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Reviews For: TransWorld Antennas TW2010 Traveler HF Portable Vertical Antenna

Category: Antennas: HF Portable (not mobile)

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Review Summary For : TransWorld Antennas TW2010 Traveler HF Portable Vertical Antenna
Reviews: 81MSRP: 399
Description:
The TW2010 Traveler® is the perfect antenna if you are searching for high performance DX communications in a portable package.

Traveler® provides five-band, omni-directional communications in an easy-to-assemble package that requires no radial ground system or towers and is designed for operators requiring stealth performance.

The black powder coating assures stealth performance for Hams who operate in areas with deed restrictions or other areas prohibiting permanently installed antennas and towers.

A low take-off angle — an outcome of the modified-H design — produces maximum skip for successful DX transmissions and contact.

Traveler® can be assembled in minutes for either permanent installation on a mounting rod or temporary setup using a sturdy, optional quadrapod.

Product is in production
More Info: http://www.transworldantennas.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00814.9
K2HIG Rating: 2008-05-06
Great Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I got this antenna about a month ago and have been trying to test it on all it's bands... unfortunately, band conditions haven't been very good ... but, overall, i've been getting AAA+++ reports from everywhere ... been running it w/ 100 w and w/ 600 w, and reports are all great, usually 59 plus .... needed to tweak 20m, since the bandwidth is pretty narrow there and needed more umph in the CW portion .. procedure was super-easy ...on 17, all results are S9+ .. also, positive w/ limited 15 m contacts ... I bought this antenna to be a primary antenna for 20-15-10 meters for field day, so i'll report back after FD ... Mike and James very helpful and responsive, AAA +++ customer, service ... if you're thinking about it, GO FOR IT ... !!
W4UZI Rating: 2008-05-02
Wow! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I worked Hawaii (KH6CB) on only my second attempt with the TW2010. Using less than 100 watts, I didn't think I had a chance, especially in pile up conditions. I worked the entire East Coast and West Coast, on 20 meters, within hours of putting it up. Most signal reports were 5x9.

Other Strong Points:
*It's already matched on all bands right out of the box.
*Sturdy construction.
*Very easy to put up.
*Only 8 feet tall!

The folks at TW Antennas are pleasant, knowledgeable, and easy to deal with. Discounts are available if you purchase the entire package, which consists of the antenna, an optional quadrapod, and a carry-bag.

In a world where you normally can't expect actual performance to match all the "hype", this antenna is a true exception.

Believe the "hype" on this one!
K3TP Rating: 2008-04-26
Great antenna at a great price Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is a fantastic portable antenna. I have made 5-7 to 5-9 contacts running 50 watts from arizona to tonga and argentina, and places in between. i couldn't be happier with it. It is well constructed, durable, and it really works well. The stations I contact can't believe it's a portable antenna... I usually get comments telling me that I am the "strongest station in the band", when I''m only running 50 watts!
KB4CRT Rating: 2008-04-26
Simply amazing! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I would never had guessed it was this good. All prior reviews are correct and there's not much else to add. The antenna gives me between 2 to 3 S units better than my other vertical that has radials. Personally I would have loved it if it included 6 meters but for the price and function, it's just fantastic. It breaks down quickly and easily for portable use. You will not be sorry if you buy one.
N6CVA Rating: 2008-04-05
AWESOME Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased and received the TW 2010 months ago. I
finally set it up when my external tuner went down, I couldn't tune my wire antennas. I set the
antenna up in my backyard on the quadrapod. I have
such a small backyard I put it up in the best spot
that I could find,8 feet from a block wall 7 feet
tall,next to a storage shed 7 feet away and don't
forget the house 12 feet away(Close Quarters).I
expected the worst!

Once up and running,the first thing that I noticed
on my K3/100 was the noise level ( 2 db less) than
on my wire antennas.SWR on 20 meters was 1.1:1 and
on 15 meters 1.2:1 or less.Didn't check the other bands.No adjustment to the coils at all.

Performance- I worked the CQ SSB contest from my
patio in Southern California,my first contact was
a station in Hawaii with 5 watts.Other contacts
Chile 50 watts Brazil,Argentina,Saipan and Japan with 100 watts.

The antenna is well constructed (first rate) and I love how it goes up (fast and easy). The push buttons on the control box are great. Overall,
an AWESOME SYSTEM.By far the best portable antenna
system that I have ever used. period!!

73' Dave



N4GW Rating: 2008-03-31
Fine antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I received mine just in time for the CQ SSB contest this past weekend. What a performer. It is hard to believe that you get big antenna performance out of such a small package. I worked everyhting from Europe to the Marshall islands with this thing, and usually got answered on the first call. I was quite surprised. I had an SWR on all bands of 1:1 ecept on 20 which was 1.6:1. Can't complain about that. Tried it with my amp at 700 watts which no issues.

I live in a neighborhood with CCRs so I can't have anythign visible. I just stood this up in the rear of my backyard with the Quadrapod base and was working the world. It worked so well I am going to permanantly mount it in a tree in the back yard.

I did find that it works well ground mounted, or at a minimum of 20 feet high. Must be something to do with the Physics of the antenna. At 10 feet, it worked on 10-15m. At 15 feet it worked on 10-17m, and at 20 feet, it worked on 10-20m. Ground mounted it worked 10-20m as well

You will no tbe dissapointed with this antenna for either permanant or portable use
KD4NUE Rating: 2008-02-28
Excellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
TransWorld Antennas Model TW-2010
Traveler Antenna

10M
2.0:1 (or less) from 27.067 - 30.878
1.1:1 from 28.363 - 28.600

12M
2.0:1 (or less) from 23.766 - 16.376
1.0:0 from 24.720 - 24.950

15M
2.0:1 (or less) from 20.448 - 22.066
1.1:1 from 21.180 - 21.290

17M
2.0:1 (or less) from 17.713 - 18.526
1.2:1 from 18.098 - 18.165

20M
2.0:1 (or less) from 14.083 - 14.422
1.1:1 from 14.225 - 14.270

The info above shows the out-of-the-box and on-the-air SWR ranges measured using a MFJ Analyzer. No adjustments to the antenna switching box were necessary. The antenna was set up, coax and control cable positioned as suggested in the manual. The above was tested using the included 65’ control cable and a 75’ roll of RG-8X coax I already had made up.

The exceptional usable bandwidth should be quite understandable, given the outer diameter and constructon of the tubing used in making this antenna. Every aspect of construction seemed to convey the designer's thoughts of how they would make something for their own personal use.

The measurements above were made with the criteria being bandwidth below 2.0:1 and bandwidth at lowest measured VSWR. With the low amount of power going out from the analyzer, the numbers can only improve under actual operations.

These numbers are as precise as possible, given the touchiness of the MFJ Analyzer tuning dial.

Your mileage may vary, but I considered the results to be quite good.

Prior to getting the analyzer out, I connected everything up and tuned around. The first indication of what was to come was the rather large signal received on 13.306 from New York Radio.

I tuned around the bands, and found quite good reception; as good as band conditions allowed. I did make a contact on 20M; on the first call. I used 40 Watts to talk to New Hampshire from Coastal Georgia.

Dialing down to 14.300 to the Maritime Mobile Service Net, my check-in prompted NCS to ask what antenna I was running. When I told him I was using under 40 Watts into a portable antenna, I got the feeling that he couldn't believe the signal he was receiving.

Not exactly world class DX, but certainly not bad for getting on the air in 10 minutes or less.

I was able to copy a few stations in local communications in 8 land on 10m, and went in to check the other rig in the house connected to a dipole antenna and didn’t observe much (if any) change in signal strength or quality..

I used an IC-7000 connected directly to the TW-2010 inside my garage, with the antenna setup on the driveway, as far away as the control cable allowed.

Inside, I compared the signals on a TenTec Jupiter connected to a Cobra Ultra-Lite Senior Dipole, which has always done a great job for an all-in-one wire antenna.

I purchased the entire TW-2010 line-up. I got the TW-2010 Traveler antenna, Quadrapod, Transport Bag and interface cables for both Yaesu and Icom. The cables allow the rig to automatically switch the TW-2010 Controller to the proper band, as selected by your compatible CAT or CI-V output.

Packaging on this antenna and accessories gave me a real warm-fuzzy when I started to open things up for initial inspection. Warm-Fuzzy is a bit of an unknown quantity, but in my case, it was the feeling I get when I encounter something or someone that “gets it”.

The antenna came in one box, in a slide out inner box/tray that was made for this product. Each leg or section was enclosed in a plastic sleeve. The boxes were heavy corrugated cardboard with very clever interlocking inner corrugated cardboard boxes to provide safe shipping under adverse conditions. It won’t survive the delivery truck backing over it, but should endure most delivery mishaps.

Every effort was made to assure the customer gets a chance to put the first scratch on the outfit.

The controller was bubble wrapped and boxed separately, as were the interface cables and other accessory items.

The Transport Bag had its own carton, as did the Quadrapod.

Each carton was obviously designed for the product it contained.

Even if the antenna didn’t perform, the packaging is a real class act.

The construction is very nice and thoughtful. You get the impression that this setup was optimized in the design process to be built for proper fit, ease of setup and long term operation; not cheap production costs.

Everyone likes to choose a winner. I believe this will be one. I live in a coastal area, with a lot of barrier islands. With this antenna, I can do IOTA mini-DXpeditions without anything more taxing than a boat ride and conserving battery power. Antenna setup (for the bands it covers) is no longer a concern.

For Emergency communications, there is gold to be mined here. While the higher frequencies aren’t the first choice for regional communications, they will provide longer distant contacts and the ability to pass traffic from the affected area.

I believe there are plans to expand the TransWorld Antennas line-up to address the lower operating frequency subject, and may be introduced as soon as Dayton. Everybody stay tuned for that.

This is far from a scientific, lab instrument based test report. It is anecdotal at best. Having said that, the initial observations and testing make me very confident I have made a good choice in the TW-2010. I will be a repeat customer when the frequency coverage is expanded down to cover 40, 75 and 89 meters.

For now, it is a good investment, with many hours of use ahead.

David Little KD4NUE
AD6RE Rating: 2008-02-27
A marvelous antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
These are not my words but they fit this antenna to a tee:

"Everything about this antenna is first class, from the shipping carton and packing, to the antenna and controls. The first thing that struck me very positively was the way the antenna was packed – all powder coated parts where in a plastic sleeve. Controls, instructions and cable were boxed separately in the same carton.

The antenna is a vertical di-pole, very similar in concept to a competitor (Sigma 5) and that is the only thing in common. The build quality is great and does not look like it was put together in a garage workshop.

"The antenna is very close to plug and play. The instruction manual in my opinion is well written and illustrated, and makes it easy to get on the air. Total assembly time for the antenna was about 8 minutes after reading the manual. Not one problem putting it together. I like the folding arms, should be great for portable use.

The control box for band switch is great, push button with LED indicator lights and built like a tank.

The antenna, at least for me, required no adjustment of the tuning coils. SWR’s on all bands were 1.1 to 1, maximum variation was 1.5".

My words to add:

The individual(s) that came up with design concept had their collective thinking caps on.
Everything about this antenna indicates a superior performance of design right down to the packaging, which is usually the last thing to be done with the design money runs out. There is no tools required for assembly with the exeception of a permanent installation, and even then the tools required are minimal. The concept is like a Force 12 antenna, but better (sorry Tom). As a son of a retired but well respected metalurgist and a graduate of on of the finest engineering schools in the country (Cal Poly - S.L.O.) the M.I.T. of the West and for good reason. Metallurgy was a major requirement for my engineering degree.

Aluminum is a finicky thing, when exposed to the elements, particularly salt water, it oxidized something to believed. Next to anodizing aluminum, the next best thing to protect aluminim is 'powder coating'.

These guys thought of everything. Right down to the ability to 'put up' the antenna with someone who is all thumbs, like me. I am able to put this antenna up in under 10 minutes and be on the air. The control cable for the radio control of the antenna band is wonderful and is done one better than Force 12 (sorry Tom).

This antenna is ideal for ARES situations like Katrina, when time is of the essence, this antenna fits the bill perfectly for short term/high mobility use. It is capable of working the maximum amount of RF power required (use of a linar amp) particularly during an emergency. No radials are required, although if you really wanted to use them, you could modify this antenna set up if you feel the need, but you won't. Also, if you can hear the station, odds are you can work it. This antenna is perfect for Field Day, I intend to use it at our clubs site as the GOTA station this year, unless someone else within our club comes up with a better idea. Yes, this antenna is pricy, more than Force 12 (Sigma 5), but my impression, is with this antenna, you will get what you pay for in spades... I used numerous HF antennas in my 40 years as a amateur radio operator, but I must say this antenna has given me more operation pleasure than any other antenna I have used, including the Force 12 series,(again, sorry Tom). You can find this antenna for sale far cheaper than the listed price on e-Bay, that is where I bought mind. If you are in the market for a next to ideal HF antenna for portable/emergency/field day use, this one is it.
KQ0C Rating: 2008-01-18
Fabulous Restricted space antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
First, let me steer you to most of the reviews for this antenna which are in the portable antennas section.

I think that is a mistake. This antenna can be erected in under a minute, so it is easy to see why it has terrific portable potential. But the fact is lots of hams also live in antenna restricted areas and have a full time need for a small efficient antenna which is inconspicuous and requires no towers, guy wires, radials etc. This antenna, even more than the similar Force 12 Sigma 5, gives you big antenna performance in a really small package. Plus it handles lots of power... so if you can't put up a Yagi you can compensate a bit with power. See my complete review in the other section.
K6GMA Rating: 2007-10-03
TOP QUALITY... OUTSTANDING ! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I had already returned a very similar antenna from another manufacturer (after not even fully unwrapping it). I then found the TW2010 and ordered it and the Quadrapod from GigaParts.
I was extermely pleased with the superb quality and very professional look of the TW2010. I tested it out on the next Saturday at a nearby field. Although the band conditions were pretty horrible that day, in just a few minutes I managed to make contacts in West Virginia, Louisiana, Texas, and even a Cargo Ship near Hawaii (I live in Southern California). I am looking forward to taking it to nearby Catalina Island (IOTA NA-066) for some further trials. Again, the quality of the antenna is just amazing!