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Reviews For: MFJ-1868 25-1300 MHz Discone Antenna w/ Coaxial Cable & Mounting

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

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Review Summary For : MFJ-1868 25-1300 MHz Discone Antenna w/ Coaxial Cable & Mounting
Reviews: 4MSRP: 59.95
Description:
Ultra wide-band antenna receives 25-1300 MHz. Perfect for scanners. Transmit 50-1300 MHz. Handles 200 Watts. Ideal for 6/2/11/4 Meters, 70/33/23 CM ham bands. Excellent for testing various transmitters on single coax. Includes SO-239 connector, 50 feet coax, stainless steel elements and mounting hardware.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.mfjenterprises.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0042.5
KC5YIL Rating: 2020-04-12
No-go out of the box Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Missing the set screw for the vertical whip, and then as I was installing the radials, the top section pulled out of the base. It was just glued in, and the ring of glue stuck only to the top section (coil?).
So now I’m waiting for my epoxy to harden and need to take a trip to hardware store in the morning for a set screw.
K6NXI Rating: 2016-04-26
Coil burns up Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
They claim 200 watts capability. The 6 meter loading coil started to roast on only 50 watts.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by KD6NXI on 2016-04-18

This is one MFJ product that actually works. The packaging has asian characters on it so perhaps that is why.. it's an import rebranded for MFJ.
K4TK Rating: 2015-03-12
I have some concerns with the downward pointing radials Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I haven't been able to get mine up on the tower yet. My plan, was to put it together on the ground and then pull it up to the tower at the 48 foot level where I have a side mount with an exiting AR-2 antenna. going up and removing the AR-2 was no problem. Pulling the MFJ discone up to the mounting point was no problem. That's when things got REAL tricky. with the 8 32 inch radials spreading down and out....and the 8 11 inch horizontal radials....I found that while strapped to the tower, I just didn't have room to really mount the antenna. I tried anyway. The first disaster struck when the mast that attaches to the antenna slipped out of my grasp and fell to the ground (obviously that is MY fault!). when I got it back up top, I found it had been badly damaged. So much so I probably couldn't get it back on while up on the tower. But as I tried to assemble the mast a bit longer, suddenly I heard something falling down the tower. It was one of the 32 inch radials. It just popped out of the threaded mount. Because I was strapped to the tower with my climbing belt, there just isn't enough room to deal with all those elements popping out everywhere.

In the end, before lowering the antenna back to the ground, in addition to damaging the mast from dropping it, I popped off 4 of those 32 inch radials.

I lowered the antenna to the ground in defeat. I also realize I can't return it....since I dropped part of it and caused that part of the damage.

So I can hear the argument "you should of put the radials on after mounting the antenna". But that isn't going to work on my tower. It is being mounted on a 3 foot standoff. I can barely reach out to it to install an antenna while strapped to the tower.

So for now, I reattached those radials by pounding them back into the hole they go it with a hammer. Then I used a liquid steel puddy to bond them on better. It looks ugly, but i'm hoping it will hold....if I can ever get it up in the air. I'm waiting to hear from a friend who has a boom truck with a bucket. I'm thinking that is about the only way to get this thing up in the air on a tower like mine. I can't see try to install those radials on a three foot standoff up at the top! Hopefully the boom truck and bucket will do the trick. And hopefully, the radials will stay for the longhaul no matter wind, ice, heat and cold, etc?

So my chief complaint so far, is the design of those radials. I think it could be a better design? I just hope this think (if I get it up in the air) works and lasts a while. I thought about just putting it on a TV mast and putting it up about 30-35 feet. That would probably be a much easier install no doubt?
WD5CCW Rating: 2008-08-16
Decent Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this antenna for its wide range and for the fact I would attempt to use it as a repeater antenna later on.

It was very easy to put together and put up, in all, a little over an hour. The hardest part was bringing down the mast and pushing it back up, this time with the Discone. I guess now my neighbors will think I finally got an antenna on the end of the it.

For the cost, it is well worth it. Where else would you get an antenna, coaxial cable and mounting hardware.

I have tested it on 2 meter with good results from repeaters over 50 miles away and full quiet. (So my contacts said!) That's better than the j-pole I was using before with some white noise.