I Tested the Radioddity HF-008 Antenna. Here's What Happened

[@joe-kb9rcr]

Michael, yet another great video review. This antenna is very similar to the MFJ-1699, which I own. I am reading the comments and see a number of concerns about losing the Allen key. I solved that concern by replacing the set screws with thumb screws on my MFJ-1699. It makes it a lot easier and faster to adjust the swr when changing bands. 73...

[@daveN2MXX]

Thank you for your honest review! It's a shame that it doesn't tune to 40m voice...this is essentially a tunable hamstick, but with difficult tuning...maybe carrying multiple hamsticks is still the best option. Thanks again for being one of the only honest youtube amateur radio equipment reviewers. 73

[@pesco7]

Could an external tuner be used to get it working on 40m voice?

[@EI6DP]

Terlin Outbacker are still in business and their OutBacker range of antennas are available.

[@Kevin-tt5wt]

Thank you for revewing this setup. That lil' hex wrench will take 5 mins to lose. I could also see some improvements by perhaps color-coding the band-plugs and little antennaes. But thank you again for putting this altogether. Lover your content!

[@phillipnelson6076]

I came across what I call the Swiss army hex wrench on Amazon, several on a tool that resembles a knife. It's sold in a pair, one Metric and the other standard.

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

I keep a small set of hex wrenches in my radio bag for that reason.

[@Hungry_Hunter]

I put one of these recently on my work van using a large spring to mount on my roof rack. Best results when you leave the steel whip at maximum length and tune by adjusting length of the shorting link wire wrapped around the coil. I use an auto tuner with mine. Just like the Codan and Barrett antennas.

[@Hank_W6IR]

Opek also makes this antenna. The HVT-600 and HRO has it for $89.95.

[@hammann669]

I have used the MFJ-1699s it is the same Antenna. I manually tune based on the instructions. Paired with my IC-706 and LDG ATU. It brings it as close to 1:1 as I can get. This antenna has allowed me to work the world on mobile FT-8. I would buy another in a heartbeat.

[@jdschauss]

Another great video, Michael. Very informative and useful guide to tuning up these little antennas. I do understand that they are hugely compromised, but sometimes you just need to go small. Packing a smaller antenna can help you get farther out into a remote area to do ops. Also, for those who like to operate using their vehicle as a base, these antennas offer great multiband capability with quick band changes. Thanks so much for sharing with us! -K5SFC

[@billjobes1851]

Your candid, expert reviews are always appreciated. So true that those banana plug links give a false impression of ease of use. They're just the key that opens the door to a tsunami of fiddling to get resonance.

[@Philip-KA4KOE]

The key with these antennas is your counterpoise...which can make or break your activation.

[@kurtstefans5738]

Thanks for the review. I have an Opex multi band antenna that is almost identical. I have the same issue with 40m tuning as you mentioned. I found a shorter whip from another antenna that lets me tune 40m. In fact just last week I was activating a park where most of my contacts where 40m. It worked well for me. I haven't spent much time trying to get it working on 80. I use this antenna on car top with a 5.25" magmount and off car with a conductive fabric setup. I'm pretty happy with my antenna. Not the best but I like not having to lug around a bucket of ham sticks as I like to use 40 to 10 meter portable. I've activated 15 parks with it so far.

[@sailingfreedomandfireflies2184]

How much shorter? They give you two whips. So I would not be opposed to cutting one of the two down. But what was the length you came up with?

[@oobihdahboobeeboppah]

It may be new to Radioddity but this antenna has been around for around 20 years. It has an inherent design flaw in that the taps are not soldered in place very well, and need to be resoldered. There's an article in the eHam archive that explains how to fix it. Best to do the fix before relying on it in an emergency.

[@digitalanaloguehamradio]

I have got half a dozen antennas just the same as this or similar. If you tune it well to one band like 20 m, it will work good on there. People expected to work everywhere with just the simple movement of the wire and it just does not happen. Movement of the whip is necessary and with an Allen key that is awkward. If you are lucky, you will get two that are usable with the whip the same length. Thanks for the honest review.

[@jmac217x]

picked one up at a hamfest today along with a tripple magnet base. a guy I met had one set up on a lip mount which definitely seems like the way to go

[@tomsteuverkb8dxn132]

I have one of these antennas but do not use the magnet base, but direct mount to my truck. Actually this is my second antenna. A bunch of mud daubers nested and filled the unused holes ruining the first antenna. Now I have electrical tape covering the unused holes. I usually use 20M with this antenna and it performs welll with the FT-891 installed in my truck.

[@StephenBeaudet]

Asking as someone that hasn't gotten their license yet (hopefully next week!), if you're only using it for 20m, why not go with an antenna specifically for that band as opposed to a multi-use antenna? Genuine question, not trying to be a smartass. Maybe a dedicated antenna for that band is more expensive?

[@russpeck1320]

While nice and small, this antenna seems a bit fussy to tune, and is quite compromised in terms of bandwidth. I really like my mfj-2286. It has that marvelous stainless steel whip that can go out to 17 ft for full quarter length vertical on 20 and above. It's also really easy to tune: Short out or remove the coil for 20 and above, tuning by sliding the sections. Extend it fully and clip onto the appropriate coil winding for below 20. No tools to lose! I really appreciate your expertly produced videos and honest assessments of these things! 73

[@Sagart999]

The Radioddity web page on the antenna includes VSR charts that indicate its best performance is likely to be on the 20, 17, 15, and 10m bands. On that subject, it would be very useful if you could show freq v. VSR graphs for all of the antenna and grounding combinations to try. Your RigExpert Stick has a nice Bluetooth link that can be picked up by a phone running the RE AntScope 2 app. On a related note, I really appreciate your videos on magic carpets for HF verticals.

[@K7LZZ]

Another great KB9VBR review....Excellent.

[@justinmoyers1179]

Would like to see this one use tested side by side with the mfj1699

[@jackkelley890]

I totally trust your reviews. Your experience and honestly are legendary. 2 thumbs up sir. Thank you for posting.

[@wayneskiba1237]

Hi Michael, I thought this was a great review of this antenna, I found your review very interesting and informative. I own a very similar vertical antenna the OPEK HVT-600 which I received when I purchased a Yeasu 817nd, and received the antenna as an accessory. I did have some luck with the antenna on 20 meters ssb, which is where I mostly operate, but have not tried it on other bands so I found your review quite useful. Michael, thank you for sharing, and can't wait until your next adventure. Best 73's.

[@dockom2037]

I’m not a Ham but have an Australian LROCP for marine HF use. Would this antenna make a backup HF antenna on a fibreglass hulled yacht as there is no ferrous area to attach the magnetic base? Would it require transmission requiring the antenna tuner or do the jumpers account for that?

[@kennethherring2918]

I wonderif it would be possible to take the stinger from a 40 meter hamstick and adapt it to fit this antenna to tune to the voice portion of the band. From the looks of the hardware, it looks as though it could in fact be the same as that which is used on hamsticks.

[@Matthew-KN4QHQ]

Thank you for your review. They have been very helpful over the years. 73 from Atlanta GA.

[@mikedodds7547]

Excellent video as usual 😀 If I am going to do portable/fixed vehicle operation I prefer one of the 17 ft collapsible whips, along with a Wolf River Sporty 40, or even the the Wolf River Silver Bullet for 80, 60, 40 and 30. I have a 5" mag mount which so far has been fine for stationary ops, but I usually cheat a bit since I have a spare NMO mount on the car, I just screw an adapter on that instead. Since I have seen several of your videos using the 17 ft whip and Wolf River coils, it would be interesting to see a comparison video with it and the HF-008 and any other similar ones. 73

[@lonekyeagle]

Hey, Michael. That looks a whole lot like my Opek HVT400B or it's big brother, the Opek HVT600B. That is all that I am using right now, however it is mounted to the inside of my truck bed. I work the world with it and I have worked you 5 or 6 times with it. 73 de KO4TXV

[@nateitkin8279]

Thanks for making the video. I always appreciate product reviews. If you wanted 7.25 MHz and the antenna SWR was around 2:1, couldn't you use the internal tuner on the radio to bring that down (assuming the radio had one)? Admittedly, when the Q is high, constantly tuning on any frequency change is a pain but for POTA where you plan to camp on one frequency for awhile, wouldn't that work? On a related note, I'm curious if you've ever found a vertical to have a low Q on 40m or more? If so, please share the model. I want one. 73

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

You could use a tuner to increase the bandwidth of the antenna. Your losses will be higher, but it will get you to your desired frequency. But I also think it's important to highlight this antenna's low band deficiencies so others can make an informed choice on it. As for a 40 meter vertical that has a low Q. I think looking for something that puts a full 1/4 wave in the air on 40 meters will be your best option. The closest I've got to that is the Chameleon 25 foot whip paired with the Wolf River SB1000 coil. The 2:1 bandwidth almost covers the entire 40m band.

[@cdburgess75]

Thank you for being real.

[@dheller777]

Well said. I have this antenna and agrre with your assessment.

[@andrewmunz1639]

I have a tooner on my yaesu, it resenates nicely, but i allways try the good swr!

[@larryjohnson7591]

Just my 2 cents Michael, but I own a Ford F-150, and they are all aluminum bodies, so magnet mounts do not work. I had a Ford Flex, and they had a metal roof and life was easy. Now, I am having problems trying to find a way to mount antennas on my new truck without boring holes. Thanks for an honest review, and I might be able to use that antenna on my bumper mount. 73!

[@Sonicgott]

Perhaps if they installed some sort of telescopic whip you could adjust for the other portions of the 40m band, that would be nice. I'm *really* not a fan of cutting antennas.

[@cuddlybear4524]

Any idea why these are not shipping to the US?

[@straypacket]

Are you using vox activation on your transceiver, or are you keying the mic another way?

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

I’m using a trigger switch. Here’s how you can build your own. Ham Radio How To: Build a Headset Trigger Switch - Ham Radio Q&A kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGa6pmt4odeGfJI

[@F4LDT-Alain]

Good review, thanks. It looks very much like my Outback 2000. Almost the same thing, isn't it? I used it on a 18cm diameter magnet mount + large ground braid and found it unusable on 40m, with a ridiculously narrow bandwidth. Had to adjust it all the time on 20m with poor results. Half-decent on 10m, but a basic Sirio CB antenna was doing better. You seem to have been a bit more lucky. It's been taking dust in my garage for a long time. I have bought 3 mono-band Diamond HF-xxCL antennas since then and they work way better. 40m on a mobile antenna still is quite a challenge anyway. I haven't even tried 80m.

[@shandybrandy5407]

Hi Michael, thanks for introducing this new lightweight portable HF antenna. As I prefer SSB, this antenna is a real letdown since it can't resonate the 40 meters HF band in phone mode. 40 meters HF band frequencies are very important at our region as there are several activities during the morning hours. I always wonder why ham radio rig manufacturers launch half cooked stuff and claims big through their advertorials, which is quite frustrating in reality. You are aware about the restrictions laid down by urban city residential societies against Hams setting up antennas on common terraces, which is now common phenomenon in several cities across the globe. To counter this and to be still in our sacred hobby, I wish serious manufacturers comes up with portable antenna that will work like a charm from balconies and also be affordable. Wish you a great day ahead and thanks once again. Cheers! VU3TQT New Delhi

[@DEKINDY6065]

What is the smallest diameter the jaws will clamp to?

[@JamminJellies]

Thanks for the review. I’m looking at options for quick POTA setup in a small footprint and this is definitely a budget minded option. I would go with the ATAS 120a if money were no object. Have you ever used your WRC Sporty 40 on a mag mount while stationary? If so, how did it do?

[@kumasu]

I would certainly lose the allen wrench. I like this antenna's form factor, but tuning it requires too many additional instruments. Thank you for another great video!

[@slappomatthew]

if you had that mounted inside the cab the heat could be saved to keep you warm since that is basically a dummy load.

[@jefflane4122]

Very interesting Also nice to see you in my area We are in almond.

[@bensmith4563]

It seems that for the price and the whole tuneing thing a set of ham sticks are a much better choice

[@peterdstover]

Need a “good” portable whip type antenna for use with a 705 for 80, 40, 20 for primarily data. Any ideas?

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

This is tough as you give up a lot of efficiency for low band portability. One highly portable antenna to look, though is the Gabil GRA-7350TC amzn.to/4dxMyNm. I haven't tried it on 80 meters, but had ok results on 40 meters with it. I think its performance, though, can be improved with a good ground network. Otherwise maybe vertical wire antenna like the Rybakov. Coffee and Ham Radios makes a good one called the Poseidon, and I had great results on 40 meters with it.

[@chrismclain1594]

Could you trim the whip to bring it up into the 40M SSB range? I have some spare whips that could be sacrificed to add this capability.

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Yes, trimming the whip would be an option. but trimming the whip for 40 meter phone may limit your ability to tune on other bands. Since you have spare whips, that wouldn't be as much of an issue, though.

[@marcelookunz-lu1fk]

Michael: Si la comparamos con la vieja Australiana Out Baker que se podría decir? If we compare it with the old Australian Out Baker what could we say?

[@marcelookunz-lu1fk]

Me ocurrió lo mismo con la OutBecker Australiana, en 40 m resuena en 7000 y no hay manera de hacerla mas corta para que resuene mas arriba.

[@w8lvradio]

Please suggest a suitable replacement for the Outbacker, mine has been outside for over twenty years, tripod itself is still in good shape. Primarily 40 CW/ SSB. (I use a WRC for portable work.)73 DE W8LV BILL

[@vetinger]

Hi, could you please tell what is maximum power RF you tested with this antenna?

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

The antenna is rated for 100 watts phone (SSB) operation. In my testing, I was using 50 watts.

[@axi6ne8us]

Does it not work on 10 meters? I don't see 28MHz listed on that guide

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

The tuning guide lists 29 Mhz as its resonant 10 meter frequency, but from that point you should be able to lengthen the whip to tune it for the lower portion of the 10 meter band.

[@viralsheddingzombie5324]

what are the ideal whip lengths for 40m and 80m?

[@RedNeckSurgeyTech]

Does it cover 75 meters. The general voice potion?

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

It covers 80 meters, but like it does with the 40 meter band, the resonant frequency is near the bottom of the band. Not a good choice for 75m phone

[@W4TRI_Ronny]

Is the top of coil threading also 3/8-24? I have a telescoping whip to try there.

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

It’s 3/8x24. Super Antenna makes a small whip that would be a great replacement for the included whips. Then you could easily adjust it to any frequency

[@fm71450]

Hello Michael, thank you for your honesty & integrity. That the antenna was not resonant in the phone portion of 40m is something EVERYONE should know before purchase. It definitely is in the “good price” region of cost, and someone who is interested and capable of mods, like using a 3/8 x 24 whip might find this a good purchase. As always, 73 KQ4IXD

[@brianklimowski8895]

It is very disappointing that most ALL these multi tap antennas still LEAVE OUT 60M

[@andrewmunz1639]

I bought one from Knights in the uk, its perfect for my yaesu 817nd, it didnt come with the magmount!

[@zell666hell]

Will work for 11 m?

[@bob_mosavo]

Thanks 👍

[@ugsisr]

Good Review ! Thank You

[@johnpooley3]

Who’s got experience running this or the MFJ version at highway speeds?

[@wattsandhertz]

Michael thanks for reviewing this antenna! I was trying to see if Radioditty would send one for the channel to review but being a smaller content creator I guess my channel isn't large enough to work with yet. I have had my eye on these for a while!

[@lesjones5684]

Because you are a mud duck 🦆 😂😂

[@XPFTP]

friend had one made by company starting with a O i think ... was not the outbacker. i dont think. it worked ok. ran it on 40 at a park worked good when the band would let it be

[@AlvinMcManus]

Great review video. BTW that jaw clamp antenna base is unavailable on Amazon at the moment I write this. 73 KN6ZVI

[@ol2tmx6916]

Looks like the Kommunica Explorer 3

[@aschlack8889]

Thank you from vk2!!

[@N4GW]

Great review. I dont think I will but one though

[@dheller777]

A wider coil would have given them more effective band coverage.

[@TimHarperW5TAH]

How does it tune on 80M?

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Like it does with 40 meters, it tunes at the bottom of the 80m band. So it’s use on phone modes is limited

[@andy2E0JIU]

Thanks for another great video,way too much faffing around for me.alot easier with a 17ft adjustable whip n coil.just my 2 cents worth

[@joewoodchuck3824]

Looks like an outbacker. Is that company still around?

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

I had a couple people say that the Outbacker is still produced, but if you search for a website, you get a page that's clearly way out of date.

[@slamm1t]

When HAMS say "phone", does that mean voice?

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Correct, phone is short for telephony, which is the technical term for voice modes.

[@chrisnmichelle0218]

How many antennas can be called "the ultimate" before it loses meaning? 😅😂😊

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

If it wasn’t for sensational titles, then no one would watch the video

[@chrisnmichelle0218]

@@KB9VBRAntennas 😆 lol, that's funny

[@andrewmunz1639]

Heehee, dont put the wire in untill you have screwed the antenna in? The amount of times ive dropped it in the grass?

[@hamprepper]

Nice "Rat Tail"! Wish I had your hair

[@W4TRI_Ronny]

Boght this and a DE-19 interface! Affirm is Crack or Amateur Radio! :) LOL!

[@jerryKB2GCG]

definitely doesn’t fit my operating style; easy to loose the key, gotta climb up and down every time I want to adjust the stinger, nah….

[@JohnMacFarlane-p2i]

This antenna will not tune to any band - I would class it as a 'dummy-load'. I am very disappointed by the antenna - it has been unusable for me. It must be defective manufacture since others get some level of performance from it. Instructions are less than useful - causing confusion.

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

Something that I have observed using HF antennas with a magnet base is their inability to get a good match on the roof of the vehicle. What I found is that if I add 25 feet of coax in addition to the cable on the base, the SWR drops right down and the antenna works great. I believe the coax shield acts as a counterpoise, which is badly needed for these style of antennas.

[@johnmacfarlane]

@@KB9VBRAntennas Many thanks for the tip but the addition of coax made no difference. I'm disappointed as it looked like a very nice solution to portable operations. I have reverted to a steel whip on a stand - get terrific SWRs with that arrangement. John VA7PX

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

There may be something wrong with the antenna then, like a short somewhere. Which is unfortunate. Like I said in the review, it has great potential, but there are better options out on the market.

[@lesjones5684]

You need a job and stop beggin 😅😅

[@KB9VBRAntennas]

I’ve been self-employed since 2010 and I actually do quite well running my own business, thank you much.

[@sleeve8651]

What are your pronouns ? 🤔.....? Are you a Lambda member by chance ?