Sommer Antennas - Customer Comments
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[COMMENTS]
[REVIEWS]
[BACKGROUND]
Note: The actual call letters of our customers have been omitted to respect their privacy. If you wish to contact any of these customers, please call us.
N5F... reports on his T-25 vertical (formerly TCS-25)
 "...Just a short note to give you some of my impressions of the Sommer vertical, model TCS-25, that I took to St. Vincent with me. It was as easy to assemble as you had assured me. I put the antenna up by myself in about 45 minutes. Once erected, it tuned very nicely on all bands I tried using the autotuner in my TS440s. I operated on 80, 40, 30, 20, and 17 meters using 100 watts. The antenna tuned with low SWR on all these bands, as well as 15 and 10 meters. I operated parts of 3 days as J8 7CQ and made 610 contacts, mostly with Europe. Over 420 contacts were logged with European stations. I made 74 contacts on cw, with many of these being Europeans on 40 meters. I also worked several Eu stations on 30 meters. Perhaps the best contacts were a 20 meter ssb contact with FH5CD on Mayotte Island and a 20 meter cw contact with VQ9TT on Diego Garcia. Most of the reports I received were 55 to 59, with many operators stating I was well over 59 at their location. I was very pleased with all aspects of the antenna. I had used another brand vertical on one of my mini-DXpeditions to Belize and I feel your antenna is far superior to the other. No traps is a big plus, as I could not operate 40 meters from Belize because the trap was out. As I remember, there seemed to be more noise with the other vertical I used. I think that you have a very good product and feel that it will serve anyone well, either as a base antenna or as a very easy antenna to take on trips. I am already looking forward to using the TCS-25 on my next trip to the Caribbean".
Note: T-25 = initially named TCS-25

KT5...
 "Just put up my XP507 antenna on a 50-foot Universal freestanding aluminum tower, 20 meter swr was 1.3 on 14.0...to 1.1 across (most of ) the rest of the band...first QSO...with 7X4AN, Algeria through a pile-up...on first call. (599) Then, a continuous stream of Russian stations calling...Moved off frequency and called CQ AF; ...immediately answered by 9X5HG Rwanda, who says he only answers CQ's, never makes them. Called CQ on 30 meters, pointed east. A station in Maine, using a vertical antenna, and who I could barely hear, gave my 100 watts a 599+10dB. ...This is certainly a lot of antenna on a 16-ft boom!"

SM7... on the XP707
 "This is my second setup with Sommer antennas,...I put this heavy duty antenna up since I live just at the shore of the Atlantic ocean and the winds, the snow, and the ice get heavy on the antenna...It works like a dream! ...I and SM7..., Sven (who also has one of these monsters, hi) have checked the gain and f/b, and we have: 8dB/d on 20m; 9 on 15m; 10 on 10m, less than 1:1.5 at band ends on all bands from 20 down!"

WA5... on the XP706
 "I have been very pleased with your antenna since putting it up in 1987. I have worked 322 countries with it, mostly with 100 watts...It is on a Rohn 25 tower up 50 feet. I have had nothing but favorable reports with this antenna...The proof is in the doing, that is, look at my DX record to see how well it works. SUPER! ...By the way, the antenna has been hit by lightning at least two times with no ill effects."

KM1... on the XP807 antenna
 "I have made additional checks (of this antenna compared with HYGAIN antennas) with two neighboring hams. N1HOV has a HYGAIN 105 at forty feet and W1FPZ has a 155 CA at eighty feet. In my opinion, your antenna is fully competitive with their monobanders. In fact, I think I may hear a little better than the 105--perhaps due to the greater capture area of the 807? I am also impressed with the 40 meter performance...This morning VK2ILK gave me 59 (with the antenna broadside)* Have also run checks versus a long dipole at the same height with positive results." * The entire antenna structure is loaded to resonate on 40m and will have a maximum lobe, usually about 1 to 2 s units variation with azimuth. The maximum lobe can be determined while receiving a strong signal on 40 meters.

KA7...
 "I thought you would enjoy seeing a photo of my antenna installation. The proverb, 'beauty is in the eyes of the beholder' really plays well in this case. The antenna is a work of art. Aside from looking sleek and unique, it is extremely functional. My Amateur Radio antenna system fantasy has been accomplished! ...Again, thanks for your help in supplying needed parts to help the antenna find a new location and 'sing.' I am very very pleased and enjoy 'spreading the word' about this particular antenna."

WM4...
 "I want to tell you how much I'm enjoying my Sommer XP507. ...It has been on the air for nearly two months and is working great. I am immensely impressed with the design, construction and beefy materials. I was skeptical that an antenna covering 7 bands could really present a decent SWR on all 7, but the 507 does. ...I filled a log page in less than an hour of 'hunt and pounce'. ...The real value of a beam to me is the front to back and side ratio. In this area, the 507 really shines. Stuff off the back, and particularly the side, almost vanish. I also have an all-band GAP vertical. ...an S9 signal on the 507 will be S4 to S5 on the vertical ...stations that are S5 on the 507 simply disappear on the GAP. Although the GAP is a good antenna, the difference between it and the 507 is amazing! The only band the GAP does a little better is 40 meters (about 50% of the time)."

KG3...
"Forgive my tardiness in sending you some feedback about ...your wonderful trapless beam. It has surpassed my expectations many fold. Firstly, I am staggered by the ability of the beam to be so directionally selective. Signals which others cannot even hear are quite audible to me. Though I only have the model 507 mounted ...at about 40 feet, I would rate its performance as equal to or exceeding specifications. Secondly, it is quite enjoyable to discover that Sommer owners are quite unique and generally well informed, technically minded hams. I've had the opportunity ...in roundtables which included hams using Sommer beams and those using other brands. We Sommer users stood out clearly ahead of the rest at comparable power levels.

"There is no question in my mind why amateurs generally acknowledge to me that Sommer beams are the best of the beams available. Thank you for your product and the time you offered on the telephone to assist me during the assembly."

Sommer Antennas

P.O. Box 710
Geneva, FL 32732
Phone: (407) 349-9114 | Fax: (407) 349-2485