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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: 108MSRP: 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
34.31084.5
KB3CDF Rating: 2001-01-31
HAPPY MOBILE'r Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I use a 10m hamstick at present with the Magnetic mount and "quick" disconnect. Very Happy.

Would consider only a screwdriver-type to replace the "sticks". It would be nice to hop bands on the fly. However, $25 vs. $350 is also nice. I can wait a little longer before I get lazy ... hi hi.

Log:
...from FM19 (VA), 100w, circa 08:30EST, morning commute (35 to 55mph).

DX:
DL8* 5/3
FP4* 5/8
4N7* 5/9+ great audio

17:30EST night commute
USA:
W5* 5/9 +10 TX
KT0* 5/9 +10 CO
N7* 5/6 MT
AA4PB Rating: 2000-10-02
Use an UNUN for a good match Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've been using Ham Sticks for a number of years now. I found that on my pick up, all are very close to 25 ohms at resonance. I use a 2:1 UNUN (unbanlance to unbalanced broad band transformer) inside the fender to provide a good match for all the bands. No coil taps or capacitors to change.

Considering the cost and the low wind resistance, the Ham Stick makes a good general purpose mobile antenna.
WA4CNG Rating: 2000-10-02
Very Good Mobile Antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have 6 of these antennas. 80-40-20-15-10-6meters. All will tune without external matching coils if you follow basic Antenna Sense. Mount it as high as possible with as much ground plane below it, mag mount on the roof of SUV works great, and is just under the 13'6" max height. Use a good antenna bridge (MFJ/Wiltron/IFR) to tune it. It will hit some low flying trees and branches. The lower the band the smaller the bandwidth, 20 and up is full band (Phone). Change out the screw sets to hex sets size is 8x32 by 1/4 inch (.12 each, 2 per antenna at any good Hardware Store) to tighten up on the whip.
They will handle 600W with ease, and is taller than the new HP Outbacker. Height does matter, it is a surface area issue with efficiency in mobile antennas. I only wish the Webster Bandspanner was still around (the long bottom section unit in green).
N9VV Rating: 2000-10-02
remove BEFORE entering Garage!! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I am using a 20M Ham Stick with my K2 mobile CW. It works GREAT and tunes 40/30/20/17M with ease. BUT REMEMBER TO REMOVE IT BEFORE PULLING YOUR MOBILE INTO THE GARAGE :-)
de Ken N9VV
http://www.qsl.net/n9vv/
NE7X Rating: 2000-04-26
Poor on lower freqs Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have used many many HF mobile antennas, and I have found the Ham Sticks to be more of a "dummy load" antenna on frequencies lower then 17 meters. The Q- of the coils are too low.

NE7X...
KU4QD Rating: 2000-04-12
They work great, and they're sure inexpensive! Time Owned: unknown months.
I've used Hamsticks on all the HF bands 10-40, as well as the 6 and 2 meter versions. I've also had the oh-so-expensive Outbacker Tri-Split, and the Hamsticks outperform it. They are simple, reliable, inexpensive, and work well. What more could you want?
K0TVD Rating: 2000-03-11
Why did I wait so long?? Time Owned: unknown months.
With 42 years as a ham under my belt and never having done the "HF Mobile" thing, I decided that I would jump in. Bought an IC-706MkII and started looking for a suitable HF antenna for the Durango. I read all the reviews on here and decided on the HamSticks. Boy! I'm sure glad I read all of these positive reviews, because I couldn't be happier! The HamSticks, no matter what band, will work 'em if you can hear 'em! Last weekend was a big DX contest and I worked so many DX stations while mobile on my way to work that it wasn't funny! Thanks for the inside scoop, Guys!
WA1GJF Rating: 2000-01-03
Best all around mobile HF antennas Time Owned: unknown months.
I have used the Hamsticks on 80-10 meters with exceptional results. On the car, mounted to the frame, the antenna is unabtrusive, yet effective. On the sailboat, the antennas are mounted on the stern rail, with a zinc on a wire for the ground. Bandwidth except for 75, is excellent. The tuner in the Yaesu 890 is used only at band edges. My only concern is that the whip can damage the coil if inserted too far. However, the mfr. does caution the user in the directiins. Like others, I have mounted the antennas on a 10' mast stuck in the ground at home with impressive results.
W1AAL Rating: 2000-01-03
I have tried them all, for the money you can't bea Time Owned: unknown months.
I have been HF mobile for 8 years now, I used an Outbacker, Hustler system, and I keep coming back to the Ham Stick. The Pro-AM(Valor)seems to work best, because you can set the vswr and unscrew them in half and store them in your trunk. If thats not an issue with you the Antron brand works just as good. Another point is low wind resistance, your limited on the Hustler and Outbacker Antennas on what mounts to use.
KG8DP Rating: 2000-01-03
Ham Stick beat Outbacker Time Owned: unknown months.
I lost an outbacker in the mount.'s of West Virginia. I was mobile from FL. to Columbus, OH. Cost me 300.00 to replace it. I located a great antenna mount for the 4 mag. 5 1/4" mount. It failed after 3 years back from that trip. Bottom line...... Tune the ham sticks with an MFJ-259 tuner. I have one. Support from the manufacturer is the best. These folks beat, GAP Antennas in FL. hams down( teehee) 2 different products. I run an Ameritron ALS-500m own the sticks 80-10 no WARC band antennas. Best Value just in case you loose it. My Veh. is an 89 ford aerostar. work all I can hear. Better than the outbacker. Purchase one at the next localfest. 20m-10m to try. You will be sold. Please anyone e-mail me at

kg8dp@msn.com

comments. regards,

Mark Harville KG8DP