| BDBOYLE |
Rating:      |
2010-04-08 | |
| Great Antenna |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Well, it was a beautiful Easter weekend so, with the soggy ground almost
fully dry, was able to get my recently-acquired Gap Challenger DX
vertical erected and wired into the shack to compliment (not replace)
the traditional dipole-in-the-attic which I installed to ward off cabin
fever during one of those interminable blizzards we had this winter. So,
in the interest of maintaining the concept that information is meant to
be shared, I thought of contributing what I've discovered so far about
this antenna.
As a quick review, the Gap Challenger is a multi-band vertical antenna,
with the following published specifications:
SPECIFICATIONS
o Bands
+ 80m 40m 20m 15m 12m 10m 6m 2m
o Bandwidth -- Under 2:1 VSWR
+ Entire band on 40m 20m 15m 12m 10m 6m 2m
+ 80m over 130 KHz band; 10m over 1MHz
o Height -- 31.5 ft.
o Weight -- 18 lbs.
o Radiation Efficiency : Exceed conventional verticals by up to 600%
o Mount : Ground or elevated. A ground mount is supplied.
o Counterpoise : 3 at 25 ft.
o Ground Area Required : Fits in 10 ft. by 12 ft. area.
(more info at http://www.gapantenna.com)
Couple of insights...note that the counterpoise is meant for the 40
meter band segment, thus the length specified. It's basic design is a
vertical dipole, using individual external tuning rods pre-cut to length
to resonate the antenna element itself. It is provided with the
necessary reactance capacitor (installed at the top of the antenna
shaft) for 80M to get the antenna within the band segment you most often
use (I selected the center of the phone band on 80, for what it's
worth), but otherwise, is fully capable of operating well right out of
the box.
Installation, at least the way I ended up doing it, was to dig a 3' deep
by 2' wide hole (2.5' at the bottom tapering to 2' at the top) gravel
bottom of about 4", the rest concrete in which to set the provided PVC
pipe with about 6" proud of the concrete. Leveled, plumb, etc. Normal
ground mounting technique, for what it's worth. I probably overkilled
it; the manual says to just dig the hole, put it in the ground, and pack
the dirt back around it, but I used to build broadcast stations and
oversee AM tower erections...so, overkill is how you keep things up
through all sorts of conditions...so...that's my story, and I'm sticking
to it.
The antenna itself was assembled on the ground per manufacturer
directions, and 3 3/16" dacron guy ropes were attached about 2' above
the center insulator, and the antenna erected in the mounting hole after
the concrete set. You WILL need 2 people to do this due to the length;
kudos to my XYL Karen for having a good sense of humor and helping get
the base aligned so I could drop it in the mount without drama. Note to
self: Gap has an optional pivot mount. Next time.... Guys were
stretched out from the base the same distance horizontally as they were
in vertical height and (think right triangle with 2 equal sides...),
and, using medium strength bungie cords at the stake end, were equally
tensioned (which will allow for movement but maintain position...yes, I
know I'll have to replace them from time to time...part of the
maintenance routine). The antenna is truly vertical, and no noticeable
bends or kinks in the vertical profile run when sighted up the structure
from the ground...
The run of RG213 coax from the shack, split in the middle of the 100'
run to connect a lightning arrestor/static dischaarger attached to a
ground rod pounded in at the entry point was installed then continued to
the PL259 connector at the antenna end (you'll need a double female
SO239 and coax seal), and 3 12 ga. counterpoise wires in a 120 degree
pattern around the base (roughly corresponding to the location of the
ends of the guys) were strung out and attached to the assembly screws at
the base. I did crimp on the ring terminals, but, in true belt and
suspenders tradition, also soldered the wires to the rings after
crimping.
So...pretty standard installation. No surprises. And it's not totally
an in-your-face design unlike some others that are out there. But it is
31.5' tall shaft of aluminum with external tuning rods.
So, what are my initial thoughts?
1. Customer support (I did have some questions...) from the factory is
outstanding. This antenna is only $339. USD. Rich, one of the
principals at the factory (in Florida) spent a total of about an hour
and a half on the phone with me over the course of a few days working
through some of my questions and giving me some additional info to make
sure the antenna is working properly. All for a single purchase.
Customer service IS out there if you know where to look. I'm pleasantly
surprised, coming back into the hobby, that most folks out there are
willing to talk with you if you make the effort.
2. 3x 25' counterpoise wires. They're not grounds. Here's a case where
more is not necessarily better. Based on the design, they're only being
used at 40M; remember, this is a vertical dipole, not a traditional long
pole that needs a ground to work against. Follow the directions, the
factory manual usually is right (there are exceptions, but not in this
case).
3. While the instruction manual could use some editorial work, for the
mechanical skill level I hope most of us have, just read the directions.
We're hams. We can figure it out. And they even provide a nice nut
driver for the assembly screws (you'll still need a 3/16 nutdriver or
ratchet and socket or common screwdriver for the hose clamps they use to
set the tuning rod insulators, but we all have those, right?).
4. Not clear in the manual, but explained to me by Rich at Gap...when
building it up, make sure that the tops and bottoms of the tuning rods
are in the same horizontal plane (ie the top of the lower one should be
even with the bottom of the one higher up on the mast, not overlapping...).
So...what are the operational results?
1. This antenna is quiet for a vertical. Considering it's my first (not
counting the 5/8 wave colinear I ran back in the days of the 11 meter
nonsense...my Knightkit was off an end-fed Zep back when I was a Novice
in the late 60s...), I'm pleasantly surprised. And not because it's
deaf....but because, at least in my area, most of the noise radiators
seem to be coming from horizontally-polarized sources such as the cable
system, electrical feeders, and the like. Signals I can't hear (or are
down in the mud...) on my 20/40 fan dipole are at least 4-5 S-units
louder on the stick.
2. Initial SWR was a bit high, but, that's due to the counterpoise
length. I started out with 30' (remember what I said about more not
being necessarily better?). Well, pulled out the dikes when I got home
after talking to the factory and clipped off some length on each, and
rechecked. Raw (sans tuner), I'm in the 1.7 range, but can tune it down
to almost nothing on every band except the far ends of 80m, and even
then is 1.5-1.6.
3. There's actually activity on 10M in our area. Never heard ANY of that
on the dipole. Haven't tried it on 2m yet; reviews in eham say it will
work, but it's not the best. We'll see.
4. Got solid 58s and 9s into Italy, Belgium, and the Canary Islands over
the last few nights during grey line. Switched back and forth between
the dipole and the Challenger with one of the fellows in Italy...and
went from 56 RS report on the dipole to 59 as above on the Challenger
and +2 S (I was, admittedly, working him off the 45 degree axis of the
dipole, so...YMMV) Worked my first VK the other night. And this is
barefoot from my TS-830S. Could never get those reports from the
dipole, but that's to be expected, considering where it is and what it
is. Can't wait to see how it'll work when I eventually (hopefully soon)
add some additional power to the equation.
5. Got some good contacts on 40 and 80 during dark night hours. Lots of
good activity out there if you're patient, and working 5 and 6 land
almost at will. Early morning (6am?) logged an HB this morning on an
otherwise empty 20 meter band with a single call while waiting for the
coffee to brew. Not bad, in my book.
It's not a hide-away antenna, by any stretch, not at 31.5 feet with
external tuning rods to give it a star-wars appearance, but it's not
bad. I like it...the XYL is not too opposed to it (it's mounted in one
of her planting beds...in the side back yard, hence the 100' of
213...:)) and seems to be what they advertise it to be. |
|
| WM9V |
Rating:   |
2010-03-04 | |
| storm victim |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
got this second hand, it was blown down in a hurricane and went about finding online info for it
the factory documentation is poor compared to other manufacturers. after going thru it, i replaced the wires between the elements with alum straps and discovered the secret to these antennas. It's stuffed in the middle section in the way of 30 ft of 5/8 coax bundled up. I also remounted and redid the bottom section with the pvc sleeves to strengthen it with thru bolts . the tune caps on the top will age or were never soldered together; right from the factory. there are other articles with pics here documenting that problem, so i will make a new tuning cap myself and am considering adding tubing to the top for electrical length.
locals here have bought and used the titan with good results but don't count on the factory in fellsmere to cut you any deals
buy any gap product cheaper from a dealer
factory direct prices were considerably higher
the challenger needs radials so think counterpoise when you set it up and it will have to be guyed . is is top heavy
go through all the connections on yours if it is older and good luck
when i get time setting it up i will come back here with results |
|
| KA2QWC |
Rating:     |
2010-02-26 | |
| Good +++ |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Overall performance of my Array AWESOME a Real DX Catcher.
I bought my 1st Challenger in 1995 and played it as a single stick for 10 years with decent results. Five years ago I bought a 2nd one and set it up as a multiband phased array using ideas from Jay WX0B's.
Results:
15 & 10 meters: Performance is good but not as noticable on 40 & 20 meters.
40 & 20 meters: Performance is AWESOME a real DX machine.
75/80 meters: Narrow bandwith lack luster performace but they do radiate Rf. Due to their poor performance here I do not use them as an array here instead I have one tuned for the CW portion and the other for the phone portion. This allows me about to 400 Khz of bandwidth not too shabby.
Construction:
One could argue the fact that a commercially available product should be of a higher quality. However, as a salvage junkie I found them to be satisfactory and to date have never had to perform any repairs other than general maintance.
Instruction Manual:
The assembly manual has an amateur appearance then again this amateur radio. However, the information contained within provides enough detail for my 7 year old to correctly assemble the antenna.
Installation:
These antennas are relatively lightweight but at a whopping 32' tall they are unwieldy to manage. It is definitely a 2 man job (Safety First).
|
|
| KI6KJS |
Rating:      |
2010-01-12 | |
| Excellent Antenna |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
This was and easy antenna to assemble compared to other antennas I've assembled. The instructions were easy to read and follow. Had the Challenger assembled in two hours.
I installed mine on the ground but it would not work (swr to high and would not load on 40 or 20) because of all the corrals and metal horse barns.
Had to install mine 17 feet up and extend the radials to tune 40. 20 still would not tune so I called Gap and they told Me the rod to extend for 20. After their help Mine works well on 40, 20, and 10 the only bands I've worked on this antenna and the swr is to low to talk about. No tuner needed.
I won't bore you with contact information except to say I live in California and have friends in Texas, Alabama, and Georgia that I talk to frequently and they tell Me the signal from the Gap is the strongest.
|
|
| KK8ZZ |
Rating:  |
2009-09-04 | |
| Scrap Pile of Aluminum |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
I had a Challenger several years ago and despite very careful assembly and several hours spend over several months with their tech support guy, the thing never worked. I was amazed at the lack of any diagrams and VERY POORLY WRITTEN instructions for assembly.
It amazes me that after more than a decade, nothing has changed. I had to re-drill several holes, had a couple of missing screws, and found that some of the tubing cuts weren't deburred, resulting in sharp edges that cut hands as well as nicked cable when it was being pulled through. I spent a LOT of time tweaking radials to no avail. This antenna was a poorly designed piece of scrap aluminum (which was eventually what happened to it) and never worked correctly. I wonder now if the capacitor problem happened on mine as well.
I am distressed every year to see this junk peddled at a prominent display at Dayton, and wonder how many NEW HAMS drop out of the hobby because they spent a wad of cash on one of these things, and could never get it to work right. The good doctor was fortunate to have two really great, knowledgeable "Elmers" with some good test gear to help her out. The vast majority of the rest of the "new ham" world has neither.
Vendors who make a marginal product with poor instructions then blame buyers for the product's faults deserve to fail. It is unfortunate that many - or most - new hams never find these reviews and comments until later in their ham careers, if at all.
NEW HAMS NEED IMMEDIATE SUCCESS, not failure, and vendors who show indifference to customers and produce accessories that work poorly if at all deserve to fail themselves. |
|
| KW0O |
Rating:      |
2009-07-14 | |
| EXCELLENT |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
| Never used a better vertical antenna. It's the staple of my station. Easy up. Work the world with it. |
|
| WD4DUI |
Rating:      |
2009-04-05 | |
| My GAP is 15 years old and still going strong! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
My GAP Challenger is 15 years old and it still does a great job.
I ahve moved or taken it down many times and still works like the first day I installed it. Because I live in South Florida, I always take it down and take it to the ground when a hurrican approaches. And also because I live in an HOA, it was horizontal for quite a while. I painted it with camo colors and installed and lashed it about 12'' from a sappy pine tree, can't see the antenna until or unless you are looking for it or really close to the tree and antenna. I recently had to replace the inner cable assembly due to "Land Scalper" weed wacker damage. Great customer service and quick delivery on the new cable assy BTW. I have had other verticals, with traps, and there were very difficult to coax (not the cable type of coaxial cable) into working, with all the required radials and trap adjusting. The GAP works with one radial and no "Tuning".
HINT; When installing the pipe mount into the ground, instead of pounding or digging, use a garden hose and water to "Jet" the pipe into the ground....at least it worked in the sandy soil of SoFla...
The GAP Challenger is a great vertical antenna!!! |
|
| KI4CBF |
Rating:      |
2008-12-23 | |
| Love it! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| Pulls in DX very well. I often clearly hear other stations which cannot hear me, telling me that this antenna receives very well. Easy to assemble and install. Telephone support is excellent and friendly. If I did not buy another Gap Challenger, it would be because I bought a Gap Titan or another Gap product! |
|
| KF5Y |
Rating:      |
2008-11-24 | |
| Super |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| Had mine for 2+ years. Restricted area. Works great except noisy. Its a vertical, what do you expect. Thinking about purchasing the Titan, wondering if it might be a improvement? The three radials on the Challenger are not optimized due to space constraints. With the Titan's counterpoise and moving it up in the air (8-10 feet), maybe a better deal as far as noise?????? |
|
| KB0GU |
Rating:      |
2008-11-08 | |
| Excellent Antenna |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| Do not expect gang buster on the lowest advertised frequency of these antennas. But they really perform on the next band up! I have written two other earlier reviews, I have since ordered a replacement aluminum tube that was bent, cut and sleeved, and I have it now guyed at the point just above the gap, nothing bothers this antenna now so far as wind or ice. I also have up an Alpha Delta DXCC horizontal multiban dipole at approximately 50 foot level. It gets more S units on 80 meters on my radio, but there are times when the less S meter reading of the Gap also gives abetter signal to noise ratio and I am able to decode PSK with it better than the larger antenna. I have not bothered to count the contacts I have made on this antenna on psk, but my log is lengthy with almost every state in US and closing in on the 100 countries all on mostly 40 meter psk31. I am seriously considering another one and attempting to phase a pair of them with some ingenuity. |
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