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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: 5MSRP: $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
0054.6
N5LOL Rating: 2024-04-07
Reasonably priced multi-band vertical that works Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've had the antenna for about a month. I wanted an operational alternative to my existing Palomar-Engineering EF long-wire. Delivery was fast. All the listed parts were neatly packed in the box, and were clean and well-machined. Everything fit. The only assembly problem was a single hose clamp that "stripped out" while tightening. I replaced with one I already had. Very nice touch that all components are prominently numbered. And after realizing that I had apparently received an updated model, the assembly manual made more sense. (Some pictures on their current website show the former mounting system. My mounting assembly, and sections 5 and 7, have been updated.)

I live in a relatively compact neighborhood. Most of backyard is concrete, and what visible earth I have isn't enough to support even a small radial field. Hence this antenna with its own counterpoise/radial system was very appealing. I did determine that their recommendation to get it at least 3 meters above the ground is critical. I've got mine up to 12 feet using a DX Engineering tilt-over mount on a 4 X 6 wooden post. I consider the antenna to be a sleek, nice looking unit. Small footprint. It has already easily weathered several 60 mph wind gusts.

Upon my initial testing, 10-15-20 were all under 1.5:1 out of the box. 40 took some adjusting, and it does exhibit pretty narrow bandwidth, but IS within their published spec. I also did run into some sort of issue with the 15 meter segment. SWR started acting up. I had several email exchanges with Radioddity. There must have been some sort of poor connection somewhere because it has pretty much just resolved itself. I'm under 1.7:1. I never use my antenna tuner for 10 or 20 meters. I do occasionally for 15 and, of course, 40.

I gave my "4" rating based upon my 15 meters issue. I don't know what was going on, and what ultimately fixed it, but it is working on all bands. It's really great on 10 and 20 meters. Europe, Canada, all over US.

One more comment-- I've purchased three products from Radioddity. I'm impressed with their Customer Support. With my VG4 issues, I exchanged several emails with Helen Lu in Support. She was prompt, courteous and responsive. And although I can't honestly say anyone there "fixed" my issue, the way I was treated and the quality of the products I've purchased will, most likely, bring me back to Radioddity.
--Helen gets a "5".
VK2DJP Rating: 2024-02-27
Good value purchase which performs well. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Here are my thoughts on the VG-4 antenna which I bought from Tecsun Radios Australia.

You can see pictures on my VK2DJP QRZ.com page.

First impressions, upon receiving the package, were that a lot of care had been taken to make sure that the carton had been reinforced to protect the antenna during transit.
Once the carton was opened I was impressed with what looked like a good quality product.
I'm lucky to have a home-made tilt-over mast so I first fitted the mounting bracket and matching unit section to the mast and then finished the antenna assembly with the mast in the horizontal position.I did not rush and after about 90-minutes assembly was complete.

I raised the mast and checked the tuning.  The only band which needed adjustment was 40m. I had made the top section way too long and it simply needed to be telescoped into the tube below it.

In my case the radials are 3m above ground. The mast is only 2m away from a tin shed and one of the radials is about 1.5m above the edge of the shed. The mast is only 3m away from my house. In other words, the antenna is not exactly in the clear and away from obstructions! But it works just fine anyway.

Here are the VSWR results I have:10m under 1.3:1 anywhere in the band.15m under 1.3:1 anywhere in the band.20m under 1.3:1 anywhere in the band.40m 1.1:1 at 7150 and 1.5:1 at 7000 and 7200.
The antenna has been through a few wild storms and has survived without incident even though it is not guyed.I have not noticed any significant change in VSWR whilst it is raining.

I have made many 40m contacts, mainly within Australia, but a couple of SSB contacts into the USA.
I work 20m long path into Europe very often using 100 watts SSB or 50 watts Olivia mode.I have not used it on 15m but have had a few contacts on 10m where it seems to perform well on short VK skip as well as DX into USA.
There is a common feeling that verticals are much noisier than some other antennas.
The VG-4 gives me exactly the same noise floor as my OCFD so, at my QTH at least, it is not a noisy antenna on receive.

I have owned a Hy-Gain AV-640 in the past and I would suggest that the VG-4 performs equally as well. However I found that the VG-4 build quality is better than the AV-640.
The VG-4 price is very reasonable.

I did not have any of the problems mentioned in some reviews outside of Australia so
I think that Tecsun Radios Australia must have put in quite an effort to make sure that the stock they received was up to spec. and suitable for release onto the Aussie market.

The antenna looks quite nice when in the air and I have not received any negative comments from neighbours.
All in all I am very pleased with this purchase!
73Mike
VK2DJP
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.