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Reviews For: Miracle Whip

Category: Antennas: HF Portable (not mobile)

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Review Summary For : Miracle Whip
Reviews: 68MSRP: 129.95
Description:
The all-band rig-mounted whip for the FT-817 (and lots of other radios too...)
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.miracleantenna.com/miracleWhip.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00683.9
9K2VO Rating: 2012-12-11
Great little Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had one since about 4 years with FT-817.
Antenna was put in a room in reception mode to experience only.While listening, 1B1AB calling dx.
i called him expected not to respond. Surprised he replied
At this moment I took video filmed by mobile phone
Conversation was at a frequency of 20 meters
This is a very good antenna at the reception as well as good in the transmitter on most frequencies
This link to the conversation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrG400jyudY
73
AI4HO Rating: 2012-10-16
Miracle Ducker TL, neat little device Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I'll give my Miracle Ducker TL a 5, for now.,cause right now I have no complaints about this nifty little device. Will it replace my full wave 40 meter loop..nope, will it replace my Mosley 3 element beam..nope, hell it wont hold a candle to my G5RV. But what it does do, it does it very well indeed. I personally have used it on my FT-817ND on 20-10 meters, with mixed results, most of the time my Miracle Ducker TL worked FB, but there have been those days when band conditions haven't cooperated and it takes all my skill and patience, and then some just to eke out one quick QSO on 10 meters. Then there are the days when as soon as you call CQ you're getting answered, one after the other.

The Miracle Ducker TL works very well on 20-10 meters, with a good counterpoise, you can get 40 meters to work for you..maybe..sometimes. On 75 meters..forget it, the Miracle Ducker just doesn't have the OOMPH needed to make it viable on 75/80 meters. That said, you on the other bands you can make it work, but as one poster stated..you aren't gonna do this quick like. You have ta put the time and effort in to it. However..if you do..put the time and effort in to it, you will get results, repeatable results. To that end..my Miracle Ducker TL gets a 5..for now.
KA2WDV Rating: 2012-07-13
Weak at Best Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This will not work on 75 meters. I called CQ for 3 hours and did not make a single contact. It did not work for TX. It is so so for a receive Antennae. I would not buy this again.poor/ awful
M0JHA Rating: 2012-03-01
qrp fun all the way Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
modded mine to accept a banana plug for a counterpoise wire and can't help but make contacts. Had one a while back and had no luck at all till i used a counterpoise now i would never get shut of it ..
G4YVM Rating: 2011-12-22
Excellent little aerial Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Well, I bought this improbable HF aerial, plugged it into the back of my FT 817 sat on the dining room table, keyed the mic and worked 1700 miles on 28MHz. It's that easy.

Now, as with all QRP calls, it's much easier ANSWERING CQs than making them but nevertheless , 1700 miles is 1700 miles

Since that first time I have worked many stations around Europe. I've also put a full whacking ten watts from an IC 703 into it and worked even more on 14MHz. It struggles on forty though I have resisted adding counterpoints; what a mess they are.

I have not yet tried the MW on CW but I shall later.

This aerial is not going to replace an external wire but for fun, portable or hidden work it is very good. Mind you, it's awfully expensive for wht it is. Furthermore, if you are a kilowatter or a "3ele Beamer", you'll hate this device!

My only issue is that it seems somewhat fragile. It might be very robust indeed but it SEEMS fragile, so a 4 not a 5.

In summary, I love this little whip.
VE2YMM Rating: 2011-08-06
A Miracle solution ! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I use this antenna with my FT-817 and now with my FT897D as a monitor receiver with my station, using an Icom 7700! This antenna is a real miracle! I've done a lot of comparisons with others antennas usually bigger, and this small one is the best I've ever use. Highly recommended.

You can read my small review (in French) on : http://ve2ymm.com/blog/index.php?/weblog/radio/378/
2W0NNN Rating: 2011-06-10
Hated it, now love it Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought the MW a couple years ago and it's stayed with me through 3 FT-817s, a few other radios and half a dozen other antennas. Initially I tried it out /P with an 817 on a hill-top, had almost no contacts and decided to sell it almost immediately. I never got around to it though and used it once in a while for receive... played around with radials once in a while, clipped wires on to it to extend it once in a while... always loved the simplicity but never the perormance.
That's all changed the last month where I've used it with a single spool yo-yo antenna from hamradiofun.com as a counterpoise crocodile-clipped to the rear lug of my 817. The trick is to spend a bit of time working out where the yo-yo is resonant (1/4 wave) on each band. Stick a bit of electrical tape at roughly the right place and it takes seconds to tune; the counterpoise also works better if you can keep the whole wire elevated a couple feet off the ground. Now I can get it with no SWR bars showing on each band and not bad performance to go along with it. The difference the counterpoise makes is easily audible; hear stations with it, disconnect it and the weaker stations just disappear. I'd estimate a 3-4 S-point difference - HUGE in QRP terms.
In short, I love the miracle whip. I still use a MP-1 once in a while but I'm usually too lazy to put it up, together with the obligatory radials, for perhaps a 1 S-point increase in performance (20m up). I still carry around a clansman dipole and balun as well which I use for low band NVIS and better performance on higher bands where I have support(s); again I'm usually too lazy to put it up. The MW does the job I need it to do and together with the counterpoise I can have the 817 from packed to on the air in about 2 minutes using them. Definitely a keeper. If they'd only add a socket to connect a counterpoise directly rather than connecting to the 817 and supply a yo-yo counterpoise (ideally also tunable) it'd be perfect.
Ioan
2W0NNN
WA7NDD Rating: 2010-10-12
Not worth the money! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I am down for 10 weeks in a chair because I don't have a knee. I have my FT 817 next to me to monitor only and not xmit on the ham bands. I can't get to my ham shack so I bought a Miracle Whip to use as receive only to help pass the time.
It did not work for receive hardly at all. At night the best band was 80 meter because every one uses amps and it penetrates the house better. But could only hear one side of the conversation most of the time. During the day almost nothing on any band. If you live in a high volume ham area like back east it might be better but in rural Idaho it a no go.
Ordered in a MP1 supper antenna set it beside my chair and the whole world opened up on my radio the MP1 worked very well on receive on all the bands that were open. It was like turning a light switch on there was such a dramatic difference between the two antennas. I have two more weeks of sitting in this chair before I can get a new knee but I can receive the HF bands well now with the MP1. I will get rid of the Miracle Whip as soon as I can. It was a waist of money at least foe me. Also the nut holding the PL259 on the matching network loosened up several times and I had to take it apart and tighten the nut on the Miracle Whip (aggravating). I don't write negative reviews but this thing made me mad.
Jim, WA7NDD
KC0IPX Rating: 2010-02-21
First HF antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just received my genral class ticket and went out and got a FT-817 and a miracle whip. I wasnt expecting much but wow. With little to no HF experience I was able to work multiple DX stations the first use. I worked VG7G at the Vancouver Olympics which was an exciting first HF contact. The only down side is the price. I still gave it a 5 because I'm still excited about the ease of use and the preformance. If you own a FT817 this should be in your bag!!!!! It isnt a 6 element beam but is you live in an apartment its a must have. I just cant wait to get it out on the trail this summer for some QRP portable. I would HIGHLY recommend this antenna.
N2DCB Rating: 2010-01-28
Great Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had mine for 8yrs. I got all the connectors so I could mount it on a mag mount. I use my car as a groundplane (stationary )and worked most of Europe with 5watts (ft-817) on 10 and 20m, cw on other bands. I used my VX-1210 HF manpack and put magmounted MW on a metal fence in the park, worked all over. Doesn't work so good plugged in back of the radio but great for listening that way. Needs groundplane!
It's great in a pinch, don't leave home without it. N2DCB George

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Earlier 5-star review posted by N2DCB on 2002-03-19

I use the Miracle Whip with my FT-817 (while sitting in my car) with a MFJ magnetic mount base. I purchased some 90 degree connectors and attatched the MW antenna to the mag-mount.I never drive with it on the car, but park somewhere on a hill or open area here in Brooklyn, NY. I have been working all over Europe,(also Brazil) on ten meters phone with 5 watts and some times 2.5 watts,the past two months.I usually work at least two Europeans during my lunch break.The other stations are usually impressed by my signal and audio,I have received several 59 reports.
I have also worked 30 meter CW from my deck; I put the MW on the mag-mount and stick it on the metal part of the deck support.So far I have made only one cotact (in Cuba) by connecting the MW to the back of the 817. I really haven't had time to go out to field test it in that fashion.
For my purposes, stationary/mobile, the Miracle Whip combined with the FT-817 has been nothing but fun.