Review of YAESU 891A Radio and ATAS 120A Antenna

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I was looking at purchasing an antenna to use with my HF YAESU 891A radio for POTA and to use for backup communication during disasters. I decided to give the ATAS 120A a try. I had been told the antenna required a lot of grounding radials. Some people said use 8 radials and some people said use 12.  I decided to experiment with a Faraday cloth also. I sat up a GRA-ULTO1 MK3 tripod, connected 2 radials with solid copper Muller Clips to a 39" x 43" Faraday cloth, attached the antenna to the tripod and attached the 2 radials to the tripod. I could get a few bands but not happy with the results. I next experimented with 8 radials, little better. I then experimented with the antenna up on a mast about 12 feet and 12 radials, each radial about 16 feet, needed the length to touch the ground, don't let the radials touch each other, little better. Then I took this experiment one notch higher and hooked my Coax to my husbands ATAS 120A that is grounded by his big Tacoma truck. I discovered when I hooked to my husbands truck that the antenna does require a lot of grounding, very pleased with bands I could reach. So this is what I done, I set up, as showed  in the picture, in the Green Swamp area in Pasco County Florida, this area has poor communications. I set the small GRA-ULTO1 MK3 tripod on top of a bigger tripod I purchased at Orlando Hamcation in the used camera section. This raised the antenna about 10 feet off the ground. I connected the antenna to the small tripod, I used 16 radials for grounding, 16 feet long, hooked to the small tripod. I was able to send a Winlink message using my HF 891A radio and this set up. Very pleased with this set up. The picture set up took about twenty minutes. I then decided for a faster set up for POTA, I would purchase a vehicle antenna mount to connect the ATAS 120A. I could set at a picnic table and use longer Coax or set in my car. I purchased a vehicle antenna mount which rotated because my car sloped. A vehicle magnet mount does not ground as well. I did not want a radio in my car but this antenna mount allows me to leave the antenna in my car trunk and connect quickly for a faster set up when required.

                                                                                                  Author Pamela Lamunion