Shakespeare Style 5300 28 Ft. SSB Antenna...

[WX2MIG]

Shakespeare Marine Antennas Specifications: Shakespeare 5300 SSB

In my never ending search to find a seashore friendly fiberglass vertical HF antenna, I stumbled onto this model from Shakespeare Marine.

The Suggested retail price is $644.95 however it probably can be had for $300.00 or less...

Now it certainly is no cheap alternative, but it's advertised as having a SSB frequency range of 2 to 30 Mhz with a tuner, which means it should cover everything my HF transceiver can do...(80m to 10m)

Now my question is.....
With this type of antenna, will I need a ground radial system.....?

Reading some of the E-Ham reviews on other Shakespeare verticals, some claim they added ground radials and it made an improvement, and others claimed no ground radials are needed, and some went so far to say they tried ground radials and it made no difference in the antenna's performance.....

I'm aware these antennas are constructed for use over water, however I know a couple of marine towing companies that use either this model, or one of the other similar model Shakespeare SSB Marine antennas at their land base port of operations, so they must work to some degree, how well they would work on the Amateur HF bands over land is another question......

What do you guys think.......

 

[W5LZ]

I think it's just a bit 'much' (even at $300) for a 28 foot vertical antenna. That's all it is you know, just a 28 foot conductor that stands up straight all by it's self. I'm afraid I'm just too cheap for that.
It will do exactly what they claim. But taking a close look, what they claim isn't saying that it will do any better than a comparable length antenna used with a tuner. In fact, they don't make any claims for it at all that I could find (Geeze! An honest antenna manufacturer!). And just how well will a 28 foot 'un-loaded' wire, with or without tuner, work on 80 meters?? Yeah, right.
Will it work better with a ground system? Absolutely. That 'stick' is just half of the antenna system, the other 'half' has to come from somewhere so why not make it a nice ground system.
If you've got that $300 handy, why not three sections of Rohn 25. Either feed the tower, or hang an antenna off of it of some kind. Still wouldn't hurt to have a nice ground system, opens up more possibilities for antennas.
- 'Doc

(At something like $10-20 per foot, that antenna is just too 'good' for me!)

 

[Robb]

I have to agree with Doc; it is pretty expensive and is really nothing more than a periodic-type antenna that requires a tuner to use. So do a lot of other antennas - that cost a whole lot less...

What have you got against the Hustler 6BTV? SO long as you mount it as per specifications and use ground wires - it should do everything that it claims. (A practical useage of all of that scrap wire you seem to have - just a thought - for putting down the needed radials.) One of the more popular antennas used by a lot of Hams.

I studied antennas that are available and came up with a used GAP Titan DX for $200 - the same price as a new Hustler 6BTV. If I hadn't made the GAP find, I was already prepared to go with the Hustler.

This Shakespeare does seem kinda pricey - don't you think so?

 

[WX2MIG]

Kinda what I was thinking guys...expensive, and if it was some sort of miracle antenna worth it's price, then why aren't more hams using them.....????

The only real attraction for me is the fact that it's an enclosed fiberglass unit made for the seashore environment.....

Rob, I'll have to give that Hustler 6BTV a closer look.....

 

[CCW337]

SUPERIOR to those 'SHORT' Screwdriver Antennas!

Realizing that this is an OLD POST, maybe some won't see it, but we'll give it a whirl anyway.

I'm full-timing it in a 36' Monaco diesel pusher and have been pursing antenna alternatives to use with the Icom series of transceivers, like the 756PRO and the 706MKIIG.

The Shakespeare 28' antenna (Model 5300) looks to be SUPERIOR to all of those short coil-loaded antennas, where the RF gathers... but doesn't really escape/couple to the ionosphere.

I recently bought a NOS-NIB Hustler 4BTV from Craigslist and have thought about placing it on the roof of the coach with a foldover arrangement. BUT, since I also have an Icom AH-4 Antenna Tuner... this 28' Shakespeare might just be the ticket, or its shorter cousin, the 23' Shakespeare Model 393.

The Icom AH-4 tuner requires at least a 23' antenna, so the Shakespeare Model 393 just barely makes the grade. The Model 5300 betters the grade.

The 28' Shakespeare Model 5300 is available for $371, which is about the same you'd pay for one of those shorty, RF loaded Screwdriver type antennas, that surly won't deliver the performance that the Shakespeare will, provided the proper grounding *(counterpoise) is provided. On a motorhome coach, if the shielded side of the coax is grounded to the motorhome's frame, plus a ground rod, near the rear bumper of the coach, one should be in business, since the framing of the coach will serve as an excellent counterpose. And I've seen the 23' Shakespeare antennas advertised on eBay for around $175 bucks... so that's STILL BETTER than those RF attenuated, coil-loaded "SHORTY'S".



So, before you sell the Shakespeare "short" for one of those RF attenuated SHORT screwdriver antennas, think again!

We'll let you know how this all turns out!

 

[W5LZ]

It really just depends on what bands you plan to use the thing on. From something like 10 Mhz and up, that 23 foot antenna should do well. From about 10 Mhz and down, it's going to be one of those 'shrtened' antennas. When you get to 80 and 40 meters, there might be some advantage to that 23 foot antenna over a screwdriver type, but not very much at all (if any, and I wouldn't bet on it). I've seen various 'auto-tuners' used with such a shortened mobile antenna (AH-4 and SGC), don't waste your time and money, a screwdriver antenna will beat it easily. One user even 'loaded' that shortened whip, no help on more than the frequency it was 'loaded' for. All of this was on a 'land' vehicle, not a boat. Boats all have their own obstacles/qwerks to overcome. Unless those boats are really quite large, there's no easy/'sure fire' way to use the lower HF bands. Just no where to put an antenna that large.
- 'Doc