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Reviews For: PAR Electronics SM-50 6M Stressed Moxon

Category: Antennas: VHF/UHF+ Directional (Yagi, quad, etc.)

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Review Summary For : PAR Electronics SM-50 6M Stressed Moxon
Reviews: 74MSRP: 109. USD
Description:
SM-50 Stressed Moxon 6M Antenna Occupies approximately 1/2 the footprint of traditional two element
yagis, yet has nearly identical electrical specifications. The radiator material selection results in a further reduction in size and weight over classical Moxons. Once the coupling unit is installed onto the main radiator using two #10-32 screws, assembling the rest of the antenna, including mast mounting and tuning, requires no tools. Ideal for mountain topping, roving and stealth operation. � Horizontal polarity � Forward Gain:
5.8 dBi � F/B Ratio: 17 dB � Design Z: 50. unbalanced ï ¿½ V.S.W.R. BW: 1.5MHz between 1.5:1 points � 1kW power handling � 6061-T6 aluminum, fiberglass, genuine Flex Weave wire, stainless steel � Rectangular 84 x31", 3lbs
Product is in production
More Info: http://parelectronics.com/stress_moxon.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00745
KC0QCQ Rating: 2016-03-28
Great Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Don't know which is better, the antenna construction or the customer service from Dale. Antenna design is very elegant and assembly time was less than 10 minutes. SWR as assembled was 1.2:1. The winds blow almost constantly here in South Texas and 57 mph winds haven't even come close to fazing the antenna. You can buy 6 meter antennas cheaper, but you won't buy any that are better.
KB4QQJ Rating: 2015-07-15
Great Portable Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I got the antenna from Dale just in time for Field Day 2015. In the past I have used the Omni Angle from PAR Electronics with great results. In looking for something portable and directional I had been using a Rover 6 with some success. After assembling the Stressed Moxon in about 15 minutes it took one adjustment to get it happy. The VSWR was 1.5:1 or Less from 50.0 to 51.0! Easy assembly, light weight, easy to deploy.
On Field Day I managed 26 Q's for my club using a KX3 and the SM-50 portable on a 20 foot mast.
Later the following week I took the SM-50 to my favorite grid (FM13) at the coast and played with it and my previous directional antenna on an A/B switch. At 25 feet and using the KX3 it had a far superior front to back than my previous directional antenna. It netted stations as far away as Trinidad & Tobago, Nova Scotia and Cayman Is.
Albeit an anecdotal comparison, the SM-50 was consistently the superior receiver listening to beacons. Each contact I queried for an "honest" report also constantly chose the SM-50 as the better of the two signals. If you are looking for a great portable or home directional antenna with a very small foot print and light weight, easily deployed and no tuner needed, you won't go wrong with the SM-50.
K8NS Rating: 2014-07-16
good performance Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have had this antenna 1 week. I previously used a Par OA-50 Omni directional loop (and still do) which I was very satisfied with but wanted to try the Moxon. It took 8 days from the time I mailed Par the check, until I received the antenna. Assembly and tuning took about 20 minutes. Installation on mast with rotor, 10ft above my existing TV antenna, took another 1 1/2 hours. Antenna is at 27ft. SWR did not change (1:1) and I am not experiencing any TVI. Performance on receive shows most signals 1 to 1 1/2 S units stronger than the OA-50 which is at 22ft. This is quite noticeable on the beacons. Front to back/side ratio is very noticeable. The compactness and lite weight of this antenna has allowed me an increase in performance at a reasonable overall cost. My first qso with the antenna was NP4CW 599 both ways. Par was very helpful to me; answering all my questions by email, and explaining both theory of operation and fabrication details. I am a happy camper.
KX4TT Rating: 2014-06-23
Good design - good performer Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased the SM-50 from Dale about 3 weeks ago to work the ARRL VHF contest, and for portable work. Assembly took 10 minutes, and the antenna is light enough to mount on a painters pole. Since I live in a townhome and permanent antennas are verboten, I pop the antenna up at 20-22 ft and use an armstrong rotator.

So - does it work? Yes,it works quite well; I have some signal gain and some directionality which my vertical did not provide. The lightness (<3 lbs) of the antenna allows for easy portable setup. Despite the light weight, the antenna does not feel flimsy in any way, and although I have banged it against nearby objects, the antenna has not suffered any damage or been detuned. For those that want some numbers, I have worked 32 states and about 70-75 grids in 3 weeks on and off; this is due to the good propagation and a good antenna. Now if Dale could degisn one that could fit in a backpack........
K3USC Rating: 2014-05-25
GREAT but that's to be expected from Par Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Decided it was time to upgrade my Par Omni 6 (not sure why considering I worked 3 LU's with it last week running 100 watts from my black hole Ohio QTH !). Although I had a 3 el. Cushcraft 6 meter beam stashed in my garage I opted for another Par product- the SM-50 Stressed Moxon this time. I needed a lightweight, easy to assemble, small directional antenna that I could mount on my chimney and not interfere with an Antron 99 vertical (10 & 12m) also mounted on the opposite corner of the chimney. The Moxon was a perfect fit and met all my demands. I mounted it on an old Radio Shack rotor also stashed in my garage. My timing on this project couldn't have been better. 6 is hopping with Sporadic E /double hop signals. The new antenna works like a champ. Great signal reports and I'm getting through to the busy stations on first or 2nd call. My local friends also report I'm stronger now than on the loop. My last serious 6 meter was a 6 element Cushcraft Boomer so I'm happy to once again have a directional antenna with some gain. An added plus is that I can run my Acom 1000 amp with the Moxon unlike the Omni 6 loop which is rated at 200 watts. I might add I had a question regarding the use of a coax balun on the Moxon so I contacted Dale at Par. Even though it was a holiday weekend Dale emailed me with an answer to my question. It should be obvious now that I'm a huge fan of Par products and their customer service. Highly recommended.
ZL1UJG Rating: 2013-11-13
Good performance in small package Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Had discone, didnt hear much. Got PAR OA50 for /p work. Started hearing local ZL2WHO/B beacon 200km around noise level vertially polarised TV TX noise level. Got SM-50. Now Beacon is well above TV noise level. (6 ~ 10 dB) TV Tx goes off 1st December :)

Recent opening to Japan (~9000km) gave S9+ signals and antenna beamed in right direction, with good unwanted signal suppression. Compared to a 5 element Yagi, at another location about 1.6km away, signal readability and strength were very similar. Definitely a keeper.
WB7X Rating: 2013-07-23
Excellent Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Having run PAR OM-50 and 144 Omniangles with good success, I wanted some extra punch on 6m. Bought the SM-50, liked it so much I bought 2nd one and a stacking harness.
Works great for me with the bottom antenna at 12' and the top at 24'.
Great service as always from Dale.
TTOMAS59 Rating: 2012-12-20
Seems good Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this used on eeekbay a few days ago. It was partially disassembled so it was easy to put together. The only downside so far it appears to be resonant at about 52 megs with the side rods fully extended according to my rig swr meter. I'm not sure if that's normal but I'll use my HF tuner to tweak it down for 50.125. Also it seems a tad heavy for two elements but I can live with it. I haven't mounted it outside yet but I've already copied a few signals with the antenna laying up against the wall of my living room. BTW the new price is too high imo - I paid less than half including shipping.
K6SSS Rating: 2012-07-29
Great performer Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Have owned my SM-50 for about 3 years. Because of severe CC&Rs, I have it painted green and hidden in a ficus tree at 16 feet. It has excellent gain and
F/B ratio and allows me to work everything I can hear running 100 watts. Very rugged, easy to tune and light as a feather. Have worked 49 states over the past few years (where are you, Vermont?). Factory service is terrific.
KS1G Rating: 2012-07-24
Great way to get onto 6M Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased my SM-50 for the CQ WW VHF contest. PAR processed and shipped my antenna quickly. Compoenents are well made and assembly is very straightforward. I did not have to make any adjustments to the initial assembly to get a good SWR. Because of it's relatively small size & weight, the SM-50 goes well with the 21' telescoping aluminum mast sold by K1CRA.

I am very pleased with the antenna's performance. While it will not perform like a long-boom yagi, it is a good solution where limited space, lightweight, or ease of transport and assembly are important.