Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: KU4AB SQ-50 6m square loop

Category: Antennas: VHF/UHF+ Omnidirectional: verticals, mobile, etc

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : KU4AB SQ-50 6m square loop
Reviews: 33MSRP: 59.95
Description:
Horizontal polarization and a omnidirectional pattern makes the SQ design GREAT for VHF sideband. The Hairpin match/mount makes the antenna extremely quiet for weak signal receiving because the DC ground keeps down static.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.ku4ab.com/index.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00334.3
KE6YX Rating: 2010-07-05
A piece of junk! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I give this antenna a zero for four reasons.

First it never worked, and I did all I could think of to make it work! I tried it on a mast off of my deck fed with LMR-400 without any luck, and also brought it into my shop and fed it with a short section of coax and tried adjusting everything. SWR is still out of sight.

Second, it came with no instructions nada.

Third, I sent a email to the company, and left a telephone message. No response from the seller.

Fourth, the flimsy workmanship looks worst than something you would expect from a Jr High shop class. If you want to throw away your money on worthless junk buy one of these. Mine is going into the trash today.

I just consider it a lesson and will move on and build my own.
KW6ACK Rating: 2010-06-28
XLNT 4 6M SSB Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Purchased a 6m square for home use but haven't had the chance to get it rooftop. Loaned out the 6m square to our RACES team in Anaheim for field day. Mounted antenna on a Radio Shack 3ft. tri-pod with 3 5ft. TV antenna masts. 50 ft. of Tandy RG-8. About 1000 pst. 6 came alive. Using a 100w HF rig and the KU4AB Square only, had contacts in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nebraska, Oregon and lots of contacts out of So. Calif. Was able to get about 40 contacts before field day ended. What a GR8 antenna!!!
KC2PLJ Rating: 2010-01-24
Still Great Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Have had mine for over a year and it tunes up nice in SSB portion of the band (key word here). This is a horizontal square and is designed to be used as such. So far I have over 100 contacts all over the US with this bargain for an antenna. Could I make my own? Sure, but when you add up all the parts, time and tinkering you will only save a $5-10 bill. This is a nice product, would purchase another to stack if I had more space. Mike KC2PLJ
N9TA Rating: 2010-01-24
Great for SSB portion of band! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had a stacked set of KU4AB loops up for 6 meters for about 3 years. They are my only current 6 meter antenna I have in the air at the moment....because they are so good I haven't felt the need to put up anything else. I have my loops mounted on a 25 foot pushup pole affixed to the end of my garage. These 6 meter loops are designed and tuned for the SSB section of 6 meters.....they will NOT work on the FM portion without modification. I would recommend them to anyone....and I would buy them again....if I wanted great antennas for the SSB part of 6M.
KC9NCS Rating: 2010-01-23
Should have built my own ... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased the KU4AB 6m loop after reading all the stellar reviews of it here on eHam. I pretty much rely on the product reviews on here to help me with my buying decisions. In this case, I was not the buyer of the antenna, my charming and delightful other half was as she purchased it for me for a Christmas present.

Where do I start.

Came with zero instructions, although who needs them with a loop? Was missing two nuts from the assembly, and the U-clamp that secures the loop to the antenna had to be bent slightly to match the holes in the mounting bracket. To get it to fit properly, I had to drill the holes out myself so the U-Clamp would fit properly without binding up the U-Clamp and tearing up the threads. The mounting bracket and clamp are made for a 1 1/4 mast which is way too small for my application, but I managed to locate a pipe to mount it with and stick it in the tripod on my roof as a temporary installation. The machining on this antenna was really pretty sloppy and needed some fixing up to make it mountable.

After fixing the machining errors, locating some lockwashers (missing from the antenna) a pair of flatwashers (also missing) and the nuts for the U-Clamp (also missing) , I was finally able to clamp the antenna to my mast and attach the coax and antenna analyzer.

Here's where the disappointment really set in, as the SWR's were in excess of 25 with no resonance whatsoever anywhere above 50mhz. Thinking it was my coax, I re-tested my coax, connecters, etc.. using an analyzer and dummy load, my coax (9913 Flex) was dead on 50 ohms at 1.1 SWR into a 300 watt dummy load using an MFJ-259B. Re-connected to the loop and experienced the same problem.

I took the loop down and replaced it with a modified StarDuster for 6M which matched up perfectly at 1.2:1 or less in the FM portion of the band with good resonance near 50 ohms.

The only conclusion I could come to is the loop is just somehow bad, and I don't consider it to be worth my time or effort anymore to try and get it to work after a full day wasted. It was supposed to work "out of the box" which it just does not do. I bought it because I was too lazy to make it, now I'm going to have to make my own anyway.
N5ZBI Rating: 2009-06-19
Thanks Phil ! ! ! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
10-June-2009, Phil's SQ-50 (at 25') and my TS-2000 (100 watts) = 17 new states and 27 new grids in about 2-1/2 hours! What more can I say except, thank you Phil for a great antenna that's built like a tank!
KK1X Rating: 2009-01-19
Great product & support Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Initially bought the SQ-50 6m antenna, and with only one mounted, it worked well enough for me to buy the SQ-144 and SQ-432 as well. I now have three phases stacks all mounted on one mast, according to Phil's instructions, but only at about 25'. I'm happy with all the antennas, and easily worked into the midwest during the January VHF SS during the opening. During installation, Phil answered my emailed questions promptly and professionally, even giving me an education in phasing harnesses along the way. Great antennas, and great support. I'm thinking about getting a 222MHz radio just to buy more antennas from him!
MM30 Rating: 2009-01-10
Great antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This 6 meter square really is a great way to get on 6 with some gain for those who have restrictions. I am very pleased with it and am thinking of getting some more. The 10 meter version looks interesting and may be my next purchase, SWR on this little guy is almost perfect at around 50.125, all of his antennas are excellent! Mike KC2PLJ
N2BR Rating: 2008-08-14
Great 6 meter Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I got a 6 meter loop about 2 years ago,Put it up about 15 feet off the ground and it works great,Could not as for a better loop antenna for 6 meters.I run 100 watt RCI 5054DX 100 watt radio and have work many gids with this little station.Great buy for the money....
W5CPT Rating: 2008-08-10
Best Buy for the $ Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Installed only about 18 feet off the ground. Works very well. Driving with 100 watts. Second antenna to 5L CC and I love hearing the stations that I miss off the side or back of the beam.