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Reviews For: Tennadyne T11 Log Periodic

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

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Review Summary For : Tennadyne T11 Log Periodic
Reviews: 8MSRP: 695.00
Description:
Eleven element LPDA covering 13-55Mhz
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.tennadyne.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0085
K5WL Rating: 2014-12-17
Top notch Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The MSRP has gone up to $910 as of this writing, but it is well worth it. I considered this and the TH-11DX which I had a small amount of experience with at a club, but on price and adding 6 meters, this one won out. I have had it less than a month, at 55 feet, and it's a wonder.

The build quality is really good. Due to some nearby trees I had a few incidents during install, with no noticeable effect on the antenna. I also like this antenna aesthetically; it looks like an antenna ought to look with no traps or weird braces and stubs hanging off of it.

Weighing in at 73 pounds, I was able to install the assembled boom by myself on a tilt-over, and then build the elements out as I raised and rotated it. The directions are backward for doing this, so that takes some thinking, but all in all the build was easy, if tedious. Note the different hole sizes on the second-last piece of the bigger elements; the holes must be oriented the right way.

I highly recommend an 8 oz bottle of Penetrox for the build; mixing your own graphite and WD-40 is tedious and dirty. DO NOT skip this stuff. Order it when you order the antenna.

In-use experience with this antenna has been fantastic. Before purchase, I had considered getting a separate tribander for contest weekends and switching them out. After the 10 Meter contest last weekend, I've binned that idea forever. As the contest wound down, I picked up several new band slots/centennial QP points on 12, 17, and even 6 meters with just a push of the button on the radio.

My previous experience was with the TH-11DX and a 10 meter moxon beam. This was comparable in performance, though I never had my 10 meter as high as this. My city ordinance only allows one antenna on the tower (no stacked yagis) so the LPDA was an obvious choice, and what I thought was a big compromise from a tribander.

I had no problem busting pileups with 150 watts, nor reaching far away stations in the CQ DX contest the first weekend I had the antenna up (I have picked up a dozen or more new ones since installing this antenna just a few weeks ago, and I was already at 200). I have also enjoyed some nice DX ragchews and look forward so some interesting shortwave listening. If I had to buy this again, I would.
NY0P Rating: 2013-07-30
Great Antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I've had my T-11 up for 3 months now and love it.

It took three days to assemble and place on the tower. I assembled the boom, the balun, and the center portions to the element sections to the boom on the ground. Then I mounted it to my tilt crankup from the ground with the tower tipped over. I then populated the outer element sections from the front to back while standing on a step ladder. I tilted up the tower and turned the back of it down and finished populating the longest elements.

The SWR is low enough across 20-6 meters that I can run the full 600w on my ALS600 without it faulting. I had a ball operating on 6 during the VHF contest. Worked Ks, Wv, Fl, Ga, Tx, Az, Co, Ca, Wa, Or, Nv, and Mexico from central Mo using only 100w.

The antenna was the best packaged item I ever delivered. I work part time for a major shipper and was able to deliver it to myself He-He-He.

I highly recommend this antenna to anyone.


KI4GKS Rating: 2009-11-26
Outstanding construction, Great performace Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have been using the Tennadyne T-11 for just over a year. I have completed the LOTW Triple Play (#220), and DXCC using the T-11. I have A/B'd the antenna against several other antennas with similar specs and it has alway stacked up very well. Having six meters support on the same coax as 20 thru 10 meters is great.

The antenna is very well made and the design shaves several pounds off the total weight of this antenna. The strength of the antenna has not be been compromised by the weight reduction. A 20 to 30 weight reduction is a major benefit at installation time. the higher you place the antenna the greater benefit you receive from the weight reduction. I also has a very favorable wind load for an antenna its specs.

Assembling the antenna is a bit challenging but is not difficult. Just read the manual and study the pictures. When you understand how the antenna was designed, assembly is rather simple. The assembly is not a one day job, it could be done in a day but it, is better to take your time.

The antenna is currently being used behind a 500 watt solid state amp without a tuner. This represents another significant benefit.

Well made, works as described by the manufacturer and is easier to install than an equivalent Yagi design. Can I give it a 6 (Six).

Would I buy another one? I already have. Two of my friends have also bought Tennadyne log periodic antennas after seeing the T-11 up close and seeing how it performs

Ed
G6DHU Rating: 2009-11-15
Very pleased Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I decided on the T11 after hearing the rave reviews from a fellow ham who had the smaller T8 up for a while and was very pleased with its performance. I also do a lot of utility listening outside the ham bands, so a broadband antenna with this range is a real advantage.

My antenna arrived in a stout 6ft long box of about 6in x 6in. There are many parts and I opted to construct the four boom sections independently, then joining them to make the boom. I then put the elements together individually before attaching each to the stubs with the boom positioned under the tower ready for hoisting.

The only problems encountered were a couple of bolts missing and a wrongly drilled-out mast-to-boom insulator plate. Roger at Tennadyne had a replacement plate out to me by express mail. There's service for you. Total construction time was about 10 hours.

I must confess that the manual needed a few reads before construction and could be improved by some in-place diagrams (everything is currently at the back of the document) and some more detailed photos of the finished article. I emailed some suggestions to Roger and hope they'll be taken up in a subsequent revision.

The antenna is light at about 65lbs but don't underestimate the size when completed. At 24ft boom length and nearly 40ft tip-to-tip on the rear element, this is a substantial array.

I've had the antenna up on a 50ft tower for three weeks, US-EU contacts aplenty with 100W and never anything less than 5 by 9 despite the current poor conditions. SWR across the range and directivity as quoted. My only (admittedly poor) reference is a Alpha Delta DX-CC multiband dipole at 15ft and the T11 is probably an average of 20dB better on 20m and better on 15m.

So far, I'm very pleased.
former_WA6L_JG Rating: 2008-04-23
Amazing Antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
As I stare out the window from my shack, I can see the big T11 turning as I adjust the rotator. It is a great feeling to have it out there and I continue to marvel at this wonderfully engineered antenna.

I have measured an SWR of less than 1.2 from 14 MHz to 52 MHz using an antenna analyzer. To me, that is both a wonder and an incredible convenience. No tuner is required. You just point the antenna and start making contacts. There are no traps to adjust or to corrode and there is no moving tape inside to break or jam. It just works -- every time and on every band.

Performance as compared to a tri-bander is difficult to measure. The T11's specifications for gain and F/B ratio are better than some tri-banders and worse than others. Plus, you have all the other variables to consider, such as grounding, height, coax/trap loss etc. But from personal experience, this antenna works as well or better than a tri-bander and with much, much less hassle. Even if someone were to prove to me that the you lose some gain going to a log-periodic, I would still be more than happy with the trade-off.

Constructing the T11 was tough. There are a LOT of parts, and the instructions are rather vague in some places. The good news is that Roger at Tennadyne was always available via email and he helped me through several of the steps where I had questions or problems. He treated me as if I was his only customer and showed a lot of patience and good humor.

The T11 has been through one moderate wind storm with no damage. I have yet to go through a winter or one of our 80 MPH wind days. But my hunch is that the antenna will do fine. It is solidly built and there is really not that much that can go wrong with it. Once again, having no traps and no moving parts is a big advantage.

This is an amazing antenna with solid customer support behind it. I am looking forward to many years of use.

73,

John, WA6L
KS9Y Rating: 2006-01-30
Upon farther review this antenna is Great! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've now had this antenna for almost four years. It has worked as advertised since day one. It has survived strong winds, ice, and snow with no problems. I'm still being heard well whenever I use it, and often times DX stations will say I'm the loudest signal on the band even without the Alpha 99. It is so nice to cover 20, 17, 15, 12, 10, and 6 without ever having to use a tuner, and on one feed line. For price you can't go wrong.
AD7BG Rating: 2004-03-08
Great antenna!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have had my T-11 up for the past 10 days now and I asm very pleased. Ordering was a breeze. I received the antenna about 2 weeks after the order. For comparision, my buddy is still waiting for his Mosley ordered in early January. Anyway, I worked the ARRL SSB Dx contest this year and let me tell you, I worked 95% of everyone I wanted to work. That is with 100 watts. I have found that the SWR is 1.5 or less on all bands 20-6 meters. The F/B ratio is a bit low on 20m but gets better on 15-10 meters.
Assembly was fairly easy but make sure you really study the instructions well. They could use some clarification in a few areas.
Overall, I have no regrets. It is so nice to change bands and not have to change antennas or fiddle with tuners.
I would definitely recommend this antenna and Tenndyne to anyone.
AB0KP Rating: 2001-08-09
Great antenna that works as advertised! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
My T-11 has been up for almost a year now. It went together easily and logically (8-10hrs) by following the instructions. It has survived several mid-west thunderstorms and an ice storm.

Most importantly it works as advertised . . . good gain over the 42 mhz bandwith along with low SWR. All antennas are a "compromise". . . but if you want reasonable performance over 6 bands using one feed line . . . I don't know of another way!

Bob AB0KP - ab0kp@arrl.net