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Reviews For: Super Antennas YP-1 Rotatable Dipole

Category: Antennas: HF Portable (not mobile)

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Review Summary For : Super Antennas YP-1 Rotatable Dipole
Reviews: 3MSRP: 195
Description:
YP-1 Rotatable 6-band Dipole. 20m thru 6m.
(36” travel bag included)
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.shop.superantennas.com/main.sc
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0035
N1EJH Rating: 2013-06-07
Only the best will do. Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I had mine for two yrs. It's been my only portable I use. I take on vacations to my country home on the shore of Rhode Island.
It works as it should, very quiet,hears very well. The best part is no jumpers needed, tune the coil and your good to go.
KD8CGH Rating: 2009-11-12
Well designed and made Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Super Antennas combines good design with well made components and nice extras. The package includes nice touches like extra small parts and even a tape measure.
In addition to a portable dipole on a mast I use mine as a V attached to the roof rack of my Subaru for HF roving. It was effective and quick to set up at a new location. This worked well for rushing from park to park during this Fall's Ohio State Parks On The Air.
The only addition I would ask for is a clamp option for masts larger than 1.5 inches so that you can easily use the cheap and readily available 1.78 inch surplus military masts.
KE5WIQ Rating: 2009-04-11
Very Handy in the Field or at Home Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Super Antennas' yagis are pretty well known among DXpedition, qrp, and traveling hams. So why spend $195 on a dipole?

I've built (and use) many from wire. However, I was looking for something with directional nulls and a very small footprint that could be used on a city lot. My back yard has limited space and tree supports following hurricane Ike. I've already utilized the space I have in the attic for a NVIS fan dipole in the back yard for a ground-mounted 6BTV and radials. See my QRZ page for photos.

The YP-1 fit the bill, with low-loss loading coils and adjustable resonance. It can be used in a temporary set up, for which it is designed, or in a semi-permanent set up as shown on QRZ (NG5NG). It is sturdy yet portable.

Downsides? I see only one nit, which is really a strength by its design. The thumb screws with plastic knobs are very convenient for doing fast adjustments in the field. I don't think they would hold up to the Houston environment in the long term so I replaced them with all-metal versions. I use ladder line to make it a rotatable doublet tuned in the shack so mine doesn't need on-the-fly adjusts.

So why not put up a loaded Yagi? Later I might upgrade to the YP-3 for a few more db, since the YP-1 is the driven element. For now the directionality at >1/2 wavelength and the gain obtained from the Houston ground make this an outstanding antenna.

The travel bag is well thought out for parts placement, and it is common to the YP-1 and YP-3.

A good product from a good company.