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Reviews For: MFJ-1432 RuffRider Hyper Gain 144/440 MHz Mobile Antenna 62"

Category: Antennas: VHF/UHF+ Omnidirectional: verticals, mobile, etc

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Review Summary For : MFJ-1432 RuffRider Hyper Gain 144/440 MHz Mobile Antenna 62"
Reviews: 13MSRP: 69.95
Description:
62 1/2 mobile antenna with 5 dB gain on 7/8 Wave 2 Meters, 5/8 Wave, 7.6 dB gain on 440 MHz. Handles 150 Watts
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-1432
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00134.3
NO9X Rating: 2021-12-08
Better than expected Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Update: Antenna has smacked a few trees at speeds I was not hoping to hit trees at! Still going strong! Recently had to take a 1.5 hour trip. There was a Packers game that day so traffic was flying! We were also driving into a very strong head wind. Combined windspeed was over 100mph!! NO issues! Heat shrink working great on the fold over. That said, it was at a very steep bend. Not sure how well it would survive at 80+ with snow/ice...not sure I want to find out! 2X4SR going on by the weekend.

Bought this as I am normally quite a distance from the only repeater that does SKYWARN nets near me (1 county away).
I normally run a Comet 2x4SR, which is also a great wide band antenna.
The idea was that IF I was ever in the field, and needed to hit the repeaters, but couldn’t make it with the 2x4SR, I could quickly swap them and make the trip.
Doing testing on the SKYWARN nets, found I could hit a repeater over 50 miles away! Still haven’t put the 2x4SR back on…. Maybe before winter.
Also tested it (mainly on rx) vs. a diamond monoband antenna. Was stunned to see the dual band MFJ do BETTER in most cases!!!
I knew about the fold over issue, so I simply took a chunk of heat shrink and put that over the hinge (with a small o-ring at the top to keep water out).
Was driving about 80mph, looked up through the sun visor, and other than a noticeable bend from the wind load, it was solid as a rock!
I hit a few tree limbs recently (this is mounted on top of my Jeep with a custom mount) and thought that was the end. Surprisingly though, it made it out fine… MAYBE a small tweak on the top element.
If/when I break this one, I will get another.
KG5EFQ Rating: 2021-08-17
Excellent experience and durability Time Owned: more than 12 months.
A very recent QSO on 146.52 covered at least 65 miles as the crow flies. Admittedly I was on an elevated bridge going through the Bonnet Carrie Spillway so I estimate the antenna height at about 25 ~ 30 ft in elevation. But was still below the tree tops. Had a very clear (bothways) conversation with a base station as I drove along. Radio is a Yaesu FTM-300
N5KDA Rating: 2017-04-28
Beaten be Larsen 150 5/8 wave Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I noticed a few local hams could access the local repeater from the next big town about 60 miles to my East, but I couldn't. They were using 5/8 wave antennas at about the same power level 50 to 60 watts. The other day I made the trip again but I took along a new Larsen 150 5/8 wave antenna. When I got to the point where I was very noisy into the repeater I swapped from the 7/8 wave MFJ to the 5/8 wave Larsen. Bam, I was back into the repeater without noise. It didn't start to get noisy for another 10 miles. The MFJ 1432 is dual band where the Larsen is not but we don't have a local 440 repeater anyway. This antenna does not have the gain MFJ says it does of a 3 dB gain 5/8 wave would have less signal not more.
KF5UOV Rating: 2016-10-06
8 months, no problems... Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Purchased Feb 2016. Mounted on Boztec HAM Mount at rear door hinge on FJ Cruiser. Bottom third of mast is below the peak of the roofline so that may be why I have had zero issues with the fold-over-at-speed that seems to be a common complaint. Using this with a Yaesu VX-6R handheld, added ~4-5mi to my TX distance over the 38" Diamond SBB-5NMO I was previously using. The Diamond still works great, but when I lowered the mounting ~8in from a lip mount on the door to the door hinge I wanted a taller antenna to clear the groundplane a bit more. Being taller it takes more hits than the Diamond did, a few parking garage incidents so far, but still going good.
KD5JZN Rating: 2016-09-05
Good Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Ive run the MFJ-1432 for 3 years. antenna gives me great tx as well as rx. It folded on me once at well over 70mph. Instead of whining about it folding, I kept that from happening again. I took 5" of 1/2"PVC, put a cap on one end, removed the whip from the fold-over, drilled a hole that fit the whip tightly,then replaced the whip and slid the PVC assembly down. after that put a few wraps of electrical tape on the whip high enough to slide it up barely enough to fold it over (tight o-ring would do as well), its never folded unless I wanted it to since. This antenna is a keeper...
KG4NDS Rating: 2016-06-19
Great Antenna, However Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased this antenna to get my APRS signal out while traveling between Houston, TX and Atlanta, GA. It works great to get your signal out in those fringe areas.
Here is the "however"... Like most of the other reviews it has the problem of folding over on itself when driving at speeds greater than 50.
On a side note, mine broke at the fold point when I actually needed to fold it over to get into a parking spot and so I replaced it with a Diamond SG7900 and it ALSO has the exact same fold over issue that this antenna has.
VA3DBD Rating: 2013-02-09
Good, but has a flaw Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased the MFJ-1432 and a MFJ-336S mount in the summer of 2010, and they have been on three three vehicles, a car, a mini van, and a small SUV.

I was instantly impressed with the performance of the antenna. Even just using my handheld at 5w, I have been able to hit repeaters 40+ miles away through urban sprawl, and been told that my signal was strong and clear, with no signs of my being mobile.

Like other people I have had issues with the fold-over feature. I have had the antenna fold it self over a number of times. When it was new it took speeds between 70 - 75 mph, but now it seems to be happening at just 60 - 65 mph.

Last fall it also started to develop a wobbling clunk sound, that has progressively become worse over the winter. I have been able to trace it down to the fold-over point and it appears that the spring is no longer able to keep the mast held tight. I have contacted MFJ twice about a way to fix this, but have not received any response.

Overall - This is a great performing antenna, however the fold-over feature is a serious weakness.
MCDO320 Rating: 2009-09-16
A very funtional Dual bander! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased the MFJ-1432 to replace a Motorola Spectrum I had on the roof of my F-150! The gain is outstanding and me being in a rural area, I can hit repeaters as far as 50+ miles. I check in to the Area nets in Hattiesburg,MS (53 miles away) and Meridian, MS (48 miles away) while sitting in my yard! I have used the fold- over feature several times and have not noticed the problem's other owners have. Overall, for the price and gain you can't ask for anything better!
73's
Albert- KF5CQJ
AI4HO Rating: 2009-06-13
Still Great Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This antenna takes a beating and comes back for more. I've had this antenna for almost 5 years, hard to believe, but Sept. it will be 5 years. This antenna has seen its share of use and abuse, just took it off the 02 Sport Trac in Jan. to put it on my new 09 Ford Ranger. About the only thing I can fault on this antenna is the base, its one of those hinged fold over type bases. Over time, use, or whatever, I've found that at 75mph the antenna has a tendency to fold over without any help from myself.


I guess its time to clean it up, see if somehow I can't tighten up the fold over hinge and keep it and get the radial kit to make it a base/mobile antenna, put it to one side and have it ready for hurricane season this year. Still a great antenna, one that will stay with me for another 5 years.


73 de Mark
W3LZK
Formerly AI4HO
K9VKC Rating: 2008-02-25
Excellent Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Great Antenna, receive is outstanding the gain this antenna provides lets me access repeaters way beyond normal operating range, audio feedback from other stations is "wow you are LOUD and clear and you are MOBILE?" I use the MFJ Goliath Tri mag mount. Great product good price.