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Reviews For: Cushcraft ASL-670

Category: Antennas: VHF/UHF+ Directional (Yagi, quad, etc.)

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Review Summary For : Cushcraft ASL-670
Reviews: 3MSRP:
Description:
Log Periodic 50-450 MHz
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.cushcraftamateur.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0032
WB2VVV Rating: 2016-06-18
Fell apart within 2 years Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had one of these antennas and was pleased with the performance on 50 MHz. However, I felt the performance on 144, 222, and 432 MHz seemed very weak compared to other very small compact beams I have used. By around 2 years the elements started falling off and before long a number of them were on the ground below the antenna. The funny thing was that this antenna didn't seem to work any worse with a bunch of missing elements than when it had all of its elements. Cushcraft gave good customer service and generously supplied a number of replacement elements, but those also quickly started falling off too. Adding the missing elements didn't seem to improve the perfornance, and them falling off again didn't seem to hurt the performance. In my opinion this was because the antenna basically performs like a multi band rotary dipole - which is a decent antenna on 50 MHz, but not so much on the higher VHF/UHF bands where more path loss needs to be overcome, and there is seldom E-skip to boost signal strength.

I ultimately replaced this antenna with a small stack of short boom length 144, 222, and 432 beams joined by a Triplexer to my coax, and that worked tremendously better this antenna, though I did ultimately have two Triplexer failures. I was also using a horizontal omni squalo antenna for 50 MHz which required running another feedline and that worked well on 50 MHz, almost in the league of when this antenna was working. I eventually replaced the squalo with a refurbished 4 element yagi which worked a lot better than both ever did on 50 MHz. Due to growing tired with Triplexer failures I eventually installed a remote coaxial switch, and that worked noticeable better on 222 MHz.

All in all you need to keep in mind that with an LPDA there is very little boom length, thus very few elements being utilized on any single band. It's a convenient way to get on the air with a single feed line if essentially dipole gain is all that is needed. It is a shame that the elements always fell off, and not something I ever experienced with a previous 144 MHz and up Create LPDA, nor a multitude of LPDA TV antennas. A better fixing method should be devised for the elements than just running a die over their ends and supplying nuts. I believe that threading the ends of the elements with the die weakened the soft aluminum elements and with wind vibration they eventually broke off where they were weakened. I have seen some Sirio antennas where the end of the element is joined to a threaded stainless steel insert, and that seems to be a much more durable mechanical solution.
KG4YJS Rating: 2007-08-08
Good Peformer Time Owned: more than 12 months.
At the time of this writing I have had this antenna for about 3 and a half years.

Wow ... I thought I was the only one who was having the little rods breaking off problem as described in the last post.

I did have approximately 5-6 rods break off in the first six weeks that I had this antenna. I mainly attribute that to over tightening of the rods to the boom. I finally figured that out and hand tightened all the rods and haven't had a problem since. The broken rods were fixed by a trip to the hardware store and buying some aluminum rods, cutting down to match the original size and then threading the rods themselves.

As far as performance goes, this antenna really shines on 6m, 2m, 440 MHz. I have mine up about 35' with a tv rotor and signal reports have been very good with a little DX being worked on 6m and 2m during good times.

Since it it a log it also is great for anyone who is into scanning as it has full broadband receive coverage.

As far as Cushcraft's service goes, a couple of years ago I had to take the antenna down before the onslaught of a hurricane and I accidentally broken one of the coax connector that goes to the driven element and I called Cuchcraft and they sent a replacement part out for a reasonable price that I received about four days later ... not too bad.

Even with some of the problems I had, I would still recommend this antenna to anyone.
WA0TDA Rating: 2007-06-22
Stay away from this! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
A terrible antenna, not because of performance, but because most of the elements simply fell off in the first 18 months or so. The brittle rods used as elements break off at the boom, where the threading ends. Every customer should have been offered a replacement with some other model or a pro-rated refund based on a usable life of at least 5 years. Total garbage - no wonder it's discontinued after such a short run.