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Reviews For: Pacific Antenna

Category: Antennas: HF Portable (not mobile)

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Review Summary For : Pacific Antenna
Reviews: 30MSRP: 120
Description:
Multi-band portable vertical HF antenna designed by KA5DVS
Product is in production
More Info: http://qrpkits.com/pac12.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00304.9
N2XC Rating: 2006-12-28
great! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought parts from James about 10 months ago. I got the variable coils and the whips. It performed fine but it was a little "light" for me. I bought 1/4" aluminum round stock and remade the rods. I also had to rethread the the aluminum adaptors at the ends of the coils. The last touch was I purchased the Versa T from Buddipole. Now I have all of the flexibility of the Buddipole at a very substantial savings. Great antenna!
KD7CJV Rating: 2006-03-21
Keeper! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This rugged little antenna enabled me to get my 4th grade class on the air for School Club Roundup this year. I assembled most of it while sitting next to the xyl on the sofa. The machined parts fit together very well. I'm not the greatest coil wrapper in the world, but was able to put 20m and 40m coils together and get them soldered correctly using the excellent directions. I found the extra coil wire comforting as I started the process, hi hi.

But the best thing about this antenna is how it performs. I used it over a two week period, setting it up and taking it down each day in all kinds of weather---winds gusting to 30 mph, rain, and snow. I used the ground mount spike and supplied radials. We ran 35 to 80 watts using CW, PSK and SSB. From our Portland,OR QTH we worked stations coast to coast and managed a few DX contacts in Alaska, Asia and South America--all of this during not-so-perfect band conditions on 20m. It should be noted that our antenna location was a compromise with lots of local qrm from HVAC units, antique computers, and other rf spewing devices. Even with all of this, the pac-12 delivered great performance and helped introduce amateur radio to 25 students.

This is a durable, highly portable antenna that once assembled, can be set up and taken down in less than five minutes. Our classroom will eventually have a permanent antenna on the roof. I'll continue to use the pac-12 during my qrp portable adventures. You can see a picture of our antenna setup on our classroom radio club's qrz.com lookup.

ke7fwy - David Douglas Elementary Amateur Radio Club
AK0M Rating: 2006-03-15
Excellent design Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I recently built my own version of the PAC-12 design but with the base section extended to 11ft. I used telescoping aluminum tubing for the base section, with compression clamps securing each section at the desired length. With my tapped coil, I am able to operate 40-10m with ease. For ground radials I use eight 9ft radials made from 3-conductor rotor cable.

I recently used this antenna during my C6ASB operations from the Bahamas (see www.ak0m.com). Performance was good, and I was able to run EU and US/VE stations at night on 40m using only 10w output.

I haven't used the commercial product, but this antenna's design is sound and excellent for a self-supporting very-portable vertical antenna. I'd expect the commercial product to be as good or better.
K2HJM Rating: 2005-07-05
Neat, practical design Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I built my PAC-12 from individual kit parts: the user-assembled multiband coil kit, which tunes easily with its test clip lead from 40 to 10 meters... two mast sections, telescoping whip & assorted hardware. All parts are nicely machined and lightweight. The coil must be hand wound, and was not especially difficult once I got the hang of it. It's a big coil!

The finished antenna can be assembled in a minute. Great for backpacking and portable operation. I use mine mounted to the side of an IC-703 with a Superantenna MP-1 bracket designed for the FT-817.

A fine addition to any antenna collection. Recommended!
W2LJ Rating: 2005-06-28
Excellent! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Excellent antenna - excellent concept whichever route you go (commercial version or homebrew or even hybrid!). I used my PAC-12 exclusively for Field Day 2005. In the very meager time I got to operate (less than 3 hours) I snagged close to 60 QSOs, 22 states and 3 Canadian provinces. All with only 5 Watts output!

The fact that it breaks down so compactly and is so lightweight for easy portability is icing on the cake. This antenna sings!
KC9ERB Rating: 2005-06-13
Buy one! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just got in from operating backyard portable with my new Pac12. On 20 meters with 50 watts out of my IC718, I made immediate contacts with stations in Colorado and Arizona from West Central Illinois with minimal swr and pretty good signal reports. The antenna is furnished as a kit and is very easy to assemble both on the bench and in the field. It seems pretty sturdy but may benefit from guys on very windy days. My club and I have some activities lined up for later this summer and fall with Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, and I can tell that this antenna will serve us very well.
EI4IS Rating: 2005-04-19
contagious! Well thought out item. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Service is great and prompt. Parts well finished. Coils are easily wound with pro finished pieces to work with.
Finished items fits neatly into my old 'Dumbputer carry case.
A couple of other Cork Radio Club members have bought and built their's as well.
Definetly worth the bucks and will be hauling mine out to the boonies in May for a field trial.
Caution! Creates a need to try modifying and experimenting and such, I.E. Wonder how it would work with 1/2 inch rods?, etc. etc. etc.
N1KSN Rating: 2004-10-25
Compact and effective Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This antenna works as well as any other loaded vertical of the same general size, but it is ultra-compact and lightweight. I built a custom H-base of aluminum bar to make it useable on hard surfaces and indoors, which was easy as the antenna uses standard threads and hardware. I also built a set of 16 8-foot radials out of my favorite radial wire material--unzipped speaker cord (nice and limp).

With a 20' feedline of RG-174 everything fits inside a small Sears under-the-seat tool box, making it a great grab-and-go companion to my K1 station.

N0MQ Rating: 2004-10-25
Outstanding antenna Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I purchased the PAC-12 because our club goes to the field many times a year (4SQRP Group). Had tried a MP-1 and just could not get it to work very well. When the PAC-12 arrived I got the 20 meter coil finished and tried it out at my QTH. It worked the first time. The manual is excellent and takes you thru building the coils step by step. I now have coils built for 80,40,30,20,17
meters. Very easy to get the SWR down. I use a camera tripod which works great. James' (KA5DVS)
has a winner with the commerical PAC-12.
G4GTU Rating: 2004-10-10
Superb portable HF antenna that really works Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have been using James' (KA5DVS) commercial PAC-12 antenna for a while now and love it. Build quality is top-notch. Assembles ready for operation in around 2-3 minutes including radials - truly plug and play. Ultra lightweight and stows into a very small space, especiallly with the custom roll-up carry bag. Separate compact coils are used for different bands and are quick and easy to switch. I use this antenna with a KX-1 making for a truly /P HF setup. But the most important thing is that the PAC-12 really works. See the HF Pack shootout reports at www.hfpack.com to see how well it scored. The Pacific Antenna website offers a lot of descriptive and pictorial information and James' personal assistance with any queries is excellent. This antenna now goes everywhere with me!