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IW5EDI Simone - Ham-Radio

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EAntenna 40m Bazooka Antenna Review

Posted: 04 Nov 2021 04:57 PM PDT http://www.iw5edi.com/ham-radio/5245/eantenna-40m-bazooka-antenna-review



An on the field comparison with the GAP Titan DX




Since the GAP Titan DX did not completely satisfied me completely on 40
meters band, last summer I decided that the time to test some alternatives
had come.




The choice was between a typical multiband fan-dipole, or a single band
dipole. Space on my roof is limited to aproximately 20 meters, that is not
so much, but is even enougth to setup a decent wire antenna.




After a short period of analysis and choices among antenna design, I came
to to the Bazooka antenna design, and I ended up to opt for the EAntenna Bazooka Antenna for 40 meters band.








Bazooka dipoles are done by using a mix of coax cables and single wire as
main part of dipole arms, and as main characteristics they feature low
noise and bandwith. Concerning antenna gain above single dipole antenna,
Ive read several articles with conflicting opinions, some report an higher values above the dipole, and some other that even state a similar or even
lower values.




Based on my experience I can tell you what the real life comparison amont
the GAP Titan DX, a vertical multiband antenna I own, and that is erected
in the same roof.




Setting up and tuning the Bazooka Antenna




The installation is very simple, as the antenna does not require any
special mounting work. I installed a vertical pole about six meters high,
to which I attached a bracket I had available, and to which I attached a
pulley I had bought some years ago in Fredrickshaffen and which came in
very handy.




The centre of the antenna is, as I said, about six metres high, while the
ends of the antenna are about two metres high. The whole thing is
positioned at the edge of the roof, which is about 10 metres above the
ground.




Tuning the antenna was very simple, I had to shorten the antenna by about thirty centimetres on each side to get the lowest SWR in the area I was
most interested in, the CW area.




The bandwidth turned out to be very wide, allowing SWR values always below 1.5:1.




Tuning has been done by placing my Antenna Analyzer at the shack, and by monitoring the SWR behaviour almost in real-time via a tablet connected via WI-FI to my Analyzer. It took me just 15 minutes to get the optimal values.








Antenna performance Tests




Reception




Reception is the easiest and immediate test. It outperfomed the GAP Titan
in silence and sensibility. Stong signals had a clear and evident
improvement, signals received at S8-S9 with the Bazooka were S9+20.




But the main advantage is the lower noise, that made signal slightly compresible on the GAP Titan DX, completely readable on the the Bazooka. In
the clear QRM is S9 on the GAP and S7 on the Bazooka.




Transmission




To evaluate performace in tramsission I did use the Reverse Beacon Network method. I called CQ intermittenly with both antennas, changing frequency
and speed, in order to have get spotted from receivers and then I compared
the received signal reports.




In the table below, you will see the receptions reports with the Winner
Antenna in the last column.



Receiveb byQRGdBGMTAntennaWinnerAC0C-17022.69 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazookaEA2NN7022.97 dB0516z 27 OctBazookaBazookaES5PC7022.617
dB0512z 27 OctBazookaES5PC7023.422 dB0519z 27 OctGAP Titan DXGAP Titan DXES5PC7023.414 dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXG4IRN7022.628 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazookaG4IRN7023.416 dB0519z 27 OctGAP Titan DXG4IRN7023.413
dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXG4ZFE7022.621 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazookaG4ZFE7023.49 dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXHA1VHF7023.410
dB0516z 27 OctBazookaBazookaJ68HZ7022.79 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazookaK5TR7022.612 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazookaKM3T-27023.49
dB0516z 27 OctBazookaKM3T-27022.611 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaKM3T-27023.412
dB0519z 27 OctGAP Titan DXGAP Titan DXKO7SS7022.611 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazookaLZ3CB7022.612 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazookaLZ3CB7023.412 dB0519z 27 OctGAP Titan DXGAP Titan DXLZ3CB7023.48 dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXLZ4AE7022.622 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazookaLZ4AE7023.416 dB0519z 27 OctGAP Titan DXLZ4AE7023.415 dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXLZ4UX7022.66 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaLZ4UX7023.412 dB0519z 27 OctGAP Titan DXLZ4UX7023.415 dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXGAP Titan DXLZ7AA7022.621 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaLZ7AA7023.414 dB0519z 27 OctGAP Titan DXLZ7AA7023.424 dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXGAP Titan DXMM0ZBH7022.613 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazookaMM0ZBH7023.44 dB0509z 27
OctGAP Titan DXOE9GHV7023.49 dB0516z 27 OctBazookaBazookaOH4KA7022.614
dB0512z 27 OctBazookaOH4KA7023.418 dB0519z 27 OctGAP Titan DXGAP Titan DXOH4KA7023.413 dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXOH6BG7022.623 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazookaOH6BG7023.421 dB0519z 27 OctGAP Titan DXOH6BG7023.420
dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXON3URE7023.48 dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXGAP Titan DXPA8MM7022.725 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazookaPA8MM7023.412 dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXSE5E7022.634 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazookaSE5E7023.420 dB0519z 27
OctGAP Titan DXSE5E7023.420 dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXSJ2W7022.621 dB0512z
27 OctBazookaBazookaSJ2W7023.418 dB0519z 27 OctGAP Titan DXSJ2W7023.416
dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXSM6FMB7022.69 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaSM6FMB7022.69 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaSM6FMB7023.411 dB0520z 27 OctGAP Titan DXGAP Titan DXSM6FMB7023.411 dB0520z 27 OctGAP Titan DXSM6FMB7023.46 dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXSM6FMB7023.46 dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXSM7IUN7022.630 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazookaSM7IUN7023.426 dB0519z 27 OctGAP Titan DXSM7IUN7023.417 dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXSV8RV7022.624 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazookaSV8RV7023.413 dB0519z 27 OctGAP Titan DXSV8RV7023.418
dB0508z 27 OctGAP Titan DXW1NT-27022.614 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazookaW1NT-27023.410 dB0519z 27 OctGAP Titan DXW1NT-67023.420 dB0516z 27 OctBazookaW1NT-67022.625 dB0512z 27
OctBazookaBazookaW1NT-67023.420 dB0519z 27 OctGAP Titan DXW4KAZ7023.49
dB0516z 27 OctBazookaW4KAZ7022.614 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazookaWZ7I7022.613 dB0512z 27 OctBazookaBazooka




In some cases, Ive been spotted just using the Bazooka. Of course, we may consider the polarization of the receiving station, that is currently
unknown to me, and the direction of the receiving staion. The Vertical
being an omnidirectional, in some cases outperforms the dipole.




Using the Bazooka during CQ WW SSB




Well, the 2021 edition of the CQ WW SSB was a really a very hard to work contest o 40 meters, with lots of stations and strong signals, therefore it
is difficult to evalutate the antenna performance, but Ive been able to
compare it again with the vertical, and from a reception point of view it confirmed the impression of a lowr QRM threshold and stronger signals.




Conclusions




The results were as expected, the Bazooka antenna offers an higher gain in reception and transmission, and a lower noise level that permit optimal reception. Cons, are directivity of dipole, and wire diamater size, that
makes wire very visible. Concerning the product, looks weel assembled and
with a good quality of materials. Center balun is completely sealed and waterproofed. 4 KW power looks generous for my habits. The price, is around
70 Euros.




Currently very satisfied.

The post EAntenna 40m Bazooka Antenna Review appeared first on IW5EDI
Simone - Ham-Radio.

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