| G0HVQ |
Rating:  |
2022-12-30 | |
| Brilliant...until it rains |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Update Dec22: now owned this aerial over 10 years. Performance-wise, can't fault it:: 222 DXCCs worked on 80m. And it's survived some pretty major storms (guyed). One major downside is that rain seriously de-tunes it, I'm guessing the loading coils get wet, but 80m SWR can go from 1.4 up to over 3 until it dries out: fine if you have a valve PA that can cope, but solid-state ones would shut down without a tuner. This change in SWR is very predictable as soon as it rains, which it does a lot here in the UK.
Performance-wise, this aerial is amazing, especially on 80m: as soon as I started using it my 80m contest scores at least quadrupled, I soon got 80m DXCC (and confirmed LoTW), and have worked all sorts of amazing DX. It benefits from radials but still seems to work quite well without. Used it in CQ WPX last weekend and got 297 QSOs on 80m and 538 on 40m. Have generated a JA pile-up several times on the JA-G 40m greyline.
Minor niggles still stand: quite narrow on 80m (but you can tune it to the part of the band you want), and top-heavy, so needs guying. But I can live with that for the performance it gives. |
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| N4IN |
Rating: |
2022-11-26 | |
| Great Job Cushcraft |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I installed this antenna in place of my old Butternut HF2V. I was very pleasantly suprised by the results, it plays very well on both bands. My HF2V always did a great job on 40M but lacked something on 80M, this was where the MA8040V shined. Well of course this is not a head to head comparison. The construction of the antenna is quite light-duty and time will tell about how it holds up to weather and watts. My current impression is very positive though, as stated previously working DX stations on 80M that were previously unable to work. Will update if any dramatic changes. 73 Des |
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| CT7ANG |
Rating: |
2020-09-22 | |
| A Dxer's antenna |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I wrote a review on this antenna some years ago and had no problems with the antenna but today its a very different review! Check out my replacement MA160m vertical review! Since the take over by MFJ the the quality has hit rock bottom. The vertical will not stand up to high winds. Took 2 weeks and it was in two peaces. The 40m coil had also went tits up and melted the former with just 500 watts! I noticed the fiber stub had been made so that it was out of shape the included the part for the stringer. I have had 2 of these verticals and I am very disappointed that since MFJ has taken Cushcraft over quality is out of the window. The reason for these antennas failing at the fiber base is that if you look the tube has been produced off center and this is why the snap in strong winds. The MA4080 is now heavily guyed. Also the coils for 40 and 80 are wound on cheap old plastic water pipe and they have a tendency to fail and distort which makes a perfect antenna useless. Once repairs and placement parts are repaired its a good dx antenna! |
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| SV1EIA |
Rating: |
2018-10-01 | |
| Excellent |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Got it for more than 10 years.
Excellent performance in 40 and 80 meters.
On 80 it is more narrow bandwidth, about 100KHz around the tuning frequency.
Also seen that can work with decent SWR in 20/15/12/10m too.
Since it has top loading it behaves much better than other verticals without top loading.
Needs the radials to perform properly.
Highly recommended.
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| KD8IIC |
Rating: |
2015-03-15 | |
| Many Bands With Tuner |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Mine is gnd mtd with DXE choke balun and 8' gnd rods, very many radials of all lengths.
Using my Drake MN2700 it loads and works very well on 12, 15, 20 and 30m. Works best on 80m with the tuner due to the narrow SWR bandwidth.
Well built and designed, a solid performer when used with a good tuner.
I'm using this ant for CW QRP very successfully so it obviously loads up FB. |
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| KC7YRA |
Rating: |
2014-06-07 | |
| Ehhhh, It's okay |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I can't seem to find my original review, so I will write a completely new one.
I received this antenna 6ish years ago as a gift from my wonderful wife, and proceeded to erect it in the middle of winter.
During construction, I found the directions decent and easy to follow. A number of the soldered connection points were cold and "yucky", so I touched them up quickly.
The other issue I had (and would continue to have) was with the capacity hat assembly. It is nothing more than some punched flat plates with indentations in them for the ends of the rods. The contraption simply sandwiched two of the plates together using small nut/bolt combinations.
To say that assembly of this part is a pain, would be putting it mildly. Not impossible, but don't try to do it while standing in a snow drift as the flakes fall down.
Once assembled and up, it tuned easily onto 40 meters, but kicked and screamed when I wanted to use it on 80. Numerous instances of raising the vertical to check SWR, then lowering it again to remove/move some of the tophat rods. Continue this until you either achieve a decent match, or your fingers fall off.
On the air, I was greeted with relatively decent bandwidth over 40 meters, and a nice crop of DX waiting for me. I also used it for stateside contacts with some degree of success. I immediately went and added many MANY dozen more radials, which immensely helped performance.
On 80 meters, I was met with a lethargic corpse of an antenna. It tuned over a VERY small section of the band, and I occasionally spoke to some run-o-the mill DX, but it never really WOWED me. Even with tons more tuned radials, nothing would set this thing on fire.
Eventually, weather started to take it's tole. I had to continually guy the critter (but that is something to expect in Wyoming), but even properly guyed, the small fiberglass base insulator started to crack and fail. The wind removed all of the capacity hat rods, so I had to heavily modify the rod mounting structure. It fared better than the stock ones, but not immensely so.
The coil material cracked in the UV and eventually became too broken to continue repair.
The antenna was removed from service, and it's aluminum components recycled into other projects. Sadly, I do not miss this antenna. Never did much for me. |
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| KY6R |
Rating: |
2010-06-30 | |
| Great for DXCC |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I started out with a homebrewed short hatted vertical dipole hanging from a tree on 80M, and worked about half of the DXCC Century 80M entities. Then I put up an MA8040V, and was very pleasantly surprised. I thought it was easy to put up, and I used three guy ropes (thin black UV protected stuff) about 2/3rds up.
I have found that if you have to have a short antenna on the low bands (and this is really quite short), a hatted, top loaded design does seem to work better than it should).
I finally have decided to get on top band (geez I'm probably 2-3 years late), and my MA160V will be here in a day or so. I hope MFJ continues decent production runs . . . .
The only improvement that I made is beef up the solder lugs in and around the loading coils, and I put some weatherproof "schmutz" on the connectors - seemed like they might corrode too easily. |
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| K0VSH |
Rating: |
2010-04-22 | |
| Lowbanders friend |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
This is my second MA8040V and second review.
After struggling to work 160m DX with my HF-2V (even after adding considerable top loading to it), I purchased the MA160V last Fall, and easily finshed off my Top Band DXCC with it. I then purchased the MA8040V (which conveniently uses the same base tubing as the 160m antenna) and made my Spring QSY to 80 and 40 meters.
Assembly of the antenna went quite smoothly after reaming the mounting holes for the top loading coils. (I used the shaft of a jeweler's screwdriver for this purpose). The most difficult part was putting the vinyl protective caps on each of the potentially eye-poking top loading rods. I coated the caps with "liquid tape" to make sure they stayed in place.
Tuning this antenna was easy, as the initial settings worked perfectly for me this time. I do use a pretty fair radial field, so I found a 32:50 Ohm unun from Balun Designs helped achieve a low SWR at resonance.
Here's a tip for making installation easier (especially for those who wish to change back and forth between the 160m antenna and the 80/40):
I cut off a wooden rake handle and dropped it into the base tube, so that the rounded end of the handle sticks a few inches out of the tube. This way you and your helper(s) will find it easy to stabilize the top assembly and fit it into the base.
Both of these Cushcraft antennas are very effective for working lowband DX.
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| N0AH |
Rating: |
2009-10-28 | |
| A Must for the bank yard contestor/DX'er |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
In corner of back yard with 18 radials in 120 degree layout due to enclosed wood fence. All radials are pinned down with garden landscaping pins and range anywhere from 20-60 feet in length. Radials are covered with this year's mulch of neighbor's leaves and 7 inches of new snow- I have a commercial ground rod next to 2 inch diameter steel mount.
7 out of 10 QSO's are better with this antenna versus my 40M dipole on the Cushcraft A3S add on at 50 feet. DX over 1,500 +-miles is 100% always better but still nice to have both options. I have had this antenna since 2006. Only the hardware that came to secure mast bolts to fiberglass has rusted up. Everything is 100% FB.
I'm still getting 80KHz of 2.5:1 BW on 80M and 200+- 2.5:1 bndwidth on 40M.
Tuning is easy but not obvious on 40M. Just cut two of the 25 inch capaciance hats rods to around 23 inches go from being entered at 7.200MHz to 7.050MHz. (this is what worked for me at two different location.....but you might want to test SWR first before cutting for a reference point)
On 80M, just use the length of the stinger. Fully extended, I am at 3.520MHz and fully retracted,I am at 3.800. To go higher, start with removing one capacitance hat rod and see where you are.
While this antenna is noisier than my dipole, it brings DX out 1-2 S-units louder even with the typical noise for a vertical.
Awesome antenna- Any tuning questions, feel free to email me at dinsterdog@aol.com
73 Paul |
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| WB8YYY |
Rating: |
2007-11-05 | |
| Nice Modest DX Vertical |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I was seeking a DX solution for 80 and 40 meters. First I acquired a hand-me-down AP8, and it convinced me a vertical could provide improved DX. But it displayed intermittant performance, and adjusting all those (old) traps is a bear (for bands I didnt need). Workmanship and quality of material is excellent, I had no assembly issues. My setup, with 30+ radials of 30-50 foot length, covers all of 40m and the bottom-most part of 80m (where CW DX lives). The instruction manual encourages a smaller number of tuned radials (to apparently get more bandwidth) that likely loses efficiency.
I like the top loaded design, both because it should be slightly more efficient - and it looks like an antenna! It also serves as a support to many small birds (meaning don't put it too close to your patio where it doesn't belong anyway for RF reasons). If you only seek performance on the lower bands, and don't have supports for a full-sized solution -- this may be a good choice.
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