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Reviews For: Yaesu ATAS-100

Category: Antennas: HF Mobile & Accessories

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Review Summary For : Yaesu ATAS-100
Reviews: 68MSRP: 325.00
Description:
Motorized Mobile Screwdriver Antenna 40M-70cm
Product is in production
More Info:
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00684.1
K8YOY Rating: 2002-03-27
Antenna of Convenience Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have used most every type of mobile antenna around. Base loaded, center loaded and top loaded. Bugcatchers, hustlers, hamsticks, OB Perth etc. The ATAS is a poor performer on 40 and mediocre on the rest. It does not do as well as any of the previously mentioned antennas. Well grounded, however, it does tune and provide the low SWR. Ascetically, it looks good. There is one thing that you cannot beat...It is a tremendously convenient antenna for multiple bands. I did enjoy not having to stop the vehicle and get out to change the tap or coil. As a serious mobileer, your $300+ would be much better spent on a screwdriver or Stealth motorized Antenna. I plan on using a Hi-Q motorized antenna in very near future. My bugcatcher will do for now! Incidentally, I had a problem with the antenna after 1 year of use. Yaesu sent me a brand new one under warranty. The second one performed flawlessly until I sold the whole package a month or so ago.
N6TGK Rating: 2002-03-07
Works good for a while Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I like the idea of the ATAS-100 and when you first get it the ATAS-100 performs well. But don't be fooled. I only had mine for a few months before moisture started getting inside the antenna and the constant wobbling caused by mobile operation wore out the clips that push the bearings against the loading coil. This problem manifests itself as a rapid fluctuation in signal strength while the vehicle is moving as the bearings make and lose contact with the loading coil. I've even had the antenna lock up and refuse to move. Mine was mounted in the stake pocket on the rear corner of a Ford Ranger. I changed to an Outbacker Perth Plus. Yeah, I may have to go change a tap every now and then but at least my contacts are solid as is the antenna.
HB9FNO Rating: 2002-03-07
Simply great Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After having tested this antenna (with a FT-100) during a few weeks as a "balcony antenna" (mounted on a Lakeview Company Inc License Plate Mount) I must say, the ATAS-100 is really worth the (not little) money it costs (like the lakeview mount, by the way, also for balconies...).
For example, I have been working with the FT-100 and the ATAS-100 the last weeks some W6 in CW on 10M, JA & W7 & W5 in SSB on 17M (all of them not so easy from central europe without a "real" antenna) and ZD5 on 10M in FM and many more contacts also on the lower frequencies... on the lakeview-mount (fixed at the handrail of the balcony), the ATAS tunes fast and gives you 100 Watts on every ham-band... also it is not a too bad compromise to listen to shortwave-bands at all (broadcast, utility etc).
Sure, the ATAS is no Yagi, of course, and my AEA-Isoloop on the same balcony seems always just a little bit better (higher "Q"...), but the latter doesn't work on 40M and is much bigger... so if you are in search of something small for the balcony... now you found one thing that was worth a thought...
Concerning the ATBK (base kit for the ATAS) to work on UHF/VHF it seems regularly to me that even my Discone (on the same balcony) who costed less than the half of the ATBK is much, much better on 2m and 70cm... - so perhaps you just buy the ATAS-100 and some good VHF/UHF-twoband-antenna, in case you would like to work all bands (and so, even don't have to buy a diplexer you would have to buy to use the ATAS on all bands...!!!)
N0RRY Rating: 2002-02-25
worth every penny Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I use mine on a Ford Ranger pickup, mounted on the left side bumper, and on a Dodge Caravan mounted on a home made mount just above the left tail light. Both are grounded at three or four places on the frame and body. Tunes perfectly on all bands. I use the FT 100, so the tuning process is fantastic, with only the touch of a button. I do use a seperate 2m/440 antenna on the other side of the vehicles, for a little more gain. I at first thought it was too expensive, but after using it for close to a year, I feel it was the best choice (fine performance/not too big/Wife is ok with it}.
KB1DS Rating: 2002-02-18
Great Antenna system Time Owned: N.A.
Installed my ATAS 100 on my Chev. truck using a stake hole mount. It is grounded to the body. One groung strap from hood to body.Matched to Yaesu 100D.There was a 1s unit noise level which was cancelled out with noise blanker. Love the system. It makes weak DX a joy operating mobile. KB1DS
K9EZ Rating: 2001-11-20
So convenient! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This thing performs better than I thought. Plus it makes it so I dont have to pack a tone of resonators or Ham Sticks. In addition, I dont have to leave my driving position.

I have worked Europe on 40M CW, so it must work pretty well. Like the capability to have the WARC bands as well. 6M performance is a real surprise. 2 and 432 are average.
KB6HRT Rating: 2001-08-20
ATAS-100 working well Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Replaced my Outbacker Perth+ with the ATAS-100 in the same location the Outbacker worked better but that location did not work well for the ATAS-100 but I did not give up, Now I have installed the antenna on the top of the rear door center of cab with better results. Thus antenna needs to see the horizon from top to bottom and all 360 degrees of it like most antenna do. Now I can change bands while driving using my AM-COM controler and thats real nice I use 18ft of coax and a MFJ Ruff Mount and have no problem tuning any band from 40-10 meters with my ICOM706MII be sure to try different locations to find the spot that works best on your vehicle so you get good results!
K5SWA Rating: 2001-08-02
Great Reports Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently purchased the ATAS-100 just for my summer vacation. I mounted it on the roof of my Toyoto 4-runner with a triple mag mount. My HF transceiver is an ICOM 706 MKIIG. I also purchased the AM-COM ATAS interface. The set up works like a champ. I had no problems tuning the antenna. I got great reports of 5-9+ from stations on both coasts on 20m. One station even asked me for an audio report (a first for me on HF mobile). Stations came back to me on the first call. I also received a 5-9 DX report from a station in Brazil. Most of my HF mobile was just ragchew. My only negative comment about the ATAS-100 concerns contruction. I dropped it and it would not motor up or down. When I inspected the base circuit...it had a broken wire. A very thin set of wires to the motor or motor capacitor. A quick repair and I was back in business. The antenna also worked well on 2meters and 70cm....it was, however, not as good as a previous dual mag mount for UO-14/AO-27 contacts. I suspect that it has to do with the amount of resistance in the antenna, the ATAS AM-COM controller, and the height from the top of the car roof. All of this can cut into the SAT's weak signal. I could only hear the SATs briefly on high angle passes. Other than these last two comments, I find the ATAS-100 excellent.
N5KDA Rating: 2001-08-01
Works Good for Me Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This is my first HF mobile antenna so I don't have anything to compare to. My antenna is mounted on a homebrew mount on a 1998 Nissan 4x4. I got a piece of 10 guage steel 4"x8" bent into a 4"x4" 90 deg angle. I drilled four holes on one side and a 5/8" on the other. I then mounted the bracket in the center of a tool box that was on the truck. The tool box is a single lid and the bracket is on the back with just enough room for the lid to close. I used a bulk head connector to attach the coax and antenna. It looks good and works good. I had problems getting the antenna to tune on 10 meters so I ran an extra ground wire from the antenna mount to the truck frame and added a little bit more coax in line. This worked fine. The antenna tunes on all bands. It's easy
Joe Silinonte Rating: 2001-06-17
small but terrible. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I use ATAS-100 on my IC706MKII, It really works like a full size screw driver antenna.I have the AM-COM controller inline to crank up and down the coil to maximize the RF and set the best SWR.I got good reports from DX stations. No problem at all even in motion.I usually get on the air, on my way to work and after.Its a highly recommended antenna..TRY IT,YOU'LL LIKE IT!