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write your own review of the Force 12 C31XR.
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N8RR
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 16, 2009 05:55
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Serious Antenna
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Time owned: months
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Much option analysis went into the selection of this antenna for my new QTH over the last 3 years. ALL available commercial antennas were seriously considered, and I selected the Force 12 because of the electrical and mechanical simplicity, along with Force 12's reputation for solid performance. In addition, I extensively used HFTA to arrive at an optimum antenna height for my site.
In 47 years, I have owned a few antennas: A3S-TH6DXX-TH7DX-20/15/10M Hygain 5 el Monobanders-2/3/4 element quads. In Louisiana I had some of these antennas up simultaneously for comparison. At various other stations I have used about every antenna that exists or existed, including big Telrex monobanders, M2 monobanders, big & small Mosley tribanders, etc. My expectations for the C31XR were high, but there is no magic to antennas; it is a 3 element monobander on 20 meters, small in comparison to some of my previous antennas.
On July 4, 2009 the C31XR was installed on the tower. So far, I have focused on 20M because of poor propagation on higher bands. I have never had results on 20M like this, with any antenna, from any location, mine or others. If the band is open to EU or Asia, it is seldom possible for me to call a DX station without generating DX callers for me on the other station's frequency.
In two months I have made over 1,000 non contest DX qsos on this antenna and the F-12 40M yagi it is stacked with. It is a pileup buster as well!
The antenna just flat plays. I could not be more pleased with the performance. It plays at a level much higher than I expected. I get HS, 9V, BY, VU, 4S7 calling me routinely with comments on the signal. My expectations have been greatly exceeded.
The antenna is only mounted about 19 meters over ground level at the tower base, but this is misleading. The tower is on a small hilltop, with sloping ground under it so the effective height above ground out a few wavelengths is much higher than 19 meters. Clearly, this enhances antenna performance. However, hilltop locations bring a set of problems to be overcome, in particular lightning and high wind exposure. When selected, I believed the C31XR had the mechanical and electrical design features necessary to withstand the environment.
Mechanically, the antenna went together with no issues. This was my first use of rivets, and it seems like a great assembly method. Very simple and fast to assemble the antenna. Electrically and mechanically, it is about as simple as it gets. I expect it will be up a long time and require little if any maintenance. All the parts were there, the instructions were adequate, and zero problems were encountered.
I would not hesitate to buy another Force 12 antenna, and highly recommend one if performance along with simplicity is important to you. It is a NO compromise antenna.
73, Charlie (Chas) N8RR
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K6UFO
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 23, 2009 11:43
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Great product and company.
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I ordered my antennas at Dayton 2008 from the "New Force 12." Mark and his people were helpful, responsive, and kept me informed of assembly and shipping progress. The antennas arrived with all parts, and assembled smoothly and easily. Antennas work as advertised, and as expected. I was able to buy TWO Force 12 yagis for less than the cost of ONE of the stepping kind. A great value.
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W2IRT
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 13, 2008 21:49
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BEST Triband Yagi Ever!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I'll put it as simply as I can. This antenna is a DX Cannon. It's built like a tank, has front-to-back and front-to-side rejection that is beyond belief and enough forward gain to both hear the DX cleanly and get your call in his log with a single call more often than not.
You can single-feed or tri-feed it (which I will do sometime down the road), and if you stack 'em, the results will defy imagination. I've been told my signal compares favorably to folks running long-boom monobanders, and even when I don't have the amp switched on I can usually get in over top of others in my area who are running a kW. What's really fun with this bad boy is busting through the EU wall to snag a rare one that's either over the pole or down in the southern Indian Ocean somewhere. If ever anything happens to my C31XR, another one will rise in its place. By far the best antenna I've ever used in almost 30 years of hamming.
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W3MR
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Rating: 4/5
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May 27, 2008 08:41
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F12 QC needs help
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Atop a AN 70HD tower, the C31XR works quite well; however, the antenna arrived without a number of bolts (local hardware store trip) and a feedline required for single coax operation (fabricated on site from materials on hand by W2GD). For the cost of this antenna, you would think that there would be better QC prior to shipping; I only hope that the new F12 owners do a better job of QC prior to shipping.
Except for the missing pieces, the antenna went together easily and was placed on top of the tower using a crane, which made the installation easier.
The C31XR plays quite well; the VSWR is as advertised and the antenna perform as expected. The antenna itself gets a 5, while the overall rating goes down due to the F12 QC issues.
Overall, I would purchase another C31XR, but I would make sure that all parts are included as soon as the containers (shipped in 2 cardboard boxes) arrive.
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K1XV
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 24, 2008 10:18
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Makes its own sunspots
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have this antenna, stacked along with a 2 el 40 meter F12 beam and a 7 element 17/12 F12 beam, on a Tri-Ex sky needle. If there is DX to be worked, this antenna will work it.
The station is on a ridge line in Southern Vermont where strong winds, especially in winter, are the norm. Ice storms too. And temperatures as low as -25F. In 4+ years, the antenna has held up mechanically and electrically the same as the day it was put up in 2003. When coated with ice, the elements droop. But the ice melts, and the elements go right back to their original shape.
I know the Steppir is the antenna now in vogue. I will stick with my Force 12 set up, as it has held up mechanically, and RF performance remains great.
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W1GRM
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 24, 2008 07:59
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Great
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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The Force 12 C31XR Has been up for almost a year. It's still as exciting as the first day I installed it. It has performed better than any other beam I have ever had. It has withstood high wind and ice without a problem. Keep up the good work Force 12.
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W4SK
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 23, 2006 09:46
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Bad Boy
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Had mine up for more than three years now, without any mechanical issues. Superior performer on 10 and 15 meters. Good bandwidth all three bands. I would buy again.
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K9RX
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 11, 2005 20:18
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Construction details...
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I plan on putting 3 of these up on a rotating tower system... at 41, 81, 121'. The construction is first rate - the boom is heavy duty and the elements well designed mechanically. Most dimensions are close (seems on the first antenna assembled almost all were off by ~ 1/8" too long per joint... go figure). Took 2 hours to assemble the boom and all the elements. Testing in about a week... will update at that time. Also will review a new Sigma 180Magnum 80/75 dipole and a 240N 2EL40 - both bought new. [These C31's were bought used, one 4 years old and used the other two 4 years old but still new in the box. The above one, first to be assembled, was one of the new ones.]
[I have had experience with Hygain, Telrex, M2, KLM antennas so am aware of how others build antennas.]
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NK7J
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 30, 2004 10:33
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Cant say enough good things about this one!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Well here is a follow up to what I wrote about a year ago.
We have had some really good wind storm, ice, snow and what have you and this antenna has not had a single problem.
I am amazed at how "sharp" this antenna is with regards to directivity. In many cases when working DX if you aint pointed towards them you aint going to hear em.
This antenna has made me put up a couple other antennas just becuase of this issue. I put back up my OLD butternut verticle just so I can switch to it to see what I maybe missing. Works out great, hear a DX station, turn the C31 around to it and bam, a new contact.
If you have the room, money and help to put it up I say buy one NOW!
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W2IJ
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Rating: 4/5
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Sep 30, 2002 16:53
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Too early to tell
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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The C31XR is a big antenna and took 3 folks in a scissor lift to get it on top of the nested tower. For a first time builder, kind of interesting. For folks with some antenna/tower experience, it wasn't too bad.
I did have some problems in 3 areas. Additionally, the contact with their personnel revealed an interesting attitude when discussing one of the QC (Quality Control) problems in their production line of boom to element plates.
1) The first problem was the brackets for the driven elements were not machined properly (drilled) for the 2" U bolts.
Force12: "I was the first person ever to have the problem in over 12,000 antennas built. Either open up the U bolts of file open the holes in the bracket".
Force12 then checked the machining area and disclosed to me more improperly drilled brackets were found. My response was I doubt if I was the only one with the errors.
I objected to spreading the U bolts as it defeated the purpose of the U bolt which should apply a force in a perpendicular manner. So I carefully dremeled out the holes in the mounting brackets.
What I found interesting was no offer was even made to replace the brackets or to exchange that particular section of the boom.
2) Since I was using 3 feedlines, the 20M driven element needed longer tips which were supplied but not drilled. I thought for the price these pieces could have come pre-drilled.
I left a voice mail...no response.
3) One element was not parallel. Even with equal turns on each U bolt so as not to pull on the element from one side, the element was not parallel. I worked it out by once again working the mounting plate.
THE MANUAL
The manual could have been written in a different manner. Additionally the manual contained black and white photocopies of pictures. "Shades of gray" is not, in my opinion, the best way to communicate information in a picture. The manual was arranged in a manner that required a bit of jumping around and some details required some searching to find. I would have preferred to see the manual construction, from the start of construction, based on "Is it a single feed, proceed then go to page X" and "Is it a 3 feed system, proceed to page Y". For the price I would have expected a higher quality and top/down approach document.
At this price, could they have supplied a few more rivets than the 3 I was left with? The 3 sure left me with no room to adjust the elements, if I chose, to change the VSWR points.
The performance is unknown at this point (only up for 2 days) but it appears to hear better then my previous tribander (A4).
As with anything, there are lots of opinions about anything. These are my opinions on the constructions of this antenna and the manual.
I'll update this review (or send in another) after a few weeks in the pileups.
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