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Reviews For: Cushcraft MA5B Mini Beam

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

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Review Summary For : Cushcraft MA5B Mini Beam
Reviews: 155MSRP: 365.00
Description:
Cushcraft's newest multiband HF antenna provides 5 bands
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.cushcraftamateur.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001554.6
MI0SDR Rating: 2011-01-16
great mini beam Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
hi all
have had my ma5b up from april 2010,working very well on all bands great on 17mts for a dipole worked
loads of dx, no issues with build of antenna for me
a 5 great antenna
derek mi0sdr
K4FLH Rating: 2011-01-08
Great antenna!!! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I got my MA5B on a trade this past spring (2010). It was unused but the previous owner did assemble it. After he built it he hung it in his barn from the rafters,where it sat for over a year,before he traded it to me. I disassemble it for transport and to clean off the guano.
I re-assembled it,put it on top of a 40 foot mast,secured to the side of the house,hooked up the coax and viola,there I was ready to go. No additional tuning was needed. It was good to go following the easy to follow instructions supplied. Total time involved,3 hours.
I can't say anything bad about this antenna. It works as advertised. I like it enough that if it ever does go bad,I'll get another.
It is a pre MFJ unit so the workmanship issues,I've read about,aren't an issue with this beam so I can't verify that point. I would like to have a MFJ unit to do a side by side comparison.(Are you listening Mr. Jue?)
73
Bill/K4FLH
N0MUD Rating: 2010-11-01
Fantastic Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
See my last blog Nov 29, 2009 and the one in 2008 both say pretty much the same that the antenna is fantastic and works exactly the way it's supposed too. Again I have a choice between my A-3s or the MA5b. Just a flip of a switch and I can change to which ever one I want to use. I built mine inside the house and put the finishing touches outside. Then I had my non-ham friends mount it on the tower. It's still about 30 feet or so and is turned using a Radio Shack rotator. The antenna is that light. Any ways you can't go wrong putting it together and installing it on the tower. As far as the hardware goes I didn't have any problems but yes it's light so if you need more then just go to your local hardware store and get what you need. Enjoy your MA5b.

Mike, NØmud
K1YPB Rating: 2010-11-01
Very Nice, But... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is a very nice antenna. It is everything that you might expect from this type of antenna. It is compact and seems quite directional. Here are the "but"s... The quality of materials are not up to the old Cushcraft standards. The antenna I got seems to be from the stock transferred to MFJ from Laird the previous owner of Cushcraft. I had to replace many of the worm clamps with high quality stainless steel clamps from my local hardware. I heeded the advice from other reviewers on the "windmilling" issue. I riveted element saddles to the boom. I also drilled and screwed with a sheet metal screw the telescopic element to hold their dimensions in place. The other issue seems that 17 meters for some reason resonates out of the band on the high side. I am not too worried about it because I can grab a match with the tuner in the rig. The swr on the other bands seems to be right on spec. I would recommend this antenna, but am sad that the quality of the materials has slipped from past Cushcraft standards.
W2JUV Rating: 2010-11-01
Works Great Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I agree with other reviews that this antenna works quite well. Put it up in June 2010 and so far so good. It replaced an R5 vertical. The front-to-back ratio is good and the front-to-side ratio is even better. An obvious advantage over a vertical. Only problem with assembly were mislabelled traps, arrows pointing wrong way. I'm forever grateful to the European ham who identified that problem on this forum, saved me lots of time.
K2XDX Rating: 2010-10-31
Great little beam! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had the MA5B for a little over 2 years. Before this beam I was using a R7. All I can say is it works fantastic. It loads up very well. I have made hundreds of contacts all over the world. I will never go back to a vertical again!
KA2UUP Rating: 2010-08-10
8 years and counting Time Owned: more than 12 months.
8 years with this antenna and will not consider anyhting else until it either dies or breaks. It is still holding the origunal adjustments I made when I put it up.

If size is an issue, this is the best there is for the price. I just hope that the quality stays the same in its new home.
PY2DEL Rating: 2010-08-10
WORKING VERY WELL Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Hello Folks.

After my last post, I tried again adjust my antenna, and now I got 1:1 on 12,15, and 17. I could improve 20 from 1:1 on 14050 to 14150, and unfortunately the 28 changed from 1:1 on 28400 to 28500, but is not big deal.
Anyway, thanks to Mr. Paolo IK1YBL, to help me to make a better setup giving some tips. For me worked shortening 4 inches the element number 1.

Sorry for my terrible English.

73s
LA8KHA Rating: 2010-04-30
Great performer Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just bougth this antenna used,and I,m so far very pleased with it.Under to day`s bad HF-conditions I managed to work a lot of dx from my qth wich is on a hill 250 ft.over sea level.It`s on top of a 30 ft.tower and it seems not to pick up to much windload.
There`s only one thing:It`s easey to overtigth the tubeclamps,then you have to buy some new ones.This is typical for stainless steelclamps.
Great performer for small amount of money.
N1IZE Rating: 2010-04-29
after almost 2 yrs Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The MA5B is a heck of good antenna- recieve and transmit excellent.. held up in rain storms- snow sqawls and all.. 4 the money this is one of the finest antennas out on the market today.