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Reviews For: OPEK HVT-400

Category: Antennas: HF Mobile & Accessories

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Review Summary For : OPEK HVT-400
Reviews: 60MSRP: 60.00
Description:
HF/VHF 8-band mobile antenna. 120 watt maxiumum power handling. Freq: 80/40/20/15/10/6/2 meter & "air band". Use jumper lead to change freq./band. PL-259 mount. Retractable telescopic whip for best TX/RX.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.opektech.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
24.5603.7
W2HDI Rating: 2010-02-27
Excellent first experience Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this today at a local hamfest,and am pleased so far with the results. I installed the antenna on an existing mount, didn't carefully measure the length, started the car and, using an LDG tuner, immediately worked France on 20 meters. Entered the highway, and worked France and Belgium, again on 20. I haven't found any mobile antenna that works well without a tuner. So far, this antenna seems to be working as well as my Comet,and is a bit more secure with less wind resistance.
KD4VLF Rating: 2009-12-22
Good antenna for the money! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've heard alot of bad press about this antenna, but I've used mine for almost 2 years when on portable outings and have had alot of fun with it. I use it with my FT-817ND qrp rig, an at-130 tuner and mount the antenna on a 6 ft. tripod with a few (3-4) radials laid on the ground. I've used it on all bands except VHF/UHF,and have made tons of contacts. Most were made on SSB and digital modes. I haven't used it mobile yet, but plan to do that in the future. I know there are other antennas out there that would give better results at several times the price, but for $60 I think its pretty hard to beat! Try one and I think you will be suprised.
KV9L Rating: 2009-12-10
Sort of Works Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The antenna works, I have made a few contacts on 75M with it. That being said... if the antenna is tuned for 75M none of the other bands are resonant. If you tune it for 40 the 20, 15 and 10 come in but 6 is still not resonant anywhere in the band.

Performance wise it works as expected but does not work as advertised for tuning or band changing. May be good for portable or antenna restricted places but just is not working for me in the mobile. Its a shame because this would be a perfect multiband mobile antenna if it worked right.
W5CEM Rating: 2009-07-09
A good bargain Time Owned: more than 12 months.
You get what you pay for....it may not be the best built, but it does work. I read these reviews of how BAD it is, then I remember I used mine on my vehicle, parked on a small hill in Dallas to work VP6DX with 5 watts on 17/15/10!!! So it may not be perfect, but for me it works just fine.
KB0NBE Rating: 2009-06-13
WASTE OF MONEY Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought one at Dayton thinking "ah this is just I need" there I go thinking. What a mistake....
I guess I'll call the dealer then opek to find out how to tune this thing. I worked on it for over an hour trying to tune this ---- THING with no luck.
K8MMG Rating: 2009-05-09
Better than some costing more Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I was pretty hesitant to buy this antenna after reading these reviews. Also because I usually associate price with quality (most of us are guilty on that).

At any rate, the build quality seems very good. YES it was a pain to tune. I am using it on a 10th floor balcony installation. It is installed on an all metal railing (this serves as a great ground/counterpoise). I had to slide the antenna down the railing to get a PERFECT flat SWR. I am using no tuner with this antenna.

Within minutes of tuning, I had a contact in Italy who was booming. Yesterday a contact in Croatia. This antenna works better than many antennas I've had that I've paid MUCH more for.

In short: GREAT BARGAIN!
N7BBX Rating: 2009-04-02
OK so far Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased this antenna at a local swap meet new from a dealer. Assembly is a no brainer. It does need a small tuner just to keep the radio happy. First call on 20M was a 5X9 to Florida from Arizona. Small enough not to scream "ham radio inside". It is a pain to change bands but for the money I have no complaints.
N3SFL Rating: 2009-04-02
real good bang for buck Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
i think this antenna is great i have it on my truck with a alinco dx70t and ldg tuner i gett from 80 meters to 10 no probs i dont use it for vhf or uhf i have fender mount for that rig
so for 54.00 plus shipping i gett out all over with 5/9 matter of fact this last weekend contest a op told me i was so strong that he could not beleave i was mobile as for lasting if i gett a year i figure i gott my beans worth so to the short of it YES i would buy again..
VA1WV Rating: 2009-04-01
Not a good deal Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After having the first one fail miserably, on uhf 2m and 6m, I thinking, that I had messed it up some how, bought a second one. Well it worked as well as the first. It is basiclly a coil with a coat hanger soldered to it. It requires retuning on all the above mentioned bans, and I never did get it to work as prescribed in the documentation. I didn't even get a close match (useable) on any of the above bands. I did though get an exceptable match on 10m. When I contacted Opek in South Carolina, they didn't want anything to do with me. If you want to use this on more then one band buy a multiband swr bridge and a good quality allen key because you'll need it. Basiclly I call it junk.
AC0HD Rating: 2009-02-11
Not the best choice. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought this antenna as a cheap stand-in and back-up antenna when I did not want my taller hitch mounted Hustler or HighSierra 1500 antenna mounted due to needing the hitch or what ever other reason.

I have had the antena for over a year and have used it on several different vehicles and 2-3 different mounting methods (all with braided RF gounding and a secure mount to the vehicle body...trunk lip, etc) I have unfortunately found it to be largely unacceptible for anything except emergency usage.

Even with rf ground strapping the SWR will not drop below the 1.7:1 range on any band.

When switching bands, the mast has to be readjusted for optimal tuning.

Reception is decent (then again, reception is decent with a clothes hanger wire).

The High Sierra or Hustlers, either, do a vastly better job transmitting even in the sloppiest installation and barely tuned than the HVT400 does.

The workmanship appears to be good for the money but the actual usefulness of the design needs to be revisited and improved.

To sum it up I think it was all covered by the comments made by kb0sfp... (http://www.eham.net/reviews/mailto/77917).

Thanks and 73-
Les