Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Buxcomm Windom 80-6 meters

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : Buxcomm Windom 80-6 meters
Reviews: 26MSRP: 60-70
Description:
This WINDOM is completely assembled, ready to connect your coax, and erect. BUX Model 806136 is SSB power rated at 1000 watts and includes three (3) insulators, PVC covered, Power-Flex, tinned, copper wire, connectors, and BALUN.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.packetradio.com/baseantennas.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00264.2
N6NH Rating: 2008-05-19
Fantastic improvement over my G5RV Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I had enough problems with my G5RV and finally set out to find the "best" multiband HF wire antenna that would fit in my yard. Buxcomm tech support patiently answered all my questions and gave sound advice, their web site was loaded with detailed plans and theory of operations, and other web sources pointed to windoms too...So 2 weeks ago, down came the 102' G5RV and up went the 80m Windom from Buxcomm.

Now I am filling the log book with countries I rarely could even hear before, much less work, even with 500w CW on the G5RV. I have "busted" some pile ups with a first or second call and got true 599 rpts from DX over 8K miles away. The low noise factor and gain does the trick. Also, I don't have RF into my son's computer speakers any more and I'm sure the neighbors are happier. The nearby powerline noise in RX is drastically reduced too...now, if I can hear'em, I can work'em pretty much. I really can get used to this setup!

I do use a tuner for the 30m band. With only 100w barefoot for the band, the 2KW 4:1 balun seems to smile and take it just fine.

I am advising our Field Day team to ditch the g5rv's as they don't compare at all...as Buxcomm support told me would be the case and explained why (they do sell quality G5RV's for those who still insist). I only wish I had tried a windom sooner and had more fun working DX over the years. I just built a 2nd windom for my jr. high ham station with Buxcomm parts. Check out my "tech" classroom at www.walnutvalley.k12.ca.us/suzanne/rsoikkeli

Now its time to break out the QRP rig and see what it will do too. I will be ordering parts for our Field Day windoms soon.

I rarely promote someone's product, but I make exception when it is this good. I certainly recommend Buxcomm for their quality gear, reasonable prices, and their knowledgeable/patient tech support. Thanks Buck!

Sincerely, Rick AE6RS

KE7CQ Rating: 2007-08-18
Electrically 1st One a Lemon... Mechanically Weak Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I must give Buxcom credit for replacing the balun which increased in VSWR after heating up and ruining the rg8x. They sent a heavier duty balun but stopped short of replacing the coax as it was hinted that parasitics might have caused the damage or that I was running RTTY. Neither turned out to be the case, my finals are neutralized nicely. The little balun never would tune up correctly on 80 meters, even before the coax meltdown, but now the new balun works fine. I was flabbergasted that the coax and balun were supported by a small gauge bare copper wire bent at a 90 degree angle and tinned. Can you imagine this baby breaking off in a wind... especially if you use RG8 which is what I went to when they wouldn't replace the coax and I had to do it on my dime. Electrically now with the high power balun and RG8 the thing works fantastic! My solution to the weak support was to remove the eyebolt going through the center of the insulator off which the bare small gauge wire was afixed and replace the eyebolt and copper wire with a 4 gauge copper wire throu the isulator and bent over and tinned to stop the insulator from sliding then putting a 10-24 stainless steel washer to prevent the plastic insulator from getting gauged by the tinned and folded over copper. I also made a loop above the insulator and tinned the folded over portion in which to hook my rather substantial polyester brown rope. Now this thing is working and hanging well. To tell you the truth after all the money I spent on new coax and the time to reinforce the new balun after I finally got it, I could have merely calculated the dimensions and bought a high power balun to start off with. It was a royal pain to take it down twice and raise it thrice.
WB1AAT Rating: 2007-08-06
Decent product - poor customer support Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Heavy construction. approx 14 ga wire with heavy PVC coating and heavy insulators and excellent construction. Definately not one for stealth or for weak trees due to combined wire/pvc size and weight but would certainly last for years and take a beating. Works very well on 80, 40, and 20 and OK on 15 using a tuner. Also pretty decent on 6M. Overall very promising.

I'm scoring it down because I coudlnt quite get the SWR to come down on 10M without the tuner despite my attempts to follow suggestions in manual as closely as possible and it was pretty deaf on 10 even with a tuner. Found customer support to be very unpleasant ranging from curt messages to read the manual again to one word responses and eventually failure to respond at all. I really tried to work with this guy to no avail. Not going to try to return it because I dont want the added hassle. Instead, just throw it in the closet as a back-up and try some other brands like RadioWavz and RadioWorks. A shame.
N3WJ Rating: 2007-05-12
Great Antenna, Great Price, Great Service Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Whenever I see a new review posted for the Buxcomm Windom I always feel guilty that I have not posted my own yet. Buck and the folks at Buxcomm deserve the positive feedback. This is an amazing antenna. I have the 80-6 4:1 version hung in a less than optimal configuration down in a valley. Yet, I still have managed to work most of what I hear, including some of the recent rare Dxpeditions, with 100 watts. It has also allowed me to experiment with 6 meters for the first time in 35+ yrs of hamming and even work the 160 phone contest. It tunes up easily on all bands with the tuner in my 746 Pro. Even with the tuner off-line, SWR is never more than 2:1. I highly recommmend this antenna for the quality build, unbelievable price and service.
N1YG Rating: 2007-05-12
great antenna! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Tried a g5rv, didn't care for it. Tried a dipole, only worked on a couple of bands. Heard about the windom, did some research and finally built one, which unfortunately broke in one of our Nor'easters. So, I replaced my homebrew windom with the model #806136 1.5 years ago, it was actually cheaper than re-building mine! All I can say is it's one "Amazing Antenna" that won't disappoint. Worked better than All the others (even my HB!). SWR is 2:1 or less across most of the bands (as advertised) and it performs extremely well on both TX and RX. For the money you can't go wrong and customer satisfaction is there as well. What more could you ask for? Check it out, it will amaze you too! Enjoy and best 73

Dave, N1YG
AE5J Rating: 2007-04-24
Great Antenna! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I must say after all the good reviews I thought "something must be wrong here." Well, after two weeks of operation I can testify that nothing is wrong - this is one great antenna.

I got the 4:1 80-6 meter model. Very good workmanship - excellent customer service - shipped the same day I ordered - performance exceeds my expectations. I work a lot of QRP and I have been able to work everything I can hear. I cannot say that about every antenna I've ever made or bought.

I highly recommend this antenna to anyone looking for great performance at a great price.
73 Pete
FORMER_K0PD Rating: 2007-03-10
Work's great ... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After spending far to much time pondering about trying a different dipole type antenna and comparing the one's out there i elected to go with the Buxcom. I felt at the price it was to obvious which to buy. Now after recieving it i can tell you it was a total suprise but yet it should not have been as the review's pre told me what to expect.Every band is under 2-1 except 29mhz and 17 meters and 15 meters.40 meter's is under 2-1 across the entire band and 20 meters is FLAT across most of it.10 meter's does in most places exceed 2-1 and 160 actually is tunable and the phone portion of 75 is under 2-1 and lower at the top end. Now mind you all this and my Antenna is maybe 25 ft at apex and the long end has maybe 30 feet that i had to run in a off direction that i would call a horizontal L configuration and last but not least this is the 6-1 balun version. Every band except maybe 160 can be tuned close to a 1-2 swr with my internal tuner on my radio. This is so far the best operating wire antenna i have owned and is very well constructed...
NJ9A Rating: 2007-01-03
Great Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This could be a fluke but I ordered my Windom between 1pm and 2pm and had it in my hands at 4:30pm the following day (Virgina to SC). I tuned this antenna to the middle of all the bands (10-12-15-17-20-30-40 & 80) and all are 1.4 SWR or less - several are 1.1 to 1. After 2 hours of playing have been getting excellent reports from each contact. I got the 4:1 balun and never expected this from a $60 antenna. Well made and here's a better link that allows you to read the specs on all the products. I highly recommend this antenna.
http://www.buxhamparts.com/windom.html
K1LTJ Rating: 2006-12-30
Great Antenna, Great Company Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This antenna is extremely well made. I have the 4:1 balun version. I have used it on 80, 40, 20, 17, 12, 10 and 6. The swr is 1.5:1 across most of every band, and under 2:1 everywhere. You won't need a tuner. The antenna performs very well, you will not be dissapointed with this antenna, and you won't find a better company to deal with. I would recommend that you get the 4:1 balun.
N4FPS Rating: 2006-08-25
Great Antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I can't say enough good about this antenna. It's broad banded and has provided me with great contacts. I have consistently been recognized first in pile ups. I have mine up about 50' in the center and about 35' on the ends. The antenna is well made. The antenna is resonant on the lower portion of the advertised bands and I use a tuner to touch up the upper portion.