| W5SQS |
Rating:      |
2022-12-01 | |
| A awsome antenna built by a craftsman! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I'm completely impressed with the build quality of this Scorpion 680 antenna!
As soon as I unpackaged the antenna I called Ron on the spot and told him it was a work of art. If you are trying to decide on purchasing this antenna you will not be disappointed.
Ron also took the time to give me advise on installation to my vehicle for optimal performance.
Thank you Ron for building a great product!
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| K7ELJ |
Rating:      |
2022-06-08 | |
| A+ AMAZING ANTENNA! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
First off Ron has been great at helping me with the preparation suggestions on my mobile installation.
After getting everything ready on vehicle all I had to do is wait for antenna to arrive the turn around time was not long and when I finally received antenna it was plug and play.
I tested antenna and was on the air with in minutes, I have to say that the built quality of this antenna is well engineered performance has also impressed me . I been getting 5/9 reports with out a problem from East Coast, Mid West, Southern States
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| WA6MB |
Rating:      |
2021-12-29 | |
| SIX STARS - EXCELLENT CRAFTSMANSHIP, PERFORMANCE, AND SUPPORT |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I have been HF mobile for over 20 years and I own most of the screwdriver antennas. Sad to say, many of the competitors are out of business, no longer supply parts nor support. Other than rebuilding, re designing, or reworking these antennas, they sit in a pile and are unusable.
Scorpion antennas stands out as simple, robust, awesome looking, and above all perform excellent!
Ron,(the owner), offers one on one support from before the purchase, through shipping, the unboxing, mounting and installation, performance tweaking, to bonding and grounding. Ron's product support is top notch, rare and what is needed in these times.
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| N3DXD |
Rating:      |
2021-12-13 | |
| Excellent |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| Excellent Craftsmanship. It takes a beating daily from trees-objects going down the road. Performance as advertised. Easy tunable. Thanks |
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| WD3D |
Rating:      |
2021-10-09 | |
| Best Antenna you can buy. |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
I have owned the Scorpion for about a month and a half and have held off on reviewing it because I wanted to take it through its full paces.
It is without question the best antenna that money can buy. And as an additional bonus, the owner stands behind his product and is an incredible help in getting you up and running. I get 1.0 SWR on 20 and 40 meters. And all others are below 1.4
I honestly just cannot say enough good things about the Scorpion. Just so dependable and it gets out and receives amazingly. --- If you can hear them, you can work them --- It's true. I have owned Ham sticks, the ATAS 120 and the Tarheel. They are all toys compared to the Scorpion. And the best thing is that it is warrantied for life. If it breaks send it back for a free repair. There is no substitute or competitor for the Scorpion. |
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| WA0FSE |
Rating:      |
2021-09-17 | |
| Great Antenna -- Wonderful Customer Support |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have had my Scorpion SA-680 Black Widow since July of 2013. I used it mobile for the two years...it worked great. I bought the home kit and used in my back yard off and on with great success. Then it went into storage. Just took it back out and found that I had damaged the antenna connector. Called Ron and he talked me through the repair process and sent me the replacement parts at no charge. How can you beat that. I am going to use when we go camping. Easy to set up, easy to take down and transport.
Highly recommend the Scorpion...
George. WA0FSE
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| W4JJ |
Rating:      |
2021-07-31 | |
| Rock Solid Antenna Performance |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I’ve been operating QRO HF mobile for about 18 years and have been using a Scorpion SA-680 for the past two years. I’ve learned that routine maintenance and systems checks need to be performed regularly when operating mobile. My Scorpion SA-680 is a work horse and is one heavy duty antenna. While troubleshooting the cause of SWR spikes, I discovered a cracked UHF connector on the base of the antenna. A call or email to Ron is all it took to resolve the issue. He sent the parts needed to repair the connector and instructed me how to replace the damaged part.
The UHF connector is from a supplier, so there’s no way to blame Scorpion for this part failure. Regardless, Ron stands behind his work and is an all-around great guy to deal with. Not only does he know how to build a solid antenna, but he also knows how to deal with Hams; he prides himself on his workmanship and customer service. I love to hear the signal reports received with my Scorpion SA-680. It is a 5-Star product. www.W4JJ.com
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| W7MLG |
Rating:      |
2021-06-28 | |
| Works Great |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have an SA-680 mounted on our Sprinter RV. With the metal body as a counterpoise, performance is excellent on 40 through 10 meters. It will work on 80, but not as well.
I've made many, many contacts while mobile using the cap hat to keep the total height below 13' 6". It's easy to tune. Due to my own fault, I've snapped the breakaway fitting at the base of the cap hat a couple of times. It is easy to replace, and I continued to use it with no issues.
I did have a motor issue, possibly also my fault, and Ron, NI7J rebuilt the antenna at his shop while I waited, for a very reasonable price.
This is a high Q antenna and should not be confused with other screwdriver antennas with smaller coils and lower Q. This performs about as well as a dipole or horizontal loop.
All, in all, i am very satisfied with this antenna. |
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| AB4D |
Rating:    |
2021-03-24 | |
| Review Update |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
As an update to my original review...I hate to be the one guy that lowers a review of an otherwise outstanding product, but the mechanical tuning of my Scorpion SA-680 antenna continues to be problematic, even after a repair attempt.
I own a Scorpion SA-680 I purchased new. Installed on my vehicle for about three years. However, after the first year, the antenna began to really struggle to extend the coil. It sounded as though something was warped inside the antenna. From day one I could hear the motor speed running a bit inconsistent during tuning, as if something was trying to bind. I thought it would "break in", and loosen up over time and improve. Instead it became worse.
I returned the antenna at my cost to Ron NI7J for service. We discussed the issue, and he felt that perhaps the antenna may have been originally damaged during initial shipping to me. He agreed to work on the antenna, and returned it to me as repaired, about a two week turnaround time. The coil extended better when it came back from Ron, but the same inconsistent speed from the motor persisted. Now, once again the antenna is struggling to extend the coil. Sometimes, it gets stuck at the bottom of the tuning range, and I have to mechanically spin the coil cover to get it moving to extend again.
Overall, IMO the Scorpion is an excellent antenna. When it works, transmit performance is outstanding. Nearly every review is 5 stars. Therefore, I can only assume, I am the one guy that seems to have received a lemon in this case. |
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| K3TP |
Rating:      |
2020-11-26 | |
| Great stealth backyard antenna |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I have been using a scorpion SA-680 mobile antenna, mounted in my back yard, since 2007. It's a really good stealth antenna -- if you need to hide your antenna from nosy neighbors. I am using the 102 inch whip, and 3 counterpoise wires, one cut for 80 meters, one for 20 meters, and one for 40/15 meters, and hamsticks for 60 / 30 / and 17 meters. The antenna has performed flawlessly for the past 13 years. My qth is in Arizona, and I usually use it barefoot, running a 100 watts, and occaisonally running 700 to 800. The antenna get out quite well on 40 meters and up, making worldwide contacts. On 80, using ssb, I have gotten out as far as the South Pacific and Central America. Using digital modes, I get out worldwide, running 30 watts... I have friends with other verticals, and they are telling me that I have the superior antenna. I tune the antenna using the hand controller and a swr meter, and can usually change bands in less than 30 seconds. Adjusting the antenna for a good swr match on the same band takes a few seconds. The antenna is one of the highest quality most solidly put together amateur radio products that I have seen. The antenna has a lifetime guarantee, and Ron Douglass stands behind his product. He is quick to offer help, and usually responds to emails within a day or so. In my opinion, you can't go wrong buying a scorpion mobile antenna. |
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