| PY2ONU |
Rating:  |
2023-12-11 | |
| Very good! |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
My antenna is not exactly a Mosley, in fact I got parts from an old Mosley TA-33 and repaired it, also adding the 12-17-30 meter element from another Brazilian brand. In practice, it was exactly a Mosley TA-33MW (with the additional 30 meter band), which was sensational!
There is no need to highlight the quality of the materials used by Mosley (aluminum, screws, etc.) it is a product that will last for many decades.
By slightly changing the length of the coil turns I obtained an SWR of 1.0:1 in the 6 bands in the center of the band, that is, this antenna is capable of handling up to 2kw pep in all bands effortlessly. I also added a 1:1 current balun for 2kw at the power point and the RFI in the shack is nothing.
I couldn't be happier with this Mosley mutant antenna with the 30 meter band, I've been a radio amateur since 1997 and this is my best performing antenna to date (see photos of it at QRZ.COM). 73 of PY2DS |
|
| W6LBV |
Rating: |
2016-08-17 | |
| Really is "that good!" |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
This is a follow-up to my original year 2004 review of the Mosley TA33-WARC to report some accumulated experience. However, the bottom line for the Mosley’s performance over the years remains: An Exceptional Product!
During its fifteen years in the air, the TA33-WARC has always performed consistently and reliably. “Contacts-attempted, contacts-made,” from out west to China, and across the world to Serbia and Croatia in the east (with 100 watts!). For the HF bands from 20 meters up, it’s my station’s principal antenna; there’s seldom a need to switch.
In recent years a set of frequency sweep tests with an acquired Vector Network Analyzer on all of the TA33's operating bands indicates very acceptable performance. SWRs at the extremes of each band are easily manageable by the transceiver’s internal “line flatteners” (i.e. “tuners”). Even now, if I were to make any change in the Mosley’s tuning it would be only to lower the 20 meter band “passband” just a bit from where it presently is.
But I do not mean to suggest that the years have been entirely trouble free, and there is a cautionary message in this. Out here in “Kawl-lee-forn-knee-ya,” we don’t get a lot of wind and snow to harass our aerial aluminum, but sometimes we do get it. Earlier this year we had some hellacious winds, probably the most extreme in my forty-five years of living in this location.
I fretted through the long, clanking night. In the morning I popped out into the back yard and glanced skyward. The TA33 still rested horizontally atop the still upright 45 foot tower! I breathed a sigh, but that was caught short after a second glance. One-half of one of the Yagi elements was loose and dangling free from the boom, pointing vertically at the ground.
Inspecting from the tower top, the situation was obvious. One of the two “WARC bands” add-on aluminum tubes had slipped out of its plastic insulator blocks on the mast supports and was now prevented from falling only by an attached phasing line! The symmetrical opposite half of the same element was still intact.
More importantly, a check of all the other plastic insulator blocks indicated that as a result of wind-caused vibrations over the years, all the mounting bolts and nuts had loosened to various degrees! But the dangling element was the only one that had dropped its bolts entirely.
The situation was easily remedied. After repairs were completed, a recheck with the VNA indicated no change in the RF performance of the antenna. Back in service “as good as new.”
Two small cautions here. First, if constructing a new TA33-WARC, consider whether to “Locktite” (or equivalent) the assembly nuts as a precaution. This can avoid future problems, but with the possible elimination of the opportunity for performing a future re-build (replacement parts are available). Or, if the Yagi is already operational, at minimum consider a maintenance trip up the tower to check and tighten all the mounting clamp hardware (along the boom). “Just in case.”
My Mosley has been in the sky for a decade and a half, and “it will not be moving anywhere” in the future. This one is a “lifetimer,” and then perhaps it will provide even more service for the fortunate ham who gets it from my estate! In its size range, the Mosley TA33-WARC really is “that good!”
----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by W6LBV on 2004-12-06
The TA-33 is an old, conservatively-designed “classic Yagi,” intended to provide a basic level of performance. And it does (see below). But the real “story” here is in the hardware itself.
My TA-33-M-WARC was ordered early in 2002 and was installed on a 45' steel lattice tower over the 4th of July holiday that year. It has been in continuous service (without the slightest problem) since then.
Mosley was very late in delivering the antenna (the order to delivery time was about 5 months). However they provided an explanation and kept me informed about progress. The “situation” they faced was that they had just received a huge military antenna order (for the ramp-up to Gulf War II), and were in process of converting from civilian to military production. Plant space, materials, and personnel were all being redirected. The company was working six to seven days per week to make production goals. My antenna was, apparently, one of the last Amateur products to ship before production ceased.
I inferred that, since the raw stock inventory at Mosley was being redirected as well, the Amateur antennas were being built with commercial grade metal stock. Receipt and unpacking of the “kit” left no doubt in my mind about that! Compared to typical Amateur antennas on the market, this is rugged hardware! It’s entirely understandable why 35 year old TA-33s are still “up and running” in their original installations. If you want it to be so, this is a “lifetime” antenna.
To let my antenna reach its full potential, some care was taken with the feed system. The main feed line is a 60' run of Andrew LDF-4 (½" hardline), with Andrew Type N connectors. The top jumper is an 8' length of RG-214, and the bottom jumper (into the shack) is 10' of Andrew FSJ-1 (1/4" SuperFlex). All materials were brand new. Overall, at 30 MHz there is probably less than 0.5 dB of line loss through the run, and it will easily handle 1 kW on all its operating bands.
As soon as installation was finished and the dash into the shack was made, SWR proved to be less than 1.8:1 (generally much less) across the 5 operating bands. During the past 2 ½ years the overall match produced only one problem, traced to an N-connector which needed to be remade. The antenna itself has been perfect.
Performance has been excellent. More times than I can remember, while operating ssb with 100 watts from the U. S. west coast I’ve gone into “mini-DX pileups” to Europeans and have been called back by them first, before mid-West stations were called. I cannot verify (through measurement) the published operating specs on 10-15-20 meters, but I have no reason to believe that it does not meet the specs (+7 dBd forward, 20 dB front-back). Comparison with tuned long-wire antennas shows a considerable advantage to the Mosley. The 0 dBd forward gain spec on 12 and 17 meters is not really troublesome and often isn’t even noticed. When the MUF supports these higher bands, the gain is less necessary and the rotatable bi-directional pattern of the single dipole is still appreciated.
This antenna fills a niche: a “use it forever” modest-sized HF Yagi that will stand up to weather and always perform. As stated in the other review, it won’t necessarily put your signal first into the latest Dxpedition, but then again, if you are skilled, it just might! Overall, an awesome company and product. |
|
| K5CGH |
Rating: |
2015-05-04 | |
| I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I got my TA-33M-WARC as a Christmas present from my partner. The beam languished in the box for several months until I got up the energy to put it together. I must admit, after I opened the box the assortment of parts looked kind of daunting. I read the concise instructions and within a few hours the antenna was sitting on saw horses in my back yard. This past weekend a local Ham friend came over and put it up on my 30 Ft. Rohn 25G Tower. Everything went together smoothly. But the big surprise was yet to come. I fired up the rig, turned on the SWR Bridge, and I couldn't believe how flat the SWR curve was all over the bands. My highest was 1.3:1.0 on 12 and 17 Meters (The rotatable dipole portion of the Yagi). Signals just "Popped" out of the QRN when I switched between my trusty old 40 Meter Dipole and the TA-33M-WARC. Awesome QUALITY, CONSTRUCTION, AND PERFORMANCE FROM THIS BEAUTY! |
|
| K0KVR |
Rating: |
2011-04-18 | |
| The Best |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| The TA33 is the only beam I have ever owned. It works like a champ and is cosnstructed to last. The first TA33M WARC I owned came down in a wind storm. I had not guyed my tower. I then purchase a used replacement without 12 and 17 meters. IT was every bit as good as my original and probably 10 years older. On it I worked a bunch of rare DX including BS7H, VU4RBI, VU7, and many more. I just added the WARC to this beam without a hits, and SWR still remains below 1.2 to 1.0 on all bands. I highly recommend this antenna. |
|
| G4VVQ |
Rating: |
2010-05-07 | |
| Great Antenna |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| Hi World, i have one of these antennas, there great if you treat them right, put them together just as the instructions say, wind a choke as close to feedpoint as possible, most importantly make sure it is totally waterproof, problems you might have,plastic blocks cracking and breaking, loose element sections, grommets coming out of the driven elements inner ends and letting water in, (put grommets in firmly and tape them in) loose or corrosion on phasing rods where they fix to driven elements,cobwebs in traps,elements turning in the wind and the whole antenna turning on mast, to stop the elements turning you can put an exhaust clamp next to the original U bolt and put a metal plate across the 4 nuts, to stop mast turning try Lochtite to stop nuts coming undone, there is very little that will ever go wrong with the traps, if the vswr isn't too good check lengths and security of element sections and check phasing rods, make sure the feeder is really close to the feedpoint, choke should be 5 turns with ID of 6 inches, if you use a 1-1 current balun make sure the 2 wires that feed antenna are as short as possible, i find mine performs very well, can see it on qrz.com if anyone wants to know anything about them i would be glad to help if i can cheers, you can get replacment parts for any Mosley ever made from there factory, see website. - Fred in England. |
|
| K9KEN |
Rating: |
2008-11-12 | |
| BEST ANTENNA EVER OWNED |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I have owned this antenna since 1995 NEW ! Never a problem ! One of the best performing antennas on the market ! I have had some super winds and ice storms and held up like a tank! I just bought a rebuild kit and this is one GREAT PERFORMING ANTENNA! If you are looking for a great antenna the MOSLEY TA33 M IS IT! |
|
| K3LIX |
Rating: |
2006-04-25 | |
| Works like a charm! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have enjoyed my TA33 for over twenty years now ,having received it used from a former (now deceased) friend. He had it for approx. ten years prior to that.It has been atop my 40 foot tower just below my Ringo Ranger since that time and although it has been through many wind & snow storms it still looks and performs like new.
Very rugged hardware indeed.
My hat is off to Mosley! |
|
