[Antennas] MFJ-1796 multiband vertical

[Kargokult@aol.com]

pacificcommonwealth@excite.com signalled:

<<  Dear Hue:
     To most of the readers, 2 "S" units down represents enough to understand 
that this is, at best, a performanced challenged antenna.  

--This is understood. A simple look at the height tells one the efficiency
is well down from a full 1/4w vertical. Actually, there's no need to even
compare to an R7, as this is self-evident.
However, it's a product for a specific role. One, in fact, that i will 
consider for
balcony use. There are less efficient antennas on the market still - mobile
whips on cars, and the short little thing with antenna tuner sold for that
new Yaesu all-bands all-modes QRP thing. 
People use these, make long distance contacts and have a lot of fun. 

>>Under no circumstances encountered [band, time of day, distance, etc.] did 
this antenna do as well as the shortened dipole or the R-7 [another less than 
stellar performer]. 

--This is exactly the information i asked for, and i think it could have been
placed in the first post. I believe the compromise-antenna reviews i read
in the ham mags compare them for low and high angle performance, and
noise, on various bands.
 
>>The fact I had a dipole, albeit a shortened one, available for comparison 
should have made the statement easier to understand.  

??
--A low dipole is generally known to be a better high angle radiator. A low
dipole is another form of  compromise radiator, at least for DX work. That's
why i felt it would be interesting to compare both at various angles of 
radiation. If i missed this information in your first post, i aplogize.

>>I'm sorry this real life experience wasn't meaningful to you.
 Ron W7MRR

--Actually it was, once you communicated it.
Regards, Hue