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write your own review of the Force 12 C3SS.
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AC6DX
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Rating: 3/5
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Dec 24, 2007 07:11
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KLM, KT-34A WAY OUT PERFORMS THIS ANT.
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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1. KEEP IN MIND YOU ARE ONLY GETTING 2 ELEMENTS PER BAND. AND ANY BEAM NEEDS AT LEAST 3 ELEMENTS PER BAND TO BE OPTIUM.
2. YOU ARE GOING TO GET LITTLE IF ANY SUPPORT FROM FORCE-12.
3. I HAD A C3SS AT 60' AND A KLM KT34A AT 60' SIDE BY SIDE COMPAIRSON'S THER IS NO COMPAIRSON THE KLM-KT34A BUSTED THRU PILE-UPS FROM CALIFORNIA TO EUROP USEALLY ON THE FIRST TRY, AS FOR THE FORCE-12 C3SS NO WAY NO HOW, I WAS HAVING TO WAIT FOR EVERYONE TO WORK A STATION BEFORE I WAS PICKED UP, BASICLY WITH THE FORCE 12 PLAN ON WAITING AND HOPEING YOU GET YOUR CONTACT, IF THE DX STATION IS WILLING TO WAIT LONG ENOUGH BEFORE THEY GET TIRED OF WORKING EVERYONE ELESE, THEY MIGHT HERE YOU.
4. KLM-KT34A BUSTED THROUGH PILE-UP TO WORK SOUTH AFRICA MADE MY CONTACT, THENN SWITCHED OVER TO THE FORCE 12 WITHOUT TELLING THE OTHER STATION THE REPLY WAS ARE YOU STILL THERE I AM NOT HEARING YOU VARY WELL, I THEN SWITCHED BACK TO THE KLM AND NO PROBLEMS.
5. GIVING FORCE-12 THERE DUE THE ANTENNA LOOKS REALLY NICE IN THE AIR, AND FOR ONLY HAVING 2 ELEMENTS PER BAND MAYBE OK AT BEST.
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M3BLH
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 31, 2007 14:10
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update
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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hi all I said I would come back and tell you what iv found with the Force 12 C3SS well hear we go its the best antenna I have ever had. it is only 4 m from the ground and I am working anything I hear . I live I mile from my local radio club and a lot of time I listen to them in contest. and I some times I can hear stations that they can not even hear. and they have got the big steppir with the 40 m add on kit at 15m from the ground. I have been working the USA on only 5w and 10 w with no problems. the only down fall is I can not tune it on 17m at all but that is not a problem as I'm putting a wire up for that band I hope this antenna as stud up to all the big wind we have had over the last few mths it in the open as they is all fields were I live with no problem at all so I recommend this antenna to anybody with very good results I hope this help thanks Barry M0NOK
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W6AAV
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 21, 2007 09:35
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Outstanding!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have had this antenna since 2002. I had installed in two seperate locations. One is Southern California and the other (currently) Fredericksburg, VA.
The antenna came packed and labeled with ease of assembly in mind. All the parts with extras were included. When I moved to VA, the process was simple to disassemble and reassemble.
The antenna is mounted on a 33 foot US Tower and sits 4 foot above the top of the tower. I have had not one issure which required me to conduct any maintenance or repair since I owned it. It holds up very well in the snow and ice here in VA as well.
Performance is outstanding! I hear them, I work them! My last pile up I broke was to T30XX. With 600 watts I got through on the second call. What else can I say! This antenna is small and powerful. I have thought of looking at other antennas whether from Force 12 or other manufactures, but at the performamnce numbers and for the size, I can't find a better antenna.
Force 12 antennas are a product I will recommend to anyone, especially the C3SS. Quality is supurb compared to others I have seen. I am able to tune 6m, 12m, 17m, as well as 10m, 15, and 20m with just using the internal tuner of the radio and yes, I have made many contact on all the bands I have listed.
If you are thinking about this antenna, think no more. Just do it!
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VE6XL
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Rating: 4/5
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Aug 27, 2006 01:52
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Excellent Compact Yagi
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I was looking for a compact yagi suitable for where I live. I have only started using the antenna and I am very pleased with the performance.
Pros:
-Improvement over a dipole (4dBd +/-)
-Includes everything except pop riveter
-Very well designed
-Uses linear loading (no coils or traps)
-SWR at 30ft is excellent on all bands
-SWR can be easily tweaked using linear load on 20m or elements on 10m and 15m
Cons:
-Manual needs some improvement
-One hole needed to be redrilled (minor)
-Attaching the B-1/S Balun can be challenging as it is a bit short and can short out the PL-259 against the 15m driver. (easy to insulate and fix)
-Difficult to get a response from Force 12 by email (The staff is great over the phone)
I will supply another review after I have had the antenna a while longer. Pictures of the installation can be seen at: www.ve6xl.ca
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KZ1Z
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 26, 2006 16:54
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Wow
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This antenna is worth the wait. I live in an antenna restricted neighborhood. I did manage to get a waiver for a small tower, 30 feet, as the neighborhood was new and the HOA hadn't been formed yet. Lucky me, the developer approved the waiver and included it in my contract. I don't want any surprises down the road. This antenna has a thin silhouette. The SWR is excellent on 10-15-20. With the rig's antenna tuner the C3ss easily lets you run the 12 and 17 meter bands. While it will tune on 6 meters easily, and will work, it is not the most efficient. The manufacturer never claims it would, so consider this feature a bonus. When assembling the antenna, follow the instructions. Don't make guesses, you'll guess wrong every time. The overall quality is excellent. Here in hurricane country it will get tested. The first day on the air worked all over the world, despite the poor band conditions we have been experiencing. I was amazed breaking pile-ups I never would have done before. I sure could have used this antenna for the VU4 DXpedition. I would recommend this antenna without reservation.
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IW0HEX
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Rating: 5/5
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May 11, 2006 06:09
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Very well
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I use C3SS since 2005 September. I had a QSO with over 230 DXCC and antenna works great !!! No SWR problem, no traps so it can handle many watts !!! It's very easy to assemble and very light weight. If you are no great space, it's ideal antenna !!! 2 elements for 10,15 and 20 meters but very great satisfaction.
73s Pasquale IW0HEX
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G0YLM
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Rating: 5/5
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May 11, 2005 11:30
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Superb!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Only had it up on the mast for a week. Went together very easily although the instructions are not brilliant. Certainly as good as my old Hygain TH3 with the added bonus of being a lot lighter. Excellent performance on 10/15/20. Will work on the warc bands, but really if you want to dx on these bands then you are better with a dedicated ariel.
Look forward to really giving it a workout over these next few months!
Linda
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KY6R
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 7, 2005 21:06
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Super
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Force-12 did a wonderful job with the delivery of this antenna. It arrived when they said it would - within 2 weeks time, and every hole was drilled perfectly and filed nicely. It went together exactly as documented - and their documentation was well written and the print quality was excellent.
I had been using a 20M K1WA array, a Moxon and a 2 element 20M monoband - short boom yagi (as documented in the ARRL Antenna Handbook). It definately has a better F/B ratio and side rejection than the short boom yagi, but the gain is about the same.
I especially like the fact that Force-12 uses proven designs that I can read about on CEBIK.COM or in the Arrl Antenna handbook. They also really know how to engineer their antennas for strength, weight distribution, and of course, NO TRAPS.
Fantastic!
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K1ZYW
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 4, 2005 22:35
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One of my better life's decisions
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have had one going on 2 years.... This is an update of my previous review. In sum: Great antenna... I do a lot of contesting and DXing and it is one heck of a beam. It has gone thru all of the Florida huricaines in 2004 with no problem!! (and I have the regular model)
Mechanically just great and has been trouble free - I use a coil of RG-213 coax at the top instead of a balum and the SWR and performance is superior
Ken K1UM
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N2RRA
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 13, 2004 11:23
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Great antenna, Even works on 6 meters
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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BELIEVE IT OR NOT! It tune's on 6 meters and plays well.
First let me say this yagi replaces my Cushcraft A4S, but even though my A4S played well on the 10,15,20 bands, and i recommend it to anybody i dont regret it. It did'nt play well, or tune for 6 meters i tried it.
On 10,15, and 20m meters the Force 12 does exactly what it supposed to do. I get better reports on this yagi than i did on 20 meters with the A4S, and of course the SWR across the bands are alot sweeter. Same goes on 10 and 15 meters with SWR, but not sure yet on performance on 10m in comparison between the two due to bad conditions.
Some were saying it does'nt tune on 12 and 17m aahh! what were you doing wrong? My IC-756 pro and 746 tune just fine on these bands, and i get enough performance to QSO with Europe and state side fine. In their instruction's it does state it will tune for 12 and 17m with some gain, but not to expect much. Well! that makes sense it is a tri-bander.
Now to the freaky part. Dureing the VHF contest just this past weekend i set out on installing my K1FO 5 el. 6 meter yagi, but something went terrorably wrong. Turn's out the feed line i was useing was no good, and of course i waited for the last minute. I figured let me see what the force 12 would do on 6m in desperation.
WOW! With out tuneing it was flat 1 - 1.1 from 50.000 - 50.300 then goes up to 1.5 at 51.000. Crazy! they didnt even advertise this. According to my tune for the other bands it worked out good. Dont know if this is an anomally, but i'm not complaining.
I'm sure it wont compare to a 6 meter mono bander intended for the band, but check out my results in only the one day i could work the contest. I will give a few call signs to prove it's vadility, and some of the furthest grids recorded on the C3SS.
Results: 71 QSO's and 15 Grids:
KC2HQF - FN21 on a loop N2PA - FN12
K1JT - FN20 AA2UK - FM29
KA1TOJ - FN41 WA2GEZ - FM28
K1WHS - FN43 K3YTL - FN11
W3SO - FN00 AI3Z - FM19
W3MEL - FN10
This was all achieved with the C3SS at a height of 45ft. In New York city is horrable being covered by all building's and such. I would love soon to see what it will do at 75ft on my tower soon.
Well! This wasnt to convice anyone to buy the antenna, but to share my good experience with it.
List of Calls and grids not listed in the first review:
N1MUW - FN32
AI3Z - FM19
AA2UK - FM29
WA2GEZ - FM28
K3YTL - FN11
N2PA - FN12
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