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Reviews For: Cushcraft AR-270 2m/70cm two element collinear

Category: Antennas: VHF/UHF+ Omnidirectional: verticals, mobile, etc

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Review Summary For : Cushcraft AR-270 2m/70cm two element collinear
Reviews: 22MSRP: 149.95
Description:
Dual-band 2m/70cm two element collinear vertical
Product is in production
More Info:
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00224.1
KB6HRT Rating: 2019-04-30
WINNER Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Retired in 1990 and with in a year I put up the 3 1/2' AR270 while living in Las Vagus NV In 2004 I moved to SUN CITY, AZ brough a new Comit 2n/440 fiberglass antenna to replace the AR270 so last year went up on the roof to change out the antenna an coax, but upon inspection of the AR270 it look Great, so I gave my the replacement antenna to a friend who has a need fo it The AR270 has always done the job for this ham's station...............73s..............kb6hrt
WD40 Rating: 2018-11-21
Great VHF/UHF antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is my third AR270, I have 3 different operating locations and for ease of installation, performance and longevity they can't be beat. Over the years the quality of workmanship has improved but so has the price but then so has everything else. I highly recommend this antenna if for only the ease of installation and performance. It's a winner in my book!
K6JM Rating: 2011-04-02
Excellent dual bander for its small size Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had the 3.75 foot tall AR-270 up for 8 years. It has stood up well to the weather, and continues to perform well. Taller antennas will have more gain, but for the size, the AR-270 does great. No complaints.
AI4WM Rating: 2010-05-09
Nice antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
First, the photo shows an AR-270B. The 270B is much taller than the 270. There needs to be 2 review sections to distinguish between the 2.
I bought the AR-270 a few years ago to use as an antenna in my jump kit. However our local work is all done on VHF. I used this antenna on VHF only for a few years and then retuned it for both bands and permanently installed it about 6 months ago for dual band use. The antenna performs fine on 2 meters with 3.3 dB gain and on UHF with 5.5 dB gain. Material and construction quality is fine with the antenna if only the manufacturer used a better method to connect the coax to the antenna and use N instead of UHF connectors. The reason the antenna earns a 4.
For those who need a nice compact antenna for emergency deployment this is a nice compact easy to use antenna. VHF tuning went fine and is flat at 1.1:1 to about 1.5:1 worst case across the band. UHF is not linear with high SWR near the band ends and in the middle best is 1.5:1 and the peaks about 2:1
K3DLB Rating: 2008-07-23
Perfect For Indoor Use Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had very good luck with this antenna. I have it mounted to a vent pipe on the roof of my townhouse. It was easy to assemble and works great on both bands. Also, it's perfect for indoor use if you have antenna restrictions.
K4JC Rating: 2008-01-31
OK on 2m, great UHF dummy load! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had the AR-270 for several years in different locations, and have found it works fine on 2 meters, with performance equivalent to a 1/2-wave antenna. The performance on 440, however, is pretty poor. When compared to a 1/4-wave ground plane under similar conditions, the ground plane consistently outperforms the Cushcraft. The only advantage is the AR-270's size. It's small and light, and fits nicely in an attic as an emergency/backup antenna. But for the same (or less) money, I think you would be better off getting a Comet GP-1 or Diamond X-30A.
WA0KAQ Rating: 2007-04-17
Works great! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've run the AR-270 both as a portable and fixed antenna, and for the money, I love it. It is small in size, yet I can work mobiles at 35 miles or more with it running about 40 watts on 2 meters, and it is mounted at only 15' - just barely clearing the roof top (darn antenna restrictions here). I've now had it installed permanently for 3 years without a problem. The two meter section seems to work better than the 70 cm, but there's always a bit of trade-off when using multi-band antennas.

I also have the AR-270B (the big brother to the AR-270) available for ECOMM work, as it boasts a little more gain. It has worked great in that capacity.
KB5OZE Rating: 2007-01-19
Excellent antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
It survived Katrina at 25 feet when the Rohn tower fell down (in 144 mph windows). I have had it for 5 years with 1 problem (3 years ago). The SWR's went up to about 4. I took it down, cleaned all the oxidation off, sprayed clear lacquer (4 coats) over the whole antenna. It still looks and performs like it is brand new. I recommend this antenna to anyone that needs a reliable dualbander anywhere (especially for field ops).
KR6AUL Rating: 2007-01-18
Good Antenna, parts are bad Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought the antenna to try and get better reception. Mounting it was a problem. The parts did not fit into place and the tighning washer did not tighten. I had to use a hacksaw to cut one of the sections in half between the pipe. After that, the antenna worked fine
KB2FBI Rating: 2006-09-22
Long Term Survivor Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had my Ringo Ranger up for a long time and it is low maintenance. It hears well and does not get 'in the way" of enjoying the radio.

The gig I'll give is the initial set up was a little beyond super simple. No biggie, just a place to improve.

A plus is the way it hears on 70 cm. It also is a subtle and attractive antenna. I mount mine on the Radio Shack mustard colored TV antenna masts. I use the RS stainless steel straps around the chimney.