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Reviews For: Cushcraft R-5

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : Cushcraft R-5
Reviews: 56MSRP: 539.99
Description:
HF Vertical
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.cushcraftamateur.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
14564.3
WB7QQR Rating: 2002-01-09
Good performer until it rains Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Mounted 10 ft above my 1 floor house this vertical performs adequately for me. But after a good rain the swr really drops (down to 3:1). Once it has dried out the swr is back to 1.5:1 and better. Seals in the couterpoise box are good, coax and connectors are sealed as well, and grounding seems solid. So I don't know what else to check. Thank God for antenna tuners.
WU1Z Rating: 2001-12-28
GREAT VERTICAL ANTENNA Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I HAVE HAD THIS ANTENNA SINCE I ENTERED THE HOBBY BACK IN 1990.

I REMEMBER WELL THE THRILL OF OPERATING ON TEN METERS WHEN I JUST STARTED OUT. I REMEMBER HEARING MANY STATIONS IN THE US COMING IN AND WORKING MANY OF THEM. I AM SURE I WORKED ALL OF THE US STATES AS I RAG CHEWED WITH EVERYONE.

WHEN THE EUROPEANS STARTED COMING IN I WAS IN COMPLETE AWE. I REMEMBER ALMOST FALLING OUT OF MY CHAIR WHEN A STATION IN MOSCOW ,IN THE NOW DEFUNCT SOVIET UNION ANSWERED MY C.Q. CALL.

THE R-5'S ABILITY TO WORK ALL OF THIS PLUS GET STRONG SIGNAL REPORTS SOLD ME.

I HAVE NEVER HAD TO TAKE THE ANTENNA DOWN AND 2002 WILL BE ITS 12TH YEAR MOUNTED TO THE SIDE OF MY HOUSE IN MANCHESTER, CT. IT HAS WITH STOOD MANY HEAVY WIND STORMS WITHOUT A PROBLEM.

I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT IT WORKS GREAT ON ALL THE BANDS THAT CUSHCRAFT PROMISED. (10, 12,15,17 AND 20 METERS) I HAVE EVEN USED IT ON 30 AND 40 METERS AT TIMES WHICH SURPRISED ME.

THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY GREAT ANTENNA FOR ME. SUPER CHOICE FOR A VERTICAL ANTENNA.

ONE EXPERIENCE THAT MADE ME SMILE RECENTLY WAS WHEN A FRIEND WHO USES A QUAD CHIDED ME A BIT FOR NOT HAVING A DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA LIKE HIS QUAD. WE WERE WORKING SOME DX AND MY FRIEND WENT FIRST, GOT HIS 5/9 REPORT AND THEN TURNED GREEN AS THE EUROPEAN STATION GAVE ME A 15 OVER S/9 REPORT.

WHEN IT COMES TO DURABILITY, PERFORMANCE ETC. I THINK IT WOULD BE TOUGH TO TOP THE R-5.
JOE (WU1Z)
F5MFO Rating: 2001-12-28
Need a hurricane to break it Time Owned: more than 12 months.
And it happened !
I was using the R5 since 10 years, and have been obliged to repove it for repair after our 1999 hurricane.
By the wind load on the antenna, the fiberglass insulator on the base tube collapsed, and the antenna was balancing from left to right due to the resultant gap.
I'm currently replacing the fiber sleeve by a teflon part, and guess that I'll have to wait for next hurricane to remove it again !
Never been bored by tuning problems. I even found a dip on 80 meters !
great low space array !
KA1RI Rating: 2001-12-15
Tried and True Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Had one of these for a number of years before a windstorm and tree brought it down. Found another used recently - mounted on an 8 ft mast in the backyard. FABULOUS antenna - when the GAP aluminum scrap never worked right, the R5 got assembled, put up and offered below 2:1 SWR as promised all across the bands. The R5 might have been Cushcraft's "finest hour." Highly recommended if you can find one. Works great, always did.
DL4KG Rating: 2001-07-27
Worked 300+ DXCC with it Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I am using the Cushcraft R5 for app. 10 years. The only failure was a broken bracket which connects the black box to the antenna. I replaced it with a simple metal strap cut to the right dimension. With a tuner the R5 gives reasonable results on 30 m. I worked more than 100 DXCC with 50 W on 10 MHz. I didn“t noticed any problems with the location. I used it on a balcony, closed to the roof and on top of my EME array now. I never changed the setup, the first alignment is still valid after all the years. The space of the roof is filled up with the EME array and so it is nice to have a HF antenna with low wind load and without radials. When turning the VHF/UHF array the R5 is turned on top of the mast.
AF5P Rating: 2001-01-08
R5 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Excellent antenna if mounted in the correct location. Meaning, will not work well around other antennas or towers and trees. Mounted away form metal objects and grounded, will surprise you how well it will work. Us the R5 as mobil antenna on vacations and trips camping and working contest away from home base. At first had trouble with swr and detuning because of its location. After moving antenna around, found that swr was where it was suppose to be. On trips the R5 is mounted 30' with ground wire and preformance is outstanding.
WA8NAZ Rating: 2000-07-07
No problems Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is a very useable antenna. I worked Millenium DXCC with mine by March 1. These antennas are VERY sensitive to metal objects in near field, not a good antenna over a metal roof or near your other antennas. When I put a wire antenna with one end close to the R5 it detuned the R5 considerably.

The antenna is easy to adjust. Start with 10 meters.
Had mine right in 3 tries, all bands. Helps to have an swr analyzer plugged in at antenna

So mount it in the clear, away from other big metal objects, and go to it. Instant qsy with reasonable swr on 5 bands! You won't be a DX powerhouse, but you will work plenty of it when the band is open.

I rate the R5 a 5 because they can be bought very reasonable at swapmeets, take up very little space,
are around 4' long knocked down for travelling, and will get you on 5 bands with a reasonable signal.
The half wave design works much better than 1/4 wave designs I used in the past.

K3VO Rating: 2000-03-11
A great antenna Time Owned: unknown months.
I put a R-5 up in 1989. Worked over 200 countries with it.
Was very good on 20 but even better on 17. Gave it to K2HGE to get back on the air in New Mexico. He also has great sucess with it. We sked every week on 17 without a problem
N.A. Rating: 2000-03-11
Has served me well Time Owned: unknown months.
I purchased and started using mine in 1992 when I upgraded to Tech +. Since that time I have worked 167 countries with it all on ten meters from my QTH in Lincoln, NE. The only problem I have had is that in late 1999 the top bracket that connects the "black box" to the mast broke. I received the replacement part in two weeks. It may have broken again as I can not get any signal out last night and today. We have had very high winds the last three days. When they go down I'll check out the situation.
N7MQ Rating: 1999-12-01
Good Traveling Antenna Time Owned: unknown months.
I bought the R5 when got back into hobby in 1989 - not sure when bot it. Used to work 223 DXCC countries and in active daily use until put up tower in 1995. Since then, it has been a regular companion on DX travel to Caribbe, Pacific coast vacations, IOTA contest trips in Northwest, and a mult antenna in contests. Early on, when started taking apart for travel, used the MFJ swr analyzer to tune the antenna, marked with tape, and now a matter of minutes to assemble and get on air. Great antenna of its type.