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Reviews For: Ham Stick by Lakeview Co.

Category: Antennas: HF Mobile & Accessories

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Review Summary For : Ham Stick by Lakeview Co.
Reviews: 107MSRP: 24.95
Description:
Big performance, small package
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.hamstick.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001074.5
W4HWD Rating: 2020-10-16
They'll get you heard Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I used Hamsticks exclusively back in the mid-to-late 90s and early 2000s when I had no way to set up a permanent station. They worked very well, mounted on the roof of the van I had back then using a 3-magnet mount.

Driving the sticks back then with an Alinco DX-70TH/EDX-2 tuner, I worked a lot of DX with only 100w, plus I was a regular on a couple 75m nets. In fact, the first time I ever worked JT was with a 20m hamstick and my Alinco on CW from a parking lot at Offutt AFB! Good times - but admittedly, the bands were in way better shape back then compared to now.

The only problem I had was with the 75m hamstick - the fine enameled wire in the coil went open, probably due to flexing. For $20 I replaced it. The hamsticks for the higher bands never suffered the same fate - and I had them all, up to and including 10m.

Now, 23 years later, I'm getting back into mobile HF. I'm not spending thousands on a big screwdriver setup because I still work for a living and don't spend a lot of time mobile, except 20 minutes to and from work plus the occasional vacation trip out of state. So, I bought the MFJ versions for 75, 40, 20 and 17m. I have a better mount now too - a stake pocket mount by Breedlove (reviewed on here as well). I tuned the 20m stick yesterday and was able to hear myself in a web receiver in California, 2200 miles away - not bad for a hamstick and 10w from an Elecraft KX2. It's fun.
W4KVW Rating: 2013-11-30
Worked Great! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had a set of 10,12,15,17,20,40,& 75 meter ham Sticks & never had an issue with them.They all worked great & were much better in performance than the Yaesu ATAS-120A that I also owned.Shame they went out of business.Only problem was having a way to carry the extra antennas when not in use but they did their job when installed & two of them combined for the same band makes a great rotatable dipole as well. {:>)

Clayton
W4KVW
KD5OM Rating: 2013-11-30
Required Surgery Time Owned: more than 12 months.
These are good for the money you spend on them. You can't beat that. However, my 20 meter antenna just went bad. I noticed the shaft of the antenna turning on the bottom threaded metal part where apparently it was glued has come apart and the wire broke from the bottom threaded part. I got my pocket knife out and removed a little of the heat shrink and then I had to solder a fresh piece of wire back to the threaded part to the wire inside the antenna. A small dab of JB Weld to glue it back together. Slipped a fresh piece of heat shrink over the repair and we're back on the air. Any Ham could make this repair it's just that I shouldn't have to.
NJ6K Rating: 2013-03-30
Junk Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I used them mobile on 20,40. 80 m Hf the bases become loose and wont tune . save your money and buy a better antenna
N4YX Rating: 2012-11-05
Have Used 'Em for EONs Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I finally wore out the original 40m hamstick I bought years ago at Dayton from the man [BUM] himself. Have used the "sticks" all bands CW/m & SSB/m for many years. If needed can be matched to SWR unity at the antenna with alligator clipped matching capacitor. Bottom Line: Lakeview is excellent!
N4GRF Rating: 2012-09-29
Probably Doing It Wrong Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought a couple of Ham-Sticks (20,17,10). After all, they are inexpensive. First, I installed the 20M on my balcony rail. Ran two radials down the rail perpendicular to the antenna. Antenna analyzer placed resonance at 13+ MHZ. Could raise the resonant frequency much above 14 by adjusting the stinger. Thought about physically shortening, but tried another installation on the back of my SUV. Good ground connection into the frame of this 6,000 lb beast. Better, but still no resonance in 20M band. Ok, what am I doing wrong?

Tom N4GRF
W3SQE Rating: 2011-11-22
No problems here Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought a 10,20 and 40M stick with the four magnet 376 mount for the roof of my Honda Element. I quickly tuned the 10M stick and got Costa Rica, North Dakota and Texas from WV w/ my Icom 735. The 20M stick also tuned easily and I have usable SWR (<1.4:1) across all of both 10/20. I bought the inducta-match to help the 40M stick and get the SWR flat but the bandwidth is smaller and you need to reset the stinger length for the lower or higher side of that band. I just set mine for 7.2 and its fine all over the band although the SWR can get high on say 7.260 but my radio has no problem with it. I rated these 5/5 because even though there are better antennas out there they cost a lot more and present tougher installation scenarios than the hamsticks on my Element. Hamsticks can't be beat for the $$ and unlike some others I had very good customer service encounters.
K3DOS Rating: 2011-10-08
Work well, but a little inconvenient Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
They work well, but they're inconvenient when you need to QSY. An interesting feature is that a single base may be used with whips of different lengths to cover multiple bands. For example the 12 meter Hamstick works well on 10 and 12 meters, the 60 meter Hamstick works well on 40 and 60 meters and the 30 meter Hamstick performs well on 20 and 30 meters. There's no need to purchase a dedicated Hamstick for each of those bands.
LA4UOA Rating: 2011-05-24
Very good antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is one of the best mobile ant for this price,i used mine 7 years,never a problem.On 20m swr is ok over all .
Have worked lots of dx on it ,just remember good grounding.On 80m a tuner helps for more bandwid.
WC3O Rating: 2011-05-06
The way to fly Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Howdy

The name “Hamstick” belongs to Lakeview. I read a lot here about MFJ Hamstick? Not the same. I have used Lakeview’s “real” version of the Hamstick as well as other versions. The Lakeview is the way to go, in my opinion. In my truck I have used the Lakeview 20 meter Hamstick for years. I don’t get good results, I get unbelievable results! 100 watts to a Hamstick on the bumper with CW I have worked the world. JAs, VKs, you name it. I have busted DX pile-ups and more. I have used the 40 meter stick, but with so-so results, but then again my installation is not what they recommend (being mouunted low on the bumper of a pick-up truck). 20 meters? Forget about it! That thing kicks butt! The other thing I like about them is that they are cheap. If it gets whacked or stolen, for around $30 bucks I have a new one! For the price, you just can’t beat them. As I said, I recommend the Lakeview Hamstick over the other imitators. Gud luck and gud DX

DE WC3O