[HCARC] Gap Verticals

Mon Nov 26 20:39:48 EST 2012

Hello All...

As AC4CA mentioned, I suggested the GAP Voyager for his  low-band needs.

I had a Voyager many years ago in South Florida and was very  impressed 
with the
antenna in many ways.  I sold that antenna when I went  QRT back in 1997.

When I got back on the air July of 2011, I ordered another  Voyager while 
temporarily
using wire antennas for 40 and 80m with mixed results for DX  work.

After a long wait,  the Voyager arrived and was assembled  and put into 
operation.
As before, this antenna does the job.  Running 150 watts,  I could work 
everyone that I
heard with no problems.

As AC4CA mentioned, the antenna is very well made, with good  components 
and excellent
factory support if you need it.

Tim, W6TJW has installed a GAP Titan.  This antenna is  also very well 
made.  Tim's first
QSO with the Titan was with Germany of 40m SSB.  He  was running 100watts.

 For anyone who has heard about problems with GAP  Antennas, I would 
question the
reasons behind the problems and if there was any interaction  with the guys 
at the
factory.

As I mentioned, they provide excellent factory support and  usually answer 
the phone 
on the first ring.

If there is a problem, they will address it.

73
Don
W4WJ

In a message dated 11/26/2012 4:32:31 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
johnh at beecreek.net writes:

I read  the posting from a former club member that slams GAP antennas. In  
my
opinion, the most of the author's comments are misleading, even false.  I
would like reflector subscribers to hear another opinion. In fact, I  think 
I
have a responsibility to say something.

I've owned a GAP  Voyager for maybe nine months; I can't really remember how
long. I was  neither a fan nor detractor before that. Then Don, W4WJ,
mentioned to me  that the Voyager was really good 40m antenna. In fact, his
overall  impression of it was good. Since I was trying to build something to
get on  160m and wanted vertically polarized antennas for 80m and 40m, I
thought  I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did.

The Voyager is a little pricey. Be  aware. The antenna, itself, is 
physically
robust and well-built. It is not  flimsy mechanically. The materials are all
top-grade, stainless steel where  appropriate. It is mechanically
complicated, what with the tuning rods, and  so on, but even the least
stressed parts are and over-speced; again, in my  opinion. This is not a
tinselly, cheap antenna. Any statements to the  contrary are simply wrong.
Realize, of course, I'm talking about the  Voyager. I have no idea what the
other Gap products are like or how well  they work. I'm only saying it's
misleading to trash all GAP products.  

The Voyager requires only four radials, not a field of them, and they  are
not long. I think they’re about 40 feet long or so. My Voyager has  stood up
to three seasons of Hill Country weather, including some vicious  winds. It
has stayed up when a white-tail buck ran full into one of the guy  wires
trying to flee my Labs. 

The most important thing is how well  this antenna works. On 40m it is a
KILLER, no two ways about it. On 160m  it's fair, on 80m it's better. I 
don't
use it on 20m. Here is my score  summary for this past weekend's CQWW CW DX
contest. The contacts on 80m and  40m band were ALL made with the GAP
Voyager. It's a very good DX antenna.  For 1000 miles in, you would probably
be better off with a wire antenna,  like a Zepp or dipole or G5RV or the
like. On 160m I don't believe you can  get a wire up high enough around here
to work well. (Think back to the  November club program.) As you can see, it
compared very favorably with a  TH7DX on 20m thru 10m for an equal number of
hours spent on the relevant  bands. Frankly, the Voyager continues to blow 
my
mind on 40m. I keep  thinking "This guy (rare DX working a pileup) will 
never
hear me." just to  be proven wrong time and time again.

Band    QSOs    Pts  ZN    Cty
1.8      23       57    8   14
3.5      84     234   20    45
7     256   720   28   89
14     253     740    31   90
21      256     746   29   97
28     268      766   27   80
Total   1140    3263  143  415

If you ever want to  stop by for a demonstration and see the construction of
this GAP  product,  just say so. And beware of whom you listen to and  how  
to
interpret them when it comes to trashing products.

73 de  John/AC4CA

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