I was out with my IMAX2000 yesterday at only 15 feet high on a hill and it worked very well. Even the SWR was down at only 1.4:1
I think performance is at least on par with the Gain Master for my line of sight contacts. I managed a 190 miles contact with the IMAX2000 to another station that was also on high ground. They were barely audible but we heard each other nonetheless.
Just possibly it might outperform the Gain Master for long line of sight contacts when I have it on shorter poles (normally I would have 20-25feet of poles. I suspect it may be less affected by the ground than the Gain Master is. I only put it on 15 feet of pole as I have just recovered from the flu and wanted a nice easy set up and take down.
At 15 feet the SWR was decent... normally I see a 1.7:1 or slightly higher SWR so 15 feet might have been just right for the feed impedance. I will see when I hike it up to 25 feet in the future.
The tuning rings have had no effect for me I wondered at one point if the IMAX was broke but now I am definitely warming to it as a viable static mobile antenna. It has the length to be viable at only 15 feet (in a 10mph wind as it was yesterday) which is possible to set up without any guy wires which also helped me.
I like it ! I think th Gain Master might collect dust for a few months through the summer. The IMAX is so easy to set up. (despite being quite a bit heavier than my GM)
I think the GM might have the edge for really long DX at 25 feet and above but at 15 feet the IMAX does as well if not slightly better. As the summer Sporadic E skip is coming now i.e. European skip 1,000-2,000 mile hops the IMAX will be fine for this even at lower heights I suspect.
