Stealth Cushcraft MA5B 5 band Yagi "mini beam"

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Well it's been up for 8 years and is still working really well for me. Yes I am talking about the HF mini beam which has a small footprint and a big signal. The largest element is aprox 17.10 ft wide and the boom is only 7.30 ft long. Despite its relatively compact size it works absolutely Fabulously and I would not change it as it's a perfect fit for my garden.
As you can see in the picture my MA5B is not a sight for sore eyes but is instead very difficult to find. It's mounted via a heavy home brew tripod base which houses a mast taking the antenna to just 20ft above the ground. The trees are old and well established towering above the beam. 
After years of operation with previous poor conditions and now with much better band conditions I can honestly say what a great antenna the Cushcraft MA5B really is. I can usually work who I can hear unless they are running extra high power QRO and have a high noise level at their end. 
The recieve is something special about this multi band mini beam as many that watch my YouTube live streams have said how well I receive and how clear the signal strength is as well as no noise. Obviously my location has something to do with this but when I compare signals with my other antennas - delta loop, dipole and 6BTV (multi band vertical) it stands out a mile how superior to them all the MA5B is. It's great having a few antennas to switch around and to be able to compare. 
The construction quality.
As some of you know I am half way up the Pennines. This obviously is great for DX but lousy for calm gentle weather patterns. The past few years have provided plenty of storms with wind, damp, ice and other antenna nasties. The Cushcraft MA5B is really well constructed with thick walled tube and good quality fibre glass central connection tubes. My antenna was up at my work place for a number years before I bought our house so it's actually almost a 20 year old antenna. 
Why am I writing this review now? Well I wanted to let you know that although it costs more than other antenna it lasts a long time with no trouble in between and the performance is virtually the same as a full sized Yagi. So if you are considering spending your hard earned cash I can give you the thumbs up with confidence that you will be happy with the Cushcraft MA5B antenna. 
Last night I Just switched my radio on heard Japan with a big pile up calling. Gave one call and bingo straight in to Tokyo with Mac (Mitsuya) JG1OUT on 20m first call. CQ Dog X-ray! Cushcraft MA5B power! With 200w.

So here are the specs:
Antenna type:  5 band 3 element YAGI
Coverage HF Bands: 20, 17, 15, 12, 10 Meters. No ATU required. 
Max power: 1200w
Turning Radius: 8.80ft





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