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Reviews For: Radio Works Carolina Windom 160

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : Radio Works Carolina Windom 160
Reviews: 25MSRP: 135
Description:
Asymmetrical horizontal wire antenna for 1.8 through 30 MHz.
Product is not in production
More Info:
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00254.4
VE3BW Rating: 2014-02-07
Like it Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Ive had a Radio Works Carolina Windom 160 for 10 years, on 80 meters I hear stations that my nearby 80 dipole doesnt hear on 160 it parallels on receive with a 160 dipole... it came down in the big 2013 Ice storm but was easily fixed. It is noisy than a loop I had.
W8DEP Rating: 2013-04-29
Excellent Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I removed a Carolina Windom 80 which is the best wire antenna that I have ever used and replaced it with the Carolina Windom 160. If I can hear them I can work them and I never use more than 50 watts of power. I have the apex at 40' and the ends at 25 feet. My signal reports are 579 and higher and often asked what kind of antenna I am using. I am very satisfied with the materials and quality of workmanship in this antenna. Hang it and play. You will definately be satisfied.
K1OM Rating: 2011-11-26
best antenna I've ever owned Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After moving to a 6 acre lot with room for a 160 meter antenna, I got this antenna.
Have the trees to get the center and endpoints up there, works great. Not hitting it with a lot of power, old Drake T4X at maybe 150 watts. ZS5 on 80 meters a thrill, and first time in 40 years hamming able to do 160 meters, lots of fun.
N7KJ Rating: 2011-08-09
great antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I am using this antenna since Summer of 2000 without any problems. I am always using 1.5 KW on the low bands, and the SWR is reasonably good even without a tuner on most parts of the bands.
I have worked all 50 states with it on 80 Meters.

The trick is to install it correctly. You must follow the minimum heights instruction to the letter. I have mine installed as an inverted "V" with a apex of 60 feet, and both ends are at about 25 feet.
If you have the space for one (it is 263 feet long), it is one of the best wire antennas you can buy commercially.

73, Scott N7KJ
NY4DX Rating: 2011-08-09
Poor Quality Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had 4 CW160's, each one failed as the baluns basically melted. The antennas were not abused but could not handle 2/3 legal limit.

If you are going to use a OCF antenna...build it yourself.

Call DX Engineering for a balun that works no matter what.
KJ3P Rating: 2010-07-15
Big signal on low bands Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've been using this antenna (with external auto-tuner) on 160/80/40, never a problem, even though this antenna has been out in the weather for over eight years! Installed barely high enough to keep the 22' center section line isolator off of the ground. Usually run 100 watts, occasionally 1 KW. Only used upper bands for PSK31 and CW, which, frankly, doesn't take much of an antenna for these modes.

I also used this antenna to run MARS regional nets just above 75 meters, and always got great signal reports with only 100 watts.

Actually, the antenna has been improved since I bought it so long ago. I almost (almost!) wish it would come down so I'd have a reason to buy the improved version.

E-mail to Jim was always answered within a day or two, even if it didn't involve any new purchase. And ordering via telephone was always professionally handled.
WA2MJP Rating: 2009-10-09
Low Quality With Big Advertising Hype Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had a friend let me borrow his radio works OCF 265ft.160 windom. It worked ok. Tuned fairly easily, etc. so I ordered one with coated #13 wire as I wanted it to resist mother nature better with coated wire in lieu of bare wire.. The antenna was quite expensive especially when order with the coated #13 wire. All was fine for about one year when the low quality crimp on PL-259 that connects the RG8X to the center of the antenna disintegrated while running 1KW on 75 meter SSB. It also ruined the SO-239 on the bottom of the antennas center balun.
I called Radio Works and they were not willing in any way to help me with this problem. Their only answer was, “we’ll sell you a new center balun”. Not being satisfied with this answer I sent an email to Jim, the owner of The Radio Works, no answer was received, so I assume their product support is poor.
In a nutshell, the antenna works, and I do believe the advertising hype is far fetched to say the least.
The quality of the componets is rather low, and the RG8X section of the antenna always bothered me, enough to call Radio Works before ordering the antenna and questioned them about its use.
I have now put up a 270ft dipole, feed with 600ohm open wire to a 4:1 balun and a short piece of coax into a Ten Tec 238B tuner in the shack. The antenna cost was much cheaper, it handles 1.5kw with no problems what so ever, is lighter, stronger, and rx and tx are as good or better than the OCF 160 windom.
Be carful , I could and would not recommend this product even at low power applications.
K5BJM Rating: 2009-06-11
Great All Band Antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Compares to double extended zep and out performs it most of the time by 2 S units. Easy to load on all bands. I recomend it.
EI3GDB Rating: 2008-11-28
does the job Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Put up a cw160 in september this year needed to free up some space took down my various dipoles and replaced with cw160 works fine for me on 160 80 40 i find it is about 3 s points noisier than a resonant dipole rx and tx are comparable to the dipoles mine is 18meters to the apex in a inverted v configuration over all i am pleased with its performance 73
N9LBW Rating: 2008-07-19
BIG SIGNAL Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This antenna puts out a Big Signal on all bands. The SWR is about 1.5-1 on all bands. I was using an Alpha Delta DX-LB Plus which works well for limited space, but the CW 160 out performs it by 2 or 3 DB, both Transmit and Receive on every band. I would recommend this antenna to anyone, with enough space.