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Reviews For: Tennadyne T-14

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

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Review Summary For : Tennadyne T-14
Reviews: 2MSRP: 3,895
Description:
Tennadyne T-14 14-30MHZ
Product is in production
More Info: HTTP://WWW.TENNADYNE.COM
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0024
W9AC Rating: 2023-02-06
Inaccurate Gain Claim Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My T-14.10-30HD was installed back in 2015 and was in service until 2017. Overall construction quality is quite good but the gain claim isn't close to reality.

Using W8IO's LPDA design software, gain is approximately 3 dB less than the claimed 8.5 dBd. The only ways the claimed gain can be made possible is with: (1) an extremely long boom, more than 100 ft long; or (2) significant ground reflection gain. Free space modeling is the *only way* to compare gain performance with other antennas. The environment must be removed for comparison purposes.

An oddity with the T14 and similar LPDA designs is that a sharp VSWR spike occurs when sweeping the antenna across its designed operating spectrum. To move the spike out of harm's way, a shorting stub is placed at the back of the antenna between the two booms. Prior to stub tuning, the SWR spike occurred in the middle of 17m.

Like all similar LPDA designs, only 2-3 elements are significantly active at any given frequency. What you think is a high performance long-boom 14-element antenna is comparable in performance to a 2-3 element Yagi on a short boom. This is easily seen when modeled using 4Nec2 software.

So, 5 stars for construction mechanics, three stars for performance, and 0 stars for the advertised gain claim.
W5RG Rating: 2005-12-30
WELL BUILT Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have always built my own Yagi's for almost 50 years now but wanted to try a long boom log and Tennadyne is the best for log periodic's.I was glad Roger had came out with some new models but still not what I wanted,so I call Roger and told him what I wanted to do and he was more than happy to work up a model for me.
Over the next year[I was in no hurry]we kept in contact and he made me a nice 14 element on a 42ft boom for 14-30 mhz. Roger is great to work with and will do what it takes to make you happy.
I have not moved yet so I don't have the antenna up yet,but I have taken it out of the box and the quality and workmanship that is in this antenna is outstanding.I plan to order two more of these after I get moved.
We are moving to Florida and I wanted a antenna with no moving parts and one feedline plus I have a little more extra gain with a longer boom. I know it is hard to get extra gain out of log periodic and I sure it will not beat my mono banders,but I have a antenna for all bands 14-30 with one feedline and very well built.
Thanks Roger for all your help!! I'll send my order for two more after I move..30 meter would also be nice...Bob W5RG