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Reviews For: Comet H422

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : Comet H422
Reviews: 50MSRP: 300
Description:
10, 15, 20 & 40M 'V' or straight dipole
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.comet-ant.co.jp/products/still/08.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00504.1
K4PP Rating: 2009-03-11
Back for the final Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have been really impressed with this antenna. I was looking for something that was not too conspicuous for the neighborhood but performed well enough, and something that my homebrew tilt-over mast would hold up. I don’t have a tower. The antenna is mounted 40 ft up in V configuration and free and clear in the open. I keep it oriented broadside to the line northwest – southeast (AL) and almost never rotate it as I find it only slightly directional. I run an Elk 2m-440 LP between it at about 3 ft above as well. 20 meter swr bandwidth is tight but I have been able to tune and get out on the edges without much trouble. 40m, 15m, 10m all perform well. My plotted SWR is posted below. It actually performed very well in the recent Int. DX contest. I find the construction of the antenna to be exceptional. It’s simple; it’s all aluminum tubing so it doesn’t weigh much and it’s strong. The wind area is also very low. In fact, my antenna has been brutally pounded in day long wind gust several times now, and has held up well. Birds land on the tips and it holds up well. I have been totally satisfied with this antenna. Overall, for the cost, size, and performance of this antenna, it was just what I was looking for.
GM1FLQ Rating: 2009-03-11
Good for what it is Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
If you adopt the attitude that nobody does anything right these days you will not be far off the mark and you will not be disappointed.
With this in mind I sleeved the inner sections with interference fit aluminium tubing. It has been up around 9m high in some horrendous winter winds with no problems. I also added self amalgamating tape to the original seals for good measure. No problems with SWR or intermittent connections and performance is about same as a dedicated dipole at a similar hight.
Build quality is better than a lot of other ham equipment I can think on but that wouldn't be hard.
MI3LVZ Rating: 2009-03-10
So far, so good Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Iv had the H422 for about a 2 months now and at first i had mixed thoughts on the antenna.
The build quality left something to be desired. Firstly, be careful when tightening the clamps that fix the elements to the main mounting bracket as one of the plastic U shaped supports broke with very little effort! Secondly, after erecting the antenna i checked the SWR. Off the scale on all bands (END STOPPING)!!!!
Brought the antenna down and had a look inside the balun. Two of the solder joints hadn't even been touched with an iron and the earth hadn't been attached!! Plus, as with the previous review, the core of the balun had to be reglued!!
Thirdly, the cost! In September 2008 these antennas were £180 approx, i paid £248!!(Jan 2009) (Bloody credit crunch!). I have mine mounted at 7 meters, in the V configuration. SWR is fine on all bands barr 40, cant get it below 1.8! And height and location does make a big difference with resonance. Once you get over any little problems the antenna works quite well. 40 is very good and 20, well 20s always gona be 20! Its at least 2 to 3 S points up on my hustler 6BTV. So over all im pleased but would have been happier if still £180 as i dont think its worth much more.
Martin.
M0TNX Rating: 2008-10-08
Excellent Value Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I bought this on the back of comments from my old friend Charles, M0OXO and Darren, G0TSM, two very respected amateurs.

I had only worked DX on 40 with a vertical by the sea, the ultimate DX antenna! So having something that I could hear DX stations from home was FB! The antenna is quite small at over 30 feet for 40 metres, but gives excellent performance on this band. Last two mornings I have worked VK with 579 reports, 50w CW.

I cannot comment on its performance on 10 and 15 metres, as there have been minimal openings, 20 metres the unit is ok, but after a comparison with a mini delta, the mini delta won, by 2-3 s points, something I really can't get my head round, but it happened!

I only live in a small lot, so the size has caused a few raised eyebrows amongst the "non believers"! I have reluctantly had to sell it, replacing it with a collapsible mast with 66 foot inverted L, and the mini delta.

The construction is ok, not aerospace quality, but for the money it is sturdy, recently we have had steady 35 MPH winds, the comet didn't flinch. I had mine in the V configuration to save space, and found that Value for money, as far as commercial antenna go, this is a winner.
As soon as we move to a bigger lot, I will definitely buy another, great job Comet!
VK4MKE Rating: 2008-09-17
vk4mke Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Im impressed with this antenna,It is well worth a 5 rating, the finished product is well made strong and I hope to have many years of use from it.The performance is quite good on 40meters compaired to my 66ft caralina windom my signal jumped 4 s points when I rotated it to a vk7 station,on average im 1 to 2 s points better overall that is with the dipole horizontal and at 25ft.I like it better on 20 meters good swr from 14.160 to 14.230 I shortened the trap by 1 hole and perfect, on 40 meters I tuned it up the band 7.160 to 7.220 good swr 1.3.1 aprox, on 7.060 swr is at 2.5.1 I use my tuner to clean it up down there.Well on the other 2 bands swr is low across each band and it works good on 10meters what a excellent antenna for the price. Now for the 4 rating there was a problem with the antenna and its disapointing, 8 of the 12 plastic end weather caps on the traps were all ready cracked I have not contacted the supplier here in australia yet but I would be very supprised if they had spares sent to them re this problem, water proof tape in action again.
M0OXO Rating: 2008-08-22
Works a treat! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Hi as promised, my second review (see earlier for previous comments). Well, after 8 weeks trying the antenna I am very pleased and obviously it works. I have not had 40M for some time now and its made a great addition to my choice of Bands. I have the antenna mounted (Inv V) above a 2 element SteppIR and when up full is at 16M ( see www.charlesm0oxo.piczo.com ). It works fantastic at this height but also performs well at the lowest height of 8m approx, working VK this morning. I didnt find it as good when horizontally configured, why so i am not sure. I dont seem to suffer high SWR at all and each band is less than 1:2:1. Working into Europe is a breeze and on 40M alone, I have worked good DX including VK3, VK7, CE2, W2, LU2 and 3G1 without any problem. I really only purchased it for 40m, however it does work better than i anticipated on the other 3 bands. Problems - One of the nuts stripped the thread on one of the U Bolt after taking it down/ re-erecting after a trip but the guys at Comet were very helpful and replaced the item immediately at minimal cost, thanks!
So, all in all it works super for me, I am really pleased and 40M is certainly as good, if not better than advertised. Without any doubt, my rating is 5/5 Thanks, Charles
MM5DOG Rating: 2008-07-17
Installed in an hour Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Purchased this to get up on 40M and to possibly work /P. Put antenna up on moonraker portable 4meter telescopic pole and fed some RG213 to an auto ATU.......AT11 I built some time ago.....for such a small antenna sitting at 4 meters agl it certainly works great.
Will post another review once I have abused it a bit more.
WH2X Rating: 2007-05-02
EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I HAVE BEEN USING THIS ANTENNA FOR ABOUT A YEAR IT IS A GREAT PERFORMANCE FOR SUCH A SMALL ANTENNA AND YOU WILL NOTICE SOME DIRECTIVITY ON THIS ONE.THE ANTENNA IS MOUNTED ABOUT 40FT. HIGH. YOU WILL HEAR ME MOSTLY ON 40M BAND ON 7.095 @ ABOUT 7:00PM GUAM TIME. SWR OF ANTENNA ON THE ENTIRE 4 BAND IS 1.2:1

73'S
WH2X
ISLAND OF GUAM

G8XGB Rating: 2007-04-06
Excellent small garden Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have tried most types of antenna at this QTH some have worked better than others, then I heard a H-422 on the air. Built in about 2.5 hours and that included removing the remains of a well known vertical which had disintegrated. Minimum of effort required and loaded up first time on the expected frequencies according to thte detailed configuration chart provided with then antenna. I have set mine for the SSB portion of all bands and gives total band coverage at worst case 1:1.5 on 40/20/15/10 mtrs. Within minutes of operating bagged my first ever VU2 on 20 meters and 5/9 signals both ways. Only 40 and 20 meters open at the time of operating so cannot comment on the other bands, but for a small lot that I have this antenna seems to put out one of the best signals ever - highly recommended for those of use who cannot put up multi- element monobanders on all frequencies.
G0TSM Rating: 2007-03-30
C52T - Great signals! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I used my H422 at C52T in the WPX SSB contest, if anyone heard my signals coming out of West Africa then you would not believe I was only using an H422 dipole. I could run on 10/15/20 for hours and I was even reported as being 9+20 into Eu on 40M, absolutely brilliant!
Bandwidths were as I reported in my previous review.
Darren G0TSM / C52T