Actual experience with a Comet CHA-250B vertical
Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2019 9:39 pm
I am considering a Comet CHA-250B vertical. In Florida we have sand not "soil" and my HOA won't be OK with any sort of radials -- on the ground, buried, elevated. They advertise no radials. Is that true?
Can I really work both the 80 meter CW portion and 75 meter portion of the band without making changes in length to the antenna? Same question for 40 meters. Will a wide band tuner allow that or is the SWR curve so steep I have to choose one portion or the other and physically adjust/tune the antenna accordingly?
I see they went from a smooth matching network at the base to one with fins as a heat sink. Obviously there is RF lost to heat in the feed balun. But does the antenna really radiate or is it a 25 foot high dummy load with an enclosed "light bulb" at the base?
I realize it's short for 80 and 40 meters and my expectations are reasonable. But if it radiates poorly and most of the RF becomes heat in the loading or a tuner what's the point? If it doesn't allow me to have QSOs I need a different option. How does it perform on 30, 20, 17, and 15 meters?
Can I really work both the 80 meter CW portion and 75 meter portion of the band without making changes in length to the antenna? Same question for 40 meters. Will a wide band tuner allow that or is the SWR curve so steep I have to choose one portion or the other and physically adjust/tune the antenna accordingly?
I see they went from a smooth matching network at the base to one with fins as a heat sink. Obviously there is RF lost to heat in the feed balun. But does the antenna really radiate or is it a 25 foot high dummy load with an enclosed "light bulb" at the base?
I realize it's short for 80 and 40 meters and my expectations are reasonable. But if it radiates poorly and most of the RF becomes heat in the loading or a tuner what's the point? If it doesn't allow me to have QSOs I need a different option. How does it perform on 30, 20, 17, and 15 meters?