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Reviews For: RADIOWAVZ DX 80 (OCF) WINDOM

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : RADIOWAVZ DX 80 (OCF) WINDOM
Reviews: 19MSRP: $75
Description:
The RadioWavz DX (OCF) Windom is ideal for those of you who do not use a tower and beam. It's also ideal for those who want a high performance antenna with world class DX coverage 80, 40, 30, 17, and 10 meters. Also work the oter bands with a tuner
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.radiowavz.com/html/dx_ocf_windom.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00193.8
W5DMT Rating: 2017-08-27
Lovin this antenna... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I had Emmett build me a high power version of this antenna. I am also using a 32 foot vertical radiator.

I strung it up between two trees (one in the front yard and one in the back), hooked up some coax, and was surprised to see how broadbanded it was. This is the first time in my 32 years of being a ham, that I've ever put up an antenna like this and it just worked. I no longer need a tuner on 40 or 80, as the entire band is 1.5:1 or less on both.

It tunes up easily on 20, seems to have an swr dip on 17 and 10. It even works (I found out by accident) really well on 2M.

If you're looking for a good antenna to jump on some nets, or just to rag chew, this is a great choice.
W1SPV Rating: 2015-05-07
Not for my location Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Purchased antenna in March of this year and put it up at 25 feet. Nothing

Contacted Radiowavz and exchanged balun. Prompt and efficient service.

Put it back up at 35 feet. I could hear on 20 and 17 with a noise level of S7. Made one contact on 17m.

Took it down and put back up a 1978 Western Electronics 40m trap dipole.

Not the antenna for my location.
N5ATM Rating: 2015-04-17
Junk Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased this antenna 4/13, so it's been up exactly 2 years. It worked OK when I put it up of course but 80m never was very good. I let that go as I didn't expect much in the way of performance there.

Skip forward 2 years. I just got back to the hobby after about 6 months and when I checked my SWR I found it was around 5 on every band. I was hoping it was just moisture and might clear up on it's own but 2 months later and no change.

Pulled the antenna down and right off the bat, I see that the clear outer sheathing that was on the wire had dried up and was shedding like snake skin. So obviously very cheap wire is used.

All connections looked good on the outside of the balun and coil. Looking at the balun however I noticed that the cap seemed loose. Apparently the seal was now broken and the "screw in cap" came off very easily. Extremely cheap way to build a balun.

Looking inside the balun verified my suscpicions, there was moisture and bad corrosion on all connections and the balun itself. I tested the balun for continuity and it was shorted!

Decided to just take it down and toss it in the trash after salvaging the coax connector, coil and hardware.

Conclusion? Worst piece of junk commercial wire antenna I have had so far, and I've had a few. My suggestion is to steer away from this company and it's antennas!!
W2FBS Rating: 2014-06-01
Works Well Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Works well on all of the even harmonic bands: 75, 40 20 and 10. Well made for an inexpensive antenna. I use mine for portable use. Some reviewers have complained about high SWR on 15, but should realize that OCF antennas are resonant only on the even harmonic bands and work the best in an inverted V format. Mine is less than 2 to 1 on all those bands and the internal antenna tuner brings it right down to unity match.
N4SJW Rating: 2014-05-31
OK on 80/40 Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
The antenna works pretty well on 80-40M, 20M OK, 15 and above high SWR >3:1 My LDG tuner can handle everything from 20M to 80 but marginal at best above 20M. I will probably replace with something else.
N4GKS Rating: 2014-03-01
Works very well Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bought this antenna at Gigaparts and it works very well. Most bands need no tuner, but if it does, the Kenwood 480 tunes it with no problem. Good reports from other stations and especially DX. Beats a G5RV with flying colors. Very happy with the results and now I only have to have one coax into the shack.
KA2UFP Rating: 2014-01-10
...Excellent Antenna... Time Owned: more than 12 months.
...NO complaints...I set 44'4"- 92'...requires no tuner...Great Buy for a inexpensive antenna...built sturdy...100% satisfied...
K4JTT Rating: 2013-09-24
IOTA / Lighthouse Expedition Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Radiowavz has been supplying All of the Antennas for the last four years for the IOTA / Lighthouse Island Expeditions. Event Call signs, K4L, K4D, K4S. Most resent was the K4S event on Sapelo Island, September 2013. I cannot say enough on how well these antennas performed. The DX was awesome and the pile up were a blast. The QSO count was 2210 all on Radiowavz wire antennas Emmett provided. We were receiving RST reports from Japan with a realistic 599 without issue. If your looking for a wire antenna that simply just works..... This is the way to go. Over the last four years of using these antennas and over 10K QSO's what else is there to say. Need a NVIS solution... How about taking a DX80 OCF and putting it up on an inverted V only about 20'. We did this and worked over 600 40m contacts all over the US and DX just on that one antenna. Switched over to another DX80 OCF up at about 80' flat .... What a work horse. RST reports to Washington State from Sapelo Island was 10 over.
AF7S Rating: 2013-03-19
A good performing antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
From a performance standpoint, this antenna has worked very well for me. I've used it for about 2 years now, and with 100 watts, worked 203 countries in 2011, 215 in 2012, and 172 through March for 2013.

It tunes up well on all bands using my antenna tuner (first a 570 with an internal tuner, then a 590, and then an LDG 600 ProII).

I'm sold on the OCF WIndom antenna.

So, for the price it's been a good performer.

I"m getting ready to replace it with a higher power capable antenna, and I'll be interested to see the condition when I take it down. We have several others at our local EOC, and they're showing signs of real weathering.

The great results nothwithstanding, this is not the best constructed antenna you can purchase for the money. The end insulators were two little pieces of plastic that I immediately replaced with end insulators, and the balun isn't as good as others I've seen.

However, I've had this antenna up between two trees at about 60 feet, without a supporting line, and with coax hanging down from the balun, so it's withstood the abuse, and keeps working. We'll see how well it's actually held up to the weather here in western Oregon once I bring it down and give it a thorough examination.
WB1AAT Rating: 2012-02-11
Great on 40 and 80 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Had it a few years now. It works very well, even great I'd say, on 40 and 80. It does technically "work" on the 20 and 10 as the SWR meter says but clearly these are not the primary bands for this antenna. My basic dipoles on 10 and 20 do much better (i.e. 2-3 S units better). My draw to this was off center feed as my tie points werent optimal at my home. I was able to use one end on my chimney, the center off the end of the house and the other end off in the woods. This works because the short leg is only around 35 feet. Impossible with center feds without feedlines flopping in the wind. I did have some trouble at first with RF feedback (shouldnt have happened since its a current balun) and SWR not being what it should, but a MPJ-915 isolator near the feedpoint was an instand cure for both problems. All in all a 4 since once I worked out these few curve balls, it works great.