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Reviews For: Force 12 EF-240X

Category: Antennas: HF: Yagi, Quad, Rotary dipole, LPDA

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Review Summary For : Force 12 EF-240X
Reviews: 4MSRP: 750
Description:
2 Element Yagi Beam Antenna
Product is in production
More Info: http://force12inc.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0044.5
WX3B Rating: 2007-01-02
Well Kept Secret Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Haven't heard many of these antennas, however there are at least 3 new ones in Carroll County, MD in the past year!


EXTREMELY light wind load (less than 5 square feet), easy to assemble the elements and boom, and NO TRAP OR COILS TO FAIL! Did I mention the price beats most or all of the other antennas in this class???

You do need to "tune" this antenna and it is best accomplished with an easy way to get the antenna up & down. If you want to be precise, you must tune the reflector and driven element independently. It is well worth reading Tom's publication on shortened 40m Yagi behavior.

Once tuned, you do get at least 200khz of 2:1 bandwidth. The antenna resonant frequency doesn't change that much when going from 10 to 55 feet. Directivity seems better than I would expect for a low 2 element beam.

Conclusion:

I have had an absolute BLAST using this antenna and would recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind a little "work" getting it working well. It is small and light enough to fit into just about any station, and does NOT interact destructively with my other (3) close Monoband Yagis.

This is my 4th Force 12 antenna - and I give Tom and Force 12 high marks for building quality products at good prices.

Sincerely,

Jim WX3B
W6NWS Rating: 2006-03-24
OK, but..... Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought the EF-240X new not too long after Force12 started selling antennas. Force12 is pitiful when it comes to service. It took several calls to get the correct dimensions because they "were too busy getting product out to update the documents". Once completed it has performed well. I lost the reflector a couple of months ago when the rivets on the element to boom mounting failed and the 120 foot fall left it more like a quad element. I am still trying to get an estimate for parts to fix the element. No email response in 2 months to more than one request.
N8AYY Rating: 2006-03-02
Increased 4-6 S units over existing antennas! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I would only add to KM5VI accurate report in the construction of this antenna. Solid construction is used throughout and assembly was just a few hours with no element measuring required. The weight v.s. cost and performance is outstanding for this two element yagi. I've had QSO after QSO giving me 599+ reports after installing this antenna at the 72 foot level. I've tested this yagi against my tower mounted wire sloper at 60' which has always been a good DX performer and 340' horizontal loop at 50' and there is just never any comparisons. I consistently get from S-0 or S-1 on the sloper and loop centered on a weak dx station to over S-6 and higher on the EF-240X. This kind of signal increase is well above published spec's on this antenna but the S meter on the Yaesu 1000MP MK and other rigs is 4-6 S units higher on every dx test I've run. If your interested in "working the DX" and not just hearing them be worked, then I can highly suggest the purchase of this antenna. I did all my SWR adjustments at about the 40' level and it worked out fine. Ended up adjusting a bit over 3-4 plus inches from the printed spec's for a solild 1 to1 match at 7.020 on the driven element. Reflector element was built to stated specs.. Give the boys at Force 12 about six weeks for delivery, on average, but well worth the wait. Also used the CAL-AV Balun from Array Solutions and it seems to be working great with power from 1/2 watt to over 1500 watts. Peter 1 was no problem on 40 meters with this antenna! ... ( if you heard the pile-ups) need I say more..........
KM5VI Rating: 2004-11-11
A Versatile 40m Yagi Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is a 2 element yagi design similar to the EF-240 except for a 24' boom length. The linear loaded elements are approximately 1/3 wavelength. The parasitic element can be configured as a director or reflector by changing the resonance of the loading wires. This is a plus if you like to experiment. Mechanically, this antenna is sturdy. The majority of joint connections are riveted. Additional boom support is provided by a mast mounted cable. The linear loading wires double as supports for the elements. Force 12 supposedly upgraded the boom to mast mounting bracket so be aware if shopping for a used model. Mine was acquired used but is equipped with a heavy duty, 2-piece mounting bracket. The only problem encountered mechanically to date has been thread galling between the stainless wire retaining bolts and the aluminum threaded couplers used at the wire coupling points of the elements. Anti-seize compound should prevent this problem commonly encountered between dissimilar metals from reoccurring. Electrically the antenna performs as advertised. The 2:1 bandwidth is about 250khz. The forward gain is very evident as compared to a dipole at same height – especially for stateside contacts. My vertical will some times offer a slightly better signal from DX stations coming in at low wave angles due to the limitations of my installed height (50ft).