A view of the as-received "440 Yagi Beam Antenna" sold by "Electronicsales425" on Ebay.
Click on image for a larger version.

It was noted that this particular user ID is no longer to be found on Ebay, so this means that products of this quality will have to be obtained from other sources.  It is possible that the user simply created another ID and continues to sell pieces of similar quality.

Several years ago a friend of mine bought four of these "440 Yagi Beam Antenna" as sold on Ebay by "Electronicsales425" for approximately $22 each and upon receipt of these antennas, he could not say enough good things about them.  He also inferred that no price would be too high for an antenna of this quality!

Being impressed by them in this manner, he asked me to take a look at them - and I must say that they are like no antenna that I have seen before.

This antenna has a number of interesting features, including:

• Rugged PVC boom construction!  In an outdoor environment, PVC can withstand months of UV exposure.  If replacement of this material is required, there is almost nothing that is less expensive.

• Reduced weight!  The avoidance of a boom clamp reduces the weight of this antenna.

• Matching network!  All antennas can have losses associated with their matching networks.  For this antenna, this aspect is well managed with its unique "J-shaped" driven element.

• Soft-drawn copper tubing elements!  With these elements, you need not worry about their bending due to wind or ice-loading!

• Avoidance of lossy coax on the antenna!  Many antennas use lossy coax between the connector and the matching network - but not this antenna!  It's "J-shaped" driven element has no lossy coax connected to it, but rather it uses open-wire line instead of coaxial cable:  Two separate strands relatively of heavy PVC-covered hookup wire run from the driven element to the connector, minimizing DC losses!

• This antenna is shipped disassembled!  It is extremely easy for the elements to come out of the boom!

• A boom-mounted coaxial connector!  As you can see from the picture (at the bottom) the UHF antenna connector is cleverly mounted to the PVC end cap on the antenna.

• Reduced chance of connector galling!  How many times have you had a coax connector "gall" and were unable to unscrew it from the coax connector?  Well, if you have had this problem in the past, it may not happen with this antenna:  Being mounted as it is on the PVC, you won't even be able screw the connector on all of the way and bottom out the threads on the UHF connector and thus, there is less likelihood of the threads seizing!  In addition to this, routing cable is easier since even tightened as far as it will go, you'll be able to rotate the PL-259's barrel to prevent tangling of the coax - a common problem as I'm sure you'll agree!
  

• Low return loss!  If you were worried about high return loss, you need not do so with this antenna!  Over the intended "440 band" this antenna does not exhibit a high return-loss factor!  In fact, the return loss did not, anywhere on the "440 band," exceed 5 db!  No doubt, this is a result of the combination of the unique "J-shaped" feed design and the use of the open-wire feedline going to the UHF connector.  As you can see from the return-loss plot, the only place that the return loss was high was in the range of 370 MHz and around 500 MHz - well away from the intended operating frequencies!
  

• Lower chance of intermod! With the low return loss in and near the "440" band, signals that might reach the receiver to cause intermod and overload are reduced!
  

• Good "SWRs"!  If an antenna like this is fed with 200 feet of a good quality RG-58 or just 50 feet of RG-174 coaxial cable you can reasonably expect good "SWRs" (e.g. multiple SWR readings) over the entire design frequency range!

The unique "J-shaped" driven element. Note how the two wires comprising the "open-wire" feedline attach to the driven element. Without a matching network, there's little fear of it detuning due to rain, snow or ice! Click on image for larger version.

The unique "J-shaped" driven element and the open-wire feedline. Observe how the two strands comprising the open-wire feedline are cleverly routed into the boom. Click on image for larger version.

The end-mounted UHF connector.  The open-wire feed connects to this single-hole UHF connector.  As you can see, the use of this style of UHF connector and the relatively thick wall of the ABS cap takes up most of the threads of the UHF connector - as evidenced by the the connector  to the left showing the comparison. As I'm sure that you'll agree, this lesser amount of exposed threads prevents one from being able to screw the connector on all of the way an "bottoming out" the connector and thus it may reduce the likelihood of the threads galling and being unable to remove connector the antenna. Click on image for larger version.

The return loss of the antenna, centered at 450 MHz. This shows the return loss from 350 MHz to 550 MHz with no more than 5 db of return loss at 450 MHz!  As you can see, excessive return loss is no problem over the "440 Band" range for which this antenna was designed! When the 3 foot coaxial cable jumper was removed and the antenna was connected with a barrel to the directional coupler, the return loss was less than 2db! (Major horizontal divisions are 20 MHz and major vertical divisions are 10 db, with the "zero" line being the major division below the frequency readout.)

As you can see from the quality of the construction and design of this specimen, it is likely that no antenna will perform as well as this one does and that this antenna cannot be recommended too highly!

It need not be said how lucky you would be to get an antenna such as this to work well for you!

Other online recommendations for this antenna:

• Raving reviews at qrz.com - In this thread, people cannot say enough good things about this antenna! (From the internet archive)
  

• Equally enthusiastic reviews at qth.com - Here we have more people describe their satisfaction with the quality of this product!  (From the internet archive:  qth.com now requires a login to see current and past messages.)
  

P.S.  I have no pecuniary interest in this antenna or its seller.  I have offered what I believed to be a fair opinion based on the evaluation of one of four identically-constructed units from the seller's production.

For other information, refer to the Lexicon of Inconspicuously Ambiguous Recommendations and related pages.  (See also:  This book.)

Click here for a few antenna tips.

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