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Reviews For: Cobra UltraLite Multiband Antenna

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : Cobra UltraLite Multiband Antenna
Reviews: 138MSRP: 89.95
Description:
A complete 10-160 wire antenna constructed to handle extreme weather
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.k1jek.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001384.6
KX5N Rating: 2005-04-14
Followup on 160 meters Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have used the Ultra-Lite Senior on 160 meters for the past couple of evenings. It tunes easily. I consistantly received excellent signal reports from any station I could hear. Heard stations were in Illinois, Georgia and the east coast. I am in NW Arkansas. These contacts were made using 500 watts. I initially had the ladder line running thru my attic directly to my tuner. I guess there is too much "stuff" up there. The best configuration has been with all the ladder line out side and using a 4:1 current balun. 73
K4AH Rating: 2005-04-02
Ultra lit Senior is great Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Replaced my G5RV with the ultralite senior and love it. It works great on all bands and is a snap to hang. I am using it with an auto tuner for QRP and is fantastic. I also am using it with a manual tuner and 200 watts and works great withy that rig also. Good solid quality.
KE7BRJ Rating: 2005-03-08
Great for all bands! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Using the UltraLite Jr. here too. Bypassed the tuner to check SWR, and it was between 1:1 - 1.5:1 on most bands, and never more than about 2:1 or so , even on 160!!! Using as an Inverted-V, with apex @ 40ft, ends @ 8ft. Highly reccomended!
K7HVE Rating: 2004-12-26
Working FB Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I installed the Cobra Ultralight Junior antenna as a sloper at 65', dropping to 20', facing east. I found that the antenna tuned better using all the 450 ohm balanced line that came with it, rather than just the shortest distance between the center conductor and the shack, as the manufacturer suggested. With my wide range, homebrew, balanced line tuner, I can obtain a 1:1 SWR ratio down to 2.2 mHz and then again 1:1 continuously to 29.7. It is about 3.2:1 at the top end of 160M. I added a good system ground with 8' ground rod and 2" wide, solid copper strap/tape about 4' long. Just for kicks then, I took down the Cobra and raised a 135' dipole fed with balanced line. The top leg of the antenna dangled down from the tree since I have only 90' between the two fir trees I have the antenna anchored to. I was unable to achieve a 1:1 SWR with this antenna down to about 3 mHz, so I put the Cobra back up. I've made successful 80M contacts with the Cobra but haven't tried 160M yet. Good results on 40M and 20M so far as well. I'm very pleased with the performance of the antenna, and it certainly appears durable enough to weather several years of service. Highly recommended!
EI2IV Rating: 2004-11-22
Excellent for limited space Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This is the first antenna I have ever had that I can tune without any problems on 160M. I have it mounted in an inverted V configration at about 35 feet and I even had to double both ends back on itself about 10-12 feet to fit in my limited space. I tune it with an MFJ-969 atu which is ok but not the greatest of atu's. The Cobra being linear loaded is also far more efficent than most other "short" antenna designs!!. It is very well make with good quality materials. And it is as the name implies "UltraLite" you could nearly hold it up in the air with a spiders web. Only complaint is that no dealers stock it here in Ireland YET?
W2XS Rating: 2004-11-08
Works Well Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I never thought that I would buy a wire antenna, but a recent hurricane took down my trusty 135-foot CF Zepp. I thought I would try this antenna for its 160m capability.

I used an EZ-Hang to get it up in the trees and then tried it out during the CW SS. I tried every band from 10m to 80m and got good results - similar to the old zepp. In general, if I could hear a station, then they could hear me. Then I tried 160m and got a good match using the tuner, but conditions on the band were pretty bad. But at least I could get a match.

I use a Johnson Matchbox for 80m to 10m. I found that I could get a good match on all bands by adding 18 feet of ladder line to the wire that came with the antenna (100ft). I use a Drake MN-75 tuner for 160m.
KC2GOW Rating: 2004-10-08
Big Mouth/Big Ears!!!!!!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Put my cobra up about a week ago. Works like a charm. By the way this a the Ultralite "Junior" model. It is about 75ft long. I have it up about 35ft in an inverted "V" fashion. It will tune entire band 80-10meters 1.1:1 with great ease. On 160m I can get about a 1.5:1 at 1.800 and 1.1:1 at about 1.860-2.000Mhz. With 100w I have worked many countries with it on 40m/80m. I liked the cobra so much that I cut down the mono-band coax fed dipoles that I originally was using. I cannot turn a beam at my QTH but this is the next best thing...

73
Andy KC2GOW
KB1IIX Rating: 2004-07-25
Great company!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought a Cobra at a local hamfest about 1 1/2 yrs. ago. Our harsh winter brought it down this past spring. Returned to the same hamfest this spring and Joe replaced it, no questions asked. Great service. It's back up and doing it's great job for me here in Vermont.
WA2PPN Rating: 2004-07-08
Simple,fast and efficient well worth the price!also very worthy Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have purchased the Cobra Ultralite Antenna for camping and it has proven very worthy,dependable and well worth the price! I recommend it to anyone who camps and likes to take his hobby with him! have worked DX and local stations with efficent results. Easy to setup and takes up lttle time to get on the bands...good thru all bands and results are great! No need forr trying to work with mobile antenna in vehicle when have the Cobra setup!
KB3FJL Rating: 2004-05-17
Great antenna OUTSTANDING Service Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased this antenna because of the reviews and the contact I had with Joe ... I want to say that was one of my better decisions !! The antenna was easy to put up and it's lite weight made it easier ... From the time I first hooked it up, I knew I had something good ... I had a skywire up that I thought was a pretty good antenna for reception, the cobra was as quiet and sensitive! I checked the SWR across the 160 to 10 bands and the internal tuner easily tuned all the bands down to 1:1 !! One glaring exception was 40 meters ... The tuner wouldn't tune it ... I was prepared to live with that, I figured an all band antenna wasn't going to be 100%, but Joe wasn't going to let it go ... I emailed Joe and he immedietly replied that he knew he could get the SWR down on 40 !! I applaud this type of service!!! I'll post an update and let you guy's know how we do with the 40 m band ...But even without that band .. if you want an antenna to get you on 160 just as well as on 10 ... and the OUTSTANDING PERSONAL service as well ... then the Cobra Ultralite is your antenna ...