Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes
Reviews Home

Reviews For: MFJ-1795 10/15/20/40 Meter Vertical Antenna

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : MFJ-1795 10/15/20/40 Meter Vertical Antenna
Reviews: 7MSRP: 149.95
Description:
Short top loaded vertical covering 10 through 40 meters
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-1795
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0074
AD4DQ Rating: 2024-03-19
Performs fine Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I started with this vertical so many years ago. It is a simple design for an antenna. The top part which is full of capacitance spoke and coils. The bottom will be your radial system. You will spend a good amount of time fine tuning each band with the spokes. Once set you are good to go and never have to attend to the antenna again. The antenna is shorter and lighter than the trap verticals, easy to assemble and will perform great when finished. I used one for around 5 years then upgraded to the 1796.
G7ODN Rating: 2020-05-16
Suprisingly impressed with this small vertical ! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just thought I would add my experience of this antenna. I've been off the air for 10 years and decided to get back online during the Covid19 lockdown. I've had a fan diopole in my attack for years, but wanted to put something up outside. I was looking for a small vertical and came across this antenna on Ebay for a bargain £50.

I simlpy threw it up in the middle of garden mounted to a pergola base with 12 x 4 metre wire radials.
Initially I didn't bother tunning it and just used my internal atu on an ft-950. I use mostly FT8 at the moment is we are in a dip of the Solar cycle at Spring 2020 in the UK.

I switched the rig on, tuned up with the internal ATU on 20 metres and called CQ on FT8. I instantly got a reply from Japan which I had never worked before on FT8 before. Wow I was impresed. I've since had it for about 8 weeks and have worked all contintents on FT8 from UK on both 40 and 20 metres using approx 20-25 watts.

I've since tuned the antenna for each band and can also tune up 17 metres with my internal ATU.

After 8 weeks, I've found this to be quite efficient on 40/20 but not so good on 15/10. This suprises me as I would have thought the 15/10 would outperform 40/20 due to its length as we went up the bands, but its the opposite for me.

Overall I'm satisfied, but on 10 metres I'm struggling to radiate. My attack fan diopole outperforms it on 10 metres and sometimes 15, but 20/40 are way better on this small vertical.

This antenna allows you to get on the air. You won't be a big gun, but it will provide you some good DX. I still can't get over how small it is and how it can regaulary get me a signal into ZL long path from the UK on FT8.

Its also discrete. Most of my neigbours don't even know its there. I don't have anything else to compare this antenna with outside, but for now its fun.

WA6BJH Rating: 2017-06-14
Good Antenna! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is a cool antenna. I've had it for a couple of years and it works well in a restricted neighborhood. I can only operate on the weekends and I take the antenna down during the week. It's easy to do. The key to this antenna--and any other ground-mounted vertical--is a good radial system. I have 60 radials two-tenths of a wavelength long on 40 meters. I use a DXEngineering radial plate to hold the radials and attach the coax. While checking the antenna with an analyzer, I discovered that it has a very low SWR on 6 meters. This past weekend I used the antenna during the June VHF contest and worked stations in Illinois, Oregon, and Texas.

When you use a ground-mounted vertical antenna, you discover that what you do on the ground and under the ground is at least as important as what's in the air. And what's on the ground is more expensive, too.

My only complaint about the antenna is that it doesn't work on 30 meters. I solved that problem this morning when I ordered the 1795W. I will be able to swap antennas with no trouble.
KE0EYJ Rating: 2016-06-07
Best Avoided. A Bear to Set Up. Blah Performance Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
First off, I have several MFJ products, and like the company for providing so much to us hams over the years. Martin -- hats off to you.

With that said, the MFJ-1795 is a large aluminum turd, otherwise claiming to be an antenna. It does not perform well, and you will spend hours building it, then clipping the many spokes to resonance. We needed an analyzer to do this, of course. In the end, performance has been worse than verticals on all but 15m. Avoid this antenna,
WB5JWI Rating: 2009-01-04
Ant has worked very well on 40 and 20 meters CW and Phone. Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
The 1795 survived hurricane Ike and continues to work well for me. The MFJ ground plate does its job. During Ike's 120 mph winds the ant was blown over, or hit by debris, but after I straightened out the bent cap it works well. I've worked both coast and WI, IN and IL since Ike so I'm not complaining. Not a beam but an excellent low vis antenna (my reason for buying). MFJ was a great help getting it set up so I do recommend it for your portable/low vis antenna system.
YV5IAL Rating: 2005-01-11
Una antena realmente interesante Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Compre mi Antena Vertical MFJ-1795 para poder instalarla discretamente en el techo del edificio donde habito. Primero, la antena es realmente pequena (la longitud total es de un poco menos de 3 mts.) y parece a una antena de recepcion de television, por lo que pasa desapercibida. Segundo, la antena necesita un sistema de radiales (ground-plane) para poder funcionar (yo utilice 2 radiales por banda). Tercero, resulta un poco engorroso (tardamos 3 dias)ajustar poco a poco y uno por uno los cuatro (4) sombreros de impedancia (es obligatorio primero ajustar los 40 metros, luego 20 m., 15 m y finalmente 10 m.). Cuarto, una vez ajustada la antena la SWR es excelente, no necesito usar antenna-matching para ninguna banda, el ancho de cada banda es realmente bueno y los reportajes que he recibido son muy satisfactorios en las 4 bandas. Sinceramente la recomiendo.
W2BHK Rating: 2002-10-26
Good, but could manual skimpy on deminsions Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The first antenna received and installed rook the better part of a day to install and tune. I could not get the bandwith or anywhere close on 15 and 10 meters. I cantacted MFJ and the furnished a new top section consisting of the loading calls and spoke (for capacity loading). The new top section was installed and retuned. The bandwidth improved on both 15 and 10 meters but, still unable too get 1.2 mhz. at the 2to1 points on 10 meters. The antenna is installed on the MFJ ground mount plate (an additional $100.00). Although the antenna works better and I am basically please, the resonant frequency on 10 meters goes down when the ground is wet vs dry. (very intresting). I will add that MFJ was very helpful and did not charge for the new top loading coil or spokes.
Generally I am pleased but I think that $150 is a bit much.