| W5LXG |
Rating:  |
2009-05-06 | |
| Update |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I posted a glowing review on "Sticks" sometime back.
My installation is simple and basic: I use a modified (to improve)MFJ three magnet mount sitting on the roof of my Chrysler. It is easy enough to remove the Stick(s) when it is time to garage the vehicle since I use quick disconnect fittings on the Sticks and mount.
The key word is "remove". I recently forgot I had a stick on the roof mount and drove into the garage! Please don't get the idea that the magmount is easy to remove from the roof. It is difficult and I need some sort of prying device to remove mine.
The stick held fast to the mount and even lifted the mag mount off the roof, tilting it 90 degrees so that the stick was mostly horizontal!
The Stick was slightly scuffed where it contacted the edge of the garage, but otherwise was undamaged.
I suspect the somewhat flexible shaft allowed this miracle. This is not an indorsement to try this trick yourself. 73 |
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| KE5OQV |
Rating: |
2009-05-05 | |
| Update on 20m Hamstick dipole |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
This is an update to an earlier review I wrote about the Hamstick dipole (2-20m hamsticks mounted on the dipole union). It performed well and I heard lots of stations but I felt that the s/n ratio could be improved by getting the antenna higher.
I purchased a 24 ft extension pole at Home Depot and mounted the hamstick dipole union of top using plastic tiewraps. I then extened the hamstick dipole to 35 feet above the ground (10 ft above my roof line) and strapped the pole to my balcony.
The results were amazing. Not only were more signals heard but the s/n ratio improved greatly. With a background noise of S6, the bulk of the signals were heard at S9 to 20db over S9.
The bandwidth is still fairly narrow (100 kc) but the performance is much better.
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| KC5NWS |
Rating: |
2009-03-04 | |
| works fine |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I just bought and put to use a 30m ham stick and it works fine.Its ground mounted with 4 , 16 foot radials and is used with a ohr 30m qrp rig.I like to take it to the local park and set the rig up on a table.Works for me.
k5jyd |
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| NW9T |
Rating: |
2009-02-23 | |
| Works Well |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I've had Ham Stick copies in the past and they worked well, but the only way to truly measure them is to compare directly with the original Ham Stick. I received my Ham Stick several days ago and stuck it on my MFJ Tri-Mag mount on top of my car. The first time I used it I was able to contact a station in France during their contest this last weekend, impressed. Today when I arrived home I found the set screws had loosened and the stinger had slipped down inside the antenna. A quick call to Lakeview told me how to test to make sure I hadn't severed a wire inside the antenna, warnings of this happening are clearly printed on the label. Luckily no damage done. I reset the SWR and made contact with a station in the Canary Islands, again impressive for a mobile antenna. I'm happy with it, except I echo the concerns of KD5ALU's review previously of replacing the slot type set screws with SS hex screws which I'll do before running mobile again. |
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| N0FPE |
Rating: |
2008-09-28 | |
| works fine |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
My 75 meter Hamstick works fine. Maybe not a fullsize dipole but it owrks everything I want it to while I am mobile.
I use it with a AH-4 tuner on my truck as the bandwidth is pretty narrow otherwise.
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| DAVIDVD59 |
Rating: |
2008-09-28 | |
| confused |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I bought a 75m, 40m, and a 20m hamstick because the salesman at AES recommended it. I have the lakeview hamsticks. Tuning was not fun. The 40 meter one will not tune below 2.1:1 swr. While tuning the 40m one, I made a contact to Missouri from Wisconsin. The following day, I used the 20m one and I was shocked. I thought it would be fun to try the DX stations in Europe. Pileups on frequency, when I heard Germany come back to my call, if I had dentures I would have lost them on the ground. So I thought I would try a couple more. Complete and total shock, over 80% of all DX stations I tried came back to me even with base stations calling. I had a blast! My first signal report was 4/2 and went to 5/3, 5/5, 5/7, and even 5/9! Only 100 watts and a magmount on the roof of a van. I had a blast! I would like to try an amplifier next year. Yes, these antennas can work! Don't believe everything from these self appointed experts that you MUST have a screwdriver antenna to have fun.
I gave the antennas a 4 because of the 40 meter swr not adjusting to a lower swr, I feel if the 75m antenna can be tuned, certainly the 40m antenna should tune also. I guess all those people saying ONLY a screwdriver antenna will work have more money to waste than I do!
dave AB9PM |
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| AC4RD |
Rating: |
2008-04-10 | |
| Good performer for mobile |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I'm in temporary housing for a year, tiny apartment; I was going to buy a Hamstick for 30 meters (to mount outside a window) and saw the price has gone up, so I was looking at other options here in the "reviews" section. After considering, I'll buy another real Hamstick. I had two I used mobile for about 2 years, for 15 and 20 meters, and they worked remarkably well considering the drawbacks you get with a small HF antenna. My first contact mobile on 15 was the Austral Islands--a new country for me and a REAL thrill. :-) Used to get in to VK/ZL very nicely from the car in the mornings. The only problems I ever had were bad connections on my trunk-lid mount; the Hamsticks never gave me a bit of trouble. I sure wish I brought them with me when I moved, but wasn't planning to operate while in my tiny urban apartment. I'll buy one for 30 until I can get the ones for 15 and 20 out of storage--they're a little more expensive than some of the others out there, but I was VERY pleased with the two I used mobile. 73! |
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| NA5XX |
Rating: |
2008-03-24 | |
| Hapy with the results |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I bought 2 75 meter hamsticks and the dipole adaptor. I havent finisd mounting them as yet so I am currently running the 75 meter diploe 10 feet in elevation. I just finished checking into several nets up and down the western states (WA, OR, CA) Signal reports were very favorable. I am looking forward to getting them tripod mounted on the roof of the house. That will get me up to 30 feet. First impression of the antenna is very good. I have also run mobile with 10, 15 and 20 meter ham sticks with good results. One recomedation: Replace the sloted set screw with a SS hex set screw. |
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| WD4ELG |
Rating: |
2008-03-23 | |
| Still superb |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
March 2008
SSN hovering at zero
Solar flux stuck at 70
Where are the sunspots???
but my Hamstick is still working great, only now I have my TS480SAT rig in the shack for SO2R ops, and my FT817ND QRP rig in the car. QRP is such a blast in the car! Especially DXing.
How about DX all over NA and SA, and even Europe, with just 5 watts and the Hamstick. On 20, maybe not that remarkable, but 40? Yep!
And check this out: Worked VP5 with a half a watt! Worked P4 with a watt. Both QSO's qualify for 1000 miles/watt threshold. Who says Hamsticks don't work? Send them my way!
*************************************
Previous review
Outstanding!
Conditions:
July 22, 2006.
Sunspot number - 17
Solar flux - 70
Kp - 2
Saturday afternoon drive from Orlando to Raleigh, NC
Driving a Buick Lucerne. Low expectations for the setup, but at least I should be able to listen to some HF activity and I had XM radio as a backup.
Picked up a TS-480 w/ 100 watts, a 20 meter ham stick, and a 3-magnet base mount from AES in Orlando. Left Orlando at 5:30 PM after a 10 minute installation of the entire setup. Ran the autotune on the 480 without pruning the Hamstick, tuned up for 20 meter SSB just fine. Fired it up and...WHOA! Great signals. But I am looking for some DX. So I start tuning, listening, and making a few calls.
I was able to work 9A, ON, PA, HC, KP2, TI, LA, OK, G, HR, T9, OM, 4O (Montenegro, with a small pileup), KL7. this is FUN!
Then the sun was totally gone at 2130 local as I crossed the state line into Georgia. Then it got really interesting… UA (his sunrise), followed by V7 (Marshall Islands). Since V7 had to be a multiple hop, and it was westward over CONUS, I was very impressed!
Easy to take apart when I got home at 0430 local, after navigating through I-95. For the price, these cannot be beat - it sure kept me awake during the drive!
Mark Lunday
WD4ELG
wd4elg@arrl.net
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| IRABREN |
Rating: |
2008-03-16 | |
| Best bang for Buck |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
I just got into Ham Radio - and have a 20m Hamstick magmounted to roof of my car outside house. I did tune it for low SWR with mfj259b analyzer - to properly adjust height of whip. - - Well I can tell you that this antenna REALLY PERFORMS !! - I have worked south america, carribean, all over us, madera islands portugal, etc etc - from houston, TX - It is just amazing to me. I do use a Palstar AT1KP External Tuner and FT-950 radio. For a $35 & mount - you can't go wrong . The Key - is to get whip properly adjusted - don't cut it - until - but you still may need to cut off a couple inches.
73
Ira, KE5STP |
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