| N0BL |
Rating:  |
2011-07-18 | |
| Zero Five Vertical Antennas work great in a phased array set up |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
This is an update to my last review I did on the Zero Five mulitiband vertical antenna. I have now purchased another multiband Vertical and phased these two antennas together. I have installed 60 radials on each antenna with a proper grounding syetm. The phased verticals for working DX is amazing. This system works in some cases as good as a beam antenna or very close too it. I have recently been in some very large DX pile ups and on the first call into the pile up got a response back with a very strong signal report. If your considering a vertical antenna system YOU WILL NOT GO WRONG WITH THIS SET UP. Tom has done an outstanding job on engineering and design of these antennas and the quality is by far better than any other antenna I have have seen for ham radio use. If your planning on this type system I suggest you give Tom a call and he can advise you on what is the best setup for the area in which you live.
Just as a side note over the last 40 yrs I have used and have had experience with a lot of different antenna systems for both commerical and Ham use, this antenna ranks at the top of my list. I would not hesitate to use these antennas in a commercial application for whatever the need. |
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| K3ROJ |
Rating: |
2011-07-07 | |
| Outdoes Cushcraft R8 |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I had my 43 foot vertical still in it's box for several months and decided to mount it and try her out. My old Cushcraft R8 was mounted on a swingdown 4X4 treated lumber arrangement. This mount was originally constructed to hold a Purple Martin bird house but had too many problems with ordinary sparrows taking it over. Anyway, the 43 foot vertical mounted easily on the top piece. I used the original balun that came with this antenna and my 100 foot long RG11 direct burial cable made for Cable TV use. Using buried radials is impossible since our garden is nearly underneath. I did however drive in 2 each 8 foot ground rods. I tried it out with the old Heathkit tuner in the shack. It performed well except for 160 and 10 meters. Then, as an experiment connected the antenna ground to our chainlink fence and wow what a difference it made. I can now load up on 160 CW easily and 10 meters works very well with 20 meters being the best. Since 1998, using the Cushcraft R8, I have made over 24,000 contacts, most being on CW. Now my 43 foot vertical does such a great job, there is no station I hear that cannot hear me. |
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| KB2RF |
Rating: |
2011-05-16 | |
| Absolutely amazing antenna! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
After 7 years with another older vertical, I decided it was time to try something new. Had a great QSO with K9KEJ and asked" what antenna are you using"? He filled me in on the 43' ZeroFive. He said to call Tom, he will take care of you. " Boy was he right". Tom spent time explaining the antenna, and the entire installation process.
One week later I was installing the antenna. The install basically consists of the following: Sank the pipe and mounted the antenna with the fold-over mount. (a must option) Bought a radial plate and ran about 35-40 radials ranging from 33 to 40 feet. Ran 100 ft of LMR 400 direct burial cable. Using the AT2K tuner with a THP amp and Flex 3000. Performance is fantastic!
Tuned 10-80 meters, no problem. I have had some of the best DX on 15, 17, 20 , and 40 meters than in the past. I am amazed on not only the signal reports I get, but how much better I am receiving stations. I am very pleased with the 43' ZeroFive.
Also, as others have stated, Tom will always answer the phone and provides top notch customer service. Thanks Tom!! |
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| K2VI |
Rating: |
2011-02-09 | |
| 40 meter flame thrower |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| This is the good: Steve is a great person to work with, He answers all question and very patient. I never got the feeling he was in a rush.He made the installation quite easy for me and gave me some great tips.I put down 60 ground radials and on 40 meters it is 2-3 S units stronger on receive and transmit against my 128' long ladder line fed doublet up at 50'. I will say my doublet worked a lot of dx on 40 so it is a very good preformer on that band but the vertical kills it.And it does it 200 miles to half way around the world.So it's even better with close range stations.I give it a 5 on 40. Now the bad news. On 80 and 20 meters it does not compare with the dipole.usually 2-4 S units down on theese bands.So i can fairly give it a 4 for theese reasons.Also i will say that the construction is unbelievably strong. The insulator it top notch and the aluminum tubing is like military grade wall thickness.Nothing like the garbage from CC.So steve if there is a way to make this sing on 80 and 20 i would love to know. At least i now can bust pile ups running 100 watts with ease on 40. |
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| VK5STU |
Rating: |
2010-10-21 | |
| Great performance, easy setup. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I have been on the air for only a few months so I do not have anything in the way of a comparison. I chose this antenna based on the reviews here and the fact I do not have much room for anything other than a vertical.
First impressions upon unboxing were that this is a very well engineered product. The fold over mount/base is very solid. Assembly was a breeze and took about an hour. Everything is obvious as to how it goes together.
I have my antenna temporarily mounted to a fence post (which is welded to some H-section steel supporting several tonnes of concrete retaining wall) about 1.5m high and I am using the aluminium frame of the fence as a ground plane. 20 meters east, 20 meters west and about 30 meters north in terms of length of the 'radials'. I am getting 5/7, 5/8 reports into US and EU running 100w.
Initially it would not tune up at all on 80m (with an LDG AT-100 ProII), however after some investigation I had to increase the length of coax I was using. Now tunes very easily on all bands.
Customer service was quick when I had some initial questions and delivery to VK was no problem at all and took about 1.5 weeks.
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| N4RAP |
Rating: |
2010-09-13 | |
| Great All Around Antenna |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
I have 2 of these antennae. I liked the first one so well, that I bought another one. I purchased them about 3 months apart. They are seperate antennas on seperate radios and NOT Co-Phased in any way. They are ground mounted and each have 60 radials run ON the ground, held in place by Garden Staples or Lawn Staples. The radials are about 40 feet long or however long the yard would allow due to its shape. Some are shorter than others, but 60 radials each. I am using the DX Engineering Ground Radial Plate. The antennas have been through a few storms, most recently the remnants of Hurricane Hermine with no problems. I am using the UNUN instead of the BALUN. My auto tuners in my Kenwood 850, and Yaesu 920 and even my Yaesu FL-7000 amplifiers tune the antennas with no problems. My Palstar AT-Auto also has no problems, on any band. Now for the important part. All I can say is that people are amazed when I tell them that I am running a Ground Mounted Vertical ! My regular friends never noticed the difference between this antenna and my wires that I used to use ! The construction is great, the antenna works great and the Customer Service from Tom at Zero Five Antennas is Amazing. They are open 7 days a week and Tom will answer the phone or return your call the same day...and that doesn't happen that often in this world. Buy the antenna and follow the directions that Tome gives you and you won't be sorry.
73 de N4RAP
Dr Wayne Scott |
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| W6GF |
Rating: |
2010-08-10 | |
| Use your Swiss Army knife |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I put up a zerofive 10-40 GP for a back up antenna. I was so impressed that I bought a 43 footer for 75 and 160 and maybe a little 40 too.
I thought the GP was built, well this 43 footer is nearly overkill. The ground mount is wonderful. I opened the box with my Swiss Army knife and you can use it for 80 percent of the assembly. I used 6 bags of concrete in the hole. This antenna is steady. I constructed a ground loop of copper tubing, sunk 4 ground rods, laid out some radials and strapped the whole meals together.
How does it load. 10-40 SWR under 2 to 1. 75 about 3.5 to 1. 160 is about 4.5 to 1. I use Times 400 direct burial. Although there is a 50 foot section of RG 213. SWR coax losses are low and acceptable.
Does it work? Yes it does. On 75 it will beat the dipole 80 percent of the time. ( this does not count ground wave contacts where polarization maybe an issue). On 40 about same results. What is surprising how well it plays on 20. It is not a beam, but I have crashed pile ups with it as easy as a beam.
I am an engineer, but antennas are not my area of expertise, so take the next with a grain of salt. I have heard some people say that verticals can transmit better than they receive. I have snickered about this "old wive's tale", but there might be some truth to it with this antenna. The signal reports I have been getting have been surprising.
And yes I looked at the other products. Yes they sounded good, but with Tom's new prices you get zerofive quality, Tom, and the other guys prices
George, W6gf
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| WA6LDI |
Rating: |
2010-07-29 | |
| Outstanding Performance with 43' Vertical |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I've currently been using the Zero-Five 43' vertical now for a little over 3 years and have experienced par-excellent performance for both stateside contacts as well as DX... I have no radials whatesover attached to my antenna, but instead am utilizing a 1/4 mile length of wraught iron fence as a counterpoise. My Palstar antenna tuner is able to bring my SWR down to almost 1:1 on 80 through 6 meters. I've been able to qualify for WAS, WAC and DXCC since using this antenna. I highly recommend this exceptionally built and efficient antenna to anyone wishing OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE on all HF bands! |
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| KJ4SJW |
Rating: |
2010-04-29 | |
| Excellent performing 43' |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I purchased a 43' Zero Five vertical the last week of March, 2010. I had attended the Charlotte area hamfest and looked at various vertical antenna's. Having researched all of the alternatives, I determined that the Zero Five 43' vertical was the one for me.
I called Zero Five on a sunday evening with the intent of leaving a call back number. To my surprise, Tom immediately answered the phone, respondeed to my questions, and took my order. He was driving to a movie. If that is not attentive and immediate response to a customer, then I do not know what is !
The components of the 43' vertical are quality and quite sturdy. With a little telephone guidance from Tom, I assembled the vertical and layed 36 radials ranging from 43' to 20' in length. The antenna came with a swivel bracket that allowed me to "walk" the vertical into upright and locked position. 150' of lmr 400 bury flex coax was attached to the 4:1 unun supplied with the antenna.The 10:1 internal tuner of my Ten tec Jupiter loads 10 to 80 meters.
The vertical is in a less the optimal location, within a tree line, due to neighborhood restrictions. It is painted camouflage,has no guy wires, and blends very well into the background.
Now I report the best part, performance. I have QSO'd many states from my Charlotte NC QTH. They range from Florida to Maine, Texas to California, and Hawaii. In fact the ham operator in Hawaii could not believe that I was transmitting 100 watts and using a Zero Five vertical. I have also worked Poland, Italy, Belgium, Cuba, Mexico and Brazil. A contact with an Argentine station was lost due to changes with the band. He did acknowledge my callsign.
The 43' Zero Five vertical is heavy duty and mildly sways in 40-50 mph winds. Its performance is top notch. Service and responce from Tom is par excellance.
73
W4GEH
GH
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| W4JAH |
Rating: |
2010-01-02 | |
| Tom, This one beats all verticals I have ever tried . |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Was easy and fast to put togeather. I was only able to get down 3 radial before this latest snow storm hit but it is a killer on 40 20 and good on 80. Im'sure 80 will get even better as I get down those radials. Best built vertical I have ever owned. 73s Jack w8cfs |
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