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Reviews For: Firestik TM-4

Category: Antennas: HF Mobile & Accessories

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Review Summary For : Firestik TM-4
Reviews: 2MSRP:
Description:
Tunable Tip "Mach-10" 10-Meter Antennas
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.firestik.com/CatalogFrame.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0024.5
W5TTW Rating: 2010-12-24
Great value Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I use them mobile for 10, 6 and 2m. (The one cut for 2m works great on 6, as expected.) I am frequently asked "Are you really mobile?" I use quick disconnects for rapid change-outs and garage parking. I love them and they compliment the Yaesu 857 in my truck.
WB5GSA Rating: 2000-02-24
Good 10 meter antenna in a small package Time Owned: unknown months.
The Firestik TM-4 ten meter antenna is a well designed, four foot long 5/8 wavelength, helical wound antenna on a fiberglass core. I needed a good antenna that I could drive into my garage with and the TM4 fills the bill.

I have it coupled to the Radio Shack HTX-10 and have no problems talking to stateside and DX stations.

The antenna tunes between 28.3 and 28.5 mHz with a brass screw that matches the electrical length of the transmitted wave. I was able to get very close to a 1:1 match with this antenna.

It is a well made, rugged antenna that has already taken some hits from an unsympathetic carwash!

Firestik makes several base mounts for this antenna and I bought the spring loaded mount because of the winds and the wooded area that I live in. The weakest part of the whole system is the spring mount and the flimsy insulator that keeps the mount and antenna from shorting out against the frame. I had problems at first with getting a good match because I had mounted the antenna too close to the truck body which I assume loaded (detuned)the antenna from its design frequency. I discoverd that in heavy snow, the antenna easily is grounded against the truck body through the spring base.

Firestik has an excellent website with technical tips for the technically challenged. They also sell 2 meter antennas and other accessories and mounts outside the CB arena.