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Reviews For: Arrow OSJ Model J146/440

Category: Antennas: VHF/UHF+ Omnidirectional: verticals, mobile, etc

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Review Summary For : Arrow OSJ Model J146/440
Reviews: 168MSRP: 39.95
Description:
Dual-band aluminum j-pole
Wtih better quality SO239 - 3/8-24 Connector. Better Threads and a more precise hole size for the PL259 connection. As of 4-10-05 All OSJ's will have the new connector.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.arrowantennas.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001684.6
K2DMV Rating: 2015-04-17
It Just Works Time Owned: more than 12 months.
If it doesn't work I have no clue why. Works great on VHF in a space limited space location.
Works great on UHF and D-Star UHF too.
AD4C2006 Rating: 2015-04-03
Great performance Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Although I have read the performance of this easy to assemble vertical J pole antenna on UHF is poor, it won't hurt me because I don't have any UHF radio at home to test it.
My opinion is based only on 2M experience with it.
First, it took me just 10 minutes to put it together and half an hour to install it in a 15 foot pole at the side of my home.
Fed with 50 feet of RG-8 to my IC-2100 radio at the shack, I saw in the entire band just 1.2 swr and I can open any repeater within the distance of 40 to 45 miles away from my QTH even been at just 15 feet up. Its obvious this antenna have some gain over the quarter wave ground plane I had before.
For the price I payed from Arrow antennas, its a good deal, perhaps any other vertical from Diamond or Comet will outperform this one but they are all over hundred bucks.
Also most of those known verticals are single wires with coils along a fiberglass tubing and when they are hit by a lightning, they just vaporise, disapear completely, it has happened to me twice, J poles antennas are known for been safer with lightning.
So far I am very pleased with this antenna.
W5KVV Rating: 2015-01-28
Excellent Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Great antenna at a great value. Mine has been up on the chimney for almost 4 years with zero issues. SWR is 1.1,1.2 across all of VHF, UHF is <1.5 across the band. VERY Pleased with mine. I have since purchased several for portable/"go-bag" use.
K5CPF Rating: 2014-12-20
Exceeds Expectations! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I purchased the unit with a 2-piece 146 element for portable event / emergency use, since is does not require a ground plane and can stand erect on its own on a tripod (unlike the roll-up which I have for the HT).

I am very impressed by the quality and precision. It's very well engineered and I know I can count on it when needed.
KF7ZQM Rating: 2014-12-19
Bullet proof! Ok, nearly bullet proof. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This antenna has survived two years in windy Wyoming. I recently climbed up to check out the connections for a little preventative maintenance.The antenna looked absolutely new! I haven't had any problems. It has very flat SWR on 2 Meters. The SWR on 70 CM is higher, but you can't expect perfection on two bands from any antenna. Both bands perform well. It is used daily for contacts with a repeater nearly 50 miles away. I also have a GP146/440 from the same company. That antenna performs well too.
VE2AKS Rating: 2014-11-17
Works like a charm Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I use this as a "balcony antenna" in a condo at my QTH since spring 2013 and I am really happy of its performance, impedance is very satisfying on all the 2m band and is also acceptable in the 70cm band. This antenna is mainly used for SSB and analog/DSTAR/Fusion FM nets on the 2m band with some operations near the end of the 70cm band. Its assembly was super simple and the antenna is robust.

Would I recommend this antenna? Sure! This is an ideal companion for a dual-band VHF/UHF radio used for nets/contacts with other "local" stations.

Bonus: a J-Pole is somewhat stealth and does not need any radials or counterpoise wires... Not a disadvantage when you live in a downtown! After 18 months outside, no complaints from my neighbourhood. I am so happy with this one that I will give a try to their OSJ-220.

KJ4FXZ Rating: 2014-09-25
Arrow Open J Pole Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought my first Arrow Open J Pole from John Wood WV4J -sk after working with him on a bike ride event. I have since order 2 more and recommended other new Hams to get the antenna. Memphis TN is repeater poor. Repeaters in Memphis all have a good height and work well within 20 or 25 miles. I call a couple of 2m/70cm nets and am told I have an excellent signal.
WK2X Rating: 2014-07-10
good on 2m, garbage on 70cm Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this antenna from cheapham, maybe that was the problem. It matched almost perfectly on 2m, but terrible on 70cm. The best swr I saw was 2.5:1 on 437MHz, and it quickly got worse on either side, up to over 5:1 at the top of the band where most repeater inputs are. I was a good little Ham and read the other reviews, so I knew good coax was a must. I had used a very short run of LMR-400-UF, so I had a friend at work sweep the coax with an RF analyzer and dummy load. The coax was fine. I tried an ugly balun as suggested, too - still no joy. Even tried making a better choke out of some appropriate toroids. It wasn't near anything metal or any of the other stuff they tell you to watch for, either.

As much as I wanted to like this antenna and make it work, I'm forced to conclude that I got a piece of junk.

Today, I built and tuned a simple so-239 ground plane 1/4 wave, cheated a little and used the whip from an old dual band magnet mount that broke years ago. With the same coax, I have 1.5:1 or less across the entire swath from about 425-470 MHz, and it's also perfect on the whole 2m band. I was able to bring up a UHF repeater over 35 miles away with 15 watts and the antenna 5 feet off the ground. Will be putting it up on the roof after dinner once the silicone is mostly dry. The OSJ will, sadly, stay in the garage as scrap aluminum.

I'm willing to believe that I just got a junker, and that other people have better luck with these. Maybe I should have gotten one direct from Arrow, who knows? Just be aware that you're rolling the dice when you buy.
K6SDW Rating: 2014-05-26
Great on 2, lousy on 440 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had this antenna up several years....great on 2meters but it's a dud on 440....really sucks on 440! Yes, I'm feeding it with Belden 9913 at maybe 50' of coax.

SWR on 440 is great, but for some reason, like the reviewer before, there's huge attenuation on 440....

Antenna is really well built and since here in Northern California we've been forced by the US Air Force to all but shut down 440 repeaters, I'm not missing much on UHF.

Cheers All

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Earlier 5-star review posted by K6SDW on 2009-07-27

Finally, after 2 years sitting in my garage I put up this antenna on the roof and it kicks butt........SWR on both bands flat.

Performance exceeds my expections!

Construction is first rate.

Cheers all......
N0RRS Rating: 2014-05-26
Good, but lacking on 440 Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
OK, before I get bashed for only giving this antenna a 4 rating let me say that for for $39 you can't find a better dual band J POLE anywhere.
With that being said, it is not a beam antenna, it is a J POLE. It only has a half wave over a quarter wave gain on 2m and 440. When I purchased my Arrow OSJ J146/440 I intended to use it to replace an aging Diamond V2000A triband. I intended to use it for D STAR contacts, but I had it mounted 100 feet away from my house, and on a 40 foot pole. I fed it with low loss RG/8U coax. While it worked well on 2m it was a dog on 440. That was a real bummer since my local D STAR repeater was on 440. So, I expect the 100 feet of coax run has given me severe loss on 440. I will take down the Arrow J-Pole and stick my Diamond back up a lot closer to the house on a 20 foot pole. I will feed it with RG/213 military grade coax at only 50 foot. It will be lower in height, but the Diamond has a gain of 8.4 on 440. Overall, for the money this antenna can't be beat, but don't expect it to out perform a Diamond vertical or a directional beam at the same height (or even less) because it can't.