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Reviews For: Scorpion Antennas SA6-160

Category: Antennas: HF Mobile & Accessories

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Review Summary For : Scorpion Antennas SA6-160
Reviews: 19MSRP: 949
Description:
SA-6160 covers 10 through 160 meters.
Length retracted: 43” Extended: 65”
3 inch diameter coil with 14 gage tinned copper wire wound at 10 TPI.
Mobile or backyard typical vswr 1.5:1 or less.
Antenna rated at 1500 watts PEP
Weight 18 Lbs
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.scorpionantennas.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15195
NV2A Rating: 2022-11-04
Tremendous workmanship! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I defy anyone to show me a better built screwdriver antenna. I am an advanced amateur machinist and know quality when I see it. Nothing flimsy or whimpy about this antenna. NONE of the others I have seen can hold a candle to this one...

W7USN Rating: 2021-12-27
Very Durable Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned the Scorpion 6-160 since 2010 and it has been on several vehicles. A good SOLID mount is required for this beast! Performance on 160, 75 and 40, my bands of choice, has been great. I have run it barefoot at 100 watts and with a 500 watt mobile amp and it just keeps on radiating. I have owned several of the other brands and the Scorpion, IMHO, outperforms them.
I did have one problem with the coil windings coming loose at the top of the coil after 10+ years of use and Ron repaired it for me at no charge. You cannot beat that kind of customer support and warranty. Keep up the great work Ron.
KI4NIL Rating: 2020-08-21
An Excellent TANK of an antenna! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I was originally was using this antenna in the home, with it on a 5' tall pole in the back yard. With about 150 watts PEP (a 200 watt radio when on CW) I spoke with the western 2/3 of the US, Hawaii, all of Canada, and Venezuela once on SSB.
In march of 2020, I was able to start using this antenna in a 2020 Freightliner Cascadia semi tractor with the full sleeper. I drive all 48 states for 7 weeks at a time. I mounted the antenna using an old trailer hitch in the passenger side tow hook adapter hole of the front bumper. The threaded rod that comes with the antenna is the same size as the hole for the hitch ball in this case and it worked perfectly. I had the hitch (a solid square steel tube - solid, not hollow) drilled and tapped for a 1/2 threaded rod coming out the back, and used a steel C-Channel perpendicular to the threaded rod to hold it in place behind the tow hook adapter.
While Mobile, I've talked over 3/4 of the US and Canada on the best days with about 150 watts PEP over the last 4 months. I recently purchased an amplifier, and am now running about 500 watts - I'm still working out the kinks with the amp. My range has been about the same, but HF is very finicky, and conditions are quite poor right now. Everyone I have spoken with (before and after getting the amp) say I have a good strong signal and audio. In March 2020 I was able to talk on 160 meters while driving, and while stationary (150 watts PEP). I was in Montana, and the Dakotas, and spoke with several people in the Seattle, WA area, Oregon, and central CA 3 nights in a row.
As far as radio use goes, the antenna is excellent. I'm using a Kenwood 480HX radio. I had a 20M & 40M Hustler I used on the truck before I figured out how to mount the Scorpion, and the Scorpion is definitely better. I can hear signals and voices more clearly, and contacts are giving me better reports.
As far as strength, build, and reliability of the mechanical system of the antenna and it's screwdriver mechanism - the A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank drives by with it's gun raised in salute! For those of you who drive trucks, you know the bouncing and slamming you go through every minute of the day, and I have that experience everywhere I go. Stuff is falling off the bunks, off the shelves, rolling around on the floor on the worst days, and the driver's seat air suspension bottoms out and I hurt my back, but the antenna keeps on working! The SWR would spike when I went over a bump, but I improved the grounding, and the problem went away. I'm using a 102" whip (that came with the antenna) and was able to stop by the Scorpion Antenna production line and have a Corona Ball put on top of the whip. Still excellent performance!
This antenna is more expensive than others, but you'll never need to replace it, either because it wore out, or because you want to run more power. If you need to, you can take the whip off and store it in a closet or other small space. It handles buckets of rain, 75 mph wind, and 1,500 watts of power. I highly recommend this antenna. Skip the others, save your money, and buy a Scorpion!
K8IS Rating: 2018-07-31
Handcrafted, Rugged,Resonant Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
The Scorpion SA6-160 is a handcrafted antenna that deserves a craftsman's mount. 1-4 inch square steel tubing and some aftermarket mounts produced an install on my pickup that looks good, handles country road tree limbs, and configures for garage storage. If you follow best practice mobile install, this antenna just"radiates"! I am still playing with various whip lengths and cap hat setups to obtain max performance on all bands but the antenna tunes to a sharp SWR range on a given band quickly using an auto tuner. This Fall, as time permits, I plan on installing my mobile amp. Ron is accessible for questions and the manual is well written. I have run 3 major mobile setups in my ham life (43 years) using (Brand X & Brand Y) and the SA6-160 meets all the criteria for an excellent HF mobile antenna.
W5CSG Rating: 2017-08-12
Top Quality Antenna, Superb workmanship, Excellent Service Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have been running the Scorpion 6-160 antenna for a little over 5 1/2 years. This was one of the best purchases I have made in Ham Radio gear, This antenna is built like a tank, and looks and works fabulous too! I had reason to call Ron recently when my pickup got into an argument with another vehicle, I got hit right smack on the antenna, which destroyed the shunt coils and the relay for the antenna, that was all the damage I had to my pickup... Almost $4000.00 on the other vehicle. After explanation to Ron he got that part right out to me.

Funny Story, I had just started operating with the Scorpion antenna, and on my way to work one morning, about 4 AM I was messing around with getting it to tune on the 160 band, and wound up tuned up and listening to the beginning of a net somewhere back east I think Maine was where net control said he was. When he called for any new stations, I threw my call out. He responded to my call, and ask for name and location. I responded that I was mobile between Albuquerque and Santa Fe in New Mexico, and my Name is Chris. He almost immediately said, You Sir are a liar... No one can tune up mobile on 160. I replied if he were so inclined he could look on APRs.FI on the internet and see that my track is moving and should be traveling about 79 miles per hour just south of Santa Fe. After a few minutes of silence, he came bacl on the air, and said I owe you an apology, you are moving, and what antenna are you using? I told him it was a Scorpion antenna made by NI7J!
K5JY Rating: 2016-07-15
Outstanding! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've owned my Scorpion SA6-160 for a little over a year now, and I really can't add anything to the MANY outstanding reviews posted here, both of the product, and of the company. I read all the reviews of screwdriver antennas on eHam before I decided on Scorpion, and it has definitely lived up to its reputation!

I wanted an antenna that I could use not only mobile, but also in a fixed installation, and the Scorpion makes that very easy to do. I have the recommended tripod mount, and the 16-port "stinger" hub for the elevated ground plane, plus 2 extra "stingers" to swap in/out to let me access the 9 ham bands above 160m and below 6m. Ron worked with me to supply parts for the unique choke configuration I designed for the home installation, as well as adding small but very useful mods to the antenna itself (e.g., a grounding stud with a wingnut to facilitate swapping between the vehicle and the tripod mount.) I can verify that he's very accessible, and quite willing to discuss installation and performance optimization. This business owner truly understands the meaning of "customer service"!

The antenna is, as has been reported here before, "built like a tank," and looks brand new after a year running mobile (over 22,000 miles).

Although the price is higher than most of the competition, the quality, reliability, and performance justifies it. It's simply the best.
G7IRU Rating: 2016-03-21
sa6-160 shunt coil Time Owned: more than 12 months.
hi,I recently had a problem with the 160 metre shunt coil on the dual shunt coil box on the sa6-160 antenna breaking. After contacting Ron he sent me another new coil free of charge to myself in the UK and it now works a treat. The antenna is still bomb proof and just keeps working in all weathers. I'm about to install it on a new vehicle so we will see how it does then. I would highly recommend this antenna as once you install it correctly it does so so well.Fantastic product and even better back up service from Ron as usual.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by G7IRU on 2012-06-26

This is another follow up to my previous two reviews since buying the antenna from Ron in March 2008.I run the antenna with either a 102" whip or a 60" whip depending on where i am driving (open roads or country lanes with low tree branches) and now also have the optional dual switching shunt coils which like the antenna is a work of art !!
I find that using this setup with a Turbo Tuner interface it works brilliantly with my Yaesu 857d and i'm looking forward to adding an amplifier to this antenna to see what it will really do !!
As for customer service i would rate Ron's service as at least a twenty out of ten unlike the service from the maker of the Turbo Tuner (brilliant product,rubbish customer service) which i would give zero out of ten.
i would highly recommend any of the Scorpion antennnas to any ham who wants a bullet proof mobile antenna and i will be buying another sa6-160 off of Ron as soon as funds allow without any hesitation.
W5TAH Rating: 2015-09-23
Built like a tank and radiates a great signal. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned my Scorpion SA-160 for 5 years and It has been on my truck for that amount of time and has given me excellent service this whole time. It puts out a great signal on 160 and every other band. I run 500 watts on the lower bands and I am heard well on 160. 2 years ago a semi tractor trailer crossed the center line at 75 mph and something on the trailer first hit my drivers side mirror as if it had been hit with a 50 BMG round and then hit the scorpion amtenna. The only damage to the antenna was a dent in the lexan covering and a blemish on the powder coating. The antenna 100% survived and continues to work. I can tune 1.8 to 30 MHZ with it and it just works. This is the best antenna on the market, and is made out of the best materials available. If anyone is selling you a screwdriver for less, it is because they have cut corners to create a cheaper product. In a world of Hi-Point pistols this is a Les Bauer 1911 or Glock. Ron is incredable when it comes to customer service also. 5 years later and he is still providing customer support as if I bought it last week.
De W5TAH
W5FTV Rating: 2013-11-18
Great Performer And TOUGH Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Simply put the performance of this antenna is superb! The five foot whip and standard capacity hat versions have exceded my expectations and hopes. That said, the most remarkable thing about the SA6-160 is it's TOUGH. True story - while backing my truck under an unfamiliar carport I committed the unthinkable and smacked the antenna into the corrugated cover. Nope, no damage to the antenna (well, I did bend the 3/4 inch threaded stainless piece at the base a tad!). Not even a scufff. But the carport cover was peeled back an inch or so! That's TOUGH!
KT0G Rating: 2013-07-15
Very Pleased Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The Scorpion antenna has worked well for amateur and MARS operation. Because I have a camper in the bed of the truck the only place to mount was on the brush guard. Hooked up to my TS480HX the SWR is no higher than 1.5:1 from 3.5 to 28.9 mHz. If you are looking for a quality screw driver antenna the Scorpion is the one.