did multi-bands with capacity hats and radials. It performed great and I enjoyed it. I had it ten years and it was fun to use.

The Xiegu VG4 was real appealing when I first saw it and the price was reasonable compared to other verticals that are available. When I received the antenna, it was in a four foot long box. The material of the antenna is very good. The aluminum is very well made. The capacity hat elements are very sturdy compared to others I have seen. The mast mounting plate is sturdy. I am quite impressed the quality of this antenna.

It was easy to put together. The instructions were not that explanatory. However, the Radioddity website has a download of better instructions and pictures. The weight of it is 17lbs. Everything is marked on it where to fasten each section. It has traps for 15, 20 and 40. It is a little top heavy, but considering that it is 26 feet, it is to be expected.

The SWR on 10 meter was 1:2 to 1:5 from 28.300 to 28.500. It peaked to 2:1 at 29.600. 15 meters the SWR was excellent almost on the entire band. The SWR was also excellent on 20 meters. There is a limited space on 40 meters with 1:1 to 2:1 from 7.125 to 7.200 which not unusual with a vertical. I was able to tune 12, and 17 meters with my tuner.

I have made many contacts with this antenna with good reports. I have operated 500-600 watts of power through it with no issues. I like this antenna. I am glad that it available. If you are limited in space, this will get you on the main high bands. Xiegu has made a real competitor with this vertical antenna.