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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
KD6JSM Rating: 2014-08-09
Really disappointed Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I ordered the Cobra Junior Lite several months ago after e-mailing them to ask if putting it up as a semi-vee would make a difference in performance and receiving no firm answer. I bought it anyway and friends helped me put it up on a fiber glass pole at 33 feet the legs 31 feet apart and 10 feet high. The man on top forgot to wrap or loosely coil the ladder line around the mast for 26 feet.

I contacted COBRA and asked how to make up for that error. After discussing where the other 50+ feet were I never received a answer on how to improve it with this error. In fact I never received a contact of any kind after the 1st one.

With no customer support I must say this antenna is a dismal performer and I don't get half the contacts I got on the antenna I was using before this one. I cannot recommend this antenna because of poor installation instructions, lousy customer support, and I just can't get it to work right. Contacts that I used to make easy and regular I cannot even raise now. I believe this antenna, its instructions, and customer support are the worse I've experienced with any HAM equipment. I know there are others who rate this highly but I cannot . I just learned another expensive lesson, maybe I can save you from the same fate. I wish I had my Alpha Delta DX-D back it worked really well.
WD1V Rating: 2014-03-07
Treat It Like a Vertical Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Simple trick if you have RF in the shack when using this antenna. Used it as a dipole for more than a year and something got me to try it on 40 meters which went fine at low power but > 100 watts monitors would flicker, AM/FM radio would buzz - lots of RFI. So I put out a quarter wave ground wire on the
coax side of the 4:1 balun. Problem solved. But it seems now schematically that is 2 inverted Ls fed in phase against the counterpoise. If the snow ever melts here in NH, I hope to try more radials. Also want to see if radiation efficiency is going up as the radials are added.
KJ4IIB Rating: 2014-02-20
GREAT COMPROMISED ANTENNA Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I PUT UP THE COBRA SENIOR....COULD NOT BELIEVE THE SIGNAL REPORTS.BOTH OF MY HF RIGS ARE ABLE TO TUNE THE ANTENNA WITH THE INTERNAL TUNERS.(ICOM746PRO,YAESU FT950)LIGHT,EASY TO GET UP IN THE AIR.THE OLD COGERS ON 160 DONT KNOW IM ONLY RUNNING A 100 WATTS.VERY LOW NOISE FLOOR COMPARED TO MY WINDOM.
KK4MC Rating: 2014-01-26
Worth It Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just hung an UltrLite Jr as a sloper, about 60 feet in a pine tree on one end sloping to about 10 feet on low end. Ladder line floats over top of foilage in the forest preserve behing my home (live in HOA restricted area), to a 4113 Balun Joe sells, with the excess ladder line loosely coiled. Coax is run to the shack about 100 feet away. Very quite and great signals. Tunes easily except on 80 meters, 75 meters tunes pretty well however. I highly reccommend it and seriously considering another one for mobility like field days, etc.
W3MT Rating: 2014-01-16
K1JEK Folded Dipole...my #1 favorite! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The ratings here go from 0 to 5. Too bad they don't go from 0 to 6...because this is truly a better than great dipole. In my over 35 years of enjoying our fine hobby, I've found that this is the best antenna I've personally experienced. Some caveats: Don't set up your station on the second floor; your basement is best. Second, suspend your antenna in a loose fashion. Third, get a big beefy external impedance match. Fourth, use a good current balun, like the DX Engineering models. And 5th, have fun. Remember there is no perfect antenna but this may be just right for you. I've had a lot of fun with mine, and hope you do too.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by W3MT on 2005-02-25

What a hit! Now here is a really fine aerial! My UltraLite Junior (80-10mtrs) is strung between two maple trees and up about 40'. I use the entire 100' of supplied twin lead. Try to do this if you can because the tuning will be smoother for you. The transmission line comes into my home and is connected to a "Radio Works" remote current balun. From the current balun I run about 12' of coax to a "L" network inpedance match. My tuner of choice is Ten Tec's big Momma...the 238A. Needless to say; the energy gets out of my rig and is launched to the ionosphere...home run!
KB5GYX Rating: 2013-10-01
Excellent to deploy with Time Owned: more than 12 months.
It is durable. We use it in a NVIS configuration for the Texas State Guard when deploying to emergencies. Fifty foot mast and a couple of fifteen foot poles and we're handling traffic.

Generally, we can set up a ICOM 7200 with auto-tuner on a folding table with a laptop for digital messages in less than thirty minutes. The Cobra Senior is chiefly why we can start operating so quickly.
KN6SU Rating: 2013-07-13
Great Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've used the Cobra for about a year and couldn't be happier. I've got it up about 30 feet, with a short segment of ladder line into a 4:1 balun and then coax to the rig. It does need a transmatch, and my little MFJ-971 gets it down to 1:1 on 40 and higher. 80 is harder to tune, but I can get 1:2, which is serviceable. It has gotten good signal reports and allows me to hear well on 40 and 20 even at times when my R8 is noisy by comparison. You do need to get this antenna off the ground and if roof mounted (like mine) at least 10 feet off the roof. I originally had mine 4 feet off the roof edge attached to a pole on the chimney, but it worked a heck of a lot better when I raised it another 6 feet.
KE5WTL Rating: 2013-05-29
Just installed....a Cobra JR. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I'd been having "issues" with other dipole antennas. Was talking with a friend, and he suggested the Cobra antenna. Decide on space requirements and order accordingly. Due to lot restrictions, etc., I ordered the Cobra Jr....put it up last night....and WOW! What a major difference! Fired up this morning and spoke with someone in AZ...with NO problems! Well...trying to set up a "go kit"...guess I'll order the CObra Sr. for it! VERY VERY pleased with the money spent!!!
AA1QT Rating: 2013-03-05
Well Built Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The Cobra Sr is built well.I first put up a Cobra Sr that I pulled out of Joe,s junk box at one of our local Hamfests. Nothing was wrong with it other than old winter beaten age. I flat topped it about fourty feet up end to end with ladderline dropped down to about ten feet off the ground, then over to the shack.Home brew balun and four and a half years later still good results. 1.1/1.2 swr 160/10. Joe just sent me a brand new one with the Balun Designs 4113, and I suspect this new one will be up for the next ten years here in Maine. I have actually only bought about five antennas since 1959,Mosley,cushcrsft,and Titan's,and always have built my own.But after a few heart attacks and It was time to call Joe for one more Cobra Sr. Joe answered the phone in about two rings and that was on a friday,and Monday morning the antenna was sitting on my desk. Thanks Joe. As for the Cobra SR Joe gives you the antenna ready to fly. And it will do what it is supposed to do. Some may have to make a tweak here or there but if you don,t chop it all to hell it is one good antenna. It is easy to roll out and hang.I will still make my own but I also will call Joe for a Cobra any time I have a chance to hang one for my friends.New or old timers,Joe's Cobra will give you lots of talk time and less head scratching. Thanks
N7BBX Rating: 2013-02-14
Great Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Joe and his crew have designed a great all band antenna. I will keep this review short only to say it REALLY works well.