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Reviews For: Sommer XP Series multiband beams

Category: Antennas: HF: Yagi, Quad, Rotary dipole, LPDA

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Review Summary For : Sommer XP Series multiband beams
Reviews: 23MSRP: 450-1,250
Description:
Heavy Duty Multiband Beam
Product is not in production
More Info: http://web.archive.org/web/19970112054934/http://sommerantennas
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00234.9
K4KK Rating: 2004-01-26
XP807 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The antenna works quite well on 20, 17, 15, and 10. It is adequate on 12. The 30 mtr response is limited but tolerable. There isn't a whole lot of reason to chase DX there anyway. However, the 40 mtr action is horrible. It simply is no good. It is money that I would have preferred to have saved and put into a wire antenna. I would have a better antenna and still have a few $$ in my pocket. The bottom line: It is a decent (perhaps even very good) antenna for 20 thru 10 including WARC bands. It is a reasonable solution for 30 meters/10MHz. It is a horrid solution for 40 meters/7MHz. DO NOT PURCHASE THE 40 meter option. Save your time/money/energy. It simply doesn't work. Nothing can help it. I tried calling repeatedly when it was new but there just is no solution. It is a pig.
K8ZT Rating: 2004-01-13
XP-508 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
From the moment I opened the box,the high quality of construction was very evident as was the weight. Using a "double rail" construction for the boom provides great strengh and keeps elements in the same plane. Performance on 10, 12,15,17 and 20 has been great. I have worked over 200 different countries with this beam exclusively using QRP(power output 4 watts on both CW & SSB)in the 3 years I have had antenna up. 15 & 17 meters have been exceptionally good. 40M & 30 M were usually well below my HF-2-V, so I use them infrequently. 6M was about average to sightly below a 5 element monobander. Antenna was mount at 50' using Glen Martin tower with Hazer unit. The hazer has proved to be very helpful as weight of antenna would have made for slightly difficult installation using typical gin pole. If you buy a Sommer Beam you will not be dissapointed.
ANDYMASTERSEXNU5O Rating: 2003-07-27
Built strong/Works great! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased my XP-508 from Alf Sommer in April, 2003 and took delivery the next month. This is a custom antenna and each one receives custom attention. My decision to purchase this antenna developed over a four year period. I first met Alf and his lovely wife at the Dayton Hamfest. I was intrigued by the construction of the antenna and the LACK of hype coming from the manufacturer.

My antenna is side mounted at 80 feet on a Rohn 100 foot SSV self supporting tower. I use the TicRing Rotor and highly recommend it, too. My antenna mounting height is driven by local terrain and housing issues and by windload issues with my tower.

It took me 3 weeks of intermittent work to assemble the antenna. This is not the antenna's fault but mine. Its hot and I don't like heat or mosquitoes so my time was limited each day. During assembly, I was puzzled by several things-all of which were resolved when I sat down and reread the assembly instructions. I did add some 10-32 stainless screws to the clamps for the 40 meter coil to stablize it. I drilled through the clamp piece and element tubing on each element and was quite pleased with the result. I also used lock-tite or thread-lock on all the hardware.

After assembling everything and semi-tightening it, I came back a day later and went over everything again.

Tuning. This was a problem for me. I used my MFJ antenna bridge to tune it and everything was out of whack. Man was I disappointed. After a few emails/calls to Alf, I discovered, I had mismeasured the element distances. This cleared a lot of it up. Then I went from a 6 foot ladder to a 14 foot ladder as a test platform to adjust the elements. This helped immensely, but I found after installation that I was still off on frequency on 40, 15, and 6 meters. One trip back down the tower and 10 minutes of adjustments put everything straight.

I also made a set of test cables that were very helpful out of RG213. I cut one cable for 1 wavelength on 10 meters (figuring velocity factor) and then cut some more to make it work out the same for each ham band below 10 meters. This allowed me to approximate the antenna multiples of a 1/2 wavelength on each band. There was a difference on the MFJ analyzer between a random piece and a 1/2 wave multiple. It was worth the effort to do this.

SWR is great on all bands except 40 meters which is still lesss than 2:1 over 100khz of band but higher than I like.

How does it play? My previous antennas have been: Hygain 204BA, KT34XA, CL3, TA33, and my old favorite: TET 5 el tribander. I will take the Sommer over all of these even with the low sunspots. I know this is subjective, but here is what I notice:

1. Excellent improvement of signal over my Carolina Windom or Alpha/Delta sloper (as it should be).
2. Excellent front/side (5-6 S units on my Icom ProII)and excellent front/back (4/5 S units) on nearby (500 miles) and distant (1500 miles plus)stations.
3. It's broadband.
4. Even on 40 meters, it has some, but not much, front to side and front to back ratio.
5. It is built like a battleship.
6. Alf's support is tremendous. Pay attention to the instructions and LISTEN to what he says.

First Sunday morning, I had it up, I worked two VK stations, one that only NET control and I could hear and another on 20 meters that flatly stated my barefoot signal was the strongest on the band. Of course propagation plays into that but I still get the feeling its not all propagation. There is a definite difference in take off angle from my other two antennas. The first Aussie, I worked, I could not even hear on my Windom or Sloper.

One item that bothers me is the amount of line noise I heard. This may not be an antenna issue because the Memphis, TN area just suffered an extreme series of thunderstorms with straight line winds of up to 100 mph that did significant damage to our powerlines, homes, trees, etc. My sloper hears the noise too.

I would definitely buy another one of these antennas and am very well pleased with it in every respect. It is a monster to put together and hang, but well worth the effort.

73 de Andy NU5O/P29AM
K1JD Rating: 2002-12-06
XP-506 Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This antenna design is not a Yagi but rather an innovative and very capable design that is built like a battleship. Mine went up on 9 Nov 2002 and its performance has been extraordinary even though the crankup tower's been nested to ~35' due to a lot of strong wind here in the NE. On 15, 12 and 10m, stations I can't even hear on my G5RV are an easy copy and workable.
Initially thought that the assembly instructions were somewhat lacking, but it's all there. Taking the time to study the parts (shipped in 3 boxes) and reading the assembly instructions all the way through helped a lot.
6m performance is very surprising - The pattern is excellent and SWR hits 1:1 right at 50.1 MHz!
N4XC Rating: 2002-11-01
XP-807, Great! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Just thought I would stick in my 2 cents worth! I am pleased to see all the good reviews for the Sommer products, as I feel this is a fantastic antenna, does a super job all around. I purchased mine about 12 years ago, had it up for about 5 years, moved to a new location, and just now have it back up. The performance today is as good as it was when new!! Installed height is about 72' on an aluminum crank up tower.

I don't understand the remarks regarding this not being a good contest antenna ?? I find the antenna to perform very well, gain is as advertised, front to back is great, and I've got 7 bands on one feedline! I have been in many, many pileups with the big guns for some rare DX station, and have always managed to work them, usually quite easily. Often on the first or second call. It "hears" very well, and if I can hear them I can work them! I have not used any of the current "in vogue" contest antenna's, so I can not directly compare, however I can not imagine how they could be much better.... I get many unsolicted reports of signal strenth being very strong, often in the middle of a pileup. I run it both barefoot and with power. It's very good at 200w but really performs at 1500w! I recently worked 8N1OGA (JD/O) on 10m barefoot on the first call. He was working 6's & 7's, I did not have the amp on, and started not to call him, but put the call out one time and nailed him! Again, in my view this is very good antenna for what ever use you need, contesting, Dx, or whatever...

I have found Alf (DJ2UT) and his wife Charlotte very very good to work with. Their support is second to none. I have been to their location in Florida and have always found them both to be very helpful with whatever my needs were. When I was there a few months ago, I called Charlotte for directions and she insisted in driving out to meet me and leading me in!! Can't beat that!!

By the way, when the beam went back up, just 2 weeks ago, I set all the element lengths to the "tarnish" on the aluminum, as it was when it was last up 7 years ago, replaced the feedline (of course), cranked it up to 72' and did not have to touch it! SWR and performance was very good on all bands.

This is a very heavy, well made antenna. 12 elements on a 26' boom, weighing about 110 pounds. It does a great job on the WARC bands, and really performs on 10, 15, & 20m. The unique method of feeding the elements "phased" really seems to work. Bottom line, if you're looking for a very well made antenna that performs, try a Sommer, I am sure you will be pleased!

73 es Dx,
Dave, N4XC
KA7GKN Rating: 2002-06-26
I have the XP-707 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had sommer antennas since 1993. I originally installed the xp-507. In 1996 a wind storm way beyond normal in Arizona bent a few elements. I decided to upgrade the xp-507 to the xp-707 as long as I needed to repair it. A decsion well made, however, if I knew then what I know now I would have gone for the xp-807 upgrade!!!

The xp-507 is excellent. It did take a while to adjust to the characteristics and different radiating pattern compared to a typical mulitiband yagi. I found 40 meters a poor rotatable dipole, front to back less than my old yagi. I also realized how this antenna is effected by height above ground. I run it 70 feet and it's happy.

The xp-707 upgrade was easy to do and the results from going from the 507 to the 707 is stunning!
foward gain has greatly improved. front to back is still less than a typical multiband yagi but is better than the 507. the 40 meter portion is much better too.

With that...I have heard the xp-807 and realize if I go from the 707 to the 807 agaiun the results would be amazing!!! To go from the 507 to the 807 you'll be wowed!!!

Maybe some day I'll upgrade or just buy a new xp-807....

For those of you not familiar with these antennas. they are really well built, strong, no traps, heavy the xp-707 is about 100lbs and they are large the 507= 15' boom, 707=20' boom, 807= 26'boom.

I am very happy with the antenna I do run anything from 200w to 1.5kw without any problems.
A good long term investment !!!!!

regards, Marty ka7gkn@arrl.net
W7IAN Rating: 2002-06-22
XP405 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have used the Sommer XP405 for about 4 years and it has weathered all the storms off the Ocean very well. Well built beam and works great on 10 thru 20.
M0SIS Rating: 2001-11-08
XP504 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
No blamming or other words like other hams on internet discussions, but facts only. XP504 working as a dream on 20/15/12/10m. Low SWR if higher then 10m on the tower. 2-4dB better than 3el. trapped beams depending to bands at the same height. Excellent mechanical design highly recommended for hurricanes exposure...Be sure that excellent mechanical and electrical design and on-air performance are benefits for buying it. Why no much more respectable contesters using it...easy to reply - cause of not so much marketing activities of Mr.Sommer and only in U.S. possible to order. In generaly it is not for PORTABLE or DX-PEDITIONS using BUT FOR LONG LIFE INSTALLATIONS ON THE TOWER in Your QTH. 73 Peter M0SIS
OK1RCG Rating: 2001-11-08
XP504 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have heard lot of strong words about the Sommer beams and lot hams announced that beam are not work well. It is very interested to read that many oh them talking about the Sommers but never time used on air... I am using really old one XP504 bought in Germany and works superior. I have never heard so strong sigs and easy to catch DXs in pile-up than with my Sommer beams. I compared with TA-33 Mosley and 3el home made monobander on the towers at the same time and there was easy to heard what is the best...Sommer. I am able to prepare more serious measuring in the field for unbelievers...
73 Petr OK1RP affiliated OK1RCG Club.
AF5P Rating: 2001-01-08
Series XP708 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The strongest antenna I have seen. easy to built, and low swr through out the bands. Have owned the XP708 since '98 and have worked 100's of DX stations on 100 watts. Have often wondered how it would preform with 1000 watts. Have not been disappointed with the preformance and would recommend anyone looking for an antenna in the price range to strongly consister the XP70 Series over other antennas.