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Reviews For: Gotham Vertical V-40, V-80, V-160

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : Gotham Vertical V-40, V-80, V-160
Reviews: 28MSRP: 14.95 to 18.95 plus shipping.
Description:
Antenna heavily advertised in QST in the 1950s and 1960s, with fantastic ads. "Work the World with your Gotham Vertical". No longer available new.
Product is in production
More Info: http://none
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00282.2
W5RG Rating: 2007-08-14
WOW Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
WOW..I think back now and it all make since..I felt violated back then to spent all that money at age 12 and didn't ever get it to work..every time it fell down..it bent..I wanted to get one of their beams but got a Hornet TB-500..HAD I bought the beam I would still be in Jail..Lucky for me the Hornet work so good back then..Bob
KE5GK Rating: 2007-08-14
At Last I Can Tell My Story Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I now realize owning a Gotham antenna is not just a ham problem. The disease impacts the entire family. I have wanted to tell my story for over 30 years. I tried in my 2004 review. Now it can finally be told:

During my manifold attempts to get a low SWR (in the 1970's) I neglected my wife and my children.
Every waking--none work--moment was dedicated to trying to make this beast work.

Today, I am paying an awesome price for my selfishness and stupid decision to purchase the V-80.Two of my three children have serious issues with life and their relationships to other adults.

In fact, our son has been divorced twice and we are now raising his three children.

I believe I will be punished until I depart this life because I once owned this P.T. Barnum special.

My wife has forgiven me. I am trying hard to learn how to forgive myself.

I wonder if other hams have had major life issues as a result of owning this antenna.
K3SUI Rating: 2007-08-14
MFJ Warm-up Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Yea, I have to admit ... I had one of these!! It's a shame that the folks who tried to save money buying this antenna were the ones who had little money to spend.

Actually, with a radial system and an antenna analyser you could probably make it work ... kinda ...
W0CKI Rating: 2007-08-14
Absolute total junk Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Hams our age must be losing it. These were the scam of the 50's and 60's. I'm 67 and have been licensed since 1954. While I can't remember everything, I can remember the "Gotham" days. They were the MFJ of that era.
73, Gary, W0CKI

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Earlier 0-star review posted by W0CKI on 2007-02-12

Absolute junk. As a new ham in 1954 I saw all those ads in QST for the Gotham stuff. I fell for it, against the advice from my Dad, a Ham since 1923, but in my stuborn ways bought a vertical. Didn't ever work, with radials or without. Not worth the wholesale price of aluminum.
N8ABE Rating: 2007-08-14
V-80 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This was my first HF antenna along with my Henry Tempo One. I hung this antenna outside my 2nd story window with the provided hardware and had no problems! I just opened the window to change the coil tap for a band change and off I went. I didn't even have a ground or radials and still had good SWR. Seems like I paid less than 20 bucks for it. I got my moneys worth even if it did use wood dowels to keep the aluminum rods together. I would buy another one if they were still made!
W8WLC Rating: 2007-02-13
For the new ham Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I got one of these from another ham in the 60's. I made it my summer project laying down radials.It worked great and was dirt cheap. I liked it so much I ended up ordering Gothams 15 meter quad as well and was very happy with it
N9ESH Rating: 2006-04-12
Not worth it. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
A very cheap antenna with poor performance. Gave verticals a bad name. Used BX staples for a mount. I guess one was supposed to mount it to the side of a house. Instructions were lacking at best. Like the A-99 of today, a real "Novice special". A simple dipole was superior. Actually, the REA shipping cost more.

It did make a good mast for other antennas.
W3PH Rating: 2005-12-26
Worked great as ground plane with open wire line Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Got one of these in the mid-'60s and used it for about 20 years, 'til it got lost in a move, and found it really useful. Never used the coil, but mounted it 20' up (on top of house, garage, TV mast, etc. depending on what was available at each location) with 4 radials, which also served as guys, and fed it with open-wire line. Worked great on 20/15/10, and decently on 40 even though it was half-size there. Quality was nothing special, but it did serve me well 20 years so it was good enough ... wish I still had it.

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Earlier 3-star review posted by W3PH on 2004-03-19

Had one of these in the '60s that I used in several limited-space locations as a ground-plane with the base at 20-25' (on garage roof, etc.), 4 radials, fed with open-wire line and home-brew tuner. Worked well on 20 and 15 - worked a lot of CW DX with 100 watts. Never tried it with coax - removed the coil and never used it - still have the coil in my junk box.
WPE9JRL Rating: 2005-12-26
Gotham Vertical: Teenage Wasteland Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I, too, had the Gotham when first licensed as a Novice in 1971. Bought it from a "friend" for $5.00. I was pretty green back then, 15 years old.

Being a Novice in those days put one at quite a disadvantage: 75 Watt power restriction, inability to QSY using quartz crystals, less than desirable equipment....then, the Gotham in a bad attempt to get on the air with an "affordable" antenna.

To make a long story short: Used the Gotham for about three months and ended up erecting a 75M sloper which danced circles around this aluminum dummy load.

I blame the Gotham experience for scarring my teenage years: I was unable to date girls, my face kept breaking out, my only friends were other Hams. I hit bottom when I bought a 2-Meter FM rig, the Regency HR-2B, soon after selling the Gotham.

N2WB Rating: 2005-12-25
Makes A Great Festivus Pole ! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Antenna -3
Had the antenna back in the mid 70's....
Glad to hear that someone likes theirs.


K8DXX 5+
Just dug it out of the garage and turned it into a Festivus Pole (Seinfeld).

H.H.D.

73
BB