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Reviews For: Cushcraft 124WB

Category: Antennas: VHF/UHF+ Directional (Yagi, quad, etc.)

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Review Summary For : Cushcraft 124WB
Reviews: 22MSRP: 69.95 at HRO
Description:
4 Element Wide-Band Yagi
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.cushcraftamateur.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
12224.5
KF5OK Rating: 2008-03-06
Good antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Easy to put together
performs very well.

only used portable out the back of my Jeep.

Observations:
FM, 3-4 signal bars over my SG7500 and d700 comobo.
FM HT, brought barley readable repeaters on
rubber duck to full scale. both of these tests
were hand holding the antenna.

SSB with antenna up 15' on telescoping paint pole.
comparison to my 2m-loop. used with 746pro
went from hearing no activity to hearing a lot of
weak signal activity in tidewater area of VA.
it is a good 3-4 s units over the loop.

the ant has imo good f/b. nice wide frontal patern. easy to find weak signals.

Cons: a little pricey now. i think the SO259 connectors should be higher quality. i think they may strip before they should if used portable with
repeat assembly. But will see about that.
KE9K Rating: 2006-02-27
GOOD GAIN FOR IT'S SIZE Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Great little 2 meter antenna. Been up for 10 years and no problems. With 40 watts it easily works repeaters 100 miles away. Great swr across the whole 2 meter band (1.2 to 1). One of cushcrafts better antennas. Joe ke9k
NE0P Rating: 2006-01-19
Impressive for size Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
For a 4 element yagi, this thing really performs. I borrowed one to go roving with in the 2001 June VHF contest. It just fit in the back of the Escort when assembled. I was very impressed with its performance given its size. I didn't expect much out of a 4 element yagi, but it really played well. Would definitely recommend one if you are limited on space but want to get on 2 meter SSB. Beats the heck out of a set of loops.
AK9S Rating: 2005-01-21
Excellent... Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Although I don't have this beam anymore, it worked extremely well for me over several years. It has a lot of gain for its size, probably a "true" 7.5 dBd.

And it's horizontal radiation pattern is quite wide, which allowed me to mount it without a rotor towards Chicago. Perfect coverage of the entire city!

With 5W and the antenna at 45 feet, I was able to work simplex easily 35 miles away. With a 150W, I was placing full scale signals 80 miles away. What else could you ask for?
K9WIT Rating: 2004-10-14
Great wide band yagi ! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Less than 1:3 to 1 across the 2 meter band. Good forward gain for a 4 element yagi and good f/b ratio. What else could you ask for?
N0XE Rating: 2004-03-23
Works Great Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I used this antenna on Field Day 2001, operating 2 meter SSB only. I was in southern Iowa and proceeded to work 67 stations, in 11 states and 23 different grids, running about 160 watts. This was all done on a portable pole with the antenna at only 20 feet and being turned by hand. This antenna is easy to build, and works as well on SSB and CW as it does on FM. Cushcraft use to offer a stackng kit as well, but now sure that is still available, good antenna and really performs well.
73 N0XE
KG4PFO Rating: 2003-05-30
Great little yagi Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have used this little gem for a year now and have zero complaints, It even loads 440 with a low enough SWR to perform decent.
K5UJ Rating: 2003-05-30
Good working inexpensive utilitarian yagi Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I use this yagi on a chimney mount, vertical and fixed in one direction for dx packet cluster access. It is a basic amateur (as opposed to commercial) quality yagi that gets the job done. The only thing I didn't like about it was the aluminum UHF female connectors for the feed and stub. The aluminum made threading on and tightening the feedline male more difficult than I cared for which was something I didn't need when up on the roof.
This antenna is small enough to present a very minor wind load (~.3 sq. ft.) so it can be placed almost anywhere and on practically any lightweight mount. That figured in my selection along with 10 or 11 elements being overkill for packet at my QTH. If you need a packet yagi for 220 or 70 cm. I believe CC makes 4 el. end mount yagis for those bands as well.
W3FHW Rating: 2003-05-19
low wide band VSWR Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
See my previous post. Well, I got it mounted vertically about 8 feet above my horzontal 6 meter rotable beam which is about 22 feet above ground level. I checked the VSWR at this location and here are the results. 144.0=1.1, 144.2=1.2, 144.7=1.3, 145.7=1.2, 146.2=1.1, 146.3=1.0, 148.0=1.0. I didn't readjust, just took it down and put it up. The instruction manual diminsions work pretty good. I think this is a "as advertised" wide band beam.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by W3FHW on 2003-05-15

I've had this beam pointed in one direction since installation. My intent was to cover that part of I-10 from the Holt, Fl exit east to the Chipley, Fl exit. My son visits from Georgia often and we contact each other via the various repeaters along I-10 when he comes into range of a repeater. Well, it works so good as a fixed antenna I decided to take it down from the fixed position and locate it above a rotable beam. But first I checked the VSWR at it's present location, about 28 feet above ground on a push-up pole, so I could get a reference to use after I relocated it. Here are the readings starting at 144.0 and working up. 144.0=1.1, 145.6=1.2, 146.4=1.3, 147.4=1.4, and 148.0=1.3. I know, It went down at 148.0 but what can I say? These are the readings as a result of using the dimensions given in the assembly instructions. Maybe they could be improved upon, but I'm satisfied. For the price, performance, and ease of assembly this is a good buy. P.S. If you ask you can probably get a small price break!!
KB9VXJ Rating: 2002-11-29
Good compact beam Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I use it as a portable beam, I take along in my camper and set it up on 2 pieces of T.V. mast, that I currently turn by hand. Works better than any similar size antenna I could take along, really outperforms my 1/2 wave omni onthe truck. No need for me to take it apart, is pretty sturdy, and has an acceptable SWR on 440 for cross band repeating around the campsite.