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Reviews For: Slim Jim portable 2 meter antenna by N9TAX

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

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Review Summary For : Slim Jim portable 2 meter antenna by N9TAX
Reviews: 46MSRP: 19.99
Description:
Portable, efficient, high quality antenna for two meters
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.2wayelectronix.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
35464.8
KJ6EZC Rating: 2012-06-18
Great 2 Meter Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have this antenna on my bedroom wall mounted at 7 feet and get great signal reports. Before winter I plan to put it inside pvc pipe and hang it outside a little higher up. As it is it works very well and is well made. I'm very happy with it.
YD1ME Rating: 2012-05-22
GREAT SIMPLE ANTENNA Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This review is probably a bit long and hoping it would be helpful for anyone before making decision in buying new handy and simple antenna.
The slim jim antenna made by N9TAX is really simple antenna but exhibits great performance. Mine is single band one for VHF. Once this stuff arrived having bought online through eBay, I tested by hanging it onto my 2nd floor attic. The performance really surprised me at the time where I could QSO with repeater over +/- 80 km radius from my base station using 65 watt power with full quieting despite of indoor installation. The RS report I received was 5 and 7. SWR reading during this first test were :
1.70 at 144.400 MHz
1.60 at 144.600 MHz
1.40 at 145.000 MHz
1.30 at 146.000 MHz
1.25 at 147.000 MHz
1.40 at 148.000 MHz
Looking at resulted SWR reading during first test, at that time, I was pretty sure that by permanently moving this outside as well as elevating its position would then improve the SWR reading.
Afterward, I was rather tricky by hooking this up onto half inches white PVC with modified bow technique, slightly different with other bow technique in common for this antenna installation. F technique is probably more suitable word describing this hook up. The only reason for this modified technique compared to common bow technique was simply to prevent over tensioning against antenna’s both ends, thus preventing premature failure unless paying a full care. The bow was assembled by arangging it like letter “F”. All pipes and fittings were assembled from half inches PVC, and connection to both ends (just exactly at upper and lower branches/horizontal sections) were accomplished by means of plastic cable ties/zipper. The distance between straightened antenna and vertical section of PVC is 1 feet evenly from top to all the way down the antenna section.
I then clamped this PVC bow where the antenna attached, onto a 1 length of mast made from bamboo (very cheap, natural and high availability around my QTH). This bamboo mast length is about 4 meters and secured at 2nd floor building wall. This arrangement revealed 8 meters antenna height in total measured from ground.
Second test result was very amazing and exceeding my expectation, where I could get improved SWR reading across various frequences as well as 5 and 9 plus RS report from same repeater. Revealed SWR during second test were as follows :
1.40 at 144.400 MHz
1.30 at 144.600 MHz
1.20 at 145.000 MHz
1.10 at 146.000 MHz
1.15 at 147.000 MHz
1.15 at 148.000 MHz
In addition to that, just for giving a bit description, the connector I used along with this antenna is standard PL-259 UHF connector. Coax cable for feeding the antenna is LL-400 at 50 feet total length. I coiled up 10 feet remaining coax cable (since only 40 ft required) and just hanging it on the wall. The rig I used during testing was Kenwood TM-281A whilst SWR meter was the simple one Nissei RS-102.
Broadly speaking, I do satisfy with overall performance of this antenna though we certainly cannot compare it’s performance apple to apple against more rigorous and much more expensive ones. Thus, in the perspective of value for money, simple installation, and performance delivered, I would say this is extremely excellent antenna, very well built in good package and made by excellent antenna maker. Keep up good work.
N5UNG Rating: 2012-03-18
Excellent Antenna! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased the VHF Slim Jim, 2 meter portable antenna from N9TAX. Fast service, quality product, fair price. Keep the good work! Highly recommended.
KI4GTJ Rating: 2011-11-21
Alot of BANG for your buck Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
works like a champ inside on an HT 5w 2/440 you get a hole lot for your money great antenna
KD2AXZ Rating: 2011-10-21
Excellent, delivered as described Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I received my order promptly from N9TAX. Works a lot better than what I cobbled together from RS parts, nice construction. I measured the following SWRs with a MFJ meter:

1.7 at 444mhz
1.2 at 446mhz
1.2 at 146.52mhz

Overall I'm pleased with indoor rx/tx and look forward to hanging it random places to work outdoors.
PHOOBARNVAZ Rating: 2011-08-06
Shocked! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Ordered this a week ago and got it yesterday. When I put a zip tie in the top and hung it from a plant hook in the corner of my bedroom on the third floor of the apartment complex...I was not expecting much of anything at all. Opened the mic on the FT-1802 at 50W and hit a repeater about 15-20 miles away. Was talking with someone who was 120 miles away in Eastern Idaho who had one of these in his go kit. Turned down to 5W...was still hitting the same repeater and sounding better. Got several more contacts on that repeater and tried simplex. Was even as good at 5W locally in the community. Now...to get the cable for my Signalink/FT-1802 and try 2M packet.

If you're looking for a great antenna for use in an apartment...look no further. You will be able to blow them away with this antenna. The quality of the build for the cost is outstanding. Want to hang it out the window after dark (to keep my neighbors from seeing it) and see if I can get into Boise 100 miles away.
4Z5DF Rating: 2011-07-20
Great Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After seeing it for sale on Ebay and reading reviews here I ordered one from Joe N9TAX on 9/7.
It was shipped the same day with the center freq and connector options that I had specified. Joe kept me updated within a few hours after receiving my order. It arrived yesterday 19/7 and I can confirm what the other reviewers have stated Great, Professionally Made, Inexspensive - worth every penny of price.
I live on the first floor of a four floor apartment building,which is surrounded by other nearby buildings. I suspended the antenna from a hook in ceiling and was able to open the Tel-Aviv repeater (about 20km away) with 200mw!!!!!
In conclusion a great antenna made by a great guy.
Aryeh 4Z5DF
N9ILS Rating: 2011-07-10
Great antenna Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Great antennas. I have 3 of them. Two are the 2m/440 and one is the 220 model he makes. All of them work great! They are rugged and easy to carry with you.
DAVER Rating: 2011-06-19
Works Great! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
So I got the Duel Bander with 16' of coax attached for use with my HT after checking out reviews of the N9TAX antenna.

I live in an extremely limited antenna environment and couldn't get anything up on the roof. I went with this one to try for use from home also to lug up to a hill top and hang from a tree of some sort.

It opened up the range of my HT with 5w by a good margin. Not such a big deal on most of the local stuff, but when it comes to "working the fringe" repeaters and simplex it makes a dramatic difference. I had a nice conversation on a 2m repeater located 60+ miles from here yesterday with the rest of this city in the way and a lot of hills and towns as well. My contact was blown away and so was I.

I use it just hanging in my kitchen on the ground floor in an un-ideal environment (couple ft from large radiators and fridge) with no view of the sky. On UHF it works just as good.

I can only assume that with proper hanging of this up higher or mounted with the "bow" technique he suggests that the performance would be even better.

As for the construction it's great. It's essentially a homebrew antenna, that's made using good materials and good technique. I could not of built this for less than what I paid for it.

Ohh, and it was shipped the day after ordering and got it a couple of days later. The "bang for the buck" factor is pretty large. N9TAX is a shining example of a good small business in the ham radio world.

Dave,
KD2AKC

KA5POW Rating: 2011-06-08
440 Mhz Slim Jim Used in a condo. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I wrote to Joe N9TAX to see if he could make a 440 MHZ antenna. He wrote back within minutes to say he could. From order to receipt was less than a week. I have been struggling for a long time to get a good working 440 MHz antenna in my condo. I don’t have space to put antennas outside but hung it up by a window in my condo. I can now hit repeaters that I couldn't have hit with a mag mount. When you order the 2M version for $17.99 just drop Joe a note and he will make the 440 MHz one. It's tuned to 445mhz. I would recommend this antenna to anyone that can't put up outside antennas.