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I got the TAK-tenna 40 around the end
of February and had just gotten out of a surgery so while recuperating I put
it together. I wanted to put it at 32 feet on the tower, but was told no way
to going up the tower by the doctor and the house boss (wife).
So, after talking with Randy, KB4QQJ, that he had used his as a vertical, I
decided to hang the TAK off the side of the tower with a wooden pole and
string. I put it at 3 feet 1 inch from the sod ground and then resonated it at 7.125.
The antenna is only 7 feet from the house on the east side and 10 feet from
the house on the north side. There is a 6 foot concrete block wall to the
west about 8 feet and a large tree to the south, so the antenna is snuggly
placed in the side yard surrounded by wall and house, etc.
I am using the TAK with my FT-920 and the internal tuner easily handles the
TAK from 7010 to 7250 with the center freq at 7.125. If I want to get
precise, I can and have used the Palstar 1500CV.
I have concentrated on 40 meters, but one time tuned it up on 80 and contact
with 3 stations in CA, WA and TX. The WA station was right on the Canadian
border and said that I was about 52, but no problem copying. I took that as a
good report for 80.
My second contact on 40 was KH7XS with a report of 579. I have also worked
into the Caribbean on CW a number of times with good reports.
My prize contact has been TX5C the DXpedition on
the Clipperton Aton in
the Pacific! I first worked them on LSB but never showed up in the online
log. Two days later, I found them on the CW part of the band and after
listening for an opening in the pileup, I got them on FIRST CALL with the TAK40 ! A few days later I did show up on their online log
so I can brag about that one. I copied the log and emailed it to Steve to
confirm what I had done.
My opinion of the antenna is that it is definitely NOT a “make do if you
can’t get anything else” antenna. It can hold it’s own with my full size
dipole at 32 feet. Sometimes it’s an S unit lower on receive and sometimes
it’s not. I attribute any difference between the two to the bad Las Vegas soil under the Vertical along with the confined location where
I have it between houses.
I would say for those in Home Owner Associations that your prayers have been
answered. It would be easy to build a PVC stand for it to sit it in the
backyard and be on the air full scale without limitations. Plant flowers
around it and call it a modern landscape ornament. It would probably win a
garden club award, but one would be on the air with nobody the wiser. I give
the antenna a 5 plus and would give it a 10 if that were the scale. Great
antenna Steve. I have a lot of experimenting yet to do with the antenna, but
for now I can say I’m extremely pleased with it.
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