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Reviews For: Yaesu ATAS-120A

Category: Antennas: HF Mobile & Accessories

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Review Summary For : Yaesu ATAS-120A
Reviews: 119MSRP: 369.00
Description:
The ATAS-120A is the upgraded, more weather resistant version of the ATAS-120. Leave comments only on the ATAS-120 "A"!
Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
24.51193.9
WX4WX Rating: 2023-01-12
Reliable HF Mobile operation Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Many years, many miles, and many mobile QSO's. Operation in all weather and road conditions. The ATAS-120A feeding a FT-891A. Particular attention to solid grounding onto the metal frame of a Honda Pilot SUV .
In my circumstances, the ATAS 120A has never failed to tune to minimum VSWR when commanded to do so
by the FT-891A.
KO4ZMT Rating: 2023-01-11
Love my ATAS-120A Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have tried several "cost-effective" mobile antennas and my ATAS 120A receives the best reports. I use it on my truck with an FT-991A. I worked with a signal check group on 18.163 a month ago. Reports all over the country were 5.5 and above with the exception on New Zealand where it was a 5.2. I use a tri-magnet mount that holds securely at speeds in access of 90mph.
EI7KN Rating: 2022-07-20
My most useful antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I love these antennas and to my surprise, despite all the 'must provide a good ground' advice, I find that when used with a Sirio MAG-145-PL magmount, that the connection to a car roof by capacitance is so good, that the aerial appears to tune well on any band between 40m to 70cms (excluding 220 Mhz). It even tunes, though perhaps not so nicely (VSWR of around 2.0), on the 70Mhz band in the UK & Ireland.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't drive with this aerial using the aforementioned magmount, but for /portable work it's absolutely fantastic. Used with a FT-991A with a Diamond MX-62M duplexor so that I can use it on HF, VHF and UHF and also used with a FTDX10 parked-up next to the sea and have had huge successes.

I've worked SSB Voice to Australia /mobile (using a tri-magmount) and had great fun with the likes of WSPR and FT-8 from home.

These do have a finite lifespan and the idea of dismantling them once a year for maintenance is probably a good one. The aerial I have just replaced was around six years old and had never been serviced. However this works out at about 16 USA cents per day, or €0.16 a day, which I consider to be excellent value.
M0SRW Rating: 2022-06-07
Stands up well can’t fault it Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My antenna is 12years old now and must have the best part of 1MILLION miles on it and it finally failed but not how you would expect the main power board at the base of the antenna failed purchased and new board from Yaesu £65 about $80us popped the new board in and back in business after a reset I service it every year strip clean and lubricate I use stuff called ACF50
It’s worth putting a longer whip on if your just using HF I never had much luck with it on 2/70
Think I had my moneys worth out of it !

I have had mine on my truck for over a year and with over 100,000 miles I’ve had no problem even though I modified it by putting a longer whip (1000mm or just over 3feet) on it I have no problem tuning any band from 40-6m but my FT891 has to think about it sometimes
I even tune on the move and had no problems though I only do 55mph max

Thing I have found is my FT891 will activate on 160-80-60m I’m going to try this with a long wire and croc clip sometime and see if it tunes
KD2BS Rating: 2022-06-07
Works well for portable as well as mobile! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Last year, I purchased a Yaesu ATAS 25 for portable operation. It worked very well (WAS & DXCC over the summer) but changing bands was time consuming and a bit touchy so I decided to look into the Yaesu ATAS 120a. With better propagation this year, staying on one band at a time is less appealing. The 120a is primarily a mobile antenna and uses a PL-259 mount rather than attach to a 3/8 - 24. There are several good mobile mounts that will work but nothing really for portable operation so I had to come up with a work around. I have a claw mount that will easily attach to any of my tripods (camera or microphone stands) but it has a 3/8 - 24 mount so I purchase a Comet AD-35M as an adapter. I also needed a standard female to female SO 239 barrel between the AD-35M and the antenna. The AD-35M, however, is insulated so I had to run a small ground braid from the adapter ground connection to the center bolt on the claw. I attached the radials that came with the ATAS 25 to the other claw bolt and hooked the coax to my FTdx-10. It loaded on all bands 40 - 6 and I was able to work several stations including Europe. I expect in my summer location (next to salt water!) it will do very well this summer. And, if I decide to go mobile, I'll just need the appropriate mount! Meanwhile, I have an easy set up that should work quite well!
SP9HZX Rating: 2022-05-15
Good mobille ant Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My ATAS120A works great.It tunes without any problem.
It needs good grounding , in the car,on the balcony or tripod somewhere.(When portable I use 3 alu tapes 5mx5cm)
No problem to work DX with it.

Four years later.
It still works great.A lot of fantastic QSOs.
Very rigid.Fast tuning.
I use it generally with FT897D and sometimes with other radios + MFJ1925.No problems.
VK3BT Rating: 2022-03-12
Good base station antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I use it as a base antenna with my FT-991A and am more than pleased with it. I am a tinkerer and after being licensed 44 years, I am not interested in "achievements" or contests, so I use it sporadically. With a good earth connection on a steel roof, it tunes beautifully on all bands from 40 m to 6 m. I don't use it for the 2m and 70 cm segments. I get good reports on SSB from DX, usually better than what I give in return.
SO5BCT Rating: 2022-02-20
Good antenna but not excellent. Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
ATAS 120A - good antenna for working on 40-6m bands. My ATAS is working with FT-891. While driving, you can hear the air and hear the noise in the back of the car. The antenna sticks to the handle but you must calmly drive the car. During tuning, the antenna can be blocked unfortunately. You must turn off the radio and turn it on again. I try not to use this antenna during rain. I recommend this antenna for mobiles and camping and as a portable antenna for HF bands.
WA1KPD Rating: 2021-12-28
I'm impressed Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have had the antenna for several months but in that time I have logged about 5,000 miles including a trip from Maine to North Dakota and back.
The antenna has performed flawlessly and I have made a number of contacts from 40 to 6. It is a pleasure to change bands and just hit the "A" button on my 891, now set up for "Tune function" and let the antenna do its thing.

I use it with an Acura TL sedan and all I did was make sure it had good electrical ground to the trunk and that the trunk had an extra ground to the body. Seems to have a nice ground plane.

I have used a full-size 160-6 screwdriver, which I like, but installing it is a pain with all the wiring, switching and SWR meter as well as the structure needed to attach it. Putting it away on the road at night is hard.

I've also used Ham sticks, but it is a pain to pull over, swap them out and then find the new band is not that active. So I pull over again and repeat. With the ATAS I just change frequencies and push the button and then I can check out the band.

I had one initial problem with the accessory (not Yeasu) trunk lip mount. It uses a small diameter coax and the actual antenna mounting stud was not secured. It twisted when I went to remove the antenna at night and I could not see that. The next morning the rig would not tune and I discovered the coax had pulled out of the mount. About an hour with some pliers and a soldering pencil and I fixed it. But I made SURE that the mounting piece was secure and could not turn. Since then no issues.

KD0NSP Rating: 2021-10-01
Good for the size Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I recently went to a very remote hard to tx and or rx and still had great success on 20 and 40. Bonding is very important.