I have been thinking of getting a multi-band vertical antenna here to play around a bit instead of the W3EDP antenna here… After looking at a few different ones I came up with this GEM…
If you click on the above picture you will go to the S9 Website
From what I can tell this antenna is a 43 foot vertical thats lightweight (fibreglass with an interior wire) , and by the color and thickness very stealthy. I could see this running up the inside of my maple tree with no effort whatso ever and no one would even tell its there…
They claim it works fine with an autotuner on 6 to 160m and even better with a remote tuner.
By strange coincidence I do happen to have a Yaesu FC40 tuner which works fine with my FT897 or will work great with the newer FT 450 or Ft950 HF Rigs and I have been concidering one of those for a while…. If anyone wants a really good deal on my FT847 let me know…
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Also the antenna is lightweight enough to be a transportable antenna which I could use out in the field in certain applications. Field Day and certain contesting events come to mind right off the bat…
The above picture taken from the S9 website gives me plenty of ideas… If you remember I am in negotiations with a friend of mine about taking his old van (below)off his hands for a good price.
This might give me a very nice base of operations for portable ops…. Drive to a great location and just mount the antenna on the front bumper while stationary… Sheltered and comfortable but can also operate from close by on the nice WX days…. It does have me thinking….
I should know on the status of the Van by the March Break but for now… Back to the orignal question…
Have you heard anything good or bad about the S9 43 foot vertical antenna?
Do you know anyone using one?
Your input and feedback greatly appreciated…
73bob
Tags: amateur radio, amateur radio antenna, S9 Antennas, Yaesu FC40
February 2, 2011 at 6:30 am |
I don’t have an S9, but I have one of the 43-ft ZeroFive Verticals. I can tell you that they require a good amount of radials to work decently. Be prepared to lay down as many as you can. And, like all verticals, it can be rather noisy compared to my wire antennas and my hex. It is susceptible to noise produced by my neighbors that my other antennas are unaffected by. I also had an RF problem before I put a good choke on the feedline. It is the only antenna that still gets into a couple of tv’s that I own, regardless of power.
It is a good performer on 40 and 30 meters. Fair on 20, and much less so on 17-10. It is not a great antenna on 80, at least from my experience, my wires beat it every time, but it does get out. It is worthless on 160 unless you consider the same city to be DX.
I paid too much for mine and not long after I bought it, ZeroFive cut the price considerably. I would probably feel a lot better had I bought it for the price it is selling for now!
Good luck.