| N9ABC |
Rating:      |
2020-07-03 | |
| Signal Stuff Super Elastic vs Comet SMA-24 & Diamond's SRH77CA |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Subsequent to my posting the below review in 2019, I wrote another review comparing the Comet SMA-24J to the Nagoya NA-24J antenna. That review is posted under the Nagoya NA-24J.
Original review posted August 19, 2019 is below-
Signal Stuff Super Elastic vs Comet SMA-24 & Diamond's SRH77CA
I have three similarly sized antennas. The Comet SMA-24, The Diamond SRH77CA each of which I have used for while, and the Signal Stuff Super Elastic signal stick. which I received today. Today I ran an unscientific comparison. The Comet and the Signal Stuff were tied in their ability to hear stations and to hit repeaters, both using the antenna alone and the antenna with a Tiger Tail. The Diamond did not perform as well as either of the above antennas in either hearing or hitting stations.
The Comet appears to be well built. It has the thinest of the radiator wires as well as the smallest of the bases that attach to the HT's female SMA. I actually like that it is thin.
The Signal Stuff has a thicker radiator and is slightly longer than the Comet. The base that attaches to the HT's female SMA is also larger than the Comets. I didn't like its thicker antenna radiator as much as Comets thinner radiator. Several times while talking on the HT and moving the antenna hit me in the face. It hurt more then the Comet who also at times hit me in the face while walking and talking on the HT. The build of the Signal Stuff antenna seems to be very durable and I was impressed. The slightly longer length of the antenna radiator over the Comet, didn't seem to make any difference transmitting or receiving.
In a harsh environment I would guess that the SignalStufff antenna would hold up better, but that's just my impression.
As to the Diamond SRH77CA, I would rate it in third place. It didn't perform as well, (whether with or without a tiger tail) as the Comet or Signal Stuff in receiving stations or hitting repeaters. I also perceived it's base and radiator to be thicker and base that connects to the HT is larger the other two. I have a personal concern that due to the thickness of the antenna's radiating wire, the size of the base, and the overall weight of the antenna, that it might be more likely to cause issues over time with the HT's SMA antenna connector, however I did not test for that possibility, rather it is just my impression.
Using my unscientific testing of listening to stations and trying to communicate via repeaters I would rate the Signal Stuff and Comet SMA-24 better then the Diamond. I would like to point out that the Diamond has many happy users, however in my reviewing the three, I would put it in last place. But again, this is my subjective opinion.
73
Steve |
|
| WR3V |
Rating:  |
2020-05-22 | |
| SMA-24J Save your money. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
1. Flimsy, too thin and wiggly.
2. No performance improvement over stock antenna on a Yaesu FT4XR
3. Save your money. Maybe I will try the Diamond or MFJ. |
|
| VE7JMR |
Rating:   |
2016-07-24 | |
| Not really a dual-band antenna |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
Measurements made with a RigExpert AA-600 and AntScope software:
VHF SWR measurements
144.0MHz - 5.83
144.5Mhz - 5.75
145.0MHz - 5.66
145.5MHz - 5.55
146.0MHz - 5.44
146.5MHz - 5.37
147.0MHz - 5.26
147.5MHz - 5.15
148.0MHz - 5.07
UHF SWR measurements
430.0MHz - 3.85
432.5MHz - 3.54
435.0MHz - 3.35
437.5MHz - 3.14
440.0MHz - 2.87
442.5MHz - 2.63
445.0MHz - 2.47
447.5MHz - 2.26
450.0MHz - 2.14
I was hoping this Comet SMA-24 would have better VHF performance than the stock antenna on my Kenwood TH-D72, but unfortunately it's much worse. UHF is a different story, where the stock antenna performs very poorly, the Comet redeems itself somewhat, especially above 440MHz. Not a great set of measurements however you look at it. |
|
| N4ZN |
Rating:    |
2016-06-01 | |
| Not buying the Kool-Aid |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I bought the antenna for $21 from an amateur radio store. It's either the real deal, or an excellent knock off. However, I didn't see a marked improvement over anything, except a Yaesu duck. Compared to a Wouxon KG-UV3D, and a Baofeng BF-A58, with stock antennas, I may be seeing a smidgen of an improvement on 146 MHz, and a decline of improvement on 440 Mhz. Hardly worth the money spent, at least against the Chinese antennas.... which isn't saying much for the Comet. However..... it's a known fact that the Wouxon antenna is actually pretty good, and a lot of hams are purchasing it seperate, for their HTs of Japanese make. On the other hand, it must be that Baofeng is stepping up their game on the supplied antennas. The yeasu ht tested, imo, was junk on its own. I tested two of them, and returned them both in short order.... Paperweights at best. |
|
| K6ITR |
Rating:   |
2014-12-24 | |
| Works great, too fragile. |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| This antenna lives up to its description in terms of transmitting and receiving. In a previous review, I said exactly that. However, let's face it. HTs get banged around no matter how careful we are. My Comet antenna is now permanently bent at the base because my radio fell off the arm of my easy chair. And somewhere along the line, the little cap came off the tip. It still works, but come on. If you're going to charge the better part of 30 bucks for something, it better be more durable. |
|
| VA3LIP |
Rating:      |
2014-04-25 | |
| Read a lot and then Got it |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
It's definitely better than the stock antenna, at $ 30 you can't really go wrong that much.
I have a yaesu FT 60R and I did start to hit repeaters I wasn't able to with the Yaesu stock antenna.
I did read some reviews saying that it is better on the 70 CM than on the 2 Meter, I am leaning towards this statement....
Overall a great antenna for $ 30 you will definitely notice the difference, to what a degree will be dependent on a lot of factors, but what I can say with certainty is that improvement will be there no matter what.
I will recommend it to friends. |
|
| W5PFG |
Rating:     |
2014-03-16 | |
| Better than Stock Duck |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| This antenna is a perfect upgrade to your stock rubber duck. It is a significant improvement over the supplied dummy loads that came with most of the HT's in my collection. My SMA24 has held up through many public service events, outdoor trips, even satellite contacts in a pinch. At $20 current retail price, it borders on being a bit low in value. You might be able to build/buy more gain antennas cheaper but this one suits the bill as one that can stay attached to your HT while you are pedestrian mobile. Watch out and be sure not to poke yourself or a neighbor in the eye. |
|
| VU3HAR |
Rating:      |
2014-02-20 | |
| Read a lot, then bought it, worth every dollar |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I have a Yaesu FT 60R and as is the norm, stock antenna wasn't enough to reach all the repeaters in the area (receive and transmit).
I did operate the radio with the stock antenna for about 2 weeks (daily), so that I could completely judge the range capability of the radio with the stock antenna.
I did observe a marked difference in both the receive and transmit range of the radio, using the Comet SMA24 antenna. (I don't have instruments to prove with numbers, but just my ear to judge it). I did read that, this antenna is more useful on the 70 cm band than the 2m, but I observed in my tests that it was performing better than the stock antenna on both 2m and 70 cm.
I do want to try the diamond sh77 antenna as well, but the ones with SMA connector are just not available any more.
Overall I would definitely recommend this antenna to fellow Hams |
|
| F4GFT |
Rating:   |
2014-01-26 | |
| too fragile |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I got one of these for my FT-60. It worked great for about 18 months, and then broke at the top coil section. I must admit that I used this antenna on my bike, where the mechanical stress due to whipping was certainly above average. But I would suppose that an antenna for an HT would be conceived with this kind of application in mind. I got myself a Smiley telescope antenna, with a flexible coil section more likely to stand the test of time. So far, it looks good. |
|
| KE2KB |
Rating:     |
2013-02-22 | |
| Not 17" as advertised |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I bought the Comet SMA24 to replace the MFJ-1715S, which is also a decent antenna, for use on my Vertex VX-150.
The description for the Comet said the length was 17", compared to the 14" for the MFJ. I thought that getting a slightly longer whip might improve signal for both transmit and receive due to its being a tad closer to a true 1/4 wave.
But when I received the Comet SMA24, I was dismayed to find that it measures only 16" from base to tip. Why was it described in the AES catalog as 17"?
Some preliminary testing with the Comet SMA24 vs the MFJ-1715S has resulted in the Comet having such a slight advantage over the MFJ that it was not worth my money to get the Comet thinking it might be an improvement over the MFJ, however, it is certainly an improvement over a standard "duckie" type antenna.
I won't consider this purchase a loss though, because I believe every Ham needs more than one antenna for every HT he owns. It's too easy to damage these extremely light whips.
The Comet appears (at least for now) to have a tighter seal between the whip and the housing, so it should be better in wet weather. I'll see how it holds up over the years compared to the MFJ. |
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