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Reviews For: CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna

Category: Antennas: HF Portable (not mobile)

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Review Summary For : CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna
Reviews: 70MSRP: 299
Description:
The CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna™ is a revolutionary antenna that stands at a mere 8.5 feet tall and contains a unique trap coil design. This antenna is ideally designed for mobile, portable or base station purposes were limited space is a concern. This antenna is a lightweight antenna system with 11 BANDS of capability including: 6m, 10m, 11m (Citizens Band), 12m, 15m, 17m, 20m, 30m, 40m, 60m & 80m. The CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna™ can also operate on the 70cm, 1.25m & 2m BANDS (144Mhz to 500Mhz) but is primarily a HF antenna. Unlike other multiband antennas, the CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna™ requires no changing of switches, jumpers, coils, etc. Our simple screw together two-part system makes the CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna™ easy to manage and store. The CHAMELEON V1 HF Multiband Antenna™ is a Super-Flexible Whip. This advantage allows the antenna to withstand extreme shock from obstructions without breakage or failing. To function properly this antenna REQUIRES A TUNER (RECOMMENDED) OR A 9:1 BALUN.
Product is in production
More Info: http://chameleonantenna.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00704.6
VA6RBC Rating: 2017-04-23
Awesome Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Have this awesome antenna as friend recommend used it for 6 month then decide to get another one to make vertical antenna top and bottom which about 16 ft tall bracket in chimmey used in ssb 20-40 meter mostly psk31 when move to diff place i sold 1 to another friend and ckeep the other one for my sdr which works good too.
KE5KBZ Rating: 2017-03-15
Supper Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Great antenna. Portable, how on deck. Weather and storm proof. Picks up all over US. This antenna works best for me in restricted neighborhood.
KE7RIP Rating: 2017-03-11
6 years owning Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Does it have global range? Yes.
Is it quick and easy to setup Yes.
Would i recommend it to every ham with out question? Yes.
Has the antenna held up great over 6 years multiple take downs and setups and moves? Yes.


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Earlier 5-star review posted by KE7RIP on 2015-09-30

After having had this antenna outdoors for over 3 years And having it still function with minimal service i am impressed. The issue i had in my previous review turned out to be an easy fix by tightening up the mounting hardware to the bracket from the antenna directly. Almost 4 years really. I use this antenna for em-comm. So i take it down at least once a year off the house and into the mountains for HF work with a race i help with. No issues. I might buy an F-loop next.
73.
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Earlier 5-star review posted by KE7RIP on 2014-10-15

My other reviews were for signal. This one is for structural.

I've beaten this antenna all to hell and its managed to stay intact and functional. Its fallen off of roofs. Off the side of a car at 10 miles per hour. As well as been used as a rapier by my oldest kid. No peeling plastic body parts or cracking. The only issue i have found is that the antennas covering at the base will rotate but i think that is my fault for using it to rotate the antenna off its mount rather then use a wrench.
KB1PFL Rating: 2016-01-04
very well made easy to set up Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
well made antenna easy to set up good for multiple bands
VE6EDF Rating: 2015-11-23
Portable Operation in a 5th Wheel Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
works great an tunes easy
KC0YLA Rating: 2015-11-09
Borrowed one for Mobile Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After 10 years as a ham I wanted to go mobile, so I borrowed one form a friend, at first I had a high SWR and then we mad an extension from the bumper to over the van about four feet out of PVC , wooden dowel and wire, put 3/8 thread connectors on each end sealed it and once the base of the V! was above the top of the van it worked great 1:2 swr with great coverage, I did use a tuner above forty meters.
N9KSD Rating: 2014-12-30
awesome antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Ive used this antenna since Ive had it with my alinco dx70 and have had no problems with it. been with me to scout cap for 2 week period, set up for JATO... and has been used in emergency situations with satern. my troop wants to get another antenna since this one is about to fade away but we cant afford to buy one. but I would get this one again or another one from the product line.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by N9KSD on 2010-08-13

I bought my Antenna almost a year ago, and I have to say its a great antenna for portable operation, I'v brought it to Scout camp and operated it at my camp site and made a bunch of contacts with it while my scouts looked on with amazement.. the only thing I have to complain about .. I do use this as my main antenna at home because of restraints on what I can put up is that when Im on the Army MARS bands the swr is really high even with a antenna tuner... I just cant seem to ge the swr down... Otherwise I will keep using this antenna at home and with my Scouts when we go camping in the summer for our 2 week fun... Keep up the antenna work :)
KC2PKB Rating: 2014-11-05
LOW SWR Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I purchases this antenna with the Hybrid to compliment my base station dipole. I am running 3 25 foot radials at around 45 degrees suspended from a mast that foots directly to a ground. I am a MARS Station as well running outside the normal Ham bands. The SWR is LOW no matter where I am on the dial, and my internal ICOM tuner is enough to fully tune this antenna. This quality was immediately recognized out of the box. All the construction was solid, decent diagrams included and well packaged for shipping. This will make an excellent travel/field antenna. Signal reports all good. Not as much of a long distance traveler as my dipole, but hey, I'm running 100 watts.
VA7IQ Rating: 2014-10-19
Portable Operation in a 5th Wheel Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Recently I obtained a V1 and V2 combo with an older/vintage dipole mount from a friend. The antenna went into operation very well.

In a vertical implementation, I use a quick release connector to a mirror mount on my RV ladder (which is grounded to the frame).

In a horizontal dipole implementation, I have two 1.75 inch military metal tent poles in homebrew ABS pipe mounts on the other side of the ladder for a mast. The aluminum dipole mount is attached using a muffler clamp to one, and I can push it up from below once the antennas are in place. The V1/V2 antennas spread horizontally, mostly behind the trailer, and are about 12' off the ground. The masts are tensioned with a 2-foot bungee cord wrapped around it to provide a braking effect and to steady the direction since it is rotatable.

While I did have initial problems, which is often the case when grabbing a bad feed line for the install, once remedied the dipole configuration sprang to life.

Signals were strong, and my first contact yielded a 59 response from W1AW/4 in Alabama (operating from Vancouver Canada) with the dipole pointed due east (along 49th parallel).

I am very pleased with the easily collapsible nature of the antenna, minimal storage (less than my fishing rod case with ham sticks!), and flexibility for both vertical and horizontal deployment. Being mobile, I can setup a vertical quickly for an overnight stay, and on longer stays the dipole offers great directivity.

It would be unfair to miss commenting that I am very impressed by the online support made available when I had questions, particularly when the feed line issue raised its head and my antenna analyzer was highlighting the issue.

The key reasons I am both impressed and pleased with the antenna are 1) size, 2) flexible deployment, 3) minimal storage space, and 4) it certainly seems to get out better than my mono-band ham sticks.
NC3Z Rating: 2014-10-15
Good Performer Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
The quality and workmanship is top notch, a lot of engineering thought went into this antenna. My version was the V1L and I used it mobile. Chameleon antennas actually posted my install on their YouTube channel showing some of the DX I worked on 17 & 20M while mobile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B7eOdGU1_w

I did A/B testing of the V1L and Hamsticks and found that the V1L equaled the performance BUT each hamstick only worked on it's band, the V1L worked them all with a IT-100 tuner.

However, comparing the V1L with a Hi-Q antenna performance of the V1L was measured to be 10-15dB down on 40M and 80M compared to the Hi-Q. And equal on 20M and up. Again this was an A/B with the V1L on one side of my pickup bed and the other antennas on the other side, both mounted to GeoTool stake bed pocket mounts.

For ease of tuning the V1L won, and it may have stayed on my mobile if it was not for trees on my street. The base height of my mobile point is 5' above the road, which put the V1L up to 13' in my case.Did not have issues anywhere else expect my street and they were low!