Since a long time, I was having a lot of performance issues and unstable SWR with the EZ Military whip from Alpha Antenna. I tried just about everything possible until I found the real problem: extremely poor manufacturing!!!
The truth came to light when a friend of mine (who tried to help me to fix the antenna) forwarded me the following two youtube videos that explain everything you've to know about the EZ Military:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKKOkCSzEBg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r49Wy3j_CME
It's shocking!
Oliver
I like the versatility of these antennas. I would only use one however if I was outputting at least 50W. Keep in mind they are not resonant and require a tuner. The weight is also pretty high. I can pack a LNR Precision trail end fed in my shirt pocket and not even feel it. Of course you need a tree or pole to deploy it. If you have a vehicle, then great, that means the weight isn't an issue and you have power for a bigger radio. To carry on foot, an end fed or Buddistick would be much lighter, but for temporary use only. It looks like the Chameleon could be a semi permanent affair, being more rugged... Just my $.02...
FB on mentioning Radio Preppers on the video!
If you gotta use a tuner with it, wire is much much cheaper and much much lighter ! Trick and quazi military antennas are just a gimmick !
I'm using a tuner with my EZ Military whip and am seriously disappointed with it's results. I still want to check the continuity of the sections. I just haven't got around to it.
I mostly use a 6m - 40m end-fed that I got from KX3Helper.com. It rocks! I've worked all kinds of DX contacts as well as everything from both coasts from my place in DFW! It rolls up nicely and fits in a ziplock sandwich bag!.
I don't see how either antenna's slip joints ensure good contact. Last summer I made myself a home-brew BuddiStick using tent poles. I got rid of the bungee and modified the ends for brass screw threaded connections.
I did one field operation with a 63' long EFHW wire antenna in a tree and my 12' tall vertical. Naturally with 5 times the metal in the air, and much higher up, the wire outperformed the vertical.
Carrying a long fiberglass pole with a wire end fed will beat a short vertical every time.. My choice is an end-fed with led swr indicator, a slingshot, and some fishing line and 1oz weight.
Gil.
Quote from: gil on March 24, 2016, 05:21:04 AM
It looks like the Chameleon could be a semi permanent affair, being more rugged... Just my $.02...
Yes indeed!! The Chameleon seems to be very well made! A guy on youtube made a man-pack with it:
https://youtu.be/XVucGooqHcg
Oliver
Someone on the Survival Tech Nord youtube channel has the same issues: https://youtu.be/XXLVDTHz9GY
I have the MPAS system and until recently didn't appreciate fully the versatility of it. Normally I use the Milwhip mounted to my truck or 5th wheel bumper but I'm currently camped in a valley with several hundred meter high "mountains" on every side.
The milwhip just would not get out on 5W 80M so without movin (in RV park) I put up the wire in a sloper and got a good signal report.
Would a loop have gotten out? I doubt it since elevation seemed to be the real issue.
Speed and connivence when you need it (milwhip) and punch when you can setup the wire.
It's a good system and tunes easily on a ZM-2
I'm glad EZ Mil took STN up on the challenge, even more glad I made the choice I did without knowing all the facts.
- Jim
Quote from: OliverWatt on March 25, 2016, 09:44:33 AM
Someone on the Survival Tech Nord youtube channel has the same issues: https://youtu.be/XXLVDTHz9GY
I just watch this and it's got me wondering about the continuity of the sections of the whip on my EZ-Military.
PVC parts? Iffy continuity in the antenna sections? Missing parts? No wonder VbM doesn't allow comments on his videos that make it sound like this antenna is the Be-All and End-All. I definitely haven't been impressed with mine. No one's fault but mine. I've learned this lesson. Don't let it happen to you.
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Iffy continuity in the antenna sections? [/quote]
I made a portable antenna once from a shock corded tent pole by doing a helical wrap with thin wire. Didn't depend on the slip joints for contact, just left enough of the wire to bridge the gap and enough slack there to allow it to be broken down for travel. Made a spike to ground mount it with and attach radials to and fed it at the bottom with my SGC-237 autotuner. It was really a flimsy ordeal that would swing around wildly in the wind but it worked great - 16' long with about 75' of wire wound on it. For NVIS work, I just bent it over into an upside down U and used a tent stake and nylon cord to hold it there. Didn't cost me anything cause I found the pole laying in the middle of an alley behind where I worked !
Quote from: RichardSinFWTX on March 25, 2016, 10:04:12 PM
I just watch this and it's got me wondering about the continuity of the sections of the whip on my EZ-Military.
PVC parts? Iffy continuity in the antenna sections? Missing parts? No wonder VbM doesn't allow comments on his videos that make it sound like this antenna is the Be-All and End-All. I definitely haven't been impressed with mine. No one's fault but mine. I've learned this lesson. Don't let it happen to you.
VbM is doing the propaganda work for Alpha Antenna... It's clearly a marketing stunt because their products are total garbage! If you look closely, VbM is the only one to spam youtube with it. I just saw a guy who cut his own Alpha match in half to see what's inside...
https://youtu.be/IbLAeqqRdNc
It looks like something my 13 years old nephew would build for a school project...
- Oliver
The last video from survival tech nord just got released!
https://youtu.be/HlmirEALEdQ
- Oliver
Howdy Oliver,
the link doesn't seem to work for me.
Try this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlmirEALEdQ&feature=youtu.be
- Oliver
thanks.
SurvivalTechNord did a very good job with this series. He could've easily let things degrade to just being snarky and petty; but I think he did a good "compare and contrast" of both products gave us his results.
Wow another guy put a new review...
https://youtu.be/4n30XykCChY
- Oliver
Interest. They are both just transformers with a 2.5:1 turns ratio. A lot of fancy mechanicals around a very simple transformer.
Just wanted to check in, say hello, and give sitrep.
The EZM vs MPAS series kicked my butt! Unfortunately the end of the series didn't help. Steve is going all ADHD on me, accusing me of destroying the EZMs good run! I know he's just emotional but, ... It sucks! Honestly, I thought this would be an easy series, since we all suspected they were similarly designed.
Anyway, here are some in the series facts.
1. Throughout the series Alpha has done everything it can, to mislead me. I don't blame them for as it's just good marketing, but it meant I had to be meticulous every step of the way. So I come out of this series with serious trust issues about any promises Alpha makes, and any new system alpha comes out with. At least until I see for myself that the quality and workmanship have improved.
2. The EZM is designed to be cheap and easy to manufacture! It is neither rugged or robust! In fact the EZM is just a cheap copy of the chameleon. Certainly it works but I would not put my life on it.
3. The continuity issues with the mil stick, were a manufacturing shortcut. It was much less labor-intensive to order the tent poles with the anodised inserts, and simply remove a small part of the Anodizing at the edges. Then use a very tight bungee cord to ensure those bare metal sections make contact. It works when it works but when it doesn't, your radio or tuner will pay the price!
4. The alpha match and hybrid micro are indeed 5:1 unun. I read one of the geniuses mention the "fancy covers" around the 5:1 unun (that's not even wrong!) Although based on the same design, attention to detail was the key difference. The alpha matchs transformer is not insulated in any way. It's possible too short on or fray the Garden wire inside the Alpha Match, or on the mounting screws. On the other hand, the "fancy cover" on the Hybrid micro, is milled in such a way that the Transformer cannot move inside its housing. In fact it's impossible to Short the Hybrid Micro inside its housing. That's the reason for the fancy cover around the Transformer. It's not just for looks!
For all the other Geniuses out there. The reason we use these types of antennas is rapid deployment and convenience, FULL STOP!!! You can't put a hundred Watts through your shirt pocket wire antenna, which needs a tree. The Broadband nature of these type of antennas means full coverage from at least 80 metres to 10 metres, with a free standing, modular system, which can be configured in a variety of different ways. Vertical, horizontal dipole, endfed, inverted vee, NVIS, inverted L, ... plus the deployment and convenience. So we are willing to accept the losses for having those deployment benefits. I know it's very difficult to understand for many people, why an experienced operator would use such a lossy antenna. It's simply because every antenna has its pros and cons, benefits and weaknesses. Your shirt pocket antenna might only cover three bands. The "no tuner needed" antenna might need to be elevated to some unreasonable height, and on and on. What many ham radio operators don't understand is that we're not talking about working dxcc with these things. In most cases were talking about Regional Communications with a rapid deployment system. So yes guys, you're right about there being more efficient antennas, but now of them have the deployment ootiins of these.
Finally guys. -Alpha Antenna is working on a system called the RECON. I believe that Alpha understands that it can't produce the same type of s*** which it has previously! I previously promised to do a comparison on the EZM to the RECON, as a way of undoing much of the damage that I've done to the company. But then Steve told me that the Recon is not a replacement for the EZM, it's an entirely new product, and the EZM will still be sold. This was a serious red flag for me. He insists that the quality issues with the EZM have been corrected in production now, but I have little confidence that that's true in regards to the Alpha Match.
So this is almost everything. I'm actually trying to take distance from alpha because it's hurting my channel. As for chameleon, the guys a freaking artist!
73 DE OH8STN
I thought you were more than fair in your comparison of the two antennas, Julian.
It sounds to me like Steve's a poor loser! The word is out now. The EZM is crap and now everyone knows it. Don't feel bad about him being upset. There's a really easy solution: MAKE A BETTER FREAKIN' PRODUCT!!
This can't be fixed by that company. That would entail admitting the original has problems that must be addressed. Which could invite legal action for those wanting a replacement upgrade. I speculate.
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