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Reviews For: Radio Works Carolina Windom 80

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : Radio Works Carolina Windom 80
Reviews: 85MSRP: 89.95
Description:
Multi-band wire antenna with increasing gain vs frequency
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.radioworks.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15854.1
K3DDX Rating: 2003-05-12
Excellent! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
When I replaced my G5RV with a CW80, all my usual contacts thought I had bought an amp. My CW80 is made of insulated flex wire and is mounted in the oak trees at 75 feet. Great performance on all bands (160, too) with a tuner. Employees at RadioWorks can be a bit surly, but that's another review.
N2EA Rating: 2003-05-11
Good antenna, good company Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had two CW160's up in Vermont for the past 7 years. Worked 311 countries, 100 on 160 in that time, and WAS on 160 in one night. Both antennas were cut to cw80's at least one season.

The criticisms I'm seeing here do NOT track with my experience with Radioworks, or with the antenna, in any way, shape or form. I am compelled to write to set the record straight.

Some years, my cw 160 was shortened to a cw 80. They were both/all installed in trees @ 90-100', using bow and arrow, and fed with whatever rg8x was necessary to get to the shack. They worked fine, but suffered one failure. First one was torn apart by lack of strain relief, in a winter storm. The ferrites shattered hitting the ground @ -20F & 90' drop. Second one is made from superflex wire (premium price, well worth it.) Still up. Still no strain relief.

I tried a double-sized G5RV for a while, in the same trees, but was sorely disappointed.

If I can have but one antenna...cw80 will be my first choice. Flexible, efficient, visually unobtrusive. Get it high and in the clear, as you should with any antenna, or expect to accept the performance compromise. There is no free lunch. Buy land with trees, given a choice.

Jim/N2EA/V25EA
AB7UW-MONTANA Rating: 2003-04-06
awsome wire ! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased the Carolina Windom-80 about 4 years ago. Ive run legal limit cw through it,Ive worked qrp with it,Ive run barefoot with it, and I must say its the best antenna Ive ever owned. In the four years of of owning this wire Ive worked 140 countries on cw mostly with 100w or less! I highly recommend the antenna to anyone. It hears as good as it sends. AAA +++
W1EBI Rating: 2002-12-20
It's a terrific performer Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've had my CW80 up for less than two months, using it for the first time in CQWW SSB in October. Now that CQWW CW and ARRL 10M are history, I want to post a "Great" review of this terrific antenna. It's not a Windom, and it's not a miracle--but it is an extremely effective mutliband wire for HF DXing. Some of the less favorable reviews seem to be from users who did not follow the weatherproofing recommendations religiously. I used PLENTY of Coax-Seal, "Stuf" and cold seal electrical tape, and I'm satisfied they definitely help optimize performance. I still have my backup G5RV (a lazy inverted-V 30ft up at center, quite a non-optimum config), but the CW80 (flattop up 40ft) hears 1-3 S-units better in every test I make. Mine is made with 14AWG insulated wire for maximum stealth, held taught by a pair of industrial strength bungee cords. In three DX contests plus a few hours of casual operating in between, I've worked around 150 countries on six continents plus Antarctica in eight weeks using a barefoot FT-920 at 100W. Sure, I'd love to have stacked Yagis on a tower, but the CW80 passes my "spousal acceptance factor" and, properly installed, performs extremely well. Great value for money!
NC2F Rating: 2002-10-17
Solid Performer Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I posted a review of the Carolina Windom under the Antrennas & More Carolina Windom review sometime back. The design is spectacular and performance is even better. If you can hang this on your property up 25' or better, you'll have the best antenna money can buy.
WA0JCV Rating: 2002-10-03
works ok but.... Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I put this antenna up a year and a half ago. It worked really nice and I was pleased with operation. But then, it ceased to function. I could hear no signals, it would not tune, etc. I finally took it down and did some digging into the white plastic pieces that form the matching device and the transmission line isolator. They were both filled with water - and apparently long enough to go through the winter with freezing causing the toroid in the matching device to pulverize. The isolation transformer sounded like a bottle full of water so a small hole was finally added to drain the thing. The antenna is obviously dead now so I recommend, if you put one up, that you do add some of your own sealant to the topmost components to keep the water out!! I had sealed the connectors but didn't expect the water problem from the rest of the connections. I hesitate to put another one up.
ZD8DB Rating: 2002-06-03
Watch the Power! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Beware the manufacturers over optimistic power ratings when using these antennas on any band where the antenna doesn't present a good match - just 200w of SSTV totally burnt the balun to a useless crisp within just 3 QSO's!
Very annoying - ended up building a homebrew balun using a heavy duty toroid which has lasted very well so far.
Apart from that not a bad antenna in terms of performance and at least equal or possibly better than the old G5RV.
Just a shame the advertising blurb is a little over exaggerated!
Also contacted Radioworks with a nice photo of the 'cremated' balun- guess what - no reply!!

KC0CXI Rating: 2002-05-14
Great antenna for QRP Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
My Carolina Windom is my first "real" antenna after getting started with a random wire. It was easy to install, and works extremely well.

I operate QRP and get surprisingly good signal reports. I'm very satisfied with the performance of the antenna, especially considering the cost. I have a fairly large yard, but also like the fact that the antenna is inconspicuous -- pretty much invisible except for the baluns that hang down on the vertical section.
WQ8Q Rating: 2002-05-01
Life's Too Short Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Okay, boys and girls; I bought this antenna last year at Dayton to replace a 13 year old G5RV (Which used quiet-flex coated wire). I'd been noticing some noise when the wind blew, but ignored it. Then came the heavy rain this last weekend, and my SWR went jumping all over the place. Now, I followed the instructions to the letter; careful about how to take the strain off the coax, used plenty of coax-seal, being careful not to cover the drain holes (!) on the line isolator and the balun. I pulled the antenna down and (AHA!) shook most of the water out of the sewer pipe used to house the "line isolator". Decided to put the G5RV back up, which works fine. I don't mind fooling with antennas, but less than a year of use is not my idea of fun. While they're nice people to deal with, I don't necessarily buy into their antenna theories, and won't miss the pieces of white sewer pipe hanging out in the weather. And the "noise" coming from the corroded twisted antenna wire is gone!
K0RKS Rating: 2002-04-25
I think you will be suprised, I was. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I was needing some wire for 40 and 75, also I was wanting to work a little DX. I have a Vertical but kinda noisy, Also It would be some time before I can get back up the tower for a new beam. I bought the Windom 80 based on the reviews I read here. I first tried it out on 75meters I got great reports, I was pleased (with an amp of course). I tried it 2nd on 40meters again I had a better than average report or two that night (Which was full of t-storms).
Tonight Finally the Geo Storms took a night off, I worked 17 and 20 Barefoot and with the amp. If I heard em I worked em. I enjoy the quiet Not a noisy Vertical, It loads up fine with the tuner. My Amp. Likes it really well old SB-220.
After reading thru the instructions and attempting to get the 80 installed as close as I could to the instructions. 15 feet from the tower legs as high as possible.
I have no problem making contacts If you need a Dipole for 75 you have it, If you need a good long Stretch for 40 late night, It works fine. It's working DX right now on 20 as I write this. The Windom 80 is My main Antenna I use the Vert. for PSK31. BTW I Compared the Ground Mounted Vert. against the Windom, 5 s-units Difference. I compared the Windom to My all time DX winner a 40 Meter Sloper. They Ran neck and neck with some Qsb Stateside.
If you have a tuner (you should anyway) Try the Windom, 90 bucks Versus. 400.00 for a Vertical. It's worth it..
73 Kb0adb
Ron