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K30 Antenna Review

B

Buckshot555

Member
Jul 25, 2010
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This is a review for a K30 antenna mag mount

K40 Antennas & Accessories :: K30 Magnet Mount Antenna

I wanted to pick up a cheap mag mount antenna for a last minute trip that wouldn't break my wallet and perform awesome. What was I thinking.

Let me be the first to tell you: I got what I payed for. This antenna is not worth the money. I'd get better results from a piece of string. I payed 30 bucks for a terrible piece of equipment. I can't say anything for the rest of K40's line of products, having never used them, but this one was BAD. The only way to get ANY usable SWR was to cut about 3 inches off the whip. And still SWR is 1:4 on channel one and over 3 in the red at channel 40. Wit a use of an amp, my only usable channels are from 10 to 22. (Unless I want to fry my radio with bad SWR) This is NOT a good broad-banded antenna.

Other reports of K30 users say the same thing. No usable SWR without chopping the radial. Usage seems good on the highway with close CBers, but that's not saying much.

I am extremely disappointed with this antenna and I strongly urge other users who are on a budget not to buy this antenna. I should have saved up another 20 bucks and gotten a little Wil. The little wil is amazing for the price.
 

Buckshot555,
I used a K30 for over a year with good results, but like you stated its not very broad banded, I was using it primaryly on CH 19 & 20 most of the time, cut down the stinger about 3/4 of an inch, had 1 to 1 SWR on about 5 channals and about 2 to 1 + on channal 1 and channal 40 on my little SUV. It had good ears on channal 19 where I was using it. Never gave me any trouble, used it up untill I brought a Wilson 5000, but that antenna cost $125 where I paid $25 for the K30 at a local truck stop on sale......Oldtimer
 
A K30 is a line of sight antenna and is good for listening but don't expect much transmit.
You say "Good results" but that is open for interpretation.
 
I agree that the K-30 is lousy. I got one because of the low height. I couldn't get a decent match at all. Perhaps it was defective, but then again it shouldn't be defective to begin with. I never had a problem with the K-40 I had years ago, except the thieves love them. :cry:
 
Thats weird. I bought one two weeks ago for a trip and man I put it together, stuck it on the car and talked all the way across the county! Ears are great !! :confused: May be I got a good one?? I will tell u this.. I try and go by my feelings instead of impulse and I went in 5 or 6 different truck stops because I was looking for a wilson lil wil but this thing just spoke to me? SO I bought it?? Its doing a great job?:confused::confused::blush:
 
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if u want a real good small antenna get a old willson 1ooo and replace the whip with the ;wilson short load' whip..
 
I used the K30 in NYC and made multiple DX contacts also was able to talk from Brooklyn to the Bronx. Tuned on one vehicle and SWR was in operating range when placed on two other vehicles with no re-tuning of the antenna. Don't know what some of you guys are doing wrong, but it is an awesome antenna for the size and wallet. This was with just a Cobra 29 (no- rfx board or final mod) and a power mic.
 
I have used a k30 and a little wil. Performance is about the same. I will say the lil wil has lasted longer. The coax came loose from the magnet on the k30. Both are worth the 20-30 bucks. They have their place, don't expect 102 wip results.
 

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