Category: Testimonials

My testimonials are not comprehensive reviews. I give brief summaries of my successes in installing and using ham radio equipment, along with observations on features I liked or disliked.

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Testimonials

Antennas Amplifiers 4m 4El Yagi PA70-4-1.5B

Antenna Amplifiers 4m 4El Yagi
Antenna Amplifiers 4 element yagi PA70-4-1.5B for 4m ham radio band.

Antennas Amplifiers’ 4 element yagi for the 4m / 70MHz ham radio band makes a good overall impression. It took me less than two hours to assemble and mount it on my telescoping tower. Soon after, I had my first amateur radio connections on 70 MHz in the log.

Antennas Amplifiers PA70-4-1.5B 4 element 4m yagi.
Figure 1: Antennas Amplifiers PA70-4-1.5B 4 element yagi for 4m ham radio band on my telescoping tower.

Shipping and Packaging

Ordered from WiMO[2], the antenna shipped in four business days. Packaging is 1.49 m long, just so it fits the 1.47 m boom. Element rods came grouped by size in cling wrap. All hands-on in sympathetic small business look and feel.

Packaging of the antenna.
Figure 2: packaging of the antenna with parts in cling wrap.

Initially I was interested in the 3 element version because I was concerned that the 4 element might be too hard to handle on my balcony. Since it was sold out in Germany, I even considered ordering it directly from Goran YU1CF[1]. However, shipping from Serbia is said to be slow and costs 40€. In the end, I decided to do a bit heavier lifting and went for the 4 element variant.

Assembly

The enclosed English manual does not cover the PA70 types specifically. It just contains some technical details for a variety of antenna products. For me this wasn’t an issue as all parts are clearly labeled, making the assembly fairly self-explanatory.

Mounting elements to the boom.
Figure 3: Assembly detail mounting elements to the boom.

Antenna elements numbered 1 – 4 with letters A and B indicating sides are all matched by labels sticking to the aluminum boom.

Antenna element assembly.
Figure 4: Antenna element assembly with labels and drill holes for self-tapping screws.

Furthermore, labels E1 through E8 mark where smaller and larger diameter pipes that make up the elements fit together. Push in the smaller pipes until both drill holes for self-tapping screws overlap. Afterwards put in the screws to secure the elements. One little point of critique: I might have wished for slightly smaller drill holes to give the screws a better grip.

Fixing balun to active elements.
Figure 5: Fixing the balun to the active elements of the antenna.

My next complaint is that I could not find a wrench to tighten the screws that fix the balun connectors to the active elements. Even with some more space around the screws the cable roll still blocks the access. This was the only part of the assembly that I found a bit fiddly.

Operating the Antennas Amplifiers PA70

The 4 element yagi is very lightweight and easy to lift onto a telescoping tower. Due to the relatively thin elements its wind load is low and in my setup it has an SWR of less than 1.2 on 70.154 MHz without tuning. I lack the equipment to measure radiation patterns, but when targeting stations, the antenna’s directivity meets my expectations for a 4-element beam.

In all, the PA70-4-1.5B makes a good first impression and is lightweight enough for balcony operation. The antenna’s boom is 1.47 meters and the reflector element 2.17 meters long.

References

[1] 4 meter 4 element Portable Antenna PA70-4-1.5B 70MHz, Antennas Amplifiers / Dual

[2] YU1CF PA70 Yagi, WiMO