Versatile HF antenna, great customer service.

PROs:
– Light, handy, small
– Very low feed point SWR when configured as a vertical or near-vertical sloper (<15 deg)
– Improved construction in the newer model makes it very sturdy and resistant to wear
CONs:
– Quite inefficient when used as vertical (improves a lot as a sloper)
– Common mode RF, your feedline becomes part of the antenna, you need to choke it before entering the shack.

Most recent news:
After just over 1 year the antenna stopped working properly. Steve from Alpha Antenna promptly contacted me offering a replacement, this isn’t something that happens every day! The older antenna had, in fact, some unexpected problem. The new antenna performs as expected and I could see some important technical improvements on the construction that probably makes it more mechanically resistant to everyday use and exceptional bad weather. Overall, excellent customer service that very few companies will provide nowadays.

My experience:
The best configuration I found is 45 deg sloper with the match box at the lower end at ~3m and close to the shack. Compared to vertical configuration, noise drops sensibly, and I could hear many more stations and work some DX in SSB. SWR at feed point is manageable on all bands by my FT-450D internal tuner.
In all configurations, I experienced RF in the shack with flickering monitors and other people hearing me on their headphones. It takes some beefy chokes to eliminate RF completely.

Bands:
The antenna tunes well on all bands, but working DX will become increasingly harder from 40 and up. 30 works particularly well, 20 to 10 work as expected for an end fed.

Final opinion:
As with every end-fed, this is a compromise antenna. I bought it right after getting my license to get on all bands and I still enjoy that aspect. Working DX on some bands will take some effort but is feasible. This antenna probably works best for mobile use, because very little time and effort is needed to put it up and have it working.

The customer service is excellent with prompt response and solutions.

N5STT

MORE INFORMATION

More reviews on the HF J-Pole Jr and Sr antennas

See the HF J-Pole Sr or HF J-Pole Jr Antenna

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